Begin again!

So my plans of studying chemistry, physics and maths while doing my undergrad degree did not work out!

I have just finished my final year and am absolutely exhausted.

But I have to start studying again now!

Good thing I love learning! Lol. :D

Summer time, restorative time!

Evening!


I love the summer! Free from college with no exams looming. Don't get me wrong I enjoy learning in college but it's nice to have a few months at a different pace. No timetable so I have control over what I want to do. Problem is I tend not to do too much. Lazy summer days and all that...

I try and save as much money as I possibly can by working in a restaurant. But this year there isn't that much work going this summer. Definately feeling a bit under pressure this year as I'm due to be charged full fees for my final year ( over 10,000 euro). Not sure how I am going to be able to afford it. I guess I will have to beg for a loan or something. Eeeeeek!

My summer studentship has kicked off properly now (although my contract still hasn't arrived!) I am starting to carry out a literature review at the moment. I'm a bit lost on the direction my work is supposed to take and unfortunately my supervisor is away for two weeks so I can't really ask. But I'll keep going on with what I'm doing.

I may have to reach out to and visit hospitals around the city to collect ideas and data. I don't know why but the thought of doing that makes me so nervous, though I love being in the hospital environment. It's just fascinating to me! My eyes can't dart around fast enough to take it all in!

Went to see my lecturer for feedback and she encouraged me to keep working away. She think I'm on track to get a 2:1 in my degree, which is great...but I would like a little higher! Also she encouraged me to follow on and pursue a career in medicine. That was really great for me because I always feel insecure when I tell people what I want to do. I'm always afraid they are judging me and laughing at me deep down. But having written that sentance I realise how pathetic that is. I don't really care what they think, at least I shouldn't. All that matters is what I think!

But mannn the process of getting feedback from lecturers is sooo intimidating. You basically sit there and let them tell you exactly how you messed up and failed on all your work. I had one lecturer actually laugh and say "This isn't primary or secondary school you know..." Oh dear.

I'm willing to take all the criticism though, I want to learn from my mistakes. I think you learn more from mistakes than you do from successes. Failure has a way of hitting you hard enough to stir you out of your comfort zone (hence me willingly meeting for criticism).

I'm scared because my final year is 100% of the mark for my degree, and one thing I struggle with (among many other things ha) is remaining consistent throughout the academic year. I suck at this actually. My grades swing from 40 or so up to 70/80! Big difference!

Having severe anaemia could explain a lot really. It makes me so sleepy and tired and it can also make you depressed so I hear. Have to get my iron levels up. I've been anaemic for at least five years that I know of.

Started a new diet to lose a little weight before the next term starts. I figure get into healthy eating habits now and hopefully be more inclined to keep them throughout the term.

2nd Year Results!!

Morning!

So I got my results on Thursday morning. Man I was praying and praying for a miracle, I truly knew that I was going to fail at least two subjects. I can't tell you how my heart was pounding away and how I felt like I was going to throw up as I entered my log in details on the website! I scanned the results on the screen and was amazed to find that I had not only passed everything but I had passed them by 20% or more!

I started jumping up and down and dancing around with my family heheh! :D

Honestly I still can't believe it. I spent so much time and energy dreading my results and it was all for nothing!

Really gave me motivation to attack my final year with gusto! I need to push HARD this year. I want to. I want to get either a 2:0 or a 1:2.

This week I also started a paid summer studentship in my college. It's so exciting to be employed by the university, even if it is only for a short time!

The best and most amazing part of the studentship is that I will be writing a research article, which my supervisor says will be picked up and published in an academic journal!

Not sure how she can assure me of that when the article is not even written yet but I am determined to work hard at it and get something published.

I am also trying to write a book at the moment. It's my personal story of struggling with eating disorders. I really want to use my experiences to help and encourage others, so I thought I would give it a go. It's quite difficult and it may not come to anything but I want to at least try! :)

Have been neglecting my GAMSAT study have to do some today. I may have stretched my time frame till next year but realistically it's still not that much time! I'm trying to educate myself on world news so I'm reading the paper and watching the news on TV.

I'm trying to keep moving onwards and upwards all the time, and trying to remain positive.

