So the first grades of the semester are officially in the books. After a rough week last week, we finally find out how we fared on those exams. While for some it is a time to celebrate, for me, it is a time to contemplate and make necessary changes. Needless to say, I have my work cut out for me for the rest of the semester. Not getting an A is upsetting and personally disappointing. When I got my exams back and saw it littered with red ink, I almost lost it. After a night of letting this sink in, I decided it is time to make some serious adjustments.
The first thing I did was to delete Candy Crush from my iPad. I think that it may just be the culprit. After reaching level 180, it’s time for me to say goodbye to such an awesome game. I’ll admit it took me a while to press X in order to get rid of it, but I did it anyway. My friends can’t believe I was able to overcome such a challenge, because they know how hooked I was with it. However, the time and few dollars of investment didn’t yield any effective return in brain processing power.
But all joking aside, this post is more than just Candy Crush, as amazing as it is. This is about making changes, learning from mistakes, getting back up, re-prioritizing things, and shaking off the dust. As I talk to MPAs, I’m learning that we are all experiencing the same things. It is a tough, challenging, but very rewarding program and I frankly would rather be stretched like this than taking it easy, earning A’s all the time. This is not to rationalize mediocre performance. However, I would argue that in this journey, there are potholes and those who learn to avoid them moving forward will be better prepared for the many more challenges ahead.
So as I say goodbye to Candy Crush, I am also tweaking a few things like my daily routine, study habits, and organizational system. I am hoping this will make a difference on the second round of exams. For now, I am happy to learn from my mistakes, move on and work hard to excel. As a professor told me once:
“You may think you’re already a mile deep. Remember, you still have a few miles to go to make up lost ground.”
That’s exactly what I needed to hear.