dentistry is too hard

i just started dental school, i've wanted to go since i was in year 7 which is why it hurts even more that it's making me miserable. there's too much content, they just give it to you, they dont even teach it properly and i'm stressed out all the time. there's always more content i dont know or exams to study for and everytime i think about doing this for 5 more years i feel sick. i've wanted to be a dentist forever but the stress of this degree is giving me intense anxiety and ruining my entire experience. i feel like i'm not good enough, not smart enough and i'm going to fail

Reply 1

CamembertPaws

18

Original post by A.B72

i just started dental school, i've wanted to go since i was in year 7 which is why it hurts even more that it's making me miserable. there's too much content, they just give it to you, they dont even teach it properly and i'm stressed out all the time. there's always more content i dont know or exams to study for and everytime i think about doing this for 5 more years i feel sick. i've wanted to be a dentist forever but the stress of this degree is giving me intense anxiety and ruining my entire experience. i feel like i'm not good enough, not smart enough and i'm going to fail

First of all, sorry to hear you're having a bad time. Have you tried speaking to any student support teams or academic skills support to help talk this issue through? That might be a good place to start and, as you say, you have JUST started and it can be quite an adjustment for many people, try and take each day as it comes, all you can do is try your best. Speak to a support team, set up a plan to help you with your workload and anxieties, and what else you can put in place to make this easier for you but it isn't wise to let the anxious feelings continue to build. I hope this helps, let me know how you get on :smile:

Reply 2

flamingolover

22

Original post by A.B72

i just started dental school, i've wanted to go since i was in year 7 which is why it hurts even more that it's making me miserable. there's too much content, they just give it to you, they dont even teach it properly and i'm stressed out all the time. there's always more content i dont know or exams to study for and everytime i think about doing this for 5 more years i feel sick. i've wanted to be a dentist forever but the stress of this degree is giving me intense anxiety and ruining my entire experience. i feel like i'm not good enough, not smart enough and i'm going to fail

I am studying veterinary medicine and felt similar. You will feel stressed. Its a stressful degree and that fundamentally is not going to go away. What will happen though is you will develop coping mechanisms and get into a routine to enable you to manage the stress and feel less stressed. In terms of them not teaching the content properly its a big jump from A-levels. School really doesn't prepare you for higher education as it is much more independent. You will adjust to it. First year is always daunting but you will figure it out. I recommend finding a learning style that works for you. They give you the content so how do you learn? Pick out techniques from school that help you learn. Its actually more beneficial than school as you can choose the learning styles that work the best. I recommend active learning so i convert notes and materials given to me into flashcards and study from that.

You are never going to know the whole course. You will always feel like there is more to learn but you will never learn it all Its really hard but you have to let go of that desire just a little and it will make the course more bearable.

You sound like you are really struggling which sucks. You are not alone as a lot of people feel like this especially on such an intense course. I recommend that you speak to your tutor and the welfare team as well as the academic skills team if your university has one. Its best to manage these issues early before they get worse as you progress. Additionally, your lecturers want you to pass. If you have questions or need things explaining ask them at the end of lectures or email. I always get really helpful detailed responses and even gotten coffee with lecturers to discuss topics!

Always remember that you do want to do this. It will be hard and there will be times you question it but thats perfectly normal. Imposter syndrome is a real thing and i know that for me i always feel like i am not smart enough. Its important to recognise that how you perceive things is not always accurate.

Try to get a good support system at uni. Friends, family and university staff are very helpful. Do fun things, go out, explore, watch movies etc. I used tot ry to do loads and loads of work, couldn't complete anything fast enough and got massively burnt out. As soon as i stopped working till 11 every night and started sleeping and doing fun activities i found i had a much higher capacity to do work faster with better understanding.

(edited 6 months ago)

Reply 3

lockets

11

Original post by A.B72

i just started dental school, i've wanted to go since i was in year 7 which is why it hurts even more that it's making me miserable. there's too much content, they just give it to you, they dont even teach it properly and i'm stressed out all the time. there's always more content i dont know or exams to study for and everytime i think about doing this for 5 more years i feel sick. i've wanted to be a dentist forever but the stress of this degree is giving me intense anxiety and ruining my entire experience. i feel like i'm not good enough, not smart enough and i'm going to fail

organisation is the most important thing. every time you learn some new content, organise your notes into however you want it (topic/date/exam etc.) so its there for you to look back on how you know it. things you dont understand, maybe duplicate your notes for it and paste them into another folder that you can study until you understand it better? if you have wanted to be a dentist for a long time, you must have the passion! I think if you're passionate about something, you will continue and persevere (and you are definitely smart enough to even get in, I think most people are probably feeling the same). I know not everyone likes talking to student support, but please consider it if it gets too bad. also try and make a friend on your course in case you don't understand something, perhaps they might and they can help you out a bit. best of luck

Reply 4

A.B72

OP

14

Original post by CamembertPaws

First of all, sorry to hear you're having a bad time. Have you tried speaking to any student support teams or academic skills support to help talk this issue through? That might be a good place to start and, as you say, you have JUST started and it can be quite an adjustment for many people, try and take each day as it comes, all you can do is try your best. Speak to a support team, set up a plan to help you with your workload and anxieties, and what else you can put in place to make this easier for you but it isn't wise to let the anxious feelings continue to build. I hope this helps, let me know how you get on :smile:

thanks, i did counselling at my uni and she said all the right things and it helped for the rest of that day but then i'd have a difficult lecture or another assignment and it felt like i got knocked back another ten steps and i just wanted to cry all over again. i know it will take time to adjust but i feel like everyone around me has already adjusted and i'm scared i'm just not emotionally strong enough for a stressful degree

dentistry is too hard

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