Managing Wake Forest’s pre-med requirements on a random week in October is challenging enough, but once finals roll around, juggling the heavy readings, stressful exams, and never-ending labs becomes an exhausting whirlwind.
Here are 10 thoughts every pre-med student has during finals week.
1. How is it legal to be taking two science classes at once?
For most of their college lives, pre-med students have to take two science courses (meaning two labs as well) in order to finish all of their major and MCAT requirements, and let me tell you, it isn’t pretty. Simultaneously taking Gen Chem 2 and cell biology was somewhat manageable, but taking biochemistry, genetics, and physics, was actual hell on earth. I definitely do not recommend.
2. All of this grade deflation is really doing wonders for my future.
If these professors are aware that we are attempting to get into med school with these grades, why do they go out of their way to make them so low? If the average on a test is a C and about three people out of a class of 45 make an A, it seems to me that the problem is not the students but maybe the test instead.
3. But do we need to know the actual steps of this pathway?
When the list of biological and chemical pathways in the world is seemingly infinite, this is probably the most essential question to ask your professor before an exam. Being that each pathway usually consists of at least ten steps (and don’t forget about the names of all of the intermediates and catalysts involved), the sound of your professor saying you only need to “know the gist of the pathway” sounds like a chorus of angels straight from heaven.
4. If I don’t get an "A" in lab, I’m going to punch someone.
Wasn’t this supposed to be a thing to help our grade? It’s not my fault that biology labs are never statistically significant, so I think I at least deserve an "A" for effort.
5. But on that note, at least we don’t have to go to lab this week.
It’s always a relief to remember that you don’t have to sacrifice anywhere from two to four hours with your usually extremely awkward lab group during finals. The final presentation you were forced to collaborate on was torture enough.
6. I think I’ve killed upwards of three trees worth of paper so far.
I’m pretty sure it’s impossible to properly study for a normal science test without using at least 25 sheets of paper and 75 index cards, so when you factor in the fact that this is for a cumulative exam, I think you can multiply those numbers by at least four.
7. Will there be a curve?
I know I’m not going to get an "A" on that orgo final without one. Unfortunately, it feels like most science teachers only curve their exams when they need to in order to prevent the entire class from making an "F" in the class.
8. Why didn’t I major in business instead?
I cannot count the number of times I was envious of my friends that are majoring in business. They never have to deal with labs, they’re going to start making money right after they graduate, and their classes are actually relevant to what they want to do in the future. On that note…
9. This has absolutely nothing to do with medicine.
I highly doubt that any surgeon has really needed to understand the mechanism behind a nucleophilic substitution lab in the O.R., or that knowing how to calculate electromagnetic force has helped an obstetrician deliver a baby. I’m just saying.
10. Am I seriously considering doing this school thing for another four years?
Anyone not planning on going to medical school or some form of graduate school actually looks at you like you’re a psychopath for wanting to continue life as a student after college, and you sort of start to understand what they’re saying during finals week. But just remember to take a deep breath because (hopefully) one day this will all be worth it. And when in doubt, the answer is equilibrium for almost every single science class.
