Be Stubborn

I saw this quote and thought it perfectly sums up my life. 

As I've gotten older, the one thing I've realized is that things never go as planned, but things always turn out ok. I thought that I would attend my dream college, I would have a perfect GPA, and be on a straight path to medical school. I really thought I was going to be with my first boyfriend for the rest of my life, that I would be living in New York and everything would be just exactly how I wanted. 

Ha! Boy, did things change. Looking back however, not going to my dream school saved me tons of money. I am now attending an amazing graduate school that will get me into a great medical school. I am dating someone else who is even better the first! (Isn't it funny how we always think our first love will be our only love?) 

The one thing that didn't change were my goals. My goal of becoming a doctor and being happy. I think this quote is exactly right. You have to be flexible about your methods. You have to be willing to change because life likes to throw you off course. 

Never, ever change want you want in life, just be ready to change how you get there. 

My College Essentials

It's that time of year again! Back-to-school shopping! Am I the only one who loves school shopping? My brothers start school Monday, and I start grad school in two weeks, so I thought this is the perfect time for a back-to-school post! 

For all you starting college, I thought I would make a college essentials post. There are items that are a must for me, even as I head off the grad school. (These item don't cover everything you need of course!) 

Rain Gear || Walking to class in the rain is no fun -- better to be prepared!

Yellow Highlighters || These are my favorite! I highlight my textbook, notes, planner, basically everything!

Water Filter || Keep this in your fridge and fill it up with tap water! It will save you loads from buying the plastic bottles (not to mention it's better for the earth). 

USB Drive || Back up everything!! Trust me, your laptop will shut down on you when you are writing that essay. I always keep a copy on a USB drive just in case. It will also come in handy for group projects and presentations. 

Agenda || Life gets infinitely more complicated in college. You must stay organized! (this elephant pattern is also too cute!)

School Sweatshirt || Buy some school gear to feel a part of your school! I think a sweatshirt is best because the library can be cold on those long study nights. P.S. GO DAWGS!

Coffee Maker and Tumbler || Just yes. I started making my own coffee to take to class and to study. Saved me lots of money! 

Backpack || I'm definitely a backpack girl. I just had too much stuff to carry around to put it all in a tote. Get a cute one and you'll be set!

Headphones || Block out noise from roommates/loud students.

Shower Shoes || Just trust me on this one. 

ID Holder || I found this was the best way to carry around my wallet. My school ID was in easy reach along with my debit cards. I could just carry this with my phone if my friends wanted to grab lunch. It's perfect. 

Small Whiteboard || This saved me in organic chemistry. Writing all those mechanisms is perfect on a white board (no wasting paper). I also used it for drawing out diagrams for my physiology class. If you are a visual learner, I would really suggest studying with one of these. 

That's it! Good luck to everyone going back to school! 

Some Pre-Med Advice

Now that I have graduated as a pre-med student, I want to share some of my knowledge. The life of a pre-med is tough and there is so much that I wish I knew before I embarked on the journey. I know there is a lot of advice out there about what classes you should take, how to study and the best ways to prepare for the MCAT, but I noticed I had some tips of my own. So without further ado, here are some of my tips for all you pre-meds out there!

1. Take more than the recommended science classes. 

I can not emphasize enough how important it is to branch out in college. Take that one interesting film class or that sociology class. College is the time to see what is out there and find what truly interests you! I came in to college thinking I wanted to be a psychologist -- took an abnormal psych class and realized that while I find it interesting, I do not want that to be my life. I thought about changing my major so many times and so many of my friends did change their major. I can almost guarantee you that you will find something new that you want to do and it may not be medicine (and that’s okay!). My main point is, come into college with an open mind and be willing to try new things!  

2. Talk to your professors! 

Starting your freshman year, go to your professor's office (especially your science professors) and talk to them, ask for advice, let them know who you are. I wish I did this because when it came time to asking for letters of recommendations for graduate/medical school, I really had no one. Not only will talking to your professors help in the future with those letters, but they could help you in the future with getting research or volunteer opportunities under your belt. It’s all about networking. Yes, it is scary talking to them (trust me, I know) but they are there to help you!

3. Do your own research. 

This means reading nonfiction books on medicine, reading articles about new medical discoveries or watching documentaries. You want to stay up-to date on what's happening in healthcare. I find that this also keeps me motivated to reach my goals. Also, it will help you in the future when you interview for medical school. (Need a recommendation? I love Atul Gawande's books).

4. Keep a journal. 

No, not a "here is what I did today journal." I mean a journal where you write down all of your medical adventures. When you shadow doctors or volunteer at a hospital, write down what you did and what inspired you. This will help you immensely when it's time to write your resume or personal statement, and will even help during your interviews. Though it may seem like all of your experiences will stay fresh in your mind, they won't. What you did freshman year will seem like centuries ago when you are a senior. 

Have any questions or ideas for a future blog post? Leave them in the comment post below!

Don't Worry, Be Happy

With finals happening right now, I definitely know what it's like to be stressed. I get stressed really easily, but I have found some simple ways to alleviate that stress!

 1. Watch an episode of The Office. This always makes me feel better. The episodes are only 20 minutes long so it's not too long of break, but just enough to where I can rest my brain. The Office is my all time favorite show and I can always count on Micheal or Dwight to make me laugh. 

2. Go Outside! This is one of the easiest ones and it really does make a huge difference. Just stepping outside and breathing some fresh air does a lot to clear the mind. 

3. Get Coffee! Whenever I am really stressed I like to treat myself with some "fancy" coffee. White Chocolate Mocha anyone? If you don't like coffee then get a nice hot tea :)

4. Blast the music and do a quick clean. This ALWAYS helps with relieving some stress. My room can always use a quick clean and blasting my winter playlist while I clean for about 10 minutes leaves me feeling accomplished! 

5. Lastly, make a list of everything you need to get done. Even if you won't get to everything in that one day, getting all that's stressing you out onto some paper will help in calming your brain from over thinking. 

I Love Anatomy

As a hopeful future medical student, I am fascinated with all things science, especially anatomy!

I am currently taking a Physiology class, and I absolutely love it. The body is incredible, and learning about the intricate details of how it works sometimes blows my mind. There is a system for everything and all of the organs have a set purpose. 

I simply love it and, as with everything I love, I get a bit obsessive and have to have everything about it (you should see my Batman collection). 

Here are some things I have seen and just love!! 

1 - This pillow is just too cute! I love the "Fig. 3"

 2- Every future doctor needs of copy of Gray's Anatomy!

3  - This scarf is a close-up, stained slice of brain tissue! 

4 - Are these not awesome skeleton socks?? 

5 - I saw this shirt originally on Tumblr. I just loved it so much, I googled the image and found the website! 

 6 - This beautiful print is of a brain vessel! (though it's an aneurysm, which isn't a good thing.)