Some tips for starting out:
Explore: Pursue new areas of interest to help you select your major or minor and generally broaden your perspective, as the ability to consider health and wellness from multiple angles is a strength. You may major in anything you choose.
Make a plan: Consider the courses you want and need to take, and draft an outline of your college semesters. Discuss your plan with your academic advisor and the pre-health advisor.
Create balance: Spread out challenging and time-consuming courses when possible, balancing them with courses that may be easier for you. Precisely what this balance looks like will vary from person to person.
Know your “outs”: If you have planned a particularly demanding semester, think ahead about what you could adjust if you become overwhelmed. For example, dropping a course, taking something ungraded or stepping back from intense involvement in a student organization or off-campus volunteer position.
Use your resources: Visit our list of academic resources, below, to learn about different types of support.
If your learning and grades are not where they need to be in order to successfully apply to professional school, be proactive in seeking support. If it's a STEM course you're struggling in, go to PLUMS. Seek tutoring if needed. Use study groups. Go to office hours. Assess your study habits and adjust. Work with your academic advisor, and seek advice from pre-health students who are farther along in their process. And connect with the pre-health office. We are not here to judge, but to support. Let's talk about what's going on, how you can address it, and whether it may affect the choices you make about moving forward in future pre-health prerequisite courses.
