Last year, I was a fresh faced first year medical student, anxious but excited about experiencing university life, and also full of hopes for the future (sounds very stereotypical, i know!)
As the end of my first year was approaching, I was a changed person and no longer as hopeful as before. Whether it was lack of dedication or simply ignorance as to how to study effectively, i did not succeed and now here I am out of university.
For someone who has previously always passed exams and enjoyed studying, but most importantly, always had a goal in life, this was and to some extent still is shocking and surreal! “Maybe my goal was not my true goal in life or Maybe i was not meant to do this“, I keep asking myself these questions, to no avail.
On a lighter note, I certainly do not think I lost a year in my education! Quite the opposite, i learnt a lot despite not passing exams, i discovered a whole new, fascinating world and that was when i did not even explore it to the maximum ( i.e :partying ^_^) I made wonderful friends, became more independent, discovered the thrill of going home late (haha yes it was a thrill to me even if i was late due to staying back in the library! ^_^), explored a lot of London and saw my fair share of cute guys in uni =] !
After having spent 13 years in primary school and then high school, relentlessy trying to achieve the best results, I am now taking a breather ( which i think i should have taken after high school). I do hope i find my way back to what I want to do and sure it is very difficult to sit there and think :”what do i want to be? what do i enjoy?“.
I think doing that is easier when we are still children, our opinions are not coloured by the countless expectations society and our family has of us or by restrictions in our thoughts and behaviour just so we comply with what is acceptable to society and the world not to ourselves. (woah there’s a very deep thought! :p)
I wonder what is best, taking a year off before university or going straight into university from high school?
