My lack of blog posts and ideas have been a result of this. I knew this was coming and I tried to prepare myself for the stress and copious amounts of work that would come my way.
I won't sugar coat it, final year is hard, it's meant to be.
As we approach the end of April, the deadline for my thesis is just around the corner. I've spent pretty much every day since January in a laboratory, desperately trying to gather results to give me something to write about.
This is the life of a final year biomedical science student. It's not fun, but at the same time I am weirdly enjoying it. For those who choose to study a scientific course, then it is most likely that you will end up doing a research project. Not only do I think it is harder than a dissertation, I also think it is waay more stressful but at the same time way more rewarding.
Having to design, plan and conduct a research project by yourself is hard and without proper training, it means you have to use your own initiative on a daily basis to make sure you actually know what you are doing. There were times when I felt like crying in the lab because I had no idea what I was doing and none of my experiments were working. This is where patience comes in handy.
I've learnt so much in a matter of months, not just to do with my course but to do with myself. I definitely do not want to go into research as a future career, and I have also realised that the best way to complete something is to just sit down and get on with it.
I suppose the one thing that keeps me going is that it'll all be over in a couple of months. It's actually scary how quickly time goes when you are so preoccupied with various assignments and revision.
I think it's this point in a degree where you have to make sure you have chosen the right course and that you enjoy it. Otherwise, it will be very difficult to find the motivation to do anything.
Gone are the days of partying almost every night. In fact, after a days work I feel mentally exhausted and the last thing I want to do is get glammed up for a night partying into the early hours.
The coping mechanism's I have acquired are getting enough sleep, which is incredibly important and really effects your performance. I also try and go to the gym a few times a week, as well as going to local dance classes as this fulfils my other passions. It makes for a really good break and keeps me sane.
The most important one however is to START EARLY! I seriously cannot emphasise this enough, the earlier you start, the less stress and panic there will be towards the end. If you find yourself with spare time, make a head start. You will thank yourself for it later.
I can't say I have changed my diet to enrich me with brain boosting omega-3 or anything, I simply indulge in chocolate most of the time to satisfy that sweet craving and as a reward for all those revision notes I made. And there is nothing wrong with that. I also have become a procrastibaker, as you can see from the pictures below!
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| Blueberry Cake |
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| Strawberry fairy cakes |
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| Easter egg chocolate cakes |
So I guess this post is like a diary entry and when it is all over I can read over it and take comfort in the fact that it's all over.
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