Should I Go To Boston College

Should I Go To Boston College The tutors behind Varsity Tutors are not just here to teach theyre sharing their college experiences as well. Casille is a Denver tutor specializing in SAT prep tutoring, History tutoring, Geometry tutoring, and more. She graduated from Boston College in 2011 with a Bachelors degree in Environmental Geosciences. Check out her review of her alma mater: VT: Describe the campus setting and transportation options.How urban or safe is the campus?Are there buses or do you need a car/bike? Casille: The campus has traditional architecture and is located in the suburbs of Boston on a hillside. The campus has its own bus system, which gets you around the campus and can bring you to nearby hotspots. The T (the Boston metro system) is located right next to campus, giving you easy access to the city. The campus is very safe and the neighborhood surrounding the campus is quiet. There is no need for a bike or a car. VT:How available are the professors, academic advisers, and teaching assistants? Casille: The class sizes tend to be smaller outside of entry-level lecture classes. The professors have office hours and make themselves readily available to students. Academic advisers can be easily reached by scheduling an appointment or attending office hours. VT: How would you describe the dorm life rooms, dining options, location, socialization opportunities with other students? Casille: The dorms are all well-kept and make a great place to live. The majority of students live on-campus all four years, though some juniors and seniors do live off-campus. The meal plan is all-inclusive, and the campus has a wide range of dining options from traditional cafeteria-style food to several different healthy options. The dorms and student organizations organize weekly social activities for interested students. VT: Which majors/programs are best represented and supported?What did you study and why? Did the university do a good job supporting your particular area of study? Casille: The business school and the humanities are the best represented on campus. I studied Environmental Geoscience, because of my interest in environmental conservation. My particular area of study was somewhat under-represented. VT: How easy or difficult was it for you to meet people and make friends as a freshman? Does Greek life play a significant role in the campus social life? Casille: Meeting friends as a freshman was fairly easy. The Resident Assistants threw events to allow you to meet all the people on your floor. There is no Greek system. VT: How helpful is the Career Centerand other student support services?Do many reputable companies recruit on campus? Casille: The Career Center is very helpful for the most represented majors. There are many recruiters for students leaving the business school. VT: How are the various study areas such aslibraries, the student union, and dorm lounges? Are they over-crowded, easily available, spacious? Casille: There are extensive study areas on campus, from dorm study rooms, which are usually empty or at least quiet, to several different libraries. The study areas in the libraries are quiet and beautiful with several of the libraries located in traditional gothic-style buildings. VT: Describe the surrounding town. What kinds of outside establishments / things to do are there that make it fun, boring, or somewhere in between?To what extent do students go to the downtown area of the city versus staying near campus? Casille: The neighborhood around the town is quiet, but a short bus ride away is a local hangout area that includes several restaurants and a convenience store. There are several weekend on-campus options, but it is always an option to enter the city and explore Boston. VT: How big or small is the student body? Were you generally pleased or displeased with the typical class sizes? Casille: The school is a medium-to-small school. The student body is fairly small compared to other colleges, and the class sizes tend to be smaller. VT: Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one youregretthe most. Casille: One of my favorite classes was the western cultural traditions seminar I took in my sophomore year. We read A Man For All Seasons, and the following discussions were invigorating, interesting, and fun. The class was particularly great because it was not a subject I tended to be interested in before the class, but the class broadened my horizons and provided me with new interests. Check out Casilles tutoring profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

Dont Go Breaking My Heart Cardiology on the MCAT

Don't Go Breaking My Heart Cardiology on the MCAT MCAT Medical School Admissions Cardiology is typically a favorite topic for most students. The heart is one of the most revered organs and the majority of students are taught baseline information about the heart during their primary school education. The American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) also loves the cardiovascular system and often tests students’ knowledge of it in the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT). Additionally, this cardio knowledge will serve you well as a future medical student since cardiology tends to be one of the most difficult courses. This article will discuss the cardiology content on the MCAT, interdisciplinary connections for this content, as well as some tricks and tips on how to maximize cardiology questions in the Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems section on the MCAT. Tackle Basic Cardiac Anatomy First and foremost, a knowledge and understanding of basic cardiac anatomyis essential to doing well on these questions. While primary school may have taught you the four chambers of the heart, it is essential that you understand the flow of blood through the heart, systemic circulation, and the pulmonary circulation. Knowing where blood is oxygenated and deoxygenated and how it flows will serve you well in getting at least one cardiovascular question correct. It is also important to understand where valves are located, the fundamental differences between arteries and veins, and the layers found in the blood vessels. Additionally, understanding which sets of valves are associated with different heart sounds is a great way to build a foundation of your understanding for medical school.Khan Academyhas great introductory videos on the circulatory system. Integrate the Endocrine System The cardiovascular system ties very well into the endocrine system; the link between these systems is often tested on the MCAT and is vital to your foundation of knowledge in medical school. Atrial Natriuretic peptide is often examined since it has a direct link to heart activity, however the Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System (RAS) from your nephrology knowledge is also fair game since the renal system and cardiovascular system directly and indirectly impact each other. The sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems and their hormones such as epinephrine, norepinephrine, and acetylcholine are high yield concepts to study and understand thoroughly. Erythropoietin, while classified under nephrology information is also an important hormone to understand since it directly impacts the number of red blood cells in the cardiovascular system and manifests itself in pathologies such as polycythemia vera and anemia. Hormones are often presented as retrieval questions or very simply tes ted since most students have limited exposure to endocrinology prior to medical school. Because of this, these are concepts that can prove to impact your MCAT score significantly. Check out MD Herofor a basic review of the endocrine hormones tested on the MCAT. Know Your Physics Another way the MCAT will examine your cardiovascular knowledge is throughlinking it to physics concepts. The cardiovascular system physiology has a strong basis in fluid mechanics and electrical circuits. This enables the AAMC to test these concepts in a way that is integrative, similar to how you will learn during your medical education. An understanding of Bernoulli’s equation and how it would apply to the arteries and veins as they change pressures and velocities throughout the body is remarkably helpful in retaining physics concepts and understanding why the circulatory system form and function change. For example, flow (Q) is equal to area (A) times velocity (v) is another commonly utilized equation when discussing cardiac physiology. This means that because the capillaries have the largest overall area in the body, they have a slower velocity allowing them to promote gas exchange in the lungs and the tissues. Whereas the larger arteries have a smaller area compared to the ca pillaries, so their velocity would be greater. Additionally, the MCAT often tests on the electrical physiology of the cardiovascular system and how it links to circuits, which will be covered in my next blog post. Grappling with these cardiology concepts early on in your medical education will serve you well as they are some of the most integrative and difficult concepts you will encounter during medical school. Spending the time to learn them now will serve to improve your MCAT score and give you a strong foundation of knowledge for your future patients. One of our professors always gently reminds us that no matter what your patient’s problem is, their cardiac health is almost always a consideration or factor in their care. Keep this in mind as motivation during your difficult days of studying; before you know it you’ll be in medical school studying these concepts at length and seeing patients with these conditions in real life. About the Author Jordan S. is a current medical student, and one of our most experienced MCAT tutors. Click here for more information.