... was a success. :)
I got:
* Intro. to Vet. Med. (2 Cr.) - P
* Intro. to Lab Animal Med. Elective (1 Cr.) - P
* Nutrition (4 Cr.) - B
* Anatomy I (5 Cr.) - B
* Physiology I (5 Cr.) - B
* Microanatomy and Embryology (5 Cr.) - B
For a total of 22 credits and a term GPA of 3.0 (which brings the overall average up to 2.47).
With it being the break, I won't have much to report... going home this time... so I'll post something at the start of next term.
Until next year!
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Week 14 of Semester 1... Finals to Go!
Much like last time, I'm not going to take the time to write a lengthy entry today (especially since there really isn't much news to report from the week anyway).
T-minus 4 days, 10 hours, and 27 minutes until finals are over!
The schedule for the week:
Monday - Nutrition 1:00-3:00pm
Tuesday - Anatomy I 9:00-12:00pm
Wednesday - Microanatomy 4:00-6:00pm
Thursday - Physiology I 8:00-10:00am
... so if you're going to do any praying or something like that for me, save it for the end of the week. ;) I'm starting to feel like the cat in that picture.
See you all after grades are up... keep your fingers crossed for me!
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Week 13 of Semester 1--The End Is in Sight!
Well, as the title suggests, we're almost there... and I'm so ready for the semester to be over, much like I was during Round 1 of the first semester. I want some new material to learn!
Dr. Bogdanovic approached me to ask if I'd like to TA his class (microanatomy)
next semester... I'd love the opportunity, but sadly my GPA won't be high enough to do that this time. However, there's always third semester if I can get my butt in gear. Sadly, this also means that I can't tutor nutrition either. :(
I'm in a much better place this time around at least:
Nutrition: 83% average (B)
Anatomy I: 86% average (B)
Microanatomy: 82% average (B)
Physiology I: 72% average (C)... which isn't what I was expecting after a B on that first exam, but the second exam wiped out a third of the class... fingers crossed for some scaling and that I'll succeed on this final!
Lexi and I took our final exams for scuba and we both passed... so we're officially Certified Open Water divers. Yay! I got a 98% on that final... if only my vet grades were that high! I'm just waiting on the ID card in the mail now. :D I definitely have faith that Heather and Katie will pass with no problem either.
On Friday, pathology club delivered their "candygrams" to us during nutrition class. I got two--one from Lia and one from Lexi. Lexi's says "Nicole: Smile. You look beautiful." (In response to the note Natasha found in the bathroom last week.) Lia's says "Dear Momma... I only cry in my crate because I want to be with you... eating your face. Love, Liamuiga. PS.
Stop letting Gus steal my toys." Hehe. We also had a group of singing cows come into that lecture as well--the grade school had a performance of the "Christmas cows," so they used those and came into class, singing. Dr. Naylor took the opportunity to quiz the class on the cow breeds. It was so random but it made everyone's day, I think.
Gus and Liamuiga had their pictures taken with Santa on Saturday, with the profits going to the AOCC (Animals on Campus Club) and the colony dogs.
All in all, it's been a good week... just gotta make it through the reviews next week and then finals! I'm actually kind of nervous about this round...
Dr. Bogdanovic approached me to ask if I'd like to TA his class (microanatomy)
next semester... I'd love the opportunity, but sadly my GPA won't be high enough to do that this time. However, there's always third semester if I can get my butt in gear. Sadly, this also means that I can't tutor nutrition either. :(I'm in a much better place this time around at least:
Nutrition: 83% average (B)
Anatomy I: 86% average (B)
Microanatomy: 82% average (B)
Physiology I: 72% average (C)... which isn't what I was expecting after a B on that first exam, but the second exam wiped out a third of the class... fingers crossed for some scaling and that I'll succeed on this final!
Lexi and I took our final exams for scuba and we both passed... so we're officially Certified Open Water divers. Yay! I got a 98% on that final... if only my vet grades were that high! I'm just waiting on the ID card in the mail now. :D I definitely have faith that Heather and Katie will pass with no problem either.
On Friday, pathology club delivered their "candygrams" to us during nutrition class. I got two--one from Lia and one from Lexi. Lexi's says "Nicole: Smile. You look beautiful." (In response to the note Natasha found in the bathroom last week.) Lia's says "Dear Momma... I only cry in my crate because I want to be with you... eating your face. Love, Liamuiga. PS.
Stop letting Gus steal my toys." Hehe. We also had a group of singing cows come into that lecture as well--the grade school had a performance of the "Christmas cows," so they used those and came into class, singing. Dr. Naylor took the opportunity to quiz the class on the cow breeds. It was so random but it made everyone's day, I think.Gus and Liamuiga had their pictures taken with Santa on Saturday, with the profits going to the AOCC (Animals on Campus Club) and the colony dogs.
All in all, it's been a good week... just gotta make it through the reviews next week and then finals! I'm actually kind of nervous about this round...
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Week 12 of Semester 1--Thankgiving!
I've been posting pretty much every other week, and for that I apologize--it's been busy and yet not at the same time...
This post is mainly dedicated to Thanksgiving--that lovely holiday at the end of November that all Americans know and celebrate. Yeah, they don't down here... so we students have to make our own Thanksgiving dinners and traditions. Lexi was kind enough to host it at her apartment, so we all pitched in and brought the side dishes, since she made the turkey.
While the food was cooking/heating up, Michelle and I introduced Steven to the fun non-Newtonian fluid that is corn starch and water. What a deprived child! He never got to play with it before. Then we found something online about milk, food coloring, and dish soap, so of course, we had to play with that too. Science nerds! Hehe.
It was a partially-vegan holiday, since Nicholine (one of my roommates) is vegan, so we had salad, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce (which, I must say, Steven and Lexi did an excellent job at making), veggie gumbo, broccoli and cheese casserole, turkey, and pie for dessert. It was pretty damn tasty for all of our first times making a Thanksgiving dinner. Lexi had a blast carving the turkey (although she and Steven had the typical lover's spat over the proper way to do it... thanks for Google, we figured it out). Even the pups enjoyed their time playing together and sharing some of the dinner. It was a small group, but it was nice... since we all couldn't spend it with our families. :)
On another note, the P.A.W.S. Adoption event was over the weekend. We adopted 2 more pets--to their fosters. One of them was to me--the little calico kitten I'd been fostering, which has been renamed Reese from Sweetie (although that's stuck as a nickname at least). She gets along so well with Gibbs (Steven's cat) and Liamuiga that I couldn't separate them. So, I will have a cat when I go home at least now (since I know my parents are probably going to keep Chester and Bear).
We had our next two dives as well (dives 3 and 4 towards our Open Water Certification).
They went much better for most of us--we went back to the River Taw shipwreck and also to the Bird Rock Reef. Saw some pretty cool wildlife this time--an octopus hiding in the wreck... a huge stingray... and some tube worms, to name a few. Lexi and the others mentioned some fire worm they had seen, but I missed out on that one. All that's left now is scheduling the paper final examination and we're all Open Water Certified Scuba Divers. It's pretty exciting!
So... until next week!
This post is mainly dedicated to Thanksgiving--that lovely holiday at the end of November that all Americans know and celebrate. Yeah, they don't down here... so we students have to make our own Thanksgiving dinners and traditions. Lexi was kind enough to host it at her apartment, so we all pitched in and brought the side dishes, since she made the turkey.
While the food was cooking/heating up, Michelle and I introduced Steven to the fun non-Newtonian fluid that is corn starch and water. What a deprived child! He never got to play with it before. Then we found something online about milk, food coloring, and dish soap, so of course, we had to play with that too. Science nerds! Hehe.
