6 Things To Do Before Graduation

Hey, guys!
I've been very excited about my graduation which will happen in a couple of weeks, and I can't stop posting about it. So bare with me here, through this blog post :)
I will cover a few things you should do prior to graduating, which are meant to make unforgettable memories and make you feel accomplished as you step out of your high-school journey. Note: I won't cover anything like make up plans for the summer, or find a job, as it is a separate subject of interest! :)

1. Start a Countdown
Something like a countdown might do a few things for you: cheer you up while you're finishing up a hated subject, motivate you to do something productive, and/or start making you feel a little sad about leaving you 4-year-long home. I found it to be a very purposeful tool for all of the above reasons, and now my memories from the last month of school will be more organized.

2. Pictures and Messages
Our generation gets to enjoy wonderful quality photographs taken from our phones and cameras, so never miss a chance to capture something like graduation - it must be kept in your memory forever! Some teachers or students do not prefer to take pictures, however, for various reasons, and that's perfectly fine. In this case, you could ask this person to write you a wonderful message and save it in your grad album, so it doesn't get lost.

3. "Thank You" Notes
It would be extremely nice if you would write your teacher/guidance councillor/friend/etc. a little "Thank You" note,  or sign a card... Not only it will be a tangible object which contains memories, it is also very pleasant to receive something small, but precious like this.

4. Report
Some of us might have had unpleasant, or other experiences which we have suppressed for a long time. It's time to reveal all your concerns to/about whoever you need to. In case you will say any last words, though, make sure you are very polite, considerate, and mature about the issue.

5. Make a Little In-Class Party
Consider making a little in-class party before graduating from school! You could make up a movie-night with popcorn, a pizza party, with pizza and different discussions, and/or arrange something more creative than I just listed. Before arranging any event, however, make sure you are aware of any allergies or concerns of the participants in order to make the best time out of your party.

6. Make the Best Out of It
Make sure to make the best out of the last few weeks of high school. Get involved in any kinds of events, participate in contests, study fun, enjoy a coffee/tea/juice every now and then and just fill your time with great experiences! It might not seem like you're graduating a month before, but try your best to make the very best out of your last 20 school days.

IM GRADUATING! 5 Pieces of Advice for Soon-to-Be 1st Year Students

Hey, sweeties!

It's that wonderful time of life, when you are ready to build yourself up as an individual. You are ready to explore all your opportunities, find a career, volunteer, travel, commit to something, etc! I am graduating on May 4th, and I am ready to begin my pre-med path! In this blog post, I would like to emphasise just how much is waiting for you outside of you high school's walls. I will mainly be talking about university students through, although college students might find it applicable as well! I'll also touch on some long-term goals of my own!
Let's do it:

1. Research
Make sure to THOROUGHLY research your program and the future/career paths it will provide for you. Make sure to also research the Majors offered by the program, as well as note all the prerequisites required to pursue it. Think a few steps ahead, and ask yourself whether you might be interested in pursuing a graduate and/or professional studies, and if yes - good luck meeting all the requirements.
On a more personal note, I will attend McMaster University for Life (or Health) Sciences. If I will not be accepted to Health Sci, I will pursue a Life Sciences major within the Life Sciences program, which allows great flexibility in terms of the course choice. If I will end up getting into Health Sciences, though, I will pursue the Biomedical Specialisation! Not a shock - I want to become a physician, so I have noted all requirements needed to pursue Medicine. I am not limiting myself to Ontario or even Canadian Med Schools only, and I am considering studying and practicing in USA!

2. Have a Plan B
We are not perfect, and as we enter our first year, we might realize that we need to change the majors or even the programs. Same goes for any long-term goals - they must have a plan B. Make sure you've researched DIFFERENT career paths, and that you are staying flexible in your subject choice just in case you will end up pursuing you "plan B".
I am 100% sure that Medicine is the path I'm choosing. That does not mean, however, that I don't have a plan B. Briefly, my plan is to pursue a Master's degree in a scientific discipline if I am not accepted to Med School after my 3rd or 4th years of undergrad. 

3. Get Involved/Volunteer/Socialise
I know, I've said that multiple trillion times, but this is very important, since it will let you improve your well-roundedness, meet new people, explore yourself, and get a little away from those academics! Certainly, do NOT skip the Welcome week if your university/college offers one, and make sure you are using all available to you resources.
As a part of Medical School requirement, I must be involved in the community in one or the other way. 

4. Job Shadow
Job shadowing is very common among pre-meds, although I'm sure you could job-shadow any occupation. This will give you an opportunity to see "The Day in The Life Of a ..." and give you more insight on as to what to expect.
I unfortunately, have not done any shadowing yet, although I will look into it very closely in my first year at Mac!

5. Be Your Best
Do not go into 1st year with the intention of skipping lectures, partying, and wasting money. Those 4+ years of your life will determine the majority of your professional life, so be focused and determined. Learn how to say "no" to some parties, because you will have an endless amount of them outside of the uni. Be very responsible and value the time you are given to prove that you are the best you can be to yourself and to the world around you!

The Best of Luck! 

Why is Overconfidence bad?

Hi, guys! This year I realized that I'm too confident in myself, to the point where minimal failures will result in me blaming myself for everything that's wrong in the world. In this blog post, I wanted to talk about my experience with overconfidence, and explain to you why it is bad:

1. Inaccurate Judgement
We all like to evaluate ourselves at some point; some people do it frequently (like me), and some people do it very rarely. The point is that since I'm always too confident, I don't bother questioning myself, or checking myself, which later leads to mistakes, embarrassment, or complete failures. The higher you rise, the further you fall!
To avoid that, always ask for other people's objective opinions, and try to look at yourself from the side. Also, I encourage you to learn more on a certain topic before you insist that you are 100% sure that you are making the right decision. Don't be very dependant on people's opinions, though. But respect them, and keep them in mind.

2. Nobody Likes Overconfident People
Even if you are a nice person, and do not, generally, have bad intentions, others will dislike you for not being considerate enough, because you always feel like you're right. Again, always consider other people's opinions and even if you will end up being right, don't throw a party about it! :)

3. Hard Time to Get Back on Track
So once you HAVE realized that you haven't been judging your behaviour and attitude objectively and accurately, you have to get back to earth. And yes, it will be upsetting. But, there's nothing wrong. It's just the reality. Generally, the way it's going to go is that you will meet a person or enhance in a society, which will disprove you (validly) every time you are being overconfident. Then, you start questioning yourself, maybe even thinking that you're broken (it's not the case,though!), and you finally (hopefully), understand that you can only succeed in reality, not in "I'm always right" world.

4. Get Stronger
If you understand that the reality is not made to break you, you will start making your way up again, but this time you will be much more educated and objective about everything - and you will become stronger!
Good luck!