🎶 It’s nine o’clock on a Saturday…” 🎶
Actually, it’s 10:00 on a Wednesday and, while I should be studying, it’s time for another update from yours truly.
Don’t act like you’re not excited.
So anyway, it’s been a super long day. Being pretty accustomed to working 8 hour days, it would seem like switching to 7 hour days in the classroom should be easy. For some reason, it is not.
Coming into grad school, I had heard all the horror stories: no sleep, mental breakdowns, unbearable course loads, you name it. I largely discredited them. I mean, the same horror stories were told for undergrad and those didn’t pan out for a second. Two weeks in though, and I’m realizing that professional education takes schooling to a whole new level. In other words…
News Flash: Grad school is actually sort of difficult.
And that’s coming from an all-A student (except for that one class that NO ONE GOT AN A IN…) who rarely needed to study more than the night before a test.
Some days you’ll sit in class from 8-5 and only understand half of the material that’s covered.
Some days you’ll write as fast as you can and still not catch all of the notes.
Some days you’ll take over 6 full pages of handwritten notes in a single class.
Most days you’ll leave the building feeling overwhelmingly braindead.
Most days you’ll return home only to begin studying again.
And most days you’ll struggle with being motivated to study for the three more hours that you know you should that night.
But it’s worth it.
Don’t think for a second that it isn’t.
And as mentally challenging as some days are, I wouldn’t trade this life for anything.
I love it here.
Because some days your big will run into class on her break, give you a huge hug, and put a basket of goodies on the desk in front of you.
Most days you’ll meet amazing people and learn unbelivable things.
And every day you’ll have the chance to change someone’s life for the better.
It’s truly amazing.
Now before I go, here are some helpful lessons that I have learned over the course of this week.
1. Zumba is amazing.
Okay, I’ve done zumba before, and it’s always been pretty cool. But this week I had the opportunity to go to a session of Zumba with other grad students, and I absolutely loved it. The instructor was so full of life that she brought everyone in the room to a different level, simply by being there. I can’t wait to go back next week!
2. Two pounds of ground beef take a long time to thaw…
Don’t come home from zumba and decide, “I’m going to make something with frozen meat for dinner” and expect to eat before 9. It won’t happen.
3. Logic Matrices + Taking Notes = Bad Combination
Don’t try it – take this professional multitasker’s advice. Getting behind at the beginning of a lecture just means that you’re lost for the next 3 hours.
4. Lab in grad school does not mean lab…
In undergrad, lab was a time for dissections and experiments. In grad school, lab means lecture.
5. Don’t keep food in your room.
Food in room equates to unintentional stress eating. I may have consumed 4 cookies in under 5 minutes while trying to study. From now on, food remains downstairs.
6. Always carry an umbrella
At least in this state, a 20% chance of rain means, pack an umbrella, or don’t mind walking 2 miles in the rain. I’m terribly glad today was not a white shirt day…
And with that, I should get back to patho…
Catch ya on the flippity!
-KD