Summer Living

I don't think I've been so busy before. I am 100% doing more work now than during a school semester. Not only am I studying for my MCAT but I'm also taking three online courses. I've never really learnt how to take it easy. It's always go go go with me, which I sometimes regret, but if I have nothing to do I get VERY bored. I like to keep myself busy and always doing something. I like to learn something new or try something new to say that I've at least done it.

BUT BACK TO ME BEING BUSY! Don't fall into the same trap I have and push yourself too hard. I've always been a hard core perfectionist, having to do anything and every thing perfectly. Which is good, but at the same time you can become obsessed with it (cue me) and it isn't such a great skill anymore. You have to learn when to say "I've done my best… and that's it". I've found myself sitting and working on one lab report or assignment for hours trying to make it as perfect as possible. You could say I became obsessed with making this assignment/lab perfect.

As I've gone through my undergrad, I've slowly come to realize it's impossible to make every single lab/assignment perfect. It's been a pretty bitter pill to swallow but it's the fact of life. You do what you can do and that's it. Don't push yourself to make every aspect of your life perfect because it isn't going to happen. If you perfect one aspect of life another will suffer. The great example of social life vs. academics comes to mind. I spent most of my third year studying my life away. My social life was extremely lacking. People in my program thought I had taken the year off (how embarrassing). But I knew I had a heavy course load and I needed to buckle down and study my life away (quite literally) so that's what I did.

It's hard coming into this summer already exhausted from my third year but I made myself do this (MCAT + three online courses) and I have to get through it. Thinking back I shouldn't have taken as many online courses but that's a part of my perfectionist nature coming out again.

Back to studying for me though.

- Jen