It was a partially-vegan holiday, since Nicholine (one of my roommates) is vegan, so we had salad, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce (which, I must say, Steven and Lexi did an excellent job at making), veggie gumbo, broccoli and cheese casserole, turkey, and pie for dessert. It was pretty damn tasty for all of our first times making a Thanksgiving dinner. Lexi had a blast carving the turkey (although she and Steven had the typical lover's spat over the proper way to do it... thanks for Google, we figured it out). Even the pups enjoyed their time playing together and sharing some of the dinner. It was a small group, but it was nice... since we all couldn't spend it with our families. :)
On another note, the P.A.W.S. Adoption event was over the weekend. We adopted 2 more pets--to their fosters. One of them was to me--the little calico kitten I'd been fostering, which has been renamed Reese from Sweetie (although that's stuck as a nickname at least). She gets along so well with Gibbs (Steven's cat) and Liamuiga that I couldn't separate them. So, I will have a cat when I go home at least now (since I know my parents are probably going to keep Chester and Bear).
We had our next two dives as well (dives 3 and 4 towards our Open Water Certification).
They went much better for most of us--we went back to the River Taw shipwreck and also to the Bird Rock Reef. Saw some pretty cool wildlife this time--an octopus hiding in the wreck... a huge stingray... and some tube worms, to name a few. Lexi and the others mentioned some fire worm they had seen, but I missed out on that one. All that's left now is scheduling the paper final examination and we're all Open Water Certified Scuba Divers. It's pretty exciting!So... until next week!
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Week 10 of Semester 1--Jeff Comes to Visit
Well, it's been a busy few weeks with the exams and having Jeff come down to visit during the WIVC conference. I attended some pretty interesting lectures during that time--some on canine hip dysplasia diagnoses and treatments, cardiovascular changes of sled dogs and wolves, and current treatments of glaucoma, to name a few. Much better than sitting in the classroom for the same old lectures again. :P Plus, there was free food! Of course you know how we students view that whole situation.
Jeff also left a little while ago. With him here, I did a lot of things that I hadn't done during orientation week. So, that being said we did:
Bat Cave Hike (again): I got a lot of nice pictures on the hike... and being more in shape and having Jeff there, I actually made it up the big rock that gave me problems the last time, so I actually reached the cave itself. This time around, there was a LOT more water on the trail (so I went to my typical method of hiking--just plow through it)... so the rocks were a lot more slippery. Well, 3 of us in the group made it to the end. Kevinng and Emily spent most of the hike billy-goating
their way up boulders to avoid sliding into the water and getting wet. On one of their paths down, a vine caved in on Emily and she fell a good 6 feet or so... she cut her head open pretty nicely... whiplash, concussion, the whole 9. Luckily, she's recovering well and should have no severely lingering effects from the fall.
Zip-lining with SkySafari: I'll tell ya, that's something I wish we had done during orientation week--it was such a blast. We got a full tour at a student discount, so that was all 4 lines... and, although I may have disappointed some of the group by not being a "screamer" while flying across the rainforest, it was amazing what you could see from up there.
We also went to the other usual things--Sprat Net's for dinner... Shipwreck to get him some beach time (although the waves were pretty angry this time)... Bobsy's to get some karaoke in... it was quite a busy week.
As a matter of fact, I'm pretty exhausted, so I'm gonna duck out now. Until next time!
Jeff also left a little while ago. With him here, I did a lot of things that I hadn't done during orientation week. So, that being said we did:
Bat Cave Hike (again): I got a lot of nice pictures on the hike... and being more in shape and having Jeff there, I actually made it up the big rock that gave me problems the last time, so I actually reached the cave itself. This time around, there was a LOT more water on the trail (so I went to my typical method of hiking--just plow through it)... so the rocks were a lot more slippery. Well, 3 of us in the group made it to the end. Kevinng and Emily spent most of the hike billy-goating
their way up boulders to avoid sliding into the water and getting wet. On one of their paths down, a vine caved in on Emily and she fell a good 6 feet or so... she cut her head open pretty nicely... whiplash, concussion, the whole 9. Luckily, she's recovering well and should have no severely lingering effects from the fall.Zip-lining with SkySafari: I'll tell ya, that's something I wish we had done during orientation week--it was such a blast. We got a full tour at a student discount, so that was all 4 lines... and, although I may have disappointed some of the group by not being a "screamer" while flying across the rainforest, it was amazing what you could see from up there.
We also went to the other usual things--Sprat Net's for dinner... Shipwreck to get him some beach time (although the waves were pretty angry this time)... Bobsy's to get some karaoke in... it was quite a busy week.
As a matter of fact, I'm pretty exhausted, so I'm gonna duck out now. Until next time!
Monday, November 1, 2010
Week 8 of Semester 1--Is It Over Yet?
This week was otherwise dull in comparison to last week. We went to a new restaurant on Friday called Twist--it has a really large menu (too large, if you ask me) with Japanese, Thai, Indian, Continental, and Mexican food, so you can get a bit of everything. Food's pretty good there too--albeit a little more expensive than what I'm used to spending.
Saturday was P.A.W.S.' adoption day. It wasn't as glorious as the last one--we only had 5 adoptions and 2 of them were fosters adopting their foster pets (Steven taking Gibbs, for example). Heather (one of my friends and neighbors) adopted a puppy from the Nevis litter, so Lia has a close-by buddy to play with.
Yesterday was a busy day too. I got a phone call waking me up at 9:45, from a friend who came by with a puppy for me to watch... and by 1:00, I had three puppies in the house. It was crazy. Actually, I kept a running log on a message board chronicling the day (in a farcical manner):
Didn't do anything for Halloween--it just didn't feel like it at all, and I didn't want to go to the party at the Pink Elephant, simply because I didn't know of too many people going there.
So, I've been given the Firefly series to watch and I still have A Clash of Kings (George R.R. Martin) to work on, so I've got plenty of things to keep me busy between reviewing for the exams this week. Next weekend, Jeff's down on the island, so I'll have another bit of home around at that point. Busy week next week (due to that and the WIVC Conference)!
If you read this whole thing, thanks! I'm glad I managed to keep you interested in my life down here. :P See you all next week.
Saturday was P.A.W.S.' adoption day. It wasn't as glorious as the last one--we only had 5 adoptions and 2 of them were fosters adopting their foster pets (Steven taking Gibbs, for example). Heather (one of my friends and neighbors) adopted a puppy from the Nevis litter, so Lia has a close-by buddy to play with.
Yesterday was a busy day too. I got a phone call waking me up at 9:45, from a friend who came by with a puppy for me to watch... and by 1:00, I had three puppies in the house. It was crazy. Actually, I kept a running log on a message board chronicling the day (in a farcical manner):
... my room is a puppy playpen! I was woken up at 9:47 this morning by a phone call from a friend saying that she was outside with her puppy.Don't get me wrong--I love the little buggers, and it was a fun day... just very stressful... and exhausting!
(10:07am): POOP! POOP EVERYWHERE!!!
(11:51am): After just breaking up a really significant fight with Debbie biting her tongue, the two are now on opposite ends of the room in time-out and I'm taking a much-needed coffee break.
(12:44pm): It's quiet... too quiet... the puppies are sleeping, but I'm sure they're plotting in those evil little minds of theirs...
(1:30pm): Time to wake the girls up to go outside before Gus joins the ranks... gods help me!
(2:08pm): Holy crap... this is insane... "Gus, play easy..." "Lia, stop eating that..." "DEBBIE! OFF!" "Gus, NO BITE!" "Lia, go get your toy!" "Debbie, play nice!"
(2:47pm): I so wish I just got a video of the two girls flipping the male into the water bowl. That was quite possibly the funniest thing they've done today.
(2:54pm): PEE! PEE EVERYWHERE!
(3:14pm): They are currently exploring the depths under my bed... I fear what they may find...
