I'm starting to settle into my class schedule and with that comes a new study schedule, which has already involved a lot of time in the library. I really like being able to just walk across the street to get to class because I can come home for lunch when I have time or come home for dinner and then head back to the library.
I'm really trying to stay on top of all of my work this year, and not letting myself put off learning and solidifying topics until the week before a midterm. A lot of my tests and major assignments coincide together, so I won't have time to prepare for them adequately if I only start really learning the material right before the test.
The prof that we currently have for physiology (thankfully he only has a total of 3 lectures) doesn't really speak English. I believe he is Chinese (but I could be wrong) and undoubtly really knows his stuff, but his accent is super thick and he literally doesn't move his jaw when he talks (his teeth never separate) so he his insanely difficult to understand. Even more unfortunately, he is teaching part of the neurophysiology unit, which has some pretty complex concepts to understand and very specific terminology. Afferent and Efferent sound exactly the same when he say them...unfortunately they are exact opposites and it is pretty crucial that you understand which one he is talking about. As a result, I spent a total of 4 hours yesterday teaching myself the material from Wednesday's lecture. It is incredibly unfortunate that we also have him for today's lecture and one next week (so I'm looking at 8 hours of teaching myself the material).
Even though I am settling in to my condo, and now have some friends to sit with in all of my classes I have this incredible urge to just run away and go somewhere. I want to go back to Africa so badly, I also really want to go to Nepal and I honestly wouldn't mind hiking through the mountains in my own backyard. I feel restless, and I have only been here 3 weeks.
I wish I could take the summer off, and just travel, but I also want to spend the summer doing research. I always feel like I am being pulled in two directions, to the right is school and my aspirations of getting into medschool and to the left is my desire to go back to Africa and to see the world. I don't know which way to go, but I always find myself saying that someday I will have the time and the money to travel and right now is the time for school. But will I have time someday? They say your life is the most simple right now, and tomorrow it will only be more complicated.
I'm really trying to stay on top of all of my work this year, and not letting myself put off learning and solidifying topics until the week before a midterm. A lot of my tests and major assignments coincide together, so I won't have time to prepare for them adequately if I only start really learning the material right before the test.
The prof that we currently have for physiology (thankfully he only has a total of 3 lectures) doesn't really speak English. I believe he is Chinese (but I could be wrong) and undoubtly really knows his stuff, but his accent is super thick and he literally doesn't move his jaw when he talks (his teeth never separate) so he his insanely difficult to understand. Even more unfortunately, he is teaching part of the neurophysiology unit, which has some pretty complex concepts to understand and very specific terminology. Afferent and Efferent sound exactly the same when he say them...unfortunately they are exact opposites and it is pretty crucial that you understand which one he is talking about. As a result, I spent a total of 4 hours yesterday teaching myself the material from Wednesday's lecture. It is incredibly unfortunate that we also have him for today's lecture and one next week (so I'm looking at 8 hours of teaching myself the material).
Even though I am settling in to my condo, and now have some friends to sit with in all of my classes I have this incredible urge to just run away and go somewhere. I want to go back to Africa so badly, I also really want to go to Nepal and I honestly wouldn't mind hiking through the mountains in my own backyard. I feel restless, and I have only been here 3 weeks.
I wish I could take the summer off, and just travel, but I also want to spend the summer doing research. I always feel like I am being pulled in two directions, to the right is school and my aspirations of getting into medschool and to the left is my desire to go back to Africa and to see the world. I don't know which way to go, but I always find myself saying that someday I will have the time and the money to travel and right now is the time for school. But will I have time someday? They say your life is the most simple right now, and tomorrow it will only be more complicated.
My favourite word in the world is "fernweh", which is a German word that literally translates to "farsickness", or an aching for distant places. It gets me sometimes, a restlessness to go and go and go. My advice? Meditate, pray.
ReplyDeleteI'm so proud of you, it's amazing to see what you're doing with your life and all of the things that await you. Beautiful, smart, kind girl that you are, the world is at your feet.
xoxo Kendra
I like that word...I will add it to my list.
DeleteThanks Kendra, and I miss you!