I'm not where I need to be but thank God I'm not where I used to be. I'm OK and I'm on my way! :D

:)

Lost Art of Blogging!

Afternoon!

I have been away from this blog for too long.

The reason being I have, and I suppose I still am, going through a massive period of doubt in my life. Not doubting wanting to pursue medicine. But doubting the timing of it all.

I have decided (somewhat resignedly) that I won't be able to take the GAMSAT in London this coming September. I just will not be ready.

I feel taking an extra year to prepare will not only help me achieve a better score, but it will also help me become a better person and ultimately a better doctor.

Apart from learning all of the scientific material etc required for the test, I feel I need to sort of "find myself".

My life is extrememly unbalanced and I am not really very physically or mentally healthy, and that definately needs to change if I want to become a doctor.

I don't really want to take a year off to be honest. I'm 24 this year and I feel like I have been waiting forever for my chance, but I guess I need to stop being so impatient and trust that when the time is right I will get my chance.

In the meantime I need to start living again. I need to shake off my depression and get back to reading books and newspapers, painting, going out with friends, taking walks and just generally BEING again. That's just as important as any hardcore study I think!

Anyhoo will update again soon! Results are out on Thursday! Eep!

:)

Sunshine Day

Evening!

Been a while since I updated here. Since my exams ended I've been at a bit of a loss as to what to do! I haven't been studying nearly as much as I should be! Eek!

It's so nice out today so that's not helping much!

I'm thinking of seeing about a GAMSAT study group. Would be nice to meet others going through the same thing.

I have been struggling with physics because of all the maths involved!

Not going to give up though! :)

Over the hump!

Good evening!

It's been a silent blog for the past few days. I have been studying like crazy for my exams. Getting up at six o clock in the morning and going to bed at ten at night. If I'm not taking the test, I'm studying! Ouchies! Three exams over with now which means I am officially more than half way through! :D

Today was my worst exam. I really hope I scraped through, I'll be lucky if I did but I'm trying to be positive. I really am looking forward to Friday when everythings finished!

Then onto the GAMSAT! OH MAN!

Lol I feel like I am a permanent student. I never stop studying or learning something. Which is good I suppose, and part of the reason I am so attracted to medicine as a career. I like the idea of constantly being challenged and learning something new.

I am going to order the Gold Standard GAMSAT book of Friday. I have researched a good bit, and although it's not supposed to completely cover what you need to know, it's a definate start! It's not too unreasonably priced either.

Might look into the tutor situation next week. Am back to work for the summer! SOB! But my bank account will be happy once more!

Anyway I have got to sleep I am too tired to study tonight! Zzz...

:)

GAMSAT webinar!

Afternoon!

I haven't been feeling all that well for the past few days so my posting has been a bit off. I also have been really struggling with my exam prep so not being very productive at all.

Anyway something positive today: I attended a free GAMSAT webinar, from passgamsat.com. It was on how to approch the GAMSAT when you don't know where to start.

The first half of the webinar was quite good and motivating and then the second half was pretty much trying to sell their online course which like all other GAMSAT stuff is reallyyyy expensive!

Some of the useful things I did get from the webinar, included the following:

1) 80% of people who sit GAMSAT don't get into med school.

Eek how terrifying is that?! But good to know so you don't underestimate the challenge.

2) Make a visual reminder of what will happen if you don't pass the GAMSAT!

You might include having to wait another year, having to fork out more money, or having to settle for a career less fulfilling than you want.

3) Imagine your future if you do pass GAMSAT and get in!

This is a positive reminder about why you are doing all this prep. Get a clear and specific mental picture into your head of where you want to be and what you want to be doing.

The guy who runs the company who was hosting the webinar is offering a free ebook to download from their website called "How to Pass the GAMSAT". I looked at it briefly just now and it seems like it has a mix of helpful info and promotion of their course which is fair enough I suppose.

Just handy to have all the info you can.

Personally I'm still deciding how to approach my study. I think I might need a tutor or something like that for chemistry and physics because I have no basis in them, but not sure about a GAMSAT course, they seem pricey and I'm sceptical about how helpful they are...

