Health Science Reviews

by Kirstin Snyckers

At the age of about seven, you head off to Primary school for the first time, filled with enthusiasm and a naïve idea of what your future holds. As you progress down the timeline of your schooling career each ‘first day’ starts stacking up and you learn how to cram and memorise random equations. In Grade ten adults start telling you how important the next year of your life is going to be. The same thing happens in Grade 11, and again in Grade 12. After a while, you get tired of hearing it, but you become filled with the ever-growing anxiety linked to not messing up your future. You apply at every university, and many times don’t achieve what you want to right off the bat.

I am here to tell everyone that, although university feels like an extreme sport at times and the disappointment linked to a test mark or ‘unsuccessful application’ email feels like the end of the world. It is never the end of the world, there is enough time to catch up, redo and achieve the things you set your mind to. I can say this because my metaphorical battle scars are still healing. I used to stress myself into oblivion and overthink everything I did. But this year was a turning point for me.

Honours was rough, I am not going to lie. It was challenging in so many ways, it made me cry on numerous occasions and many times I had to convince myself that I was doing better than I gave myself credit for. But honours was also amazing, it was learning, it was growing, and it was a time in my life that has convinced me that I am truly in the right place. I am finally becoming the person I have always wanted to be. I have met so many wonderful people and I feel like I am on the way to becoming the best version of myself. Another important thing that I sometimes forget is that there are so many people that support me and that I am not alone. So many people have been through the same thing, and many more will follow in our footsteps. Note to future me: you don’t need to suffer alone, because sometimes the people going through the same thing as you will support you and be able to relate on an almost magical level.

This year has been an interesting experience. I have been tired, stressed, emotional, confused, empty, disappointed, and broken. But I have healed, grown, and learnt so many new things. It makes me excited for the future. So, my first day of honours really did feel like the first day of the rest of my life.