Dealing with Burn out

[thechenster]

I have an epic problem where I generally do very well in the first half of the semester, but lose the drive to study and do much worse in the 2nd half.


What do you fellow pre meds and elder med students do to deal w/ that rising feeling of laziness and glum that makes you lose focus in the middle of the semester?

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[TedyBearSuicide]

Watch an episode of Dirty Jobs.

 

[nick_carraway]

These days I remind myself that in 10 years, I don't want to look back and wish I tried just a little bit harder so that I can do what I enjoy and so that I can provide for my family the way that I dreamed.

That and it also helps to have a mental health day to catch up on TV shows too or to enjoy the sun around town.

 

[MaryLennox]

i dont know, i usually do it the opposite way. i am relaxed and lazy at first, skip some homework here and there, get a B on my first test . . . then i have to spend the rest of the semester busting ass to get my average back up to an A. complete with an intense burst at the end for an epic performance on the final exam, pushing me into A territory!! (imagine movie montage music here)

it would be risky to do it that way on purpose, but i have to say it's worked very well for me

 

[nfgsjklgnsdfkjn]

Do you actually like any of what you study? It's a lot easier to lock yourself in your room for hours on end (there's no avoiding it) when you find it interesting.

If you don't find it interesting, then you have a bigger problem than low grades.

You don't have to be in love with everything, but it helps to find it vaguely cool. And remember, your life is pretty easy going compared to people who have to bust their balls to just get by and not get the experience of going to an elite private undergrad school where half the kids there have everything handed to them. Just treat it like a job, put in 10-12 hours a day of honest work, and grades will take care of themselves.

 

[ilovebiology]

i dont know, i usually do it the opposite way. i am relaxed and lazy at first, skip some homework here and there, get a B on my first test . . . then i have to spend the rest of the semester busting ass to get my average back up to an A. complete with an intense burst at the end for an epic performance on the final exam, pushing me into A territory!! (imagine movie montage music here)

it would be risky to do it that way on purpose, but i have to say it's worked very well for me

I pretty much do the exact same thing except do killer the first test and keep up on my work the first few weeks then it goes downhill mid-semester...after my grades start to slip, I realize that I need to get with the program and then kill myself the rest of the semester redeeming myself for being lazy for a couple of weeks

I agree with the person who says to think about the future and how you don't want to look back and regret not trying hard enough or being lazy...think about how it'll affect you in the long run, and maybe that'll give you some insentive to keep truckin'! Also, take some necessary breaks and go out and party.

 

[jamesq]

These days I remind myself that in 10 years, I don't want to look back and wish I tried just a little bit harder so that I can do what I enjoy and so that I can provide for my family the way that I dreamed.

That and it also helps to have a mental health day to catch up on TV shows too or to enjoy the sun around town.

I agree with this exactly. I didnt do well at all in high school and didnt want to regret what could have been in college if i had tried a bit harder. Always remind yourself of the end goal, thats what kept me going for four years

 

[Slowpoke]

get out doors, find inspiration in some naturey, hippy - fashion. oh yeah. california for the win

 

[oshkosh1]

I always find that talking to friends for a quick 10 minutes, listening to some inspiring music (your choice here), going to the gym (makes me want to try harder at life overall) and sort of just realizing that living life in a way that could give you regrets when you look back is not worth it, all get me back into the work groove.

 

[Charles English]

switch to a quarter system. then every 'semester' will only be first halves, and you can perform your best all the time.

 

[image187]

Experiment with mind-altering substances

 

[nick_carraway]

switch to a quarter system. then every 'semester' will only be first halves, and you can perform your best all the time.

Seriously. Semesters suck! Every day you wake up and shout expletives at how many weeks there are left.

 

[MilkmanAl]

Don't worry about it. Your problems should disappear once you're in med school. All the stress and tedium gone! Keep pushing 'til then, and you'll be fine.