Anyway I'm off to do yet more study (will exam period ever end?!).

Exam period kicks off and Exam tips!

Afternoon!

I didn't get a chance to update as usual in the past day or so, as I was studying for an exam. The exam period is two weeks and I have 5 exams in total. One this week and four next week. Today's exam went surprisingly okay I think! It wasn't that I did any extra revision because I just crammed yesterday and this morning! But I remembered a surprising amount of very specific information such as authors and years.

Could my choline and inositol supplement be kicking in? I hope so! :D

After the exam I went shopping and I picked up some books for my GAMSAT revison, chemistry, maths and physics for Dummies! Exciting stuff! :)

Anyhoo seeing as it's exam period I got to thinking about the way different people approach exams.

I wanted to share some tips from my own experience on how to survive!

1) Give yourself time for revision.

This means try not to cram (ha I know how hard it is not to) but if you have time, plan out your revision time as best you can. Set realistic targets for revision, and when revising a lot of material switch topics after a while to keep your brain fresh.

2) Eat Well!

Maybe I'm always talking about nutrition but you know it's reallyyyy so important! Changing your diet can actually cure illnesses such as depression or fibromyalgia so try keep a balanced diet heading up to exams. Avoid junk foods that cause blood sugar spikes. Opt for good carbohydrates, lean proteins, good fats and fresh fruit and veg. On exam day itself, make sure to have breakfast! Make it a good one too! Scrambled egg with wholemeal toast and a piece of fruit will give you energy and fill you so your tummy doesn't start growling like a whale in the exam! :p

3) Get a Good Nights Sleep

Don't fall into the trap of cramming late the night before, drinking caffeine to stay awake. This puts stress on your body and your mind. You probably won't learn all that much anyway, and in the morning when the exam comes, you're probably not going to be able to remember all that much anyway! So get some sleep and let your body rest. If you find it hard to sleep with anxiety the night before exams try a chamomile tea. Chamomile is a herb which is known for its relaxing and soothing properties. Try avoid sleeping tablets, even herbal ones as they can make you feel groggy in the morning.

4) Take Some Deep Breaths

This is a good tip I picked up somewhere along the way. Taking a couple of deep breaths allows more oxygen to get to your brain, allowing you to think more clearly. It also calms you down. So wherever you are take some deep breaths and just quieten the mind for a second.

5) Avoid The Post-Mortem Overload

The first thing most people do after an exam is ask pretty much everyone they know, "Sooo how did you do?", while not so harmful in itself, make sure not to go overboard with the post exam analysis. What's done is done at that stage. You can't change anything and going over each section with your friends will probably only make you (and them) realise what you forgot to do, or didn't do, making you feel terrible. Best to just draw a line under it and hope for the best.

Overall keep a positive attitude. Exams will be over before you know it, and if worst comes to the worst and you fail, it's not the end of the world. You always have options. So don't stress, just do your best!

:)

Stress Relief for Students

Afternoon!

Today I am talking about something that creeps it's way into everyone's life at some stage or another, and that is stress!

As my exams are looming I'm definately experiencing some right now. Generally I think stress is most debilitating before a particular event. We build things up so much in our head that small challenges can become magnified and distorted, and this can take a toll on our mental, physical and spiritual health.

I know from my own experiences I've fallen victim to this manys a time! Presentations in particular tend to cause me to panic, I spend weeks and weeks dreading it and building it up, only to find that the presentation itself goes fine and is over pretty quickly! Stressing over such things is truly a waste of time and energy!

For students learning to manage stress is very important. I would imagine that for med students it is critical!

So here are some ways that help you to release that buildup of stress:

1) Face Challenges Head-On!

This is something I need to work on. When we are faced with a challenge, many times the temptation is to run away from it, to avoid it as long as possible. One example of this for students would be assignments. If you put things off and procrastinate, you will only have more time to build up stress! Then, not only will you not have as much time to work on it, but the standard of your work may also drop as you become more and more panicked! So the best thing to do when faced with a challenge is not delay! Do it today so you can enjoy your tomorrow! :)

2) Diet and Exercise!

