Table 3.

Quotes illustrating the role of personality in the interrelatedness of one’s academic studies and private life.

C1	Well, when you think 'OK, I will pass the exam regardless of the result', then you feel less stressed as when you aim at achieving a good result. (.) I think much depends on what you expect from studying and on how much one expects from oneself, and that’s perhaps what adds to or distracts from the stress.
C2	That’s like another type of school with tests, but for people (.) who tend to procrastinate. And the number of things left undone keeps growing and growing and then one day it’s shit, I still have to do all of these things.
C3	Especially during the preclinical phase, I can make a decision, either I want some kind of private life or I will excel at university, one of these two.
C4	But I really feel so bad that I don’t sleep well quite often. That in the last one or two weeks I have recurring dreams of standing in the autopsy room and have exams. It sounds ridiculous but it’s a real burden for me.