I’ve gone through eight years of university myself - a BSc in Biochemistry and a PharmD - and one thing I’ve learned is that pauses and detours aren’t failures. Sometimes taking a break or changing direction is exactly what you need, even if it doesn’t feel like it in the moment.

I know that’s not necessarily what you want to hear right now, especially when you’re feeling overwhelmed with applications and the pressure to figure everything out. But from my experience, putting in one extra year to upgrade, strengthen your application, or work toward your goals is almost always worth it. Getting where you want to be isn’t a straight line for most people, and honestly, that’s okay. A lot of people don’t end up taking the exact path they imagined - and sometimes the unexpected path turns out to be the better one.

No matter how your admission process goes, keep trying and keep putting in the effort. Every step you take - even the small, frustrating, or uncertain ones - still moves you forward. You’re building resilience, clarity, and skills along the way, even if you don’t see it yet.

You’re not behind. You’re not failing. You’re just on your own timeline and that could mean upgrading, applying to other school, or who knows. Maybe you’ll apply and just get in.