As much as this COVID situation stinks, there’s always a silver lining. For many premeds, an obvious benefit is time. You may never again in your life have this much free time so it’d be wise for you to take advantage of it. Here are 5 ways you can make the most of your free time.

1) Read Read Read. I always tell people that one of the best questions you can ask someone is what their favorite book is. Read the books that leaders read and you’ll be on your way to a similar position. Set a goal to read one book per week. Need a suggestion on which one, try Up From Slavery By Booker T Washington. It’s one of my favorites.

2) Write. There are few things that provide greater mental clarity than writing. Take this opportunity to write your personal statement. Even if you’re already accepted to medical school, write a personal statement for your life that is broader than just medicine. This is the perfect time for you to jot down your life goals and make a plan to achieve them.

3) Mentor. Just because most people on home lockdown doesn’t mean that communication has to stop. This is the perfect time for you to reach down the ladder and dedicate time to helping someone coming after you. Also remember, anybody can be a mentor. Don’t fall into the trap of believing you have to be at the next level to mentor. Start today.

4) Exercise. Unfortunately, it’s likely that many people are going to decondition during this time. Most will have limited access to a gym or their usual workout facility. Don’t let that be an excuse, get innovative and keep on exercising. Do pushups, dips with a chair, in house cardio. Stay fit!

5) Pray. This is the perfect opportunity for all of us to spend quality time with ourselves and our creator. Life typically has us doing a millions things and we never stop to spend time with God. Why not make it a priority now.

Finally, I’d caution you NOT to spend too much time on social media. So many people are focused on nothing but facebook, IG, TikTok, etc, that they fail to realize how much more they could grow if they invested that time in developing themselves. I’ll tell you this, most ultra successful people are not spending all that time on social media. Check it, post a few things, then get back to your grind!

I’d love to hear how you are spending your time during this COVID season?

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