(3:50pm): I have now remembered I haven't eaten lunch, so it's time to separate the pups for a nap so I can eat... you know how there's always one kid in a daycare that won't go to sleep during naptime? That's Gus (video linked).
(4:14pm): Gus has now been screaming for the last 24 minutes straight! MAKE IT STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!
(5:10pm): Debbie's mom came to pick her up... one pup down, one to go. :P At least they're being better behaved than they were at 10:00 in the morning.
(7:44pm): Both puppies are gone... time for dinner and then studying/reviewing for anatomy... both Liamuiga and I have survived to fight another day...
Didn't do anything for Halloween--it just didn't feel like it at all, and I didn't want to go to the party at the Pink Elephant, simply because I didn't know of too many people going there.
So, I've been given the Firefly series to watch and I still have A Clash of Kings (George R.R. Martin) to work on, so I've got plenty of things to keep me busy between reviewing for the exams this week. Next weekend, Jeff's down on the island, so I'll have another bit of home around at that point. Busy week next week (due to that and the WIVC Conference)!
If you read this whole thing, thanks! I'm glad I managed to keep you interested in my life down here. :P See you all next week.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Week 7 of Semester 1--BIRTHDAY!
So, this weekend was my birthday (yes, thank you for the belated birthday wishes), so I was a tiny bit too busy to update this at that point. I have to say that I have some pretty good friends down here--my birthday weekend was probably the best weekend I'd had since I arrived on this island back in May.
On that Friday, we went to Marriott for sushi and my awesome friends then had a party for me at the boys' apartment. Games and good music... then movies, and an empty promise for cinnamon pancakes (which I MUST have at some point!). The next day, I got home early to let the pup out and then got a new air conditioner installed (YAY!). My roommates took me out to Spratnet's for a lobster dinner (which was close enough to what I'd be getting at home) and then I caught up with Katie for apple pie (yum!) and some of us went out to see Paranormal Activity 2. I have to admit that wasn't too bad... I even saw it again on Sunday, after the wine tasting and pot-luck... and Kristi and Howin's home-made ice cream cake (so... many... candles!). :) So yeah, in short, I have some great friends that really went out of their way to make it a great weekend, and even incorporate some little pieces of home for me.
Monday was mid-semester break, a.k.a. recovery-and-be-lazy day.
My sense of time was all messed up that week thanks to having Monday off. I even missed my lunch with the dean on Thursday because I thought it was Wednesday. Urgh.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Week 6 of Semester 1--Scuba!
I'm just a busy, busy bee lately...Well, not on Saturday--I spent the day playing Half Life 2 and watching Dirty Jobs... literally for the whole day.
Went on the first "real" dive on Sunday... and while it was scary at first being deeper than a pool, it was AMAZING. Our first dive was to a reef called St. Peter's Reef, where we looked at a lot of corals, tons of fry (baby fish), a stingray burying itself in the sand, and practiced a lot of our skills. The second dive was to a wreck called River Taw--but the visibility made it really difficult to see much. I had a bit of a run-in with swallowing too much seawater and ended up also smacking the back of my head off the tank, but it was still worth it. It's tiring though! I passed out for 2 hours after getting home and then was in bed by 9:30/10:00. I can't wait for the next set of dives--Vajai says he'll take us back to the River Taw, so I hope it clears up a little bit.
Classes are... still kind of dull, but what choice do I have otherwise? :/ I hope that the next set of exams goes as well as that first one did. So far, I have pretty solid B's.
The birthday is coming up--so far I've got a busy weekend planned (as it's also the Midsemester break). Friday, we're going to the Mariott for sushi and then back to the boys' apartment to play some games... Saturday, my roommates and I are going to a restaurant for dinner... and Sunday is a Ladies' Night wine tasting and potluck dinner. Sounds like a delicious weekend to me! So far, I've gotten cards from my mom and dad, my cats, and mom's work--thanks everyone! It made my day!
Monday, October 11, 2010
Week 5 of Semester 1--Homesick
Seems as though this is the time of the semester when I just get homesick--the same thing happened last semester too. I guess it's the time of the term when the realization that the semester is under full-force... although this time has the added difficulty of the fact that my birthday is coming up. Luckily, I have some great friends down here who want to take me out for dinner, go out for some sushi, play some games, and have apple pie. It's not perfect, but there's that little slice of "autumn" at least to look forward to.
So far, the grades are better--
Microanatomy: B+ (got a B the last time)
Anatomy: B (got a C the last time)
Physiology: B (well, let's not discuss what I got last time...)
Nutrition is coming up... on Wednesday... I hope I can get an A this time, but I'll still be happy with that B range.
The ocean dives got pushed off another week thanks to the storms that we had last week. The water got less choppy over the course of the week, but the visibility was an issue. So, we go next week, just before Lia comes to the household.
Reigo has gone to his new foster. I went on a massive cleaning spree over the weekend... nearly killing a roommate with bleach (although I thought I diluted it enough with lavender). The house smells SO much better now, at least.
Still keeping up with the P90X... almost at the halfway mark. I don't SEE much of a difference, but I feel it in my clothes being much looser... although I'm starting to lose motivation... it's tough to keep motivated on it. I hope I get it back... and soon. I like the fact that it's working so far.
I guess that's about it... nothing big going on really yet... dyed my hair again (see picture to the side)... but that was a while ago. Our class representatives made a blog on here for class updates: http://rossvetsep2010.blogspot.com/ There's a way to donate money to the class for our banquet and events via PayPal on there. So, if you follow my blog, you may want to follow that one as well.
So far, the grades are better--
Microanatomy: B+ (got a B the last time)
Anatomy: B (got a C the last time)
Physiology: B (well, let's not discuss what I got last time...)
Nutrition is coming up... on Wednesday... I hope I can get an A this time, but I'll still be happy with that B range.
The ocean dives got pushed off another week thanks to the storms that we had last week. The water got less choppy over the course of the week, but the visibility was an issue. So, we go next week, just before Lia comes to the household.
Reigo has gone to his new foster. I went on a massive cleaning spree over the weekend... nearly killing a roommate with bleach (although I thought I diluted it enough with lavender). The house smells SO much better now, at least.Still keeping up with the P90X... almost at the halfway mark. I don't SEE much of a difference, but I feel it in my clothes being much looser... although I'm starting to lose motivation... it's tough to keep motivated on it. I hope I get it back... and soon. I like the fact that it's working so far.
I guess that's about it... nothing big going on really yet... dyed my hair again (see picture to the side)... but that was a while ago. Our class representatives made a blog on here for class updates: http://rossvetsep2010.blogspot.com/ There's a way to donate money to the class for our banquet and events via PayPal on there. So, if you follow my blog, you may want to follow that one as well.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Week 4 of Semester 1--Stupid Mistakes
Last weekend was a bit... hectic, to say the least.Saturday was our first P.A.W.S. adoption event. For how few animals we had in the program at first, there were 14 adoptions in total over the course of the day. Last semester, we had 14 dogs and 17 cats (or the numbers may have been reversed), so we're just about halfway to what we accomplished last semester. Once the event was over, I picked up my new foster cat, Gibbs. Unfortunately, I still have Reigo in the apartment (he should be moving to his new foster home at the end of this week), so Gibbs has been staying in Steven's room. I barely see him--he's so shy around me, but Steven says that he's come out of his shell and will play and sit on his bed and everything. Go figure, huh? Once Reigo is out (and she's old enough), I'll have another puppy in the house--Liamuiga (named after a volcano on the island).
