Persistence

As this fall semester rapidly draws to a close, I start to look back on the things I have learned. Its more than just the reactions in organic chemistry or the equations in physics, it’s about the real world lessons that have changed my path in life. The one message that consistently sticks in my head for this semester is persistence. I’ve never had anybody tell me that becoming a veterinarian would be easy, but this semester with all of its trials and tribulations has certainly proved that! When I’ve studied for days on end and feel like I just can’t do it anymore, I stop and ask myself one question, “How bad do you want it?” For me this really puts things into perspective and makes me realize that this will all be over before I know it, and that all of my hard work will certainly prove to be worth it in the end. As I stressed out about my classes, I recently had someone tell me that classes can be taken over, but life cannot. I have embraced this philosophy and started to really take time to realize the small things that make life wonderful! As the end of the semester comes rushing upon us, I wish everyone the best of luck with their classes and leave you with this bit of advice from Maya Angelou:
“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.”