blog by zahra

Today was one of the busiest days I’ve had in a while.  I started off by waking up at 5:30am and commuting to UBC.  Sat in class for 1.5 hours, tutored a student for an hour, then jumped on the bus again to travel to BC Children’s Hospital, where I volunteer.  I had one of the best shifts ever at BCCH today, because I got to cuddle an infant and rock him back and forth, which is something I’ve been wanting to do since I started volunteering.  After 3 hours, I hopped onto the bus again, traveled back to UBC, and got ready to right my MICB 202 midterm at 7pm.

In total, I commuted using 6 buses and 1 Canada Line train.  But what fascinates me more about my day was my stress level the throughout all my activities (or lack thereof, should I say).  Despite having a midterm worth 33% in the evening, I wasn’t the slightest bit hesitant to attend my volunteering shift, nor was I frazzled by the number of hours I “wasted” in transit.  Today, I realized the true essence of studying ahead of time and truly being prepared for an exam.

Since the weekend, I had planned my studying in such a way that I could cater for my busy schedule.  I promised myself that I would not leave any studying (except for some review) for today, Tuesday, because I didn’t expect to have any time to cram.  Combining all this with my fascination for the immunology section that we were being tested on, I was able to maintain minimal stress levels.  I didn’t know that it was possible to juggle my exam schedule with my other commitments…I usually cancel all my appointments and volunteering shifts during exam time.  I always pride myself with having superb time-management skills, but I think I just upgraded myself to the next level!

P.s. Might I add that I also managed to find time to write this blog post at the end of my busy day!  Where there is a will, there is a way! 🙂

Sorry for being MIA for the last little while!  I’ve been meaning to write, but the task was always shoved to the bottom of the pile.

My midterms start tomorrow!  I’m sure some of you have already suffered the banes of university life.  Luckily, my schedule is treating me well…1 tomorrow, 1 on Tuesday, 2 the following Wednesday, and then the last one of Thursday!

I know I’m lucky, because I’ve heard of some pretty harsh exam pile ups.  Which begs the question, why can’t we apply for hardship during midterms, and only during finals?

I could write a whole persuasive essay on the practicality of why midterms can’t be moved, but I think Dr. Shelley Reid, my CLST 301 prof, sums it up really nicely:

“Your bachelor’s degree is worth much more than the sum total of your knowledge of biochemistry, organic chemistry, or even the meaning of the root term for the belly-button*.  It is instead evidence to society at large (including those who decide whom to admit to medical/dental/nursing school, if that is your goal) that you have developed particular skills, such as the ability to cope with the stress of competing—and possibly even conflicting—demands, and to cope with grace and finesse.  Partly it is a matter of time management, but it is also a mental activity: we all know that the weeks around midterms and final exams are stressful, and by surviving them you show your ability to handle both your time and the stress of competing demands.”

* [Editor Note: in CLST 301, we learn the Greek and Latin roots of medical and biological terms]

To me, this is a really inspiring way to look at our stressful situations.  I’m constantly reflecting back on the instances when I was so fixated on achieving something, a detail which now seems irrelevant and almost pathetic.  We need to look at the bigger picture, and not get rooted in that one stressful day, that one hectic week, or that once-in-a-lifetime horrendous exam schedule.  Even if it doesn’t seem like it at the time, there is always a small skill to be learnt out of every experience.

Good luck with your exams!

I’ve previously posted about increasing retention of material by studying in different locations (https://blogs.ubc.ca/theblogbyzahra/?p=56).  This past weekend, however, I just discovered something that blew my mind away.

Before school started, I carried out my annual ritual of tidying my bedroom so that it looked fresh and untouched.  This year, I said to myself, would be the year it would stay neat until the end of the term.  Of course, as human nature predicts, it only lasted one month.  Papers were chaotically organized all over the floor, my desk no longer served the purpose of a workspace, and half my clothes were, well, not in the closet.  Two days ago, I decided that I would not continue to shuffle papers until December.  I spent a few hours cleaning, dusting, and vacuuming, and voila!  My room once again resembled my post-summer bedroom.  But what’s even more interesting…

I became more efficient in doing my work!  I used to be relatively efficient at completing my assignments and quizzes at the beginning of the year, but, as the term progressed, I started to leave things to the last minute.  Cleaning up my room to what it used to be also caused my work habits to revert back to being the way they used to be.  For once, going back to doing something the way I used to turned out to be good!  Neat, eh?

Do you ever have that moment when you pause and realize that you are taking your life for granted?  That moment when you discipline yourself that you should be more grateful for your health, your freedom, your opportunities?  I do.  I also know that, even when I have a sore throat and runny nose, I am in better health than at least one other person in the world.  It is this fact that causes me to be grateful for what I have, and to use my abilities to give back to the community at large.  This is the reason why I volunteer.

I recently started volunteering at BC Children’s Hospital.  Once a week, I get to spend a few hours with kids, kids who are too sick to play outside with other kids.  I get to soothe babies who have not yet celebrated their first birthday, yet are hooked up to tubing and machinery in order for them to become healthy again.  Sometimes a kid wants to teach me how to use a nintendo; another was excited to have company while watching a wrestling match.

These children are so innocent.  They have dreams and aspirations, yet some of them will spend their childhood at 2 homes – their abode and the hospital.  Even though their hopes and wants are on a different level from mine, I remember my own childhood, when I was free to explore the world, blissfully ignorant of anything beyond which crayon colour to choose.  I remember that I always had my mother, father, or a sibling near by to comfort me; some children’s parents have no choice but to leave them alone in the hospital.

Despite all, there is one thing that I am thankful for for these kids – they live in a privileged country and are receiving state-of-the-art treatment.  Like I said, you are always in a better position than another human being, no matter how difficult your position may be.  Realize this, and start giving back.

Midterm season has arrived!  Tis the season for caffeine-driven all-nighters filled with cramming equations, concepts, and definitions into our brains.  But is that really the smart way to take on exams?  Okay, so maybe cramming will get you through that one chemistry midterm…but will you remember it for the final?

From experience of NOT participating in unhealthy habits AND succeeding in my exams, here are a few tips to get you through the next few weeks:

1. Sleep continues to be essential!  Despite having too-much-to-do-and-not-enough-time-to-do-it, sleep deprivation is not going to help you perform your best on the exam.  I hear you – you need the time to cram!  Onto #2…
2. Inevitable cramming: So we didn’t keep on top of our pre-readings during the first month of school.  Now what?  Be efficient with your time.  Don’t log into Facebook or Twitter when you’re ‘taking a break’ from studying.  We all know it takes up more time than intended.  Yes, you’ll lose some sleep from studying, but you won’t lose as much as if you tended to your social life at the same time.
3. Don’t forget to eat healthy! Stress and a lack of time doesn’t help us to make the healthiest choices in the other domains of our life.  Firstly, don’t forget to eat regular meals, and eat them before everyone in the library knows your stomach’s growling.  Secondly, continue to make healthy food choices.  A nutritious meal is a great way to get your brain engines in top-notch condition for the exam.