End of Pre-Clinical Years!

Finally, after 2 years in medical school, I can proudly say that I've finished the first part of it; the pre-clinical years! I know there's still a looooong way to go, and this is just a tiny step ahead towards my aim to become a doctor. But of course, I'm super grateful for everything. Alhamdulillah. Alhamdulillah. Alhamdulillah.

For those who don't know, most of the undergraduate medical schools in Malaysia are using the same system (sort of), where the 5 years of degree are consist of pre-clinical phase (the first 2 years) and clinical phase (the last 3 years). We'll have a test or assessment after each module, and of course, final exams at the end of each semester, like usual. And then, we'll also have a big exam called the Professional Exam at the end of each of the phases I mentioned earlier. Simply say, this exam will basically cover all the topics we learned during that particular phase. Yup, we just have so many exams. Lol.

So yes, I just had my first Professional Exam, and alhamdulillah, I passed! It was indeed a challenging journey. Studying and revising all the topics we've learned for the past 2 years, from the 1st semester until the 4th semester. There were literally more than 400 topics!! To be frank, I undeniably didn't manage to read all of them. Although they gave one whole month of 'study weeks', it's still not quite enough to cover all of the topics (for me, at least). I still had to skip a few of them, especially the basic ones. I slept probably only around 3-4 hours a day (especially during the last 2 weeks before the exam) and had to drink coffee every single day to the point that I was so sick of it. Hahahah.

Not to mention, everything was online. Only our 1st semester was entirely face-to-face. The 2nd one was partially online. But then our 2nd Year (the 3rd & 4th semesters) were fully online. We are the first batch that had to take our Professional Exam online and not face-to-face. And yes, that one whole month of study weeks was just me, alone in my bedroom. I do have a study group or discussions with my friends through Discord, sometimes. But most of the time, especially in those stressful times, people prefer to be alone. Everyone has their own pace and style of studying. But of course, study groups are very beneficial too.

This is how the situation typically looks during our online exams (credits to my friend, Raziana, for this screenshot). This one was taken during our 2nd last day of the Professional Exam. We are separated into different Google Meet, with around 10 students each group with an examiner. We would have two cameras, as you can see. One is the laptop camera facing us, and the other is viewing our surroundings, mainly to see our laptop screen and our table (of course, to make sure no one's cheating). 

For me, ODL is not challenging because we can't study with our friends, but it's mainly because we lack that general face-to-face, social interaction with them. When you're in your hostel or college, you don't necessarily have to study with your friends, but friends are there to make the journey more enjoyable and less painful. You can study alone, but you would still have your friends physically present whenever you need something. It's like a form of moral support.

Whatever it is, I'm very grateful that I survived this ODL journey and the battle towards the Professional Exam. I wouldn't say that it was very hard, but it would obviously be more bearable if my friends were around. I'm still so glad I have amazing friends here in my medical school. Of course, we still catch up with each other (virtually) from time to time during that one month of study weeks, making sure that each of us is doing well and not near being insane. Hahahah.

Overall, alhamdulillah, all the hard work paid off. My whole batch passed the Professional Exam. All of us could proceed into the clinical years. I cried; I'm sooooo happy. The fact that each one of us passed and no one failed made me felt even happier. It was like a miracle because usually, we would have a few students retake some papers during our regular end-of-semester final exams.

Again,

Alhamdulillah for everything.

Currently, I'm hella enjoying my semester break! After that very highly pressured phase of my life, I can finally breathe now. Hahahah. In fact, we had our semester break extended to almost 2 months because we needed to wait for our senior batch (the current 3rd Year batch) to finish their major clinical postings before we could enter and start ours. They had theirs a bit delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, sadly.

Oh, and yes, as all of us are aware, ODL is finally ending. We will be back at our universities soon! Yay or nay? I will definitely miss being near to my family all the time, especially my baby (my cat, lol). But of course, I do miss face-to-face learning too. I guess it's already time for us to be back to normal. I feel like I've already adapted so well with this ODL thingy, but still, obviously, it couldn't stay forever like this. That's the reality.

