The Adjustment -- Back to Classes
Today we start back to class after what felt like the fastest two months of the entire program. Our summer classes ended in June, followed by a six-week clinical rotation and three-week break. The clinical was our first full-time placement and thus the first true taste of what a real "work schedule" is like. It's amazing how much extra time you have when you don't have to study. For the first time in a long time, I felt like a real functioning adult with time for hobbies and interests. Getting a little taste of what the "real world" is like was wonderful, but the problem now is adjusting back to student life.
A lot of really big academic milestones are looming in the not-so-distant future. I'm mostly thinking about our musculoskeletal competency exam at the end of the semester. So not only are we back to class, but this time around it's a lot more serious. We also have interviews for our year-long placements that will start in May. I don't know where the last year of my life went!
As much as I'm dreading the return to coursework, I'm very excited to see everyone. I know other students can relate to this. For a year, we spent pretty much every day together in a very small space. When we all went our separate ways for the summer clinical and break, it was the longest I had gone without seeing everyone since meeting them last June. Even though it was only two months, it felt like ages. Hopefully the excitement of reconnecting with everyone will buffer the blow of having to study again.