January 1, 2020
I still can't believe that it is 2020! Just a few months ago, I wrote 2016 on my paper, so I don't know how long it will take me to get the date right. It is surreal to think that this year, I will be leaving my teenage years behind, hopefully taking my MCAT exam, and applying to study abroad!! So much to look forward to!
I hate to be cliche, but I think it is important to put our goals out there to keep ourselves accountable, so here are some of my goals, personal and academic:
love myself, and find a way to do that unconditionally - As a high achieving student and especially being a premed in college, I put a lot of weight on my grades, how much time I put into extracurriculars, how much time I spend volunteering, etc. It is so easy to get caught up in numbers and compare ourselves to others, so I want to move away from using comparison to define myself
be forgiving - Life is HARD. college is HARD. the journey to becoming a physician or whatever else you want to do in life will not always be easy. This year, I plan to focus on forgiving myself if I come up short of my goals sometimes and to be more understanding of others around me and their situations.
focus on learning instead of memorizing - This one is extremely important to me. I'll be the first to admit that I love to cram, procrastinate, and everything in between. To be honest, I am good at it too which is why I haven't changed. However, it is becoming more and more important that I study to learn instead of to ace a test. I want to get out of the cramming mindset early because in medical school, everything I learn, I need to remember forever because it could mean the difference between life and death (crazy, right??)
take the MCAT (and do well) - If you're reading as a fellow pre-med, you probably understand the struggle. It is daunting to imagine having to sit and take an exam all day long that could ultimately decide if you become a doctor. I have finally made my schedule, bought a set of Kaplan books, and decided that I will take the MCAT, and I will do well on the MCAT. I plan on documenting that journey A LOT this year on my blog. I will be brutally honest in how my studying journey progresses and the end results, so stay tuned and reach out if you're studying for the MCAT as well!
become an official Clemson Tour Guide - This one is more personal than academic, but I am so excited!! This past semester, I found out that I was chosen to become a tour guide for my school, and I was ecstatic to find out that I would have the opportunity to share my love for Clemson with prospective students. However, Clemson is HUGE, and there is so much knowledge to memorize, so I am currently a tour guide-in-training, and I hope to be able to give tours on my own soon!
travel somewhere new - Going on a medical mission trip to Costa Rica opened my eyes to how much different other parts of the world are compared to the US. As a college student, I don't have the finances for an extravagant trip, but I am hoping to do a road trip with some friends and become more open-minded about societal differences
Six goals for 2020, which I all think are very achievable. This year, I am focusing on myself, working on ensuring that I will become a doctor someday, and surrounding myself with people who can support me on that journey. I challenge you to surround yourself with people who will support you on your journey as well, whatever that may be.
"Don't limit yourself to someone else's opinion of your capabilities. Be you. Dream, plan, execute!"
Dr. Steve Maraboli
