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!

:)

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! :)

Down and up again!

Good morning (for another 15 mins or so)!

Today is a semi-sunny Saturday here in Dublin. Today I am heading into work in the afternoon. So am going to try fit in some study now before I have to go.

After my entry last night, I have to be honest, I felt very depressed and discouraged about my being able to do graduate medicine.

It seems like I have not nearly enough time and I began to sincerely doubt my capability to actually pass the test and go on to med school.

I guess the fact that I have no real experience at studying chemistry and none at physics is what's getting me down. I am taking on two very challenging subjects from scratch this summer, while working full time and not only learning to drive but also getting fit and healthy both physically and mentally.

So I went to bed last night feeling really down. I wanted to talk to someone about what I'm going through but really nobody gets it. They don't get the passion and the willingness to work my butt off to do this. They think I'm just a hopeless dreamer....

What was I talking about...?

Ha no really it is frustrating facing something so terrifying alone.

I don't know if anybody reading this is spiritual or religious but I do believe in God. I don't know quite what I believe about God but I prayed last night and read the Bible (I don't consider myself a Christian I just like reading it, lots of reassurance and wisdom in it! ), and I just felt like this feeling of renewed determination came over me.

It may be difficult, it seemed to say, but if you want it you can do it. It will require a lot of changes on your part, but you can do it!

So I'm trying to focus on that positive feeling, and not on any self-doubt.

Well enough talking time to take action and go study for my exams!

Have a great day! :)

Ps. This is a quote from the Bible but you don't have to believe in God to apply it to your life. It's just about being positive and taking action. :)