Learn to take hold of your E-HOLD

Curious about whether or not you suffer from E-HOLD? Take the following quiz to find out:

1. Do you spend more time studying than you do sleeping, eating, and exercising?

2. Does your mind go blank when you think of the meaning of free time?

3. Do you find yourself studying for one class during another class?

4. Do you spend your breaks catching up on material or studying ahead?

If you answered yes to at least half of these questions then you may have excessive hyperactive overachieving learning disorder – also known as E-HOLD.

Excessive Hyperactive Overachieving Learning Disorder is a common issue among college students, particularly those at Johns Hopkins University. Studies show that approximately 3.14159 out of 4 students at Johns Hopkins suffer from E-HOLD. Symptoms of E-HOLD include excessive fatigue, nausea, abnormal urination, decreased cognitive function, and reduced memory.

If you haven’t already searched for E-HOLD on Google, then don’t bother because the disorder doesn't exist...not yet, at least.

As society becomes more and more focused on medicine, it’s important to think about what habits are healthy and what habits are not.

We are all here to succeed. With that said, it’s important that we don’t become obsessed about it. If you develop tunnel vision then you won’t be able to see any other opportunities that may arise. Success is an evolving construct. It may be based in terms of finances, but once you achieve your ideal income, what happens next? Once you get your PhD, M.D, or master's degree, what happens next?

Life does not come with an instructor’s guide or an operations manual. Mistakes will be made and lessons will be learned.

Do not obsess over minute details to the point where you forget the big picture. Hopkins is so much more than Expository Writing, Microeconomics, Organic Chemistry, or Physics. Hopkins is filled with competent people who have a lot to offer in terms of networking.

Open your eyes to the events offered on campus. Try to see your professor as someone that you can develop an intellectual relationship with. Look to your student groups to develop long-lasting friendships. Look at your academic life as a means of achieving greater things. This mindset will enhance any goal you have because you’re sole focus will no longer be Organic Chemistry, but seeing how you can develop a network that will give you unique opportunities.

I’m by no means advocating that you forget about school. What I’m advocating is developing a more expansive mindset, so that you can feel like you accomplished more than getting good grades at Hopkins.

Invest in the social and academic networks here. There is validity behind the statement: It’s not about what you know, but who you know. Johns Hopkins is a world-renowned school, so take advantage of the resources available here.

Get rid of E-HOLD and take a hold of your life.