I'm flying to Connecticut because I procrastinate.

A few days ago I realized that in my ultimate act of procrastination I had yet to sign up for the MCAT I'd planned on taking September 8.  Typically, premed students are advised to sign up at least 6-8 weeks in advance, but because this will be the second to last test date of the year, I'd been told to sign up as soon as I could.  I've previously been told I exhibit somewhat of a type A personality who has everything together, but in this instance, I pushed back my decision for months.

In May, I planned on taking the exam in September.  I could have signed up then, but since I wasn't sure about my study plan, I pushed back the decision of dates.  In June, I submitted my two week's notice to the doctor's office where I was employed to allow ample time for studying.  In July, once I'd settled on a date,  I debated whether to sign up to take it in San Francisco, near my home, or in San Diego, my home away from home.  But I couldn't bring myself to book the test.  Maybe it was a little bit of denial: if I don't sign up, it won't happen, and if it doesn't happen, I can't fail.  Either way, when I realized I needed to sign up for this test if I intended to take it this year, I logged into the website and attempted to view all the remaining California test dates.

There weren't any.  At all.  "Ok," I said to myself, "check neighboring states."  None.  None in California, Oregon, Washington, or Nevada for the end of August or September.  The nearest I could find was Arizona, but since I knew I'd have to travel for this exam, I put that state on the back-burner.  I began checking through states where I had relatives, one at a time, until I found one where I knew I'd feel comfortable, and I could easily get to the test center.  Where, you ask, am I taking my MCAT?  Connecticut.  A mere 2,991 miles from my home.  Not exactly ideal, but definitely going to be just fine.  My best friend lives in New Haven, and there's a test center 10 minutes from her apartment.  I immediately called her, and she welcomed me in, volunteered her car, and offered to do anything she could to help me do well.  What a blessing.  Now, five weeks away from possibly the most painful exam I'll take, I'm finally registered for the MCAT, my flights are booked, and I'll be squeezing in a bit of a vacation afterward.  Maybe that's the silver lining to make up for the complicated stress-ball that came from a little procrastination.  And maybe next time I'll learn my lesson and work to maintain my type A reputation. 

A quick shot of us in front of an AMAZING New Haven restaurant.  Yum!

Do You Know What You Have Gotten Yourself Into?

So true. So, so true.

Apologies

For the past few years I've been rather free in sharing my frustration with a few friends, who once they started classes managed to no longer pick up the phone, respond to e-mail or in other ways communicate. If you were one I gave a hard time, I owe you my most sincere apologies, so here goes. Sorry! I now understand your point of view. It takes me days to respond to text messages that involve more than 3 words. I don't use e-mail other than to find out answers to problem set questions I simply cannot solve, and 30-second voicemails take 30 seconds I'm not ready to sacrifice. I'd rather leave the growing number circled in red on my handy dandy new phone.

When I enrolled in classes for this fall quarter I knew I was setting myself up for a challege. Quite a few wise souls gently (and not so gently) warned me against what I had done, and I arrogantly proclaimed that I'd never met a challenge I couldn't beat. Ha. While that last statement may still be true, I definately should have listened. Now, instead of having weekly phone dates with friends far away and unpacking boxes with friends closeby, I'm a slave to flashcards and highlighters. My weekends have become consumed with study groups, library visits and running as many errands at midnight as I possibly can as to avoid crowds. Sleep is a luxury, and the average number of times I hit snooze in a morning between two alarm clocks and my phone is 8.  I knew my commitment would take over my life, I just had no idea what that would actually look like.  I've tried to maneuver a schedule in which I could take fewer classes (mostly failed), work one job (failed) or not work at all (totally failed).  I've tried micromanaging my time so that every minute is planned, but as soon as I get hungry my plan is foiled. (PS, I'm blogging while at work as to not waste precious seconds of studying time.  Pathetic, I know.)

I keep telling myself that this will be worth it in the end (because I know it will be), but the voice in the back of my head keeps whispering that there are better, more kingdom-serving things I should be doing.  I want to be volunteering with HSM, but by the time I get to Wednesday nights I'm pretty much useless.  Sunday mornings have become my one morning to catch up on sleep, meaning church sometimes becomes an afterthought.  What happened to the point in life where everything was focused around directly serving others?  All this studying is indirectly serving, but something still seems off.

Sooner or later this phase will come to an end, right?  The homework will cease, the midterms will disappear, and the fog will part on my future.  Oh, I wish it was that simple!

Love it.

Tips
for Avoiding
Swine Flu.

BY KRISTIN HILLERY AND JANICE CHAN

- - - -

Don't share drinks with livestock.

Disinfect your sty.

Wash your hands before and after eating garbage and dead insects.

Drink lots of fluids, but not the stuff that's been sitting in the trough for the past two weeks.

Cover your snout when you cough.