Focusing on What’s Important
Midterms are upon us, and it’s so overwhelming. In our attempts to maintain or improve our grades, we are stressed to the point of no return. Studying for hours upon hours, some of us only getting few hours of sleep, we wonder how the human body can take all the stress. We all want to be successful, but I realize now that there is a fine line between being a studious student and having your studies engross you.
Last year, as a freshman, I let my studies define me. It was my way of self-approval. So when I didn’t do well on a quiz or an exam, my self-approval plummeted, and I felt like nothing. This obsession with making a 4.0 affected the way I interacted with my friends, my family, and myself. It ate me up, and I hated it. I realized I had hit a bottom that I thought I would never reach, and I knew I had to make a change. After a ton of self-reflection, I realized how unimportant everything was. Of course grades are important; however, at the moment, I needed to become confident in my purpose. I made an internal agreement, agreeing that if I was meant to be a doctor, it would absolutely happen as long as I continue to do my best. Making that realization alleviated a lot of the stress I was experiencing at that time. It helped my refocus on the important aspects in life.
Now, as a sophomore, I have a completely new mindset. I study as hard as I can, but when I see that my body (physically, mentally, and emotionally) is weak, I quickly take a step back and rest so I don’t fall into that overwhelming ditch once again. My grades are improving, and everything is working out, and I am hugely optimistic about my future. When you start to feel like school may be the death of you, take a step back and revaluate. You may see what you should change in your approach, and hopefully, from there, things will fall into place.