Free Time? Is There Any?

[MadameMedecin]

So I am really trying not to freak out about this loan thing, and focus all my energy on being prepared to matriculate as a first year med student at SMU this FALL. Think POSITIVE. And while I'm trying to stay focused on how I am going to be the exemplary medical student; after watching the SMU video I cant help but keep thinking about how close I will be to the beach :D (Walking distance OMG!:D:D:D:D)

I live in DC, and the closest beach is 3 hrs away :(, with brackish water...

So since I have never been a med student before, I would like to know;

1. How much free time will I actually have? Assuming that I will have a balanced life ie; somewhere in the middle of Obsessive book worm and slacker med school dropout.

2. What do SMU students do in their down time? I now know that the movies are a good option.

3. Whats the night life like?

4. What are the locals like?

5. Are the student groups very active in the community?

:evil::evil::evil: No talk about Loans allowed....or words that rhyme with Loan....like moan and groan :evil: :evil::evil::evil:

[azulpanther]

you can have all the free time you want if you keep up with the work. If you study everyday then you can have free time everyday. It is really that simple.

Theres alot of water sports on the island. Swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, jet skiing, parasailing, etc etc. Theres tennis, public b ball courts, squash, and through the school we have access to two gyms.

There are a quite number of bars and restaurants on the island. It could be fun going to each and everyone. the night life is limited as there are very few clubs on the island, around 4, and it can get old pretty fast.

locals generally over all are very friendly and helpful.

Yeah there are quite a number of activities to involve yourself in the community. There are beach cleanups and circle K is very active in the commmunity.

[gschneid]

Free time depends on several factors: #1. How well you can grasp the material. Are you the type that needs to study things 8 times to remember them or only twice. If you find the concepts difficult you will need to put in more time. #2. How efficient is the studying you do. If you study where there are lots of distractions or with tv/music it won't be as productive. If you try to study when you are tired it won't work as well as if you are rested. These are all things you will find out during first block and then you can make adjustments accordingly.
Personally, I don't study more than a couple hours a day. Many days I don't study at all, some I study 4 or more. It depends on my energy level and how confident I feel about the material (which brings me back to points 1 and 2 above.) Don't worry too much about it until you get here. There is plenty of time to make adjustments on the fly.

[JerzeyDoc]

how are the gyms on the island? and how much do they cost per month???

[gschneid]

Gyms are decent. I've only been to World Gym up the street from T.I. The school pays for 75 spots per day so as long as you are one of the first 75 it's free.

[Diva]

Free time depends on several factors: #1. How well you can grasp the material. Are you the type that needs to study things 8 times to remember them or only twice. If you find the concepts difficult you will need to put in more time. #2. How efficient is the studying you do. If you study where there are lots of distractions or with tv/music it won't be as productive. If you try to study when you are tired it won't work as well as if you are rested. These are all things you will find out during first block and then you can make adjustments accordingly.
Personally, I don't study more than a couple hours a day. Many days I don't study at all, some I study 4 or more. It depends on my energy level and how confident I feel about the material (which brings me back to points 1 and 2 above.) Don't worry too much about it until you get here. There is plenty of time to make adjustments on the fly.


Yea distraction is a big problem for certain people....:shock:

Don't worry about night life....if you are not sociopathic, or antisocial you will have a good time.
Dont worry about how you are going to tackle everything until you get here.....you will adjust your study schedule based on what you feel is necessary. Its totally different from anything you have done before, assuming you just finished college.

[gschneid]

^^^Drama Queen! haha

[JerzeyDoc]

how do most of the kids travel to school from the RH...i heard they are only like a couple of miles away. Are there buses or do you taxi it?? if you don't have a car.

[gschneid]

The municipal bus runs frequently. It's not really a bus, more like some guy's van. But it's got a green or yellow magnet decal on the front so that's how u know. The most I've ever waited for one was 11 minutes. Many people get cars. I find they are really only useful for grocery store runs and cruising around when the buses stop running around 8 or 9pm. Don't take taxis, they are more expensive than the buses. You will take a taxi from the airport unless you already know someone here to pick you up. Expect to pay $15CI.

[Pokerslut]

The municipal bus runs frequently. It's not really a bus, more like some guy's van. But it's got a green or yellow magnet decal on the front so that's how u know. The most I've ever waited for one was 11 minutes. Many people get cars. I find they are really only useful for grocery store runs and cruising around when the buses stop running around 8 or 9pm. Don't take taxis, they are more expensive than the buses. You will take a taxi from the airport unless you already know someone here to pick you up. Expect to pay $15CI.

In my opinion and personal experience-- Buy a car as soon as possible if you can afford it. That is the one piece of advice that I tell people when they ask for advice.

