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Crawling Out of the Study Hole

by Jul 30, 2021

Home » Chiropractic Student Blog - Florida » Crawling Out of the Study Hole

After two weeks scrambling back and forth between exams and classes, we finally had a week without any exams! A moment to finally breathe and enjoy the Florida sunshine. I gave myself the weekend after two exams last Friday to have a girls’ weekend with my mom, who came up to St. Petersburg for a day to catch up and enjoy all the city has to offer. I didn’t open my laptop all weekend! It was absolutely needed.

Alex 3 Weeks to Go

I find it important to give yourself (and your eyes) a break from technology and appreciate family and summer weather. We went for a nice walk around a lake in my neighborhood before enjoying some Greek food downtown. As a full-time student, sometimes I feel like I build a bubble around myself prioritizing academics. Moments like this walking with my mom and chatting about life, family gossip, and hectic job instances provides that reality check that there is so much going on besides my academics. It encourages me to be (and stay) humble. The weekend without any studying was rejuvenating and provided that extra push to get back on track and finish the trimester strong.

As the week continued, I reviewed material as to help my “future self” from stressing out right before finals. Our Evaluation and Management: Abdomen, Pelvis & Lumbar Course (taught by Dr. Freeman) has cumulative exams, which although is stressful, it is absolutely necessary to reinforce crucial material vital for a chiropractic practice. Study groups come in very handy to review pelvic orthopedic tests as they really help to rehearse how doctors describe procedures to patients, practice setting up the lumbar orthopedic exams with a patient on the table, and discuss the indications of positive signs.

At home, I try to organize my daily schedule to accomplish a few PowerPoints for different classes. When I feel myself getting tired of reviewing autoimmune disorders in Systems Pathology, then I switch to review the topics in Thoracic Anatomy, such as the kidneys and posterior abdominal wall. I find it prevents mental fatigue if I do a little of everything. That being said, trying to keep up with my daily schedule and actually accomplishing everything on that schedule are two different things.

My clever mom once told me, “if you think a task will take you an hour, add another hour just to be safe.” She is absolutely right…Life happens. Sometimes I get distracted by social media, I procrastinate by attempting to hungrily replicate recipes found on Instagram, or I struggle with a concept and need to spend time reading through the textbook or watching online videos. Time goes by quick. Before I know it, it is dark outside, the caffeine has worn off, and it is time for bed. My morning-self is quite an ambitious gal noting down 15 different PowerPoints/tasks aimed to accomplish that day (on top of classes). I’ve learned not to go too hard on myself if I do not get everything done and to be proud if I can cross off even 4-5 tasks. Life is busy. It’s important to give yourself a break!

Test Your Knowledge:

Q: ____ is the nerve root that exits between L2 and L3 vertebral bodies.

  1. L1
  2. L2
  3. L3
  4. L4

A: L2

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About the Author

Alexandra Simic Hachmann

Alexandra Simic Hachmann

My name is Alexandra Simic Hachmann and I am currently in my 10th trimester of the Doctor of Chiropractic program here at NUHS - Florida. I am officially an intern at the HEC clinic! I have obtained a B.A. in Biology and Biomedical Sciences, as well as a Master of Medical Science degree. While I believe my educational background has helped me succeed in this challenging program, I appreciate all the professors’ efforts in helping us excel and prepare for our careers. As a hands-on visual learner, I am embracing the palpation courses and anatomy labs offered! I am still determining which field in chiropractic I would like to pursue; thus, readers should stick around to discover this with me! I hope to bring insightful content to this blog and demonstrate what student life is like at NUHS in sunny Florida.

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