Having a good diet and keeping active is really important to manage stress! Exercise clears the mind and releases endorphins that make you feel better. Try to fit in a little bit of exercise whenever you can. Make small changes to become more active in the long term. Start with small things such as doing some yoga or going for a walk and as your fitness levels increase you can do more. Combining exercise with a good diet will help you not only stay in shape, but keep your body healthy and reduce stress! For more on having a good diet, see my post on Student Nutrition!

3) Get it out!

Stress is an emotion which causes all our muscles to tense up. It causes us to withdraw inwards out of fear. Therefore, you want to do things which let that tension out of the body! Talking is a great way to release tension. Seek out someone you trust and just let them know what's going on with you. Just let them know you need to vent. Pets are a great option for this I've found as they can't make comments back! ;) If you are really tense, try punching a pillow over and over, or hell even scream until you can't scream anymore! Just let that stress OUT! (You might want to warn people around you before you try that last one!). :)

4) Meditate.

Meditation is something every single person should be doing in my opinion. You don't have to be a spiritual or religious person to do it so there's no excuse. What you are doing is drawing your focus inward, usually on your breathing, and clearing the mind. This can take some practice but don't be discouraged it does get easier! Meditation not only reduces stress by calming the body and quieting the mind, but ut has also been shown to reduce rates of heart disease AND increase IQ! There are many different techniques so have a root around online for one that suits you and just go for it!

5) Take Time For You

We all have tasks that we have to get done in our lives, and sometimes this list can seem never-ending. Rather than letting yourself get dragged down by all the stuff you have to do, make time for something you want to do! Fit something into your schedule that is just solely for the purpose of your mental well-being. This might be meeting a friend, reading a book, going for a walk, putting on a face mask- anything you enjoy! Just be sure to make this time purely for you! Put a mental box around this time and don't let any of the stress from what you have to do spill over into your me-time! You will find that doing this on a regular basis breaks of the monotony of practical life and gives you something you can look forward to. That in itself can help reduce your stress levels!


I hope these points have been helpful, learning to manage stress does not happen over night, it takes time. But making small changes in your life on a regular basis will help you cut down the worry and the panic, and help you enjoy your life more!

I'm off to take my advice and face my study head on! ;)

Precious time!

Morning!

I remember watching a kids show when I was younger called Bernard's Watch. This young boy had a magical watch which he could use to stop time. Everything around him would freeze and it came in very handy!!!

I wished and wished and wished for one but it never happened.

So one thing I struggle with is making the most  out of  my time during the day. I always find that my day goes so quickly and I just can't understand where it's gone! As a student, and a wannabe doctor I definately need to work harder on maximising my time!

If like me you struggle with time management, here are some things that may help:

1) Download a Site Blocker

My undergrad degree has a heavy emphasis on online material such as ebooks, which means I am on my laptop all day. I find I get distracted really easily by Facebook, checking emails, watching videos etc. If you're like me, fear not! There are free programmes that you can download to temporarily block sites for a certain period of time while you study.

2) Structure Your Day

Take a little time to examine what you do on a daily basis. You might find you waste time doing unproductive things like watching too much tv. If you can stick to them, making a schedule in advance is a good way to work all the things you need to do into your day.

3) Make Lists

Making a to-do list in your day planner, or keeping a list near your study area will help keep you focused on what you need to do. The more specific the things on your list the better!

4) Punishments/Rewards

Let's face it study can be a complete bore! When you find you just cannnot get motivated try setting a punishment or reward for yourself! A punishment is a penalty for not completing something in a particular time frame. Examples include: Giving a certain amount of money away or giving up a particular item for a week. I prefer to be positive though and stick with rewards! ;) Give yourself a reward for working through a particularly difficult task, or for completing exams. Examples of some rewards might be: going out with friends, buying something nice for yourself or even just making yourself a nice cup of coffee and taking some time out! Make sure that you don't over reward yourself though. Match the reward to the size of the task!


I hope these tips will come in handy to help you manage your time! :)

Today I am going to try and take my own advice and make sure I use my time more productively than I did yesterday! ;)

 My exams start on Monday and I need to really get some good study in! I started my day off in a healthy way with a good breakfast so I'm ready to rock!

Have a great day! :)