Okay, this post is getting waaaay too long. I feel like I still have so many things to talk about!! Hahahah. Maybe next time, I guess? Take care and stay safe always, guys! xx

Last but not least,

Goodbye, pre-clinical. Hello, clinical!

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Tips for Better Sleep

For many working class people, sleep is a luxury. Many people in the world choose to work overtime or take on multiple jobs to survive instead of getting enough rest. 

However, sleep affects our mood. Short or interrupted sleep may cause irritability and make us unproductive during the day. To help you sleep faster and get better-quality sleep, here are some easy yet helpful steps you can follow.

1. Have a relaxing bath or shower

Washing away the day’s stress can help you prepare your mind for sleep. Nothing also beats the feeling of laying on your bed after having done your entire nighttime routine and having only sleep on your agenda.

Scientifically, these also help condition the body for sleep. According to Discover Magazine, taking a warm bath or a shower an hour or two before going to bed aids the body’s natural flow into sleep by lowering your body temperature.

2. Use essential oils

Introducing essential oils to your nighttime routine is an economical and convenient form of therapy. Certain scents can put the body in a calm state and prepare it for sleep. According to The Sleep Doctor, this is due to the emotions and memories we associate these scents with.

Vanilla, lavender, jasmine, rose, citrus, and sandalwood are only a few examples of scents used to induce better sleep. To use these, you can add a few drops to your bath, apply a diluted solution directly to your body, put it in a diffuser, or use it as a linen spray.

3. Turn off your electronics

Blue light emitted by electronic devices causes the brain to think that it is still daytime, making it reduce the amount of melatonin it produces and keeping you from sleeping. 

For this, you should turn off your television as well as other sources of bright light two hours before bed. If this can’t be helped, you can also install apps that put a blue light filter on your screen, such as f.lux for your desktop or laptop.

4. Make yourself comfortable

Sometimes, an uncomfortable sleeping space is actually what makes it hard for people to sleep. A comfortable mattress is a great investment that improves your day-to-day wellbeing. Some people even go as far as to buy weighted blankets for the feeling of security during sleep. However, if you’re on a budget, clean beddings should be enough.

For people who wake up feeling too hot at night, it may also be helpful to check if your air conditioner or fan is working as well as it should. To get uninterrupted sleep, have your cooling device checked by a professional repairman. Regular maintenance check-ups help appliances work better and last longer, say the experts at Ceiling Fan Repair Singapore.

5. Check with a doctor

If your difficulty in sleeping lasts for weeks at a time, it is best to go to a doctor to see if you have insomnia. They can prescribe you a melatonin supplement for you to fall asleep faster and have better sleep quality.

If you snore loudly, wake up several times at night, and you are easily fatigued in the morning, ENT Doctor Singapore suggests you may have obstructive sleep apnea instead. This needs urgent medical action, so see a specialist right away.

Anyway, these are only a few quick ways to sleep faster and without interruption. If you’d like to improve your sleeping quality for the long term, however, there are also permanent lifestyle changes you could do such as exercising and eating better. 

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Easy & Healthy Binge-Watching Snacks

Since we’ve been stuck in our homes due to the pandemic, binge-watching movies or series has turned into the only escape from reality for most of us. And if you’re like any regular person, you may have food beside you as you watch 80% of the time.

Unfortunately, a lot of our favorite binge-watching snacks are unhealthy. They are packed with carbs, sodium, and, ultimately, junk. This, plus the fact that we may be sitting in front of our screens for a long time isn’t good for our bodies. 

This is not to say that you shouldn’t indulge in some good films from time to time. However, to go easier on your body, you may want to go for healthier binge-watching snacks like the ones in the list below.

1. Fruits and nuts

There is not much preparation needed for fruits and nuts. You can just eat them as they are, provided that you’ve bought pre-roasted nuts at the market. In case you mistakenly bought raw nuts, you can still easily roast them on your stove for a few minutes. If you’re not fond of certain fruits or nuts, you can even mix and match based on your preference. 

