There are a lot of things I did wrong during college, but a couple of things I did right.
Whether you're starting out as a wee freshman or embarking on your senior year, keeping a journal or blog is important. Trust me, your memory will thank you for it a thousand times over once you're in the process of applying for dental school, organizations, or anything that requires some reflection on your end.
Need ideas for what to put in your journal/blog? Here's what I did.
For some, it's rather intuitive - you just write what you're feeling. But for those of you who are new to journals/blogs, here's what I've kept in mine over the past couple of years.
1) A short explanation of current goals for the future. I included why I wanted to be a dentist, and paths I wanted to pursue to stay happy.
2) My current GPA, and classes I planned on taking to improve it.
3) Positive character traits, and examples of them in action.
4) Negative character traits, examples of them in action, and how I wanted to change.
5) Important events that happened and my reflection on them.
In college, the opportunities for self-discovery and improvement are endless- there are tons of people to meet, places to be, and things to experience..
But something that's rather tragic about the college experience is that many of us pre-health kids are always short on time. This means we don't really have a chance to reflect on all of these experiences, whether they are great or absolutely horrible. All it really takes though, is a couple minutes to jot it all down. When it comes to apps for dental school, or even clubs and opportunities, a journal like this can come EXTREMELY handy. Sometimes, I'll have written simple posts to myself like: "Today, I was inspired", or "Today, I realized I was wrong." followed by an account of the events that led to this notion.
It's also kinda nice to look back on your personal growth - to celebrate the person you were, the person you are, and the person you're becoming.
I'll stop being a Berkeley hippie, just keep a journal.
:) rachel
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