The pressure is on. The first week of school only previewed what
is to come. Exams are coming up quickly, lectures are gradually
building up, and I'm definitely behind.
This week has been challenging for me in more ways than one.
Keeping up with the work is just something else by itself.
Everything is becoming so overwhelming and it's only the second
week! The early mornings still surprise me everyday. I always tell
myself that I'm going to sleep early but that never seems to
happen. The transition from taking night classes as an
undergraduate student to early mornings is definitely harder than I
expected.
I realize that I need to start taking care of myself physically.
Being in this program not only takes hard work academically but it
takes physical endurance. Under a lot of stress and lack of sleep,
I face a risk of getting sick easily, so working out, eating right,
and sleeping more is what I need. So I decided to join a gym. I'm
not a physically active person, so I figured if I commit myself to
joining a gym; it will motivate me to avoid making excuses about
not being in shape. Running on a treadmill, Pilates, and swimming
laps are such healthy forms of taking out my frustration and
turning it into something positive. Let's hope I keep it up!
I was also excited that I could start getting more involved at
National and attend different club meetings. I already told myself
that I would take advantage of the various organizations so that I
can get more than just academics out of this experience.
Among the hours of studying, I've also found time to get back to
the guitar playing that I've put off for so long. Honestly, this
week has been hard for me. Adapting to rigorous schoolwork,
overlying expectations from myself, and adjusting to my social
environment, has been less than rewarding. So I have turned to my
devotions, writing, and my music. Not being able to go home every
weekend, considering I live so close to home, has been harder than
I thought. Music has allowed me to deal with everything. I haven't
done it in a long time but I picked up my guitar and tried to
remember anything about how to play. Believe it or not, it was a
revival everyday. I need to remember to set time aside for myself
as much as I can so I can stay afloat.
Rather than struggling with the heavy class load, I have to get
over my expectations of myself and do the best that I can. It's
important that I take the much needed study breaks. Talking to many
people before entering the program, I was scared that my whole life
would be put on hold for the DC program, but it doesn't have to be
that way at all. Time management is the key. I'm glad I had the
opportunity to familiarize myself with many professors before
entering the program because I can always seek guidance from any of
them. I talked to Dr. Jaya Prakash and she told me to make a
schedule for myself everyday. She said that it's important to not
only write down what subjects to study, but write down everything
you need to do for that day - basically to always give yourself
time.
So here are some tips:
- Exercise and eat right. It doesn't help to be unhealthy while
trying to go head first into a very demanding program.
- Don't sacrifice much needed time with family or friends. Do
everything in moderation.
- Resort to healthy ways to release stress. Pick up that guitar
you haven't played in a long time or talk to a good friend you
haven't called in a while.
Well, I'm ready for this new week to start. I'm slowly learning
how to manage everything and what I need to do for myself so I can
stay sane! I'll be posting pictures next week from my upcoming
weekend in Chicago because I'll be going to see "Wicked"! Have a
great week everyone! Keep warm.