If you don’t want to go through any hassle at all, there are also ready-made trail mixes of dried fruits and assorted nuts available at grocery stores. These are just as easy to grab as your regular junk food. 

2. Vegetable sticks 

Trick yourself into eating your veggies by munching on vegetable sticks as you catch up on your favorite series. The chances are, you’ll be too focused on what you’re watching to even realize how many carrot sticks you have eaten.

For this, you can have any vegetable that can be eaten raw. Cucumber, celery, and carrots are the most common. If you find these too bland by themselves, Healthline suggests having them with easy dips such as Greek yoghurt, hummus, and mashed peas.

3. Yoghurt bowl

If you’re planning on starting your binge-watching in the morning, a yoghurt bowl can be a nutritious breakfast option that still allows you to mix and match the ingredients as you like.

You can opt to use any yoghurt you prefer and add fruits, granola, nuts, seeds, and other toppings, such as cinnamon and toasted coconut flakes. However, it is better to research the benefits of these health foods to personalize your yoghurt bowl to suit your body’s needs. 

For instance, a high-fiber yoghurt bowl with antioxidant fruits and seeds can help people with slow metabolism, say the experts at Gastroenterologist Singapore. You just have to identify your health goals and come up with a recipe based on which foods help you achieve those goals.

This healthy binge-watching snack option can also be prepared the night before your Netflix marathon, by the way, which makes it all the more convenient. 

And if you’re not into yoghurt bowls, you may find fruit and yoghurt popsicles more enjoyable! To make this, simply put your fruit and yoghurt mixture into a popsicle mold, then freeze overnight.

4. Fries

Yes, you read it right. You can still enjoy one of your go-to binge-watching snacks. There are just a few tweaks you need to do to make it healthier. 

For this, you have to air fry your sliced potatoes. Air frying with little to no oil instead of deep frying cuts back on calories and fat, instantly making your food healthier than normal. 

Once it’s cooked, put little salt on your fries. This doesn’t mean you can’t put other spices on your fries for flavor. If you’re a fan of Cajun seasoning, Davita has a salt-free recipe you can easily make at home. There are also other salt-free seasoning recipes you can find on the Internet.

5. Fresh fruit juices

Instead of consuming unhealthy amounts of sugar with soda, go for fresh fruit juices. Watermelon and orange are some of the fruits that can give you the most juice. If you’re feeling a bit adventurous, you can also mix and match fruits and even add some greens.

Some people also enjoy fruit smoothies, which are just as simple to prepare. It’s just like making fruit juice, but instead of juicing, you blend ingredients with ice and milk, yoghurt, or low-fat ice cream.

If you don’t own a juicer or a blender or if you are simply too busy to make an effort, coconut water is a good example of a healthy drink you can find in stores.

As a final note, keep in mind that it’s usually best to only make as much of these snacks as you can feasibly finish in one sitting. If you make a mistake and whip up a little too much of any recipe, pop it in the fridge immediately!

Specifically, the ones with milk and yoghurt can spoil easily. You have to keep them around temperatures of 1 to 2 degrees Celsius. 

Here’s a hot tip we got from our fridge repairman from Fridge Repair Singapore on this topic, by the way. We called him in to ask why our milk was always spoiling even with the fridge on: you have to ensure your fridge is set at the right temp and keep milk/yoghurt towards the back of the fridge, to combat what happens when you open your fridge door a lot!

Anyway, that wraps up our post for today. Remember, staying healthy doesn’t always mean going hard on a diet and a workout. At times like this, doing the best we can is already commendable -- so feel free to binge-watch and snack, as long as you snack healthy.

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Tips for a Comfortable Quarantine Life

Life hasn’t been anywhere near normal this year, with an ongoing global pandemic. Movement control orders are still being given each time the number of cases rises in an area. No matter how much we want to live our normal lives, we have to follow restrictions to keep ourselves and others safe.

