Motivation and Despair

sfallon

As an MCAT teacher, I answer a lot of emails along the topic of motivation. It's actually so beautiful when I get emails about this because it means the learner has moved past the posturing a pre-med often puts forth to look like they can do everything all the time - and that they even want to! Rather these emails I get are honest - it's not really possible to juggle everything and expecially it's not always what you want to be doing on say, your day off from school or work or childcare. But you know you need to do this studying work.

Let's continue on into this NOT motivational line of thinking. Imagine you just took at full length practice test. The score you're seeing after all that time you put in is not the score you wanted to see. That is SO defeating. It's an awful feeling and it can have the effect of just stopping your studying dead in its tracks. So here is where I want to meet you and offer some hope.

Practice tests are there to be tools, NOT to be predictions of your future. Did you get a score that could never get you into the school of your choice? That is okay! You are not where you want to be…YET. Think of one of the harder courses you took in high school or college. If they gave you the final but halfway through the class would you have done well? No! And this is the same with the practice test you took. You're just on your way, and taking practice test along the way in a Kaplan course will not always give you your goal score. Rather it will give you an oppotunity to learn from mistakes. So use the test as a tool and not a way to feel. You learn from every test you take until you take the test for real on Test Day.

You might still be struggling with motivation, and again, that is okay. It's almost painful some days. Here are a few ideas from my students over the years, and just personal feelings. First, and I am stealing this from yoga class - try leaning in to that discomfort. It's truly ok to be uncomfortable for awhile; you can survive it and you will be stronger for it. Second, YOU ARE NOT DOING IT WRONG!! You are putting in the time. You are trying. You are studying. If you're not seeing the results you want, just keep going. Please. You are doing it right and keep at it - you'll see the results soon. Lastly, remember who you're doing this for. For example, from my MCAT background, look to the patients you're going to serve. The difference you'll make in their lives is so much bigger than the discomfort you are feeling now. You can do this and the people you will serve once you're a professional in your career need you. So keep going, you got this!