[azulpanther]

In my opinion and personal experience-- Buy a car as soon as possible if you can afford it. That is the one piece of advice that I tell people when they ask for advice.


I double that statement. if you think that you might need or want a car. GET ONE

[JerzeyDoc]

how much do you end up paying per month for a car??? on average???

[azulpanther]

a decent car would be around 3000 CI plus 300 CI for insurance per year. 10 CI for gas a week.

[JerzeyDoc]

how much does that end up costing in US dollars???

[gschneid]

$1.25 us = $1 ci

[kkSherwani]

do u think we can manage with just a bike?

[smu79]

do u think we can manage with just a bike?

I did....others cant handle....i actually enjoyed riding bike to school 3 miles each way....depending on where you live, you can probably get to school faster than those who drive, becuase of traffic.

[gschneid]

I know several people who ride a bicycle to school. However, I personally wouldn't do it because there is no bike lane, the road is somewhat narrow, and people drive kinda crazy here. Definitely at your own risk. My brain is worth too much now to risk it. It also depends how sweaty you want to be in class.

[kkSherwani]

lol thanks.. one more question.. anyone know how much a motorized scooter costs to rent?

[rynobuddy]

Bikes dont cover you in the rain and some of the drivers and roads can get a little crazy. I just rented monthly from Avis that way I didnt have to deal with hassle of reselling car when left island.

[gschneid]

No idea. I saw one advertised for sale at school for >$1000CI. Just take the bus like the rest of us. Once you get here you'll see how much easier (and cheaper) it is.

[azulpanther]

I did....others cant handle....i actually enjoyed riding bike to school 3 miles each way....depending on where you live, you can probably get to school faster than those who drive, becuase of traffic.


ever since they opened up the back road, there hasnt been any more traffic from west bay

[azulpanther]

do u think we can manage with just a bike?



out of 20 people that started with a bike in my semester only one kept riding their bicycle through out their stay in the caymans

[azulpanther]

No idea. I saw one advertised for sale at school for >$1000CI. Just take the bus like the rest of us. Once you get here you'll see how much easier (and cheaper) it is.



if you go to school and back only once daily then yes I will agree with you the bus is the way to go. However students like me, went back and forth frequently on a daily basis to school and home. So it wouldnt have cheaper for me.

[azulpanther]

lol thanks.. one more question.. anyone know how much a motorized scooter costs to rent?


I inquired about renting a scooter on a monthly basis. The best rate I found was 10 dollar US a day. 310 bucks a month. Thats very expensive if you ask me

[gschneid]

if you go to school and back only once daily then yes I will agree with you the bus is the way to go. However students like me, went back and forth frequently on a daily basis to school and home. So it wouldnt have cheaper for me.

Well yeah, it's personal preference. You love to nitpick, don't you? I go to school in the morning and come home in the afternoon. Doing the math, 5 days a week average for 5 semesters, $4CI roundtrip = $1500CI. Roughly half the price of a car

[MDplzz]

But if you play it smart, you can atleast get your investment back by selling your car and possibly even making a profit.....instead, thats 1500 CI you will never see again

[Pokerslut]

I want to elaborate on my point;

Many people that start off with bikes indeed go on to cars in the following semester. I was one of them.

If you are at school and want to eat something and don't have a car you are forced to "eat out" and spend a little more money. Unless you get up early and pack a lunch. If you have a car and don't live too far you can go back home and make something.

I can go into more details, but the big picture is that all the little things add up to a less stressful life and saving precious time; all which help you to do better and focus on school.

With regard to FREETIME

Exams just ended; gonna fire-up the grill and watch the fireworks on the beach with classmates.

Happy 4th of July everyone.

[JerzeyDoc]

do most students rent from like avis or something or are there private dealers on the island?? and is it better to rent alone or with 2-3 other ppl. to make it a little cheaper??

[WSUCougar]

do most students rent from like avis or something or are there private dealers on the island?? and is it better to rent alone or with 2-3 other ppl. to make it a little cheaper??

I didn't even know that people rented cars here for the "long-term". I looked into it, and the cheapest I found was for $500/month. So I just bought a car.

Some students buy from a private dealer here, I think its called Sony's, where when you buy the car the dealership owner agrees to buy it back from you when you leave the island, which is already set before you buy the car. And.... the dealership owner fixes anything that goes wrong with the car while you have it. Some students like this, because they don't have to worry about selling their car when they leave, they don't have to worry about maintenance, and they can literally on their way to the airport drop off their car and get their cash from the owner.

But.... the catch is that this is a private dealer, so the car prices are kind of up there, around the 6,000 range.

[JerzeyDoc]

Cougar how much did you buy your car for...if you don't mind me asking???
and from whom?? did you just find an ad in the local paper...??