Maintaining your sanity in medical school is a separate course on its own. That’s why balancing school and life during your first two years of school is so important. “But, how do I do that??? There is always so much to do!”
You HAVE to start with the right foot forward. Plan your semester 1 week before school starts. Get a big calendar and plan out your class schedule and test dates. After the first week of school you should have your exam and quiz dates. Not all classes require the same amount of work. Ask your professors and your upperclassmen which courses require more work than the others. Then dedicate your time accordingly. Once you have all the important dates on your calendar, find out which weekends or weeks are more relaxing. There are several holidays sprinkled during the semester- MLK day, President’s Day, Labor Day etc. Plan something fun AHEAD of time so you have something to look forward to as you are going through struggles of school. But don’t forget that you might have a hard test after the holiday you planned, so it’s really important to prepare ahead of time for those tests.
Now don’t forget about mini stress relievers! Do something rewarding after you take a hard test. Just because it didn’t go as well as you thought, doesn’t mean you don’t deserve a break. Don’t jump to studying for your next test without giving yourself a break. You will not be productive. Take a nap, watch a tv show, go to the gym for 30 minutes, play a sport with your friends, or just sit on the couch. You need that mental break to reset your brain.
As you go through medical school, having a good group of friends will also help you learn how other people are balancing their lives. During this pandemic, it’s hard to make friends in medical school. However, don’t forget about the huge social media community of medical students who are going through the exact same thing as you! Reach out to them, build relationships and connections with people. Enduring hardship together brings people closer!
Lastly, breathe and believe in yourself! You are exactly where you need to be. Don’t skimp out on your health and mental sanity, that’s not how it’s supposed to work. Push yourself, but don’t forget yourself!
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