Merry Christmas everyone... I mean, Happy New Year. See the thing is I started this blog post on Christmas day and I meant to post this then but...life. I have been wanting to update for a while but ever since my final exams last semester, I've had an aversion to my laptop, it reminded me of school and torture and sleepless nights. I'm soooo dramatic 😂 So, I got back to the island yesterday and I admit it was a bit difficult for me. It felt good being back home in the States and around friends and loved ones but the grind don't stop so I need to suck it up right?....
So as you all know, my first semester at AUC didn't end too well for me. I did great on my midterms but once finals rolled out I messed up baaaad. I ended up with less than mediocre scores. Anyway, this past semester I wanted to prove to myself that I can do better. I had two goals in mind for my second semester. Goal #1 was to make Dean's list and goal #2 was to get an 89-90 percent in Physiology so I can be eligible to be tutor. I used to hate physiology, I used to be afraid of it actually but mindset is everything guys. I came into my physio class this past semester with a goal. To prove to myself that PHYSIO will not own me this time. And y'all...I DID IT! I made Dean's list this semester and I got the invite to tutor physiology. Are y'all proud or nah? I pray to God that I can do the same this semester and the rest of my time here at AUC.
I wanted to talk a bit about Dean's list and about honoring a course here at AUC. I think I've mentioned it in a previous blog but for the wonderful overachievers out there, here's a little more info. To honor a course and get a big "H" on your transcript instead of a "P" or Pass, you need a 90 percent or more. It's not easy to honor a course so it is a wonderful achievement if you do end up honoring one. However, don't make it something you obsess over that it ends up affecting you negatively. Med school is hard, very hard, but don't let honoring a course drive you crazy. To be honest, I think it's more important to try your best to not fail one instead....bite me.
How about Dean's list!? To make Dean's list you need a cumulative average of an 87 percent in all of your courses combined. If you make dean's list for a semester, there will be a "Celebration of Academic Excellence" held the following semester to celebrate your achievements, along with everyone else who also made the list.
Let's talk about tutoring. If you make an exceptional mark in a class, professors will email you an invite to be a tutor for the following semester. Not only does being a tutor look good on your resume but it also helps you retain the knowledge so it can stay fresh on your mind for when the monster Step I exam comes around. Oh and you also get to help other students like yourself who might benefit more from your help than they would from the professor! Three birds, one stone :) To be honest, if it wasn't for tutors, I'm not sure how I would do in some of my courses.
Finally let's talk about my schedule for this semester. If you remember, I am still the Treasurer for AMSA and now I am a peer-to-peer tutor for Phys I. I am taking Pathology I from 8am-9:20am. Physiology II from 9:30am-10:20am and Medical Microbiology from 10:30am-11:20am. I am also taking Intro to Clinical Medicine III but that course doesn't last the whole semester. I'm excited and scared at the same time because a lot of the upper semesters expressed to me that this semester was the most difficult semester for them. I haven't figured out my study schedule for this semester yet but I do hope I figure it out soon. I need to get back to the grind. THIRD SEMESTER, LET'S GO!!
I think that's all for now folks!
TTYL and HAPPY NEW YEAR!
