Hey all, it's been a while since I actually posted a blog here, but the last time I did I got some good advice, and I figured it would be worth another shot. Basically the short of it all is that I feel a little bit lost and unsure of myself, and whether I am just second guessing or if I might have made a bad choice.
Something to fit the mood of the moment:
To preface, let me just say that my life is good - I started Uni this year and after getting into the course I wanted, I have to admit that I'm on cloud nine a lot of the time. My problem is actually rather minor in the grand scheme of things, but I figure it's best to talk about it here where some people might at least have experienced something similar.
So at the end of 2011 (right before my last year of school) I went and did a lot of work experience to find out just what I would like to do at university; up until then I'd been managing close to top marks in both humanities and science based subjects, so I wasn't sure what it was that I particularly wanted. I originally thought I wanted to be an engineer like my parents had been, despite their protests (my parents thought I should study law). After a summer spent working through this, I decided I wanted to work in the field of medicine to some capacity, and began preparing to attempt for entry into medicine. Now, while I doubt it's as competitive as it might be in some other countries, the entry process in Australia is quite stressful - high achievement at school, UMAT (basically an aptitude test that runs every year for medicine entry) and finally, and interview at most universities. Generally, this involves doing well enough in the UMAT and at school to be called for interviews, when they assess your character.
The year ends, and I'm sitting on quite a high score for both my tests, and have a few decent interview offers at universities around Australia, but here's the thing - I was completely burnt out after that year of work. It didn't particularly help that University interviews were staggered from late November to early February, so it feels like I never really got a break. We'll just say I got through all those feeling quite shaken up by the questioning process, and thus began the nervous wait for university place offers. Sadly, I didn't get any of the first few rounds of offers, and I had been prepared to study science as an undergraduate before trying again. At literally the last possible moment before uni started, however, one uni offered me a lifeline, on one condition - that I maintained a gpa of 5.0 (on a 7 point scale) through my entire course. Needless to say, I was thrilled and rushed to accept it immediately.
Here I am, rushing headlong into the exams soon, but the problem is, I had a long year which, in some respects, never really ended. I went from working my ass off at school to waiting with bated breath on that letter of acceptance into medicine. Honestly, I still feel a little burnt out. So the question is, would I perhaps not be so suited for this course after all? I always figured I would be happy to put in the time and effort to do well since it was what I'd always wanted - and that is still the case. It's just that sometimes I can't really summon up the will to put in the work even though I love the subjects, and it's simply because I still feel burnt out.
Do you have any advice on how to deal with this feeling of being burnt out for the past few months, and to kick my ass into gear to get the work done? I'm honestly not certain how hard a 5.0 gpa would be to obtain, so that is also part of the worry, as I have no idea if what I'm doing as I work is moving me towards that magic number, or if it's simply too little work.
feel free to have a year out (before uni), try to get some industry related full-time work experience (engineering, medicine). just say "im having a year of work experience before going to uni". i think a lot of people would have benefited from it, rather being given the impression that only dossers do it
So you love what you're doing, but you're burnt out? If that type of work burns you out, I guess I don't see med school going over well for you. It'll just be more intense than what you already have.
And I'm not trying to make it sound like you're not working hard, I'm sure you are. You've just happened to choose one of the most hard-working career paths out there.
On June 07 2013 17:00 Carbonyl wrote: So you love what you're doing, but you're burnt out? If that type of work burns you out, I guess I don't see med school going over well for you. It'll just be more intense than what you already have.
And I'm not trying to make it sound like you're not working hard, I'm sure you are. You've just happened to choose one of the most hard-working career paths out there.
I know what you're saying, but it wasn't really these few months of uni that did it. It was really the last year beforehand where I was working hard and then the stressful period of waiting for news about my interviews at unis (until about early Feb) that mentally wore me out. The work we've done here is great and nowhere near as exhausting, but that is why I'm asking for advice, after all. Maybe it's not the right course for me, or maybe I just need to do something about it, but I don't really know yet.
I guess I should have also mentioned that my mum was diagnosed with a brain tumour last year and the fact that I went through last year working at school and caring for her was quite a strain on myself. It was one of the things that tipped me into deciding to study medicine, though.
It's not anything with a major effect on my life, but I can't exactly talk about these minor things with my mum like I otherwise could, which is why I figured I might as well ask for some advice.
If you can, take a year out. It'll definitely be helpful. Looking back on my undergraduate I understand more of it now than I did during my final exams. It is one continual slog to learn it all, so I do recommend taking some time beforehand to do something else.
On June 07 2013 17:00 Carbonyl wrote: So you love what you're doing, but you're burnt out? If that type of work burns you out, I guess I don't see med school going over well for you. It'll just be more intense than what you already have.
And I'm not trying to make it sound like you're not working hard, I'm sure you are. You've just happened to choose one of the most hard-working career paths out there.
Everyone gets burnt out at some point, even those (perhaps especially those) who love what they study.
On June 07 2013 23:32 Gowerly wrote: If you can, take a year out. It'll definitely be helpful. Looking back on my undergraduate I understand more of it now than I did during my final exams. It is one continual slog to learn it all, so I do recommend taking some time beforehand to do something else.
I've thought about that, and I believe that's an option at the end of this year. I probably would take it as an opportunity to rest up and get some other experience, but it does mean I have to finish this semester of exams and the next at least, which I am a little worried about because of saidfeeling of being burnt.
EPT