She's only 4 weeks old, so she'll be nursing on mom for at least another two. Hopefully she'll be smarter about the housebreaking. :P So, with the end of the event, the website and bulletin board design got handed over to me. Go check it out!Monday was our first exam--microanatomy. While I did well (I got a B+), it wasn't what I was hoping for--I wanted that A, and I just barely missed it. I spent too much time wavering on "did he teach that to us this semester or am I remembering it from last semester?" Well, he wanted that right answer, not the one I THOUGHT he wanted. So, I definitely learned that if I think it's right, just put it and don't second guess myself if we learned it yet. Tomorrow's anatomy and Wednesday's physiology (the class that did me in), but I'm feeling confident at least... I hope it's not unfounded confidence.
Two of the girls were sick this weekend, so we didn't go on our first dive--it got postponed until next weekend. I'm excited--4 ocean dives over 2 days and then I'm a PADI-Certified Open Water diver.
So, instead of diving, I saw two movies--Devil and The Town. I didn't think they were that bad. However, The Town was set in Cambridge, so I spent most of the movie thinking "I know where that Dunkin Donuts is..." or "I know that bar--you can totally see 93 in that window." Needless to say, it made me a bit homesick. As for Devil, I thought Shyamalan (I think that's how you spell it) made a pretty decent recovery. It wasn't as horrible as his last few films have been, but it's certainly not a movie I'd really want to sit through another time.
I'm going to head off to watch Inception and review some anatomy flash cards. Until next week!
Monday, September 20, 2010
Week 2 of Semester 1--Rediscovered Hatred of the Sun
Well... not much went on this week really in terms of classes--same ol' stuff, another week. I'm working on learning some second semester work in parasitology and just adding nervous and blood innervation to the muscles as I'm reviewing them. I should be in a pretty good spot for the start of Semester 2, I hope.
Semester 6 had their usual Bratwurst-festival (BratFest), which Lolly and I made an appearance at. What can I say? I was living the typical American male dream--bratwursts... beer... beach... women in bikinis. Hehe. Other than that, the weekend has been a relatively lazy one, trying to catch up on sleep from being sick at the start of the week. I had ended up with such a bad cold that I didn't even make it into school on Monday. I attempted to bake a cake with the limited supplies I have down here, and although it tasted fine, it looked like such a mess... but it seemed to go over fine when I had Katie and Kevin over to watch Repo: The Genetic Opera!
Had lesson 2 in the pool towards the PADI Open Water certification (the Scuba, if you didn't pick up on that). It went over well... much better than the first lesson did. However, I learned that my sunblock was either 1) not waterproof or 2) had washed off in the matter of the 5 hours of diving practice. I have some interesting burn lines as a result of the BCD vest. It's amazing how much of a workout it can be--especially when combined with a P90X one... I'll be surprised if I can walk tomorrow.
But, that's about it for now. Sayonara for the week!
Semester 6 had their usual Bratwurst-festival (BratFest), which Lolly and I made an appearance at. What can I say? I was living the typical American male dream--bratwursts... beer... beach... women in bikinis. Hehe. Other than that, the weekend has been a relatively lazy one, trying to catch up on sleep from being sick at the start of the week. I had ended up with such a bad cold that I didn't even make it into school on Monday. I attempted to bake a cake with the limited supplies I have down here, and although it tasted fine, it looked like such a mess... but it seemed to go over fine when I had Katie and Kevin over to watch Repo: The Genetic Opera!
Had lesson 2 in the pool towards the PADI Open Water certification (the Scuba, if you didn't pick up on that). It went over well... much better than the first lesson did. However, I learned that my sunblock was either 1) not waterproof or 2) had washed off in the matter of the 5 hours of diving practice. I have some interesting burn lines as a result of the BCD vest. It's amazing how much of a workout it can be--especially when combined with a P90X one... I'll be surprised if I can walk tomorrow.
But, that's about it for now. Sayonara for the week!
Friday, September 10, 2010
Week 1 of Semester 1--Round 2
Welcome back to a peek into my life.
I’ve gotten over most of the bitterness regarding the failed class, and now have settled into boredom. After all, I got B’s in Microanatomy and Nutrition and a C in Anatomy I. There’s no reason that I can’t get A’s in them now with minimal studying… I remember a LOT of the information. More than I ever thought I knew in the first place. My biggest fear with repeating the semester is the fact that I’m going to fall into bad study habits again, because I don’t HAVE to put the hours into the studying that I did during the first run through.
A friend of mine worded things very nicely for when any of us lose motivation:
I’ve joined a few clubs once again:
PAWS (People for Animal Welfare on St. Kitts): It’s basically a model shelter. I’ve volunteered to do the website design once I finish this semester working alongside the current webdesigner, Holly. You can check it out at RossPAWS.com. We have lots of cute puppies and kittens!
ZEW (Zoo/Exotics/Wildlife) Club: We’re in charge of the island’s zoo and we do a lot of work with “exotic” animals. One of the biggest perks to the club is the fact that we accrue points and have the opportunity to apply them to the cost of a trip to Africa to work on the conservation of big cats.
Scuba Club: Katie, Heather, Lexi, and I are working on our certification (we start Sunday with our first contained-water dive in a pool!) and they go on a lot of trips throughout the semester. It’s a good chance to build up the dive resume.
AAV (Association of Avian Veterinarians): It’s pretty self-explanatory. It’s a bird club… we take care of the campus aviary and have extra lectures on birds and bird medicine.
Pathology Club: We’re the crazy ones that get the necropsy duty. Good way to practice histology and start learning pathways of disease.
AAFP (American Association of Feline Practitioners): Another self-explanatory one... Steven dragged me into it. :P
And, also, just for the hell of it, I’m trying to run for the first semester class representative. I doubt I’d get it, but it’d be something else to do and keep involved/busy.
Steven (roommate), Lolly, Lexi, Kristi, and I went to the zoo to feed this week… and we’ll be doing every other Thursday feeding at the zoo again, once they get a schedule assigned out. Percy was his normal jerkish-goose self, but for some reason, he quite likes Steven. He even let him try to scrub off some spaghetti sauce off of his chest while Lexi sprayed the hose over many things in the enclosure. Steven also got attacked by the meanest rooster in the place… and had some nice little punctures in his leg from him. I lucked out and only had a duck nibbling at my ankle every few minutes. I wish I had a camera that time from all those fun attempts.
I’ve been working on losing more weight and toning up some more with a program called P90X. It’s an insane workout for an hour a day, but it’s fun… and I get to do it from the comfort and privacy of my room. I started it on the first, so today marks day 10 of it. I already can see improvements in my balance and stretching abilities, so we’ll see how things end up at the end of 90 days. I’m only doing the Lean version now, but I can at least get 3 weeks into the Classic program once I finish up this one.
Seems like everything is on strike with me today (my coffee pot didn’t want to work, Reigo headbutted a bowl of water out of my hands this morning, etc.), and I’m not feeling so well, so I’m going to wrap things up here and go get some rest before our pizza party tonight (glorious nerd-fest of games, movies, and foodstuffs). See you all next week.
I’ve gotten over most of the bitterness regarding the failed class, and now have settled into boredom. After all, I got B’s in Microanatomy and Nutrition and a C in Anatomy I. There’s no reason that I can’t get A’s in them now with minimal studying… I remember a LOT of the information. More than I ever thought I knew in the first place. My biggest fear with repeating the semester is the fact that I’m going to fall into bad study habits again, because I don’t HAVE to put the hours into the studying that I did during the first run through.
A friend of mine worded things very nicely for when any of us lose motivation:
”Everytime I get bogged down in how much crap I have to do and how behind I am and unmotivated, I think about all those years working for vets, wanting it so bad I could have cried, all the extra classes I took, all those times I got frustrated researching cases because I didn't have the knowledge, and think about how lucky I am that I finally made it. It shuts me up.”Classes are rather dull and redundant so far, and I feel like I should stay mostly quiet so that the rest of the class has an opportunity to learn the material. Even in anatomy, I find myself trying to be as quiet as I can… but it’s hard, especially when they struggle to get information. I’ve volunteered in the Microanatomy labs to help teach the labs on Koehler illumination. We get a point on the final grade if we can walk through it. It’s an easy brownie-point system to get to know Dr. Bogdanovic and Dr. Zibrin. Luckily, the registrar still allowed me to take the elective course in lab animal medicine, so I get some information on the little cuddly critters that I’d see in an exotics practice (hamsters, ferrets, etc.).
