One Down, Five To Go

I made it through finals week and I am quite proud of myself to say the least.  I didn't completely lose my mind or experience a caffeine overload and I felt confident in my performances.  So successful? I think so.

I wanted to make this a little more of lighthearted post and give a little bit of insight on the lessons I learned from my first semester.  The following is a list of lessons or "hacks" I learned throughout the semester that will make the experience a lot less stressful and overwhelming:

1.  Do NOT procrastinate...okay, so we all procrastinate, but once you get to this level of study, it isn't exactly the best of ideas.  After the first month, I realized I wasn't in undergrad anymore.  There is so much more material being thrown at you for each exam and you need more than one night to study and really learn the material.

2.  Practice, practice, practice.  The more you do something, the better you will get.  This includes dictations, frozen sections, and grossing specimens.  If you are lacking a skill in one area, find help and improve on it.  This is your future career, so learn all you can and be the best you can be.

3.  Take one day off a week from school work and go on a day trip, explore, and meet new people.  Just do it, you will thank me.

4.  I know just above I said take a day off, but honestly, find something to do everyday that will be your "escape" from school and life.  It can be anything from watching an episode of your favorite TV show to going for a hike to just sitting back and listening to music.  Whatever it may be, do it.  It can be for as little as 15 minutes to 4 hours, or even longer if you like.  Just keep yourself healthy, body and soul.  You will never make it through the two years if you are constantly stressed and unhappy worrying about school, grades, and anything else that may be happening in life.  Finding daily activities to unwind and take your mind off things is probably the most important piece of advice I can give to anyone.  

So all in all, work hard, learn, and be the best PA you can be, but don't lose sight of yourself and your happiness.  Even though you are working for a dream, make sure to have a little fun along the way. :)