It’s common knowledge that the job of Hopkins students is to complain about every exam and administrative decision ever made. I’ve found myself starting to participate in this culture as well. “Why was the orgo exam harder, even with the increased grade boundary? Why are my portions at Nolan’s so much smaller this year?” These questions have the tendency to burrow themselves into my mind and distract me from my goals. So, the skill I want to develop is not physical, but more of a mindset of gratitude and awareness: the ability to both appreciate and scrutinize my current situation. I want to always start by appreciating how lucky I am to be in the particular time and place I exist in — a university brimming with opportunities, research and innovation — no matter how many stressors are taking up my headspace. Secondly, I want to be aware of the way I spend each moment and have the question of “Is this really worth it?” present in my mind. I can absorb endless books and videos about the effective use of time, but none of these ideas will gel if I don’t constantly remind myself of them. With this mindset, I will be able to direct my time to my needs instead of being directed by the ticking clock.
Alex Pan is a sophomore majoring in Molecular and Cellular Biology from Dallas, Texas. He is a Science and Technology Editor for The News-Letter.