AM I GOING TO MAKE IT?

Aaah! It's another day of school, another day to survive this monotonous cycle. Should I get up or sleep in? I know I have a lot of work to do, but the thought of facing another day of lectures and assignments is exhausting. Maybe I should take a day off to recharge my batteries before diving back into the grind.

I'm sitting here at 7:50 in the morning, anticipating the lecturer's arrival. (Of course, I got up; did you really think I'd stay in?) I can already feel the weight of the day bearing down on me. It's clear that I need a break from the constant demands of school. Perhaps a day off to relax and rejuvenate will help me come back stronger and more focused. Fi fi imagination... Day off keeh??!! Who am I kidding?

Finally, the lecturer arrives and begins his lecture on what I'm still trying to figure out. I am telling myself to concentrate while preventing my mind from wandering for the umpteenth time.

I check my phone and see that it's noon. I thought it was already 5 p.m. I noticed five slides had already been sent to my class WhatsApp group while scrolling through my messages. As the star girl that I am, I star them, as well as many other important messages that I see on the group. Another pile, another day. Everything continues to pile up. "Can I take a week off?", I scream internally. I ask myself once more, "How am I going to get through all of this?" We're still in the introduction stage, but it's no longer looking like an introduction; it's already a full book collection.

It's 1:50 p.m., and I'm doing my daily cardio of 72 stairs for the second time in a day just to get to class. While trying to catch my breath, I arrived at the lab just in time before the next lecturer arrived. I'm crying inside because all the energy I gained from the egusi and eba I ate a few minutes ago has vanished. The lecturer arrives with a new topic to add to the book collection.

Finally, it's five o'clock, and I make my way back to my room, contemplating what I'm going to eat and how I'm going to cover all the topics I've learned while walking under this scorching sun.

After surviving the sun, I retire to my room and begin reading because, as they say, "make hay while the sun shines." I take a break and check the Telegram group, where I am surprised by the number of slides that have already been uploaded. When did they teach us all this? I ponder. I stand up and begin pacing around, my mind racing with questions. Is it possible that I chose the wrong course? Should I call it quits now, before it's too late? How am I going to survive medical school? Am I going to make it? Imposter syndrome creeps in again, making me doubt my abilities and qualifications. It's overwhelming, but I remind myself that these doubts are normal and that many successful individuals have experienced them too. I take a deep breath and focus on the present moment, taking one step at a time toward my goal.

I check my phone, and it's already 6:30 p.m. It's amazing how quickly time passes when you need it the most. And, as mother nature would have it, it begins to rain heavily, and, as NEPA would have it, there is a power outage. Why am I not surprised?

I get back to my books because I know that with this current weather, I might fall asleep sooner than I expect. It's 6 a.m. again, and I realize that I had fallen asleep on my laptop. "Didn't I set a bunch of alarms?" I think to myself. A few seconds later, memories flood back as I recall turning off all of my alarms as soon as they began to ring.

"Am I going to make it?" I ask myself once more. Of course, I'll make it. All I have to do is stay focused and determined. I quickly get out of bed and start getting ready, trying to make up for lost time. As I rush through my morning routine, I remind myself that I have faced challenges before and have overcome them. I take a deep breath and visualize myself succeeding, feeling the satisfaction of accomplishing my goals. With a positive mindset and a sense of purpose, I know that I can tackle anything that comes my way.

Tarinabo Sounyo