Pierina Gonzáles is the most recent young woman to crown the dream of entering San Marcos and nothing less than the Faculty of Medicine, where she entered in the first place. A lot of organization and a defined strategy were her weapons for her triumph.
The young woman, originally from Casma, province of Ancash, trained for two years before becoming a new student of the dean of America. Here she tells us the keys that allowed her to enter one of the most fought specialties in the country.
– Planning. He always had an agenda in which to plan his study schedules and his day in general.
“There I put the courses to review and at what time. I have always sought to energize the study, because it is important to dose the energy. I think that when you study you should do it at ease and not see it as a prison, ”she told the Andean agency.
His study times were short, but intense. She commented that while some experts suggest studying for half an hour and then taking 10 minutes to rest, Pierina I preferred to study three hours in a row and then take a 20-minute break to eat some fruit or do something else.
– learning control. “I am more of the people who write down a small summary of the class. I try to read and understand that summary, it is an active review strategy. I’ve been doing this since I was in fifth year of high school.”
With this method you have to explain what you have learned to someone else or do it alone, but in a spoken way.
“I use my own words to make it fit me better. I did the summaries and exhibitions myself, because my sister is 9 years old and my parents work. She explained a lot to me, until she felt comfortable with what was explained. I liked studying like this and it is what has given me the greatest motivation”.
– Constant evaluations. The young woman remembers that Saturdays and Sundays were drill days.
“I measured the time. I had a strategy to start and develop the exam. I started with verbal reasoning, then I went through the courses that I like the most, such as biology, chemistry, physics. Mathematical reasoning is what took me the most time, then I did letters and left math for last”.
It should be noted that Pierina excelled in the math course since she was in school, where she belonged to various study groups and won several contests.
– Do physical activity. “I got up very early, around 4 am, to stretch. I tried to keep my body active, I did cardio exercises whenever I might.”
He details that, in addition, he always found a little time to help his parents and grandparents with some housework.
– Lots of water and healthy food. A psychologist who advised her during her preparation told her that drinking plenty of water and eating a healthy diet were essential to study better.
“My grandmother supported me in that. On my breaks she gave me a fruit salad, oatmeal, quinoa, maca. It was a balanced diet, not in large quantities, just what was prudent”.
All four times he applied to San Marcos he ate the same breakfast: a portion of oatmeal, an apple, a banana and two eggs. “I am not very devoted to bread and that breakfast kept me going very well.”
– Order and cleanliness. “My study hours were planned until Saturdays. On Sundays I preferred to sleep until 6 am, then I kept tidying my room, cleaning it, airing it until 7 am Then I went to mass and then to have breakfast with my family”.
Having the environment tidy and clean helped him to have all his learning materials in order and at hand.
– Strengthen the will. Pierina comments that there were days when she woke up tired, even without wanting to study.
“He set several alarms and sometimes it happened to me. In my case, my strength was the support of my family. My dream was to enter San Marcos and when I began to waver, I said no. It made me think of everything I had fought for and put aside for a moment of weakness. I told myself it’s not worth it.”
He suggested that if any student feels too overwhelmed by the intense study process they should take a break to cool down and then return to hard study.
– Realistic goals. For the young woman, it is vital that students set realistic goals to enter the university of their dreams.
“Although you have to go with a positive mind, it is not good to think that everything is going to be achieved quickly, because it is not like that. You have to look for a reference that helps you motivate yourself, to have your own fulfillment, not for money or recognition, and do not forget that this might take more time than imagined. Otherwise, frustration will come.”
– Don’t compare. “Sometimes many young people compare themselves with their friends, who have already managed to enter university or are in advanced cycles, while they are still applicants. We must have patience. If there is support, we have to keep trying, but we also have to know when to let go of the dream of college.”
For her, it is essential to give everything when she applies, but if following several attempts the objective is not achieved, she must stay with the vocation she has and look for another institution to develop it.
“We should not live frustrated, thinking I didn’t make it. It may sound harsh, but I think it is an exit that we should not rule out, because we can even have mental problems. I know people who following having applied several times have cut their wrists, have tried to poison themselves. You have to understand that entering a university is not a law of life. If we don’t achieve it, we have to replace that dream, otherwise forget it for mental well-being”.
– Advice for parents. Pierina points out that her parents never forced her to study, since the goal of entering medicine was hers, but she affirms that without their support she would not have achieved it. They paid for her studies at a pre-university academy thanks to various loans, however, they agreed with her that they might only support her with four applications to San Marcos and they complied.
“Sometimes, for some parents it is easy to say yes you are going to enter, but they are not in the shoes of young people. You have to be more empathetic with them, understand that they are leaving aside many things to sacrifice themselves for a goal, give them more support”.
He asked young people to recognize their worth, especially those who do not have much support and pay for everything themselves. For her, it is brave to apply, not enter, overcome and continue to focus on the goal, but like everything in life, she maintained, there are limits to every dream.
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Published: 5/3/2022
