Step 1 of 1 million...

So I'm in the middle of studying for my first set of board exams for medical school ("Step 1").  There are 3 steps in all, then separate exams for interns, residents, fellows and even attendings!  So basically even though I'm officially done sitting in a classroom, I'm really never going to be done with testing.

Today (after studying, I promise), I searched google for "how to relax during step 1 studying."  No joke.  And there are actually a lot of blogs and pages out there about how to manage your time and avoid burnout.  Ok so I'm not really being good about preventing burnout.

Anyway, I thought I'd give you guys an idea about what a typical study day is like.

8:00am : wake up, walk dog, find caffeine
9:00am : crack the books (today's morning topic was hepatobiliary...so all things liver and gall bladder related).  got through 80 questions from a $600 test bank designed specifically for this exam (if I don't know the answer, I look it up and then look up all the wrong answers too, so a question can take anywhere from 30 seconds to 30 minutes)
12:00pm : walk dog again, find more caffeine, eat goldfish and cookies
12:30pm : re-crack the books (afternoon topic: reviewing the GI system..so everything from the mouth to the butt excluding the liver and gallbladder), got through 60 questions plus some "light" reading from pathology books
3:00pm : short break to walk dog
3:15pm :  back to the books and more questions...
5:00pm : so done with studying it's not even funny
5:15pm : too tired to do chores or anything else productive as mental exhaustion (in my opinion) is just as stressful as physical exhaustion
6:45pm : finally motivated to get up (nothing on TV)...doing laundry and cleaning a bit.  scrounging for something edible in my apt full of snacks and cookies.

I hope to get a bit of review tonight (less stressful..like re-reading my notes or something).  Then an early bedtime so I can start the process over again tomorrow.

This is my 7th day of this schedule, and I have 22 days left to go like this.

Anyway, just to make anyone else out there feel better about their day, because this is pretty psychologically damaging.  Thank GOODNESS I have an awesome boyfriend to break up the monotony a couple of days a week with some real meals and relaxing, fun evenings.  Otherwise I may have ended up in a mental institution.

I also planted some plumeria last night which are now filling up most of my tiny apartment-sized porch.  Will post updates and pictures...they probably won't flower until next year but I'm excited to have a fun project this summer :).