Safe to say, taking the MCAT wasn’t as scary as I thought it was going to be, and I’m certainly glad it’s over!! These last two weeks have been a matter of catching up on class work and activities which I had to put a slight hold on while I was finishing up my MCAT studying. Unfortunately, it looks like I’ve caught the flu that’s been going around campus! I’ve been mostly bed-ridden since Wednesday, but thanks to a lot of rest and some very frequent doses of Tylenol, I’m back on my feet again and ready to start another week of classes starting tomorrow…
Speaking of, I figure I should let you all know about what I’m up to this semester. I’m taking on a heavier courseload consisting of 17 credits, which translates to five classes: 1) Introduction to Biochemistry, 2) British Literature since 1880, 3) Modern English Literature, 4) Asian-American Literature, and 5) Elementary Chinese Part 2. All of my classes are primarily lecture-based, with the exception of my biochemistry class, which has both a lecture and a laboratory component. I’ve been enjoying most of my classes so far, although it’s definitely one of the most diverse schedules I’ve had in terms of different subject matters. At the moment, I’m finishing up my Biological Sciences major while taking on an English double major. My freshman and sophomore years at UConn were all very science-heavy as I was fulfilling pre-medical requirements, but since I finished most of them up in my first two years, I figured I’d spend more time exploring other fields as well since I had the time. I’ve always loved reading so I went for the English track, but I also decided to take Elementary Chinese to brush up on my Chinese skills (speaking-wise, I’m ok to hold up a conversation, but I started off with no reading or writing skills at all!)
I’m currently working towards converting my biochem class to Honors. The Introduction to Biochemistry class doesn’t have it’s own Honors section but does offer the opportunity to convert the class to Honors. The honors conversion project for this class is one of the best I’ve ever done because the professor has done many conversions with students in the past. Converting a class to Honors is a varied process depending on the class and professor. In the past, I’ve occasionally seen conversions that are primarily independent work done by students with some basic input or discussion from the professor, including independent research papers or volunteer field-work. Other professors prefer to work right alongside students during the conversion, which is something I prefer. My biochem professor has us meet with her as a group once a week to discuss research papers which are based off research done in within the last year. The papers relate to the material that we’ve been learning in class, so it enhances the lectures, but the professor also has us use these papers to guide us as we write our honors theses. Since we’re all science majors in the group, her goal is to have us eventually come up with a research proposal that can act as the honors thesis (which we need to graduate with Honors). Overall, I’m having a lot of fun with this conversion because I feel like I’m getting a great Honors experience out of it.
To see the Biological Sciences major requirements, click here.
To learn more about the Honors program, click here.
February 21st, 2009 at 2:04 pm
Hi, Angela.
I’m a biological sciences major too and plan to do pre-med. My uncaring attitude towards academics early in high school, primarily freshman year & then some during sophomore year, have really hurt my GPA and thus have obliterated many other opportunities for me as an entering college freshman. Though I really picked it up last year and excelled in all of my classes, my efforts were not great enough to outweigh my past screw-ups. Upon my admission into UConn, I was not surprised that I was not admitted into the honors program. I was wondering whether I would be able to apply for honors afterwards. If so, what requirements would one have to fulfill to be considered eligible for the honors program? Also, when can one apply to honors?
Thanks,
Linda
March 4th, 2009 at 11:21 pm
Hey Linda,
I’m glad to hear that you’re still interested in the Honors Program! It’s definitely a great experience to be an Honors student and it’s very beneficial to pre-med students like you and myself. There are plenty of opportunities to apply to the Honors program even if you weren’t admitted right away upon admission to UConn. After you’ve been a student for at least two semesters, you can apply for Honors granted that you’ve met the requirements that they look for. These include a GPA of at least 3.4, your overall academic record, recommendations from professors, and application essays. You can apply for the Honors program up until your second semester sophomore year.
It’s great that even though your first two years of high school weren’t so hot, you’re working hard now and sticking to the pre-med path. Don’t forget that at UConn you have plenty of chances to improve and succeed. Best wishes!
- Angela
March 28th, 2009 at 6:27 pm
Hey Angela!
Nice blog, it definetly helped me understand how life at uconn is.
I read that you are enrolled in the CPIM program and I wanted to ask how rigorous is was, getting accepted.
Like.. How was your high school transcript and extra-curricular activities and SAT scores, you know, the usual.
And is it only likey to get accepted if you have taken advanced placement science classes? I have AP classes, but they are not in the sciences, but I have taken many other science classes.
Also, the interview! How was that?
THANK YOU..