The coronavirus has taken away a lot of important people, experiences, and milestones from us. However, there are still many ways to stay sane in the comfort of our homes. 

That’s what we’ll talk about here. Below are some tips for a comfortable home life in quarantine.

1. Stock up on food you need

Stock up on two weeks’ to a month’s worth of groceries to avoid going back and forth to your local supermarket. If you haven’t been able to have home cooked meals before, now is the time to explore. Buy various meats of different cuts, a variety of vegetables, and fruits you have never before tried. 

To change up your menu every now and then, you can also browse recipes online for easy-to-cook food from different cuisines.

2. Have basic medicine at hand

Nowadays, it could be difficult to go outdoors even when you need it the most, so this tip is especially important if you’re living alone. Besides basic supplies for cuts and burns, Mayo Clinic suggests having the following medicines in your first aid kit:

• Pain relievers
• Cough and cold medications
• Antihistamine
• Antacids
• Anti-diarrhea medication
• Laxative
• Hydrocortisone cream

You can also personalize your medicine kit depending on your health concerns.

3. Make sure home appliances are in tip-top shape

Under lockdown, we are obligated to stay home for the majority of the time. When your life is restricted to your home, chores can feel duller than ever. 

Luckily, various home appliances exist to make house chores much easier. For a seamless home life, it is important to make sure that home appliances are working as they should.

The moment you notice something going awry with an appliance, get it seen to as well. That’s because repair costs tend to balloon after an issue has already worsened… and home repair appointments are now harder to book than ever due to rising demand, say the experts at Washing Machine Repair Singapore. 

4. Connect

Technology has become even more valuable these days. Because of our devices and the Internet, we get to connect with our loved ones even from halfway across the globe. 

Since the pandemic is keeping us from seeing our friends and family, virtual get-togethers are our best option. You can make virtual hangouts fun by playing online games with friends or having a movie night with family. 

5. Disconnect

Although technology is extremely useful during these times, being online 24/7, working from home, and seeing the news can also be very emotionally draining. To prevent a burnout, unplug your WiFi once in a while.

Some alternative activities you can do offline are reading, bullet journaling, and yoga. If you’re not into very slow activities, you can also simply turn off your work-related apps and play games or watch a movie on your TV, the staff at TV Repair Singapore suggest.

It can certainly be challenging to live a rich, healthy home life under quarantine. But with a little self-control and respect for your own personal time, many things can be done to make the lockdown a lot easier to manage.

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Life Update, Again?

Hello everyone! As always, after months of leaving this blog, I finally come back just to 'update' my life. Nasib tak mereput blog ni. AHAHAHAH. Anyway, mind me for using bahasa rojak in this post. I kinda felt like I was being too formal after all this time. So I want to write more casually after this. Hehe. Bare with me.

Let's just get straight to the point. Life update?

In my previous post, I was complaining about how I haven't even start my 2nd semester yet. Everything was being dragged and dragged. But here I am, in my 2nd year of medical school! HAHA. 3rd semester, basically. So yeah, I didn't update a single thing on this blog while I was in my 2nd semester. Why?

Well, basically, a few weeks after I published that post, after so many announcements from KPT and my university itself, we finally start our online class. Since everyone was trying to adapt with this new-norm life, our timetable was so damn unorganized at first. Not only the students were confused, but so were the lecturers! Haha. I would say it was hectic, at least that was what I thought before entering my 2nd year.

As I, myself, was also trying my best to adapt with this online-learning student life, I guess I didn't find any time to update this blog. Sigh.

Anywaaaaay,

Long story short, since the curve was kinda flattened around August-September, our faculty decided to have the final exams face-to-face. So yes, I did go back to college for like 2 weeks, just for the finals. Then of course, semester break! But it was only for 2 weeks as well, since we've been dragging a lot since April. Haha. Need to rush back on track!

Not only us, but every students (I guess) was supposed to be back in their universities and start our new semester. No more online classes! Back to physical classes, just with extra SOPs to follow.

But then, kita hanya mampu merancang .....

