As summer draws to an end we (or perhaps just over-thinkers like myself) find ourselves wondering, ‘is there something I should be doing to prepare for going back to medical school?’ Here are ten things that will make your return to college as smooth and stress-free as possible.
1) Make sure you have the essentials
Check you have all the supplies you need for starting college. This will prevent you from spending your first week back darting around the shops. You can read my checklist of what you need before starting medical school here! (For older years you’ll probably have to add a few items to the list – stethoscope, scrubs etc)
2) Get familiar with your timetable and modules
It’s nice to give yourself a rough idea of what the upcoming year is going to look like. If your timetable has already been released, great! If not, have a look at your college website or chat to older students. Knowing what modules and timetable to expect makes the year ahead seem less daunting and ‘unknown.’
3) Know where you need to be and how to get there
There’s nothing more stressful than getting lost when you’re late for something. Give yourself peace of mind by familiarising yourself with the commute to college/new hospital placements before you start back. Think ahead about how much time it will take you to get to lectures/placement (remember to factor in things like rush hour traffic).
4) Ease yourself back into a morning & night routine
Unfortunately our summer routing of late nights and late mornings can’t be sustained when we return to medical school. Especially for those of you who will have hospital placements at the crack of dawn it is extremely important for your health that you establish a good sleep routine.
5) Plan a budget
As we know, it is super easy to overspend in college so a budget from the start of the year is essential. Make life easier for yourself by deciding on a budget now instead of waiting till you’re in the throes of the new semester.
6) Set goals
If you want to give yourself a head start this academic year, reflect on the year gone by. What do you want to do differently this year? Entering the new academic year with clear goals in mind brings you one step closer to achieving them.
7) Tidy your room and study space
Do yourself a favour and gift yourself with a tidy room and organised study space before going back to medical school. It’s easier to relax in a tidy room and you can concentrate better at a tidy desk.
8) Meal prep
We’re so busy at medical school that most of the time we don’t have time or energy to cook decent food for ourselves! Get some meal prepping out of the way now so you can have healthy meals that actually taste good during your first few weeks back (plus you’ll save yourself money!)
9) Make a packing checklist
If you’re not staying at home you’re going to be faced with the dreaded packing to go back to college. Take the time to write up a checklist of everything you need so you don’t find yourself halfway into week 1 kicking yourself for forgetting something important.
10) Touch base with friends
It’s always nice to have a last hurrah with your friends before the summer ends. You may not have seen a lot of your college friends over the summer as everyone goes their separate ways so a little get together before starting back is a nice way to catch up instead of having to do it in between lectures. Meeting up with your friends before starting back might also help to settle any ‘back to college butterflies’.
Good luck starting back! Hope this is your best year yet!
