Hiatus.

well, that was a long break.

i would say this time i'm going to post incredibly regularly, but unfortunately it seems i can't promise this. what i can say is that this year i'll do my best to keep posting, and to keep things interesting :)

sooo, what have i been up to? quite a bit!

• i sat and passed my end of semester exams (with an alright grade, not the best, not the worst - am happy but hoping to do better this year) - so i can officially call myself a second year medical student!
• my friends and i secured a house to rent for the next year
• i started my summer job back at the deli i previously worked at, doing three mornings a week, saving up a bit here and there to get me through next year
• i started running again after breaking my ankle
• i went on holiday with my family to Barcelona which was laaavely
• i rediscovered my love for cooking, baking and preserving

what have you guys been up to?

Revision Playlist

normally when i study, i have radio three on in the background, but sometimes i like to switch things up a bit and create a playlist. in spotify, i have one massive study playlist that is about 11 hours long, and perhaps sadly, i have listened to that several times over, so most of the time i create smaller playlists using that and then add other songs in.

lately, some of the more classical/piano based songs i've been listening to have been -

1. Ludovico Einaudi - Life
2. Michael Nyman - Dreams of a Journey
3. Tchaikovsky - Swan Lake (All of the acts)
4. Tchaikovsky - The Nutcracker (All of the acts)
5. Handel - Messiah (All of the parts)
6. Roberto Cacciapaglia - Ouverture
7. Vivaldi - The Four Seasons
8. Beethoven - Moonlight Sonata (First movement)
9. Von Flotow - The Last Rose of Summer
10. Chopin - Prelude #15

i really love classical music, not just to study to. however, sometimes i do need something a bit more upbeat and with more words, so these are some of the other songs i've been loving -

1.  Bon Jovi - I'll Be There for You
2. Coldplay - Speed of Sound
3. Ellie Goulding - Figure 8
4. The Fray - How to Save a Life
5. Pearl Jam - Amongst the Waves
6. Air Traffic - Shooting Star
7. Imagine Dragons - Radioactive
8. Gabrielle - Sunshine
9. Owl City - Fireflies
10. Natasha Bedingfield - Pocketful of Sunshine

hopefully these lists will have given you ideas to perk up your own study playlists!

Eliza xxx

Apologies

normal service will resume shortly.

i could make excuses about my absence, i have a few -

1. i broke my ankle and have been dosed up on painkillers.
2. i have a big exam coming up and have been working towards that.
3. i've been sorting out house stuff for next year.
4. i've generally been a bit preoccupied with some stuff that may or may not make it to a blogpost.

but at the end of the day, i still neglected you guys, i could've continued blogging and i didn't, and for that, i am sorry!

i have a couple posts planned for the future, such as

• How do i study?
• What's in my backpack?
• 10 essential objects for uni
• Dissection - some thoughts
• etc etc etc

so i'm hoping that by writing these down, it'll prompt me to get back into fairly regular blogging.

Eliza xxx

Why Thank You 2012

2012 has been one of the best years of my life so far, and i am incredibly thankful for everything that has happened to me, which has been a combination of hard work, luck and perseverance. here are some of my highlights -

• I turned 18!
• I was interviewed at, and received an offer from, my chosen medical school (squeeee)
• I had a hugely memorable final term in school, with some amazing friends and teachers
• I went to northern France with my family for a week
• My friends and I went to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and saw some fabulous live comedy
• I got my A Level results and got into uni!
• I moved to uni and met some wonderful new friends
• I started this blog :)

i hope everybody has had just as awesome a year as i have had, and if not, let's make 2013 one thousand times better!

much love,

Eliza xxx

How I Deal With Homesickness

my first semester at uni was really long (almost 4 months) with no reading week and no visits home, which meant it was actually really hard on me, given how close i am to my family and how much i like my home comforts. i hadn't actually considered the fact that i could get homesick before i left home - i had just assumed that i would be too busy having fun and studying to stop and get homesick. however, around the 7 week mark, i started feeling incredibly homesick, and it was starting to really get me down and was impacting on all parts of my life. so, i created an action plan that i now use whenever i start to feel homesick, and here it is!

1. Call home. now, this may sound unusual to you guys, but i rarely, if ever, called home last semester. i just really don't enjoy talking on the phone - i feel really awkward, often become unable to verbalise what i am thinking, and can never get decent signal. instead, what i do on a daily basis is chat with my parents over emails and texts, and talk to my brothers and friends on facebook. however, whenever i feel homesick, i man up and make a phone call home - no matter how much i dislike it, it is so comforting to hear a familiar voice down the other line.
2. Let myself cry. i find the temptation here is to bottle everything up, not admitting that something is getting you down, which is not healthy and will eventually result in it all spilling over in an uncontrolled manner. so, i think the best thing to do is to let yourself sit down and have a good crying session when i feel overwhelmed - it leaves me feeling refreshed and allows me to cope with my sadness in a way that i feel is more manageable.
3. Talk to my friends. the simple truth at uni is that chances are, if you're homesick, somebody else will be. a problem shared is a problem halved, as they say, and often your friends can give you some reassurance and advice that you wouldn't have thought of yourself. even if they don't, they'll have a few good jokes and a nice hug waiting for you, so feel free to talk to them when you're feeling down.
4. Go on a night out. all my pieces of advice so far have been focused on admitting there's an issue, and allowing yourself to work on it. however, sometimes you just need a distraction, something to take your mind off it, and the best way to do that is to have a good time - go to the pub for a few drinks with friends, go to the cinema, just get some fresh air, a different environment, and something that will allow you to forget about it all for a short period of time.
5. Study. this tip may not be for everyone, i am aware of that, however i find that most of the time, i really quite enjoy studying! so i get my head into my books, have an alright time of it, and remind myself that i'm at uni for a reason.

hopefully, next semester shouldn't be as difficult, emotionally, because we have the easter break in the middle of it, where i can go home and regroup.

until next time,

Eliza xxx

Contact Me!

hey guys, short post today (woo!) - i've now got two new methods of contacting me, aside from commenting on my posts. i have a new email address, which is and_cough(at)hotmail(dot)com, which i'll try and check as often as i remember, and will reply to emails as soon as i can. you can email me about anything from your med school experiences to med school applications to what you had for dinner last night! secondly, and finally, i have set up a twitter account for this blog, so follow me @AndCough! any suggestions on interesting people to follow will be welcomed with open arms! i am very new to this tweeting malarky so bear with me on this :)

Eliza xxx

Merry Christmas!

just a quick post to wish everybody here a very merry christmas and a happy new year! i hope everybody is having a lovely time and spending some good quality time with the people they love.

Eliza xxx