Having an end-of-year recap is always a good way to recap on the outgoing year and reflect on the achievements and goals made, as well as the lessons learned. It also enables you to have clear idea of what areas to focus on in the coming new year.

2024 was a really challenging year for me as I was wrapping up my undergraduate study of BSc Psychology and transitioning into being an MSc Clinical Neuroscience student.
Yes, I had my hands very full trying to balance academic demands with gaining relevant work experience which would help my career, and also attending to my personal and family needs.

As I reflect on the key achievements made in 2024, I hope it motivates you too, whatever stage you are at in your career -whether you are an undergraduate or postgrad and in the early stage of your career.

 

• After getting my first NHS role working in Liaison Psychiatry in an NHS hospital, albeit a volunteer position, I was featured on the NHS Trust website. 
• 2024 was also the 40th of anniversary of Volunteering Week and the NHS Trust I volunteered for invited me to a special event to honour and recognise volunteers. 
• I completed Year 3 of my BSc. Psychology undergraduate degree and I graduated with First-Class Honours  and also attended my graduation ceremony.
• I was accepted into UCL (University College London) to study MSc. Clinical Neuroscience. I am now a postgraduate Masters student!
• Right after graduation, I got my first-ever PAID NHS role, working in the NHS as Mental Health Advisor!!
• Continued to volunteer for  SHOUT, which is the UK’s first 24/7 Crisis Text Service to support people with mental health crises and also continued volunteering for Headway Brain Injury Organisation, supporting service users with traumatic brain injury.

• I started using a planner/journal in September and so far have been able to actually stick to it, which for a person with ADHD, is a huge challenge. Planning and journaling consistently is a good way to help you shift your mindset beliefs, identify any self-limiting patterns of behaviour, and allow you to reflect on who you are, and see progress on a daily basis.
• I started learning Korean in Spring of 2024 and so far, as well as immersing myself in Korean language, cuisine, and culture, I have made quite a few Korean friends too.

 

MY GOALS FOR 2025

• Complete my MSc. Clinical Neuroscience degree and graduate.
• Try something new this year.  The “new thing” that I started last year was learning Korean and this year, I want to try another new thing.  I am not sure what it would be yet, but it would be something that I have not done or tried before.
• Make more time for mindfulness and self care.  Combining full time academic study and work makes it very hard to have any me-time, and I want to try and incorporate even just 30 minutes of alone time, self-care and mindfulness every day.  A rested mind is a more productive mind. Taking care of your mental health will help to enhance your academic activities and make you a more resilient and successful student. Also, I will not be much help working as an NHS Mental Health Advisor if I am not also taking care of my own mental health.
• Get in touch more with my hobbies, and especially playing the piano, which I neglected for most of 2024.
• Get a million pounds.  Ha ha ha.  Very unrealistic, but a girl can still dream, can’t she?

 

2024 was a challenging year for most of us in various ways. If you are reading this, congrats, you did it…..you made it to 2025!

“Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.” ― Oprah Winfrey

The best way to predict the future is to create it, so here is to another year of being an academic weapon.