I’ve joined a few clubs once again:
PAWS (People for Animal Welfare on St. Kitts): It’s basically a model shelter. I’ve volunteered to do the website design once I finish this semester working alongside the current webdesigner, Holly. You can check it out at RossPAWS.com. We have lots of cute puppies and kittens!
ZEW (Zoo/Exotics/Wildlife) Club: We’re in charge of the island’s zoo and we do a lot of work with “exotic” animals. One of the biggest perks to the club is the fact that we accrue points and have the opportunity to apply them to the cost of a trip to Africa to work on the conservation of big cats.
Scuba Club: Katie, Heather, Lexi, and I are working on our certification (we start Sunday with our first contained-water dive in a pool!) and they go on a lot of trips throughout the semester. It’s a good chance to build up the dive resume.
AAV (Association of Avian Veterinarians): It’s pretty self-explanatory. It’s a bird club… we take care of the campus aviary and have extra lectures on birds and bird medicine.
Pathology Club: We’re the crazy ones that get the necropsy duty. Good way to practice histology and start learning pathways of disease.
AAFP (American Association of Feline Practitioners): Another self-explanatory one... Steven dragged me into it. :P
And, also, just for the hell of it, I’m trying to run for the first semester class representative. I doubt I’d get it, but it’d be something else to do and keep involved/busy.
Steven (roommate), Lolly, Lexi, Kristi, and I went to the zoo to feed this week… and we’ll be doing every other Thursday feeding at the zoo again, once they get a schedule assigned out. Percy was his normal jerkish-goose self, but for some reason, he quite likes Steven. He even let him try to scrub off some spaghetti sauce off of his chest while Lexi sprayed the hose over many things in the enclosure. Steven also got attacked by the meanest rooster in the place… and had some nice little punctures in his leg from him. I lucked out and only had a duck nibbling at my ankle every few minutes. I wish I had a camera that time from all those fun attempts.
I’ve been working on losing more weight and toning up some more with a program called P90X. It’s an insane workout for an hour a day, but it’s fun… and I get to do it from the comfort and privacy of my room. I started it on the first, so today marks day 10 of it. I already can see improvements in my balance and stretching abilities, so we’ll see how things end up at the end of 90 days. I’m only doing the Lean version now, but I can at least get 3 weeks into the Classic program once I finish up this one.
Seems like everything is on strike with me today (my coffee pot didn’t want to work, Reigo headbutted a bowl of water out of my hands this morning, etc.), and I’m not feeling so well, so I’m going to wrap things up here and go get some rest before our pizza party tonight (glorious nerd-fest of games, movies, and foodstuffs). See you all next week.
Monday, August 23, 2010
... new game-plan...
(To any of you who already know this info, my apologies.)
Well, finals didn't go as well as I had hoped... I failed physiology by 2 points... but I'm trying to look on the bright side of it. It could've been worse! I had 2 friends entirely fail out. I'm not alone, at least... I know of 4 people repeating their semesters as well, too.
Like... the B's that I got in nutrition and microanatomy can easily be turned into A's. I'll have a ton of spare time to play guitar (if I can get one down here), relax with video games, and still be able to understand everything. I'll have a stronger grasp on these things when it comes to later classes (like, physiology is the basis of pharmacology and anatomy is the basis of surgery). I'll be a god among men in the anatomy laboratory.
It really sucked the first day or so after hearing the news, but it's made me more determined to do better. Steven (my new roommate) told me that the best nutrition tutor on the island had failed a class in first semester too, so there's no reason I can't get as much of a reputation for myself once I begin TA-ing or tutoring for it myself.
So far, it's been a rather dull break, but that works out better for me. I've had lots of time to catch up on sleep, relax, watch some movies/anime, play "American McGee's Alice" (a good game, albeit quite dark), clean the house, go food shopping, run errands, and start re-studying for the semester. My only other big plan for the break is to clean the car, but I'm waiting until a cool day crops up. It's felt like it's been in the 100s lately!
Watch your back, Semester 1. I'm coming for you with a vengeance!
Well, finals didn't go as well as I had hoped... I failed physiology by 2 points... but I'm trying to look on the bright side of it. It could've been worse! I had 2 friends entirely fail out. I'm not alone, at least... I know of 4 people repeating their semesters as well, too.
Like... the B's that I got in nutrition and microanatomy can easily be turned into A's. I'll have a ton of spare time to play guitar (if I can get one down here), relax with video games, and still be able to understand everything. I'll have a stronger grasp on these things when it comes to later classes (like, physiology is the basis of pharmacology and anatomy is the basis of surgery). I'll be a god among men in the anatomy laboratory.
It really sucked the first day or so after hearing the news, but it's made me more determined to do better. Steven (my new roommate) told me that the best nutrition tutor on the island had failed a class in first semester too, so there's no reason I can't get as much of a reputation for myself once I begin TA-ing or tutoring for it myself.
So far, it's been a rather dull break, but that works out better for me. I've had lots of time to catch up on sleep, relax, watch some movies/anime, play "American McGee's Alice" (a good game, albeit quite dark), clean the house, go food shopping, run errands, and start re-studying for the semester. My only other big plan for the break is to clean the car, but I'm waiting until a cool day crops up. It's felt like it's been in the 100s lately!
Watch your back, Semester 1. I'm coming for you with a vengeance!
Sunday, August 15, 2010
The Last Stretch of Semester 1
Finals begin in a little over 9 hours... :) I'm still not quite nervous yet, but I'm sure that'll change somewhere around 2:00am.
Physiology I (the tough class) on Monday...
Nutrition (the easy class) on Tuesday...
Anatomy I on Wednesday...
Microanatomy/Embryology on Thursday...
See you all on the other side...
Sunday, August 8, 2010
One Week to Go!
One more week until finals... one more day of classes... it's insane that it's almost over already! Luckily, all the professors are taking the time to help us out with review sessions and everything. Fingers crossed!Moved into the new apartment last weekend with few problems. I just had Steven's car trunk decide it wanted to try to eat my arm. It's almost all healed up now; and I'm all settled into the new room. It's nice having a working air conditioner that doesn't take 10 attempts to turn on (although, it leaks out the corner a little bit).
Got my foster dog a few days into living at the apartment. He's cute, but boy is he a handful... he's untrained (after living in a colony for a few years, it makes sense) and not well housebroken yet. At least he knows how to sit, but there are a LOT of other things he needs to learn. Luckily, Dr. Moffat had a spare crate for me to use while I'm in classes until one comes up from the AOCC (Animals on Campus Club) so that he doesn't pee all over everything. Of course, he also has allergies (I think), so he licks and chews on his feet a LOT and makes a lot of noise doing it. Drives me crazy when I'm trying to sleep in a little bit... but hopefully the clinic will be able to give me something for him tomorrow.Had my week of feeding the campus tortoises. They're cute little buggers. Very sweet too (well, for a tortoise). I found a baby the second day of feeding, but hadn't been able to find it since... I hope it's still alive in there and didn't get eaten by a mongoose or something like that.
Been going to the gym. Lost 18 or so pounds so far. I think that's going well, but my pants and belts don't fit so well anymore. :P My friends and I have planned on going on another hike on Tuesday up to the radio tower. Looking forward to that one. :)
Been particularly homesick this week... and really wanting my guitar lately, but I can't pick that up until I go home in December.