Boom. There comes the third wave. I'm not going to talk much about this, I believe that everyone knows already (#RakyatJagaRakyat #ytjt). Haha. So yeah, as predicted, everything's back online again. Welcome back into the ODL life!

My everyday view! My work space, from dusk 'till dawn gitu. The one that witnessed all my mental breakdowns due to ODL. Haha! Not any fancy or aesthetic, though. But I love my desk. Hehe.

Ohh anyway, yes I finally passed my 1st year! Alhamdulillah! I'm currently in my 3rd week of this new semester in 2nd year.  This time, everything is quite organized than previous semester, since everyone has already adapt with this ODL life. The schedule, the timing, everything; which is why I could spare some time writing this post.

HOWEVER, although I said this semester everything seems organized, obviously our syllabus is even more packed than last year. Since this is our last year in pre-clinicals, we have a research project to do and of course, Professional Exam 1. Ya Allah I'm so scared haha. It's basically a one huge exam that kinda covers everything we've learned for the past 2 years in medical school. The last exam in the pre-clinical years, before entering clinical years (3rd-5th year).

Well ...

That's basically it. My life update. OMG, I hope you guys are not bored of me talking about studies and only studies haha. I guess that's what my life is all about. HAHAHA.

Just kidding.

Of course I did other things as well. One of the things that I do a lot during this pandemic, from March until today, is online shopping. I swear it's so sickening, guys. Shopee is like a social media to me, I open it almost every day! HAHAHAH. I'd receive at least 5-10 parcels per month. It is such a bad habit, I know. I was actually thinking of sharing about some of my top favorite online purchases that I made during this whole pandemic. Oh I hope I'll have time to write that.

And that's that for this life update (again). I hope everyone is doing fine out there. Stay safe, as always! Remember, kita belum menang.

'Till then! <3

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Early Autumn Outfit Ideas!

Is your wardrobe ready for autumn? Feelingirldress has great deals for you! Click and get to know plus size dresses wholesale event! Just click on the pictures below to check these outfits out!

We have various styles of tie knot singles, solid color styles, striped styles, lightweight, comfortable, and soft. In addition to the variety of colors, there are also two styles: V-neck and square neck. The V-neck with a small necklace can control your temperament from the details. 

The square neckline reveals more skin and perfectly reveals the clavicle. It can be matched with a slightly larger necklace to match the early autumn temperature. The square neck is made of knitted material, which is close to the body and keeps warm, and there are many colors for you to choose. There is always one suitable for you.

Event nr two: wholesale jumpsuits! The biggest advantage of the jumpsuit is that you can be lazy and don't have to worry about matching. Just worry about its own design when you first buy it. The tailored and textured wide-leg jumpsuits can perfectly modify the shape of the legs and can also flow with the wind. Feelingirldress's jumpsuits are available in many patterns in addition to trousers and shorts. The ink red is like the sunset in autumn, the ink green is like the leaves that have not fallen in early autumn, and the ink blue is like the blue beach in the autumn wind. The price is also favorable. Only about $10 you can get your favorite products in your hands. What's more, there are five big sizes for you to choose from, and you will surely find the size that suits you the best. 

Event nr 3: Black Friday Sale Sweatshirts & Hoodies! When it comes to dressing in early autumn, sweatshirts and hoodies must be indispensable. Feelingirldress also provides you with a variety of styles of sweatshirts. 

Hooded sweater + denim shorts, loose woolen sweater, partial BF style, with stylish shabby denim shorts, it looks casual, lazy and cool. The round-neck sweater is a sportswear design. It can be paired with trousers that can also be sporty, showing youthful vitality.  

The solid-color hooded sweater with cat ears can be matched with a striped shirt inside. It can also be worn in cooler weather. The denim pants with cartoon patches are cute and youthful. In addition to the outer wear, you can also make the inner wear. Pure color suspender trousers + striped contrast sweater, very retro college style, cute and playful temperament.  

I believe the general idea has already appeared in your mind, go to the website to find your favorite early autumn outfit!

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