Well, I should head back off to study for a little bit and try to get the study guides done for nutrition.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Coming to the End of Semester 1!
So... exhausted... it's been a very long few weeks (and once again, my apologies... it's harder to maintain posting every week with each passing one). 
Have one more microanatomy test to go and then it's the last leg to the final exams. I've managed to pull my grades up to something more fitting of my self-esteem (although they still aren't perfect). I should be able to TA/Tutor nutrition next term at least. :) I'm good at that class and I really enjoy it (well, most of it at least). I think the studying is finally getting to all of us... as you can see, I've been held at knifepoint to answer anatomy questions. (Not really... but it's still a funny picture.)
It's hard to believe that we've been down here for almost a full 3 months... and many of my friends are returning home over the break. I'll be staying here on the island, because I'd rather be home during the winter break (Christmas and snow). So, while I didn't get the position as an orientation leader for this semester, I did take a volunteer position at the school's hospital/clinic. I'll be working 7 shifts... 5 of them are overnights... and 4 of them I'll be the shift leader (which, I believe means I need to work the full 12 hours of them!).
Just 8 more days until the move to the new apartment... and I have to say I'm quite excited about it. And then, it's just 15 or so until I get the foster pup, Reigo. I'll tell you guys more about that when I get a chance to get a feel for his personality a bit more.
Other than that, the only big news is that Massachusetts became the first state to ban debarking/demeowing surgeries. Article here! I don't think I would've ever been comfortable doing it, so I'm quite glad. Not to mention, I just don't think I agree with it. And while we're on that topic, it's strange to be put in the position where you finally get to choose for yourself whether or not you agree with procedures like that... it's a very odd feeling and I find myself on the fence of a lot of things because I CAN see both sides to the arguments for and against the procedures.
We've had a bit of a rough time at the zoo lately... Bourbon Butterball (the turkey in the picture) was euthanized this week. He's had a rough time with some sort of infection about a month ago (and was on vitamin injections as well as antibiotics). That cleared up and then he developed quite a nasty wound on his hind end that just wouldn't heal well without being in a hospital setting. Poor guy. :( I already miss his creeping around the pen following me while I cleaned out his enclosure.
Well, that's it for now. Another post just before/after the move (which is also on the next PAWS adoption day).
Have one more microanatomy test to go and then it's the last leg to the final exams. I've managed to pull my grades up to something more fitting of my self-esteem (although they still aren't perfect). I should be able to TA/Tutor nutrition next term at least. :) I'm good at that class and I really enjoy it (well, most of it at least). I think the studying is finally getting to all of us... as you can see, I've been held at knifepoint to answer anatomy questions. (Not really... but it's still a funny picture.)
It's hard to believe that we've been down here for almost a full 3 months... and many of my friends are returning home over the break. I'll be staying here on the island, because I'd rather be home during the winter break (Christmas and snow). So, while I didn't get the position as an orientation leader for this semester, I did take a volunteer position at the school's hospital/clinic. I'll be working 7 shifts... 5 of them are overnights... and 4 of them I'll be the shift leader (which, I believe means I need to work the full 12 hours of them!). Just 8 more days until the move to the new apartment... and I have to say I'm quite excited about it. And then, it's just 15 or so until I get the foster pup, Reigo. I'll tell you guys more about that when I get a chance to get a feel for his personality a bit more.
Other than that, the only big news is that Massachusetts became the first state to ban debarking/demeowing surgeries. Article here! I don't think I would've ever been comfortable doing it, so I'm quite glad. Not to mention, I just don't think I agree with it. And while we're on that topic, it's strange to be put in the position where you finally get to choose for yourself whether or not you agree with procedures like that... it's a very odd feeling and I find myself on the fence of a lot of things because I CAN see both sides to the arguments for and against the procedures. We've had a bit of a rough time at the zoo lately... Bourbon Butterball (the turkey in the picture) was euthanized this week. He's had a rough time with some sort of infection about a month ago (and was on vitamin injections as well as antibiotics). That cleared up and then he developed quite a nasty wound on his hind end that just wouldn't heal well without being in a hospital setting. Poor guy. :( I already miss his creeping around the pen following me while I cleaned out his enclosure.
Well, that's it for now. Another post just before/after the move (which is also on the next PAWS adoption day).
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Light at the End of the Tunnel!
More than halfway through the semester... and boy has it been a tough one academically. The anatomy instructor explained it best to my friend, Jennifer:
Had another interesting situation come up regarding the housing situation... but I don't believe I've mentioned any of it on here... so, I'll recap with a summary:
Saw Prince of Persia down here. It's not bad... and neither is GOING to see a movie... it's $15EC... when back home, it's $15 US! (For those of you who don't know the conversion, it's $2.70 EC = $1.00 US... so a movie ticket costs about $5.50!) Incredibly reasonable for food and everything too... a ticket, nachos, and a soda cost under $15 and the movie quality is just as good as back in the states. I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised with it.
... class is down 4 students now... the 2 from my orientation group, one that I just met for the first time last week, and one from my anatomy dissection group.
What can ya do though? Looking forward to next weekend, post-nutrition exam! Big plans for Saturday with going to Port Zante and just relaxing!
You're taking a bunch of students at the top 10% of the bell curve through undergraduate school and putting them together and then re-creating a NEW bell curve with them. So, there's all ranges of grades/knowledge/experiences that we're not used to, having been at the top for most of our academic careers.I have to agree... many of my friends feel as though they are "not doing well" in one class or another and yet, we're all not used to it... even if we're at the B-range in a class. It's a very odd feeling. I'll tell ya--there are a LOT of study groups organized in the next few weeks to get through the final 2 exams and into the finals. We all have our sights set on making it into the second semester, and nothing will stand in our ways. :)
Had another interesting situation come up regarding the housing situation... but I don't believe I've mentioned any of it on here... so, I'll recap with a summary:
Dorms were closed due to maintenance issues, so we had to find housing down here without ever having been to the island. It's worked for most of us as a temporary fix... but it's not an ideal permanent situation. Take my apartment, for example. It's beautiful, rather large, and in a safe area of the island... but it's not pet friendly, and nearly a 20 minute drive from campus. At the end of the month (hopefully... I'll get to that in a minute), I'll be moving to an apartment that's only a 10 minute walk from campus, is pet-friendly, still rather large (3 bedroom, 2 bathroom), and half the rent I'm paying now... and I'll be living with 2 (current) third-semester students that are in the same clubs as me.However, Mac (the housing coordinator) contacted Lindsey and myself on Wednesday to inform us that our landlord had passed away from a heart attack on Sunday. Kind of caught us off guard... the guy was maybe in his late 40s or early 50s, maximum. Seems rather quiet down here lately, without him and his friends upstairs. :/
Saw Prince of Persia down here. It's not bad... and neither is GOING to see a movie... it's $15EC... when back home, it's $15 US! (For those of you who don't know the conversion, it's $2.70 EC = $1.00 US... so a movie ticket costs about $5.50!) Incredibly reasonable for food and everything too... a ticket, nachos, and a soda cost under $15 and the movie quality is just as good as back in the states. I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised with it.
... class is down 4 students now... the 2 from my orientation group, one that I just met for the first time last week, and one from my anatomy dissection group.
What can ya do though? Looking forward to next weekend, post-nutrition exam! Big plans for Saturday with going to Port Zante and just relaxing!
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
Longest Week EVAH!
Hehe. Had to play up the accent a little bit... but it doesn't change the fact that this was the longest week since I got down here. Part of it was just sheer exhaustion from the whole last month and a half... and part of it is, well, just having a hard time finding the motivation to study. I spent at least an hour or so the other day chasing around a little baby gecko that lived in our kitchen (well, now the linen closet). His name is Jorge and Lindsey and I hope he grows up to eat the centipedes in the house. Cute little bugger, isn't he?
We're down another classmate. That now makes 2, from what I know of... and they were both out of my orientation group. Not fun. :/ We had a dinner for her the other night, and I have to admit it was good to get the group together again, although it wasn't for the best reason.
We started new units in almost all the classes this week, and I have to say that I quite like the nutrition instructor. He's very engaging, although a lot of his material is rather basic (I'm sorry if you read this!)... but I had a pretty good hold on the body scoring system and how to read labels and calculate the metabolic needs of pets from my experience at the animal hospital. Physiology is covering the cardiovascular system, and I just have to say I'm SO glad we didn't have to learn the clotting pathways in as much detail as Idexx taught it for their online CE course! Anatomy is... well... anatomy. Still working on the muscles of the pelvic limb (although we looked at the vertebral column today... and have another week before that test). Microanatomy/Histology... now that's currently the bane of my existence. We have that test Wednesday, so I'll be spending a rather significant chunk of time focusing on that this weekend.
Tomorrow morning, we have plans to go on a hike to the bat caves. I'll try to get a separate post up just for that as well, so I should head off to play a little catch-up with some class readings.
Until tomorrow!
Friday, June 18, 2010
Sorry guys... :S
Well... I forget where I found this before (so I can't give proper credit to the blog author that put this idea in my head)... but I'm sure you are all wondering "oh, come on... you're on an island. What could POSSIBLY be keeping you from actually writing in this like you said you would?" I can assure you--it's not all fun and games and enjoying daiquiris and margaritas on the beach every day... living on a nice tropical island for 2 1/2 years. It's 2 1/2 years of the HARDEST school I've ever been through (yes, almost as hard as organic chemistry! :P) while on a small piece of land entirely surrounded by water. It tends to escape the mind that I'm living on St. Kitts... an island that most people go to for a vacation.
As a matter of fact, I had to go down to the post office today in downtown Basseterre to get a package that my mom had sent to me. The traffic was SO bad from the cruise ship that came in that it took me nearly 30 minutes JUST to make the 10 minute drive to the city. I'm lucky I made it back to class on time... with 10 minutes to spare! Damn tourists! :P
I've made it a personal goal to come home skinny and tanned during the winter break... and well, I'm making progress on both fronts. Hehe. I've got a good ol' farmer's tan going on (because of walking between classes) and I'm down 13 pounds. I bet most of that is just from sweating out everything, but I like to think that part of it is from going to the gym regularly again. (It at least makes me feel a LITTLE better about a pulled bicep muscle.)
As for the classes... they're still piling on the information... and I regret to admit that the reason I didn't post on here for a while is that I didn't do so well on the first round of exams (until the Nutrition one we just had on Tuesday). I went into hardcore-overtime-mode to try to get caught up and get a better start on the units that we're currently covering. I feel like I'm in a much better point now than I was back then at least. I've adapted to how the classes are run, how the tests are set up, and most importantly, how I have to learn the material so that it actually sticks in my head so I can use it for practical purposes in the future.
All in all, nothing is overly new... just the usual repetitive cycle of waking up, going to classes, going home to study, (an occasional meal thrown in here and there), going to bed, and repeating it all over the next day. I do find at least one night a week to just do nothing and get out to enjoy the life on the island. "Learnin' and liming," they say.
... is the semester almost over yet? :P I need some mental break time.
As a matter of fact, I had to go down to the post office today in downtown Basseterre to get a package that my mom had sent to me. The traffic was SO bad from the cruise ship that came in that it took me nearly 30 minutes JUST to make the 10 minute drive to the city. I'm lucky I made it back to class on time... with 10 minutes to spare! Damn tourists! :P
I've made it a personal goal to come home skinny and tanned during the winter break... and well, I'm making progress on both fronts. Hehe. I've got a good ol' farmer's tan going on (because of walking between classes) and I'm down 13 pounds. I bet most of that is just from sweating out everything, but I like to think that part of it is from going to the gym regularly again. (It at least makes me feel a LITTLE better about a pulled bicep muscle.)
As for the classes... they're still piling on the information... and I regret to admit that the reason I didn't post on here for a while is that I didn't do so well on the first round of exams (until the Nutrition one we just had on Tuesday). I went into hardcore-overtime-mode to try to get caught up and get a better start on the units that we're currently covering. I feel like I'm in a much better point now than I was back then at least. I've adapted to how the classes are run, how the tests are set up, and most importantly, how I have to learn the material so that it actually sticks in my head so I can use it for practical purposes in the future.
All in all, nothing is overly new... just the usual repetitive cycle of waking up, going to classes, going home to study, (an occasional meal thrown in here and there), going to bed, and repeating it all over the next day. I do find at least one night a week to just do nothing and get out to enjoy the life on the island. "Learnin' and liming," they say.
... is the semester almost over yet? :P I need some mental break time.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
One Month Already Down...
We were talking about that at lunch today (yes, I know it's Saturday... and yes, I was at school... but I'll get to that later)... we have been on this island for a whole month. It's really hard to think that I was at that airport, bags in hand, sweating certain parts of my anatomy off, and wondering what I got myself into just 30 days ago. I've fallen into a schedule, and it's starting to feel like a "normal" life finally.
With that being said, I really do apologize for the lack of an entry last week... and I promise I'll try my best to keep up with this better. I honestly don't remember what pulled me away from being able to get it done. I think it was Big Bang Theory... and all the TA sessions I've been attending in addition to classes (I seriously think I go to nearly 4-6 a week!).
Classes are piling on the information, but I'm finding that I retain a lot of the histology and physiology with minimal studying. I had to make flash cards for anatomy, but that's starting to stick (I mean, we've spent 3 weeks covering just the front leg of dogs and donkeys). (Random side note: Did you know that horses are perpetually flipping you off? They only have a single toe--the middle one.) Nutrition is an incredibly amusing class (well, at least it was with Reich... we have a new lecturer starting up on Monday), but it takes a little work to remember everything. On the other hand, a LOT of dieting information suddenly makes sense--like how sugars make you fat... or why the Atkin's Diet is a bad idea. Introduction to Veterinary medicine is going to be a breeze, but they touch on the subjects that leave me a little nervous--like ethical decisions, and dealing with tough clients, and topics like that.
First exam is on Monday... and that's only 1 day, 16 hours, and 11 minutes from the time when I'm writing this entry. For histology. All the practice tests I've done and all the slides I've reviewed seem pretty easy... so I'm hoping I can do well on that test. (Don't worry--I'm sure you guys will be among the first to know how I do.)
Started feeding at the local zoo for the Zoo/Exotics/Wildlife Club (which will be henceforth called the ZEW Club)... and the guy that runs it... well... he has a bad habit of getting in the way. Jennifer and I went over there at lunch one day, having been told it only takes about 30-45 minutes to feed the animals. What they neglected to tell us is that if the owner takes the hose while you're trying to change water and "helps" by watering the plants, it takes significantly more time. On the plus side, we were only 5 minutes late to nutrition that day.
There was also a PAWS (People for Animal Welfare on St. Kitts) adoption event today. I've been smitten. Sarah is such a little sweetheart and Tuna is an awesome cat. However, the landlord down here doesn't allow pets so I have to wait until I move next semester. I'll be working (hopefully) with Holly over the course of the semester and will hopefully be the one in charge of the website, advertising, and the Facebook group. *fingers crossed!*
But for now, I think that's enough to quell your lack of an entry for the last 2 weeks... because I have to get back to studying!
Until next week!
With that being said, I really do apologize for the lack of an entry last week... and I promise I'll try my best to keep up with this better. I honestly don't remember what pulled me away from being able to get it done. I think it was Big Bang Theory... and all the TA sessions I've been attending in addition to classes (I seriously think I go to nearly 4-6 a week!).
Classes are piling on the information, but I'm finding that I retain a lot of the histology and physiology with minimal studying. I had to make flash cards for anatomy, but that's starting to stick (I mean, we've spent 3 weeks covering just the front leg of dogs and donkeys). (Random side note: Did you know that horses are perpetually flipping you off? They only have a single toe--the middle one.) Nutrition is an incredibly amusing class (well, at least it was with Reich... we have a new lecturer starting up on Monday), but it takes a little work to remember everything. On the other hand, a LOT of dieting information suddenly makes sense--like how sugars make you fat... or why the Atkin's Diet is a bad idea. Introduction to Veterinary medicine is going to be a breeze, but they touch on the subjects that leave me a little nervous--like ethical decisions, and dealing with tough clients, and topics like that.
First exam is on Monday... and that's only 1 day, 16 hours, and 11 minutes from the time when I'm writing this entry. For histology. All the practice tests I've done and all the slides I've reviewed seem pretty easy... so I'm hoping I can do well on that test. (Don't worry--I'm sure you guys will be among the first to know how I do.)
Started feeding at the local zoo for the Zoo/Exotics/Wildlife Club (which will be henceforth called the ZEW Club)... and the guy that runs it... well... he has a bad habit of getting in the way. Jennifer and I went over there at lunch one day, having been told it only takes about 30-45 minutes to feed the animals. What they neglected to tell us is that if the owner takes the hose while you're trying to change water and "helps" by watering the plants, it takes significantly more time. On the plus side, we were only 5 minutes late to nutrition that day.
There was also a PAWS (People for Animal Welfare on St. Kitts) adoption event today. I've been smitten. Sarah is such a little sweetheart and Tuna is an awesome cat. However, the landlord down here doesn't allow pets so I have to wait until I move next semester. I'll be working (hopefully) with Holly over the course of the semester and will hopefully be the one in charge of the website, advertising, and the Facebook group. *fingers crossed!*
But for now, I think that's enough to quell your lack of an entry for the last 2 weeks... because I have to get back to studying!
Until next week!
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRHHHHHHHH! (a.k.a. What-Did-I-Get-Myself-Into?!)
Wow… and I thought orientation week was going to be tough… is doesn’t have ANYTHING on the first week of classes.
To give you a quick run-down, I have:
Anatomy I from 8:00-10:00 every day
Microanatomy/Embryology from 10:00-12:00 every day
Introduction to Veterinary Medicine from 1:00-2:00 only on Monday
Nutrition from 1:00-2:00 Tuesday through Friday
Physiology I from 2:00-3:00 every day
That’s 20 credits. More than the average undergraduate student takes in a semester… at a much harder level. Toto, we’re not in Kansas anymore. People aren’t joking when they tell you how hard it is. I mean, I KNEW it was going to be hard… but you just don’t really realize the sheer quantity of the material until you sit in on just one class.
I’m finding myself having little to no social life (although I am still addicted to Facebook and Skype)… as my mornings start at 6:30… grabbing breakfast on the run and going to school… sitting through classes… going to TA and tuitoring sessions (yes, I took everyone’s advice), and then going home… studying… having dinner… going to bed… and repeating the whole process the next day. Even on the weekends, I sleep in a little bit longer but then spend at least 12-14 hours studying and reading, only stopping for food breaks. I’m sure it’ll level out once I get myself organized… but until then, it’s a killer.
Honestly, I've had a few rough days... there are times where everything is great down here. There are other times when I feel like I just simply don't belong here. And sometimes, I'm just plain homesick. I know that it'll eventually all level out, but it's tough thinking like that sometimes.
We had our white coat ceremony last Monday. (I do apologize for the picture… it’s not the best one, but it’s all I have.) We were presented with our laboratory coat in a formal ceremony, symbolizing our commitment to pursuing the field of veterinary medicine. As a class, we recited an oath outlining our commitment to ethical practices, mutual respect, and all those other lovely values that they try to instill in us at a young age. I have to admit (as did several of my colleagues) that I got a bit teary during the preceedings of the event… not from fear or anything like that (although I have to admit that I’m still absolutely terrified that I’ll soon have lives in my hands), but from sheer admiration at myself for even getting to this point in the field.
As a more laid-back event this week, there was the Mr. RUSVM pageant. Essentially, it is a “beauty pageant” for the men of the classes—one is chosen from each semester’s class and they compete through 4 events/categories. Even the professors get involved in judging the event. This year, it was Decades (where they chose to represent their favorite decade), Extreme Travel, Talent, and Formal Wear. And yes, they even did the probing questions that you see in the formal wear of the Miss America pageants. Someone posted up a video of the opening dance sequence… HERE! Yes, that is OUR semester’s choice who missed the practice and was sitting there with the apple in his mouth for the whole first half. Fourth semester won… and it was a good choice from the judges… he was amusing.
Club sign-ups were this week too, and it was tempting to join SOOOOOOOOOO many… but I limited myself (being first semester and all) to only a few—Zoo/Exotics/Wildlife, Holistic Medicine, Association of Avian Veterinarians, and I’ll be volunteering with beach clean-ups for the leatherback turtle nesting season and assisting once a semester with the PAWS Association’s adoption events. And then, of course… Lindsey and I are hoping to somehow go to the gym at least 3-4 times a week as well.
… I have a long, busy semester ahead of me…
Until next week!
To give you a quick run-down, I have:
Anatomy I from 8:00-10:00 every day
Microanatomy/Embryology from 10:00-12:00 every day
Introduction to Veterinary Medicine from 1:00-2:00 only on Monday
Nutrition from 1:00-2:00 Tuesday through Friday
Physiology I from 2:00-3:00 every day
That’s 20 credits. More than the average undergraduate student takes in a semester… at a much harder level. Toto, we’re not in Kansas anymore. People aren’t joking when they tell you how hard it is. I mean, I KNEW it was going to be hard… but you just don’t really realize the sheer quantity of the material until you sit in on just one class.
I’m finding myself having little to no social life (although I am still addicted to Facebook and Skype)… as my mornings start at 6:30… grabbing breakfast on the run and going to school… sitting through classes… going to TA and tuitoring sessions (yes, I took everyone’s advice), and then going home… studying… having dinner… going to bed… and repeating the whole process the next day. Even on the weekends, I sleep in a little bit longer but then spend at least 12-14 hours studying and reading, only stopping for food breaks. I’m sure it’ll level out once I get myself organized… but until then, it’s a killer.
Honestly, I've had a few rough days... there are times where everything is great down here. There are other times when I feel like I just simply don't belong here. And sometimes, I'm just plain homesick. I know that it'll eventually all level out, but it's tough thinking like that sometimes.
We had our white coat ceremony last Monday. (I do apologize for the picture… it’s not the best one, but it’s all I have.) We were presented with our laboratory coat in a formal ceremony, symbolizing our commitment to pursuing the field of veterinary medicine. As a class, we recited an oath outlining our commitment to ethical practices, mutual respect, and all those other lovely values that they try to instill in us at a young age. I have to admit (as did several of my colleagues) that I got a bit teary during the preceedings of the event… not from fear or anything like that (although I have to admit that I’m still absolutely terrified that I’ll soon have lives in my hands), but from sheer admiration at myself for even getting to this point in the field.As a more laid-back event this week, there was the Mr. RUSVM pageant. Essentially, it is a “beauty pageant” for the men of the classes—one is chosen from each semester’s class and they compete through 4 events/categories. Even the professors get involved in judging the event. This year, it was Decades (where they chose to represent their favorite decade), Extreme Travel, Talent, and Formal Wear. And yes, they even did the probing questions that you see in the formal wear of the Miss America pageants. Someone posted up a video of the opening dance sequence… HERE! Yes, that is OUR semester’s choice who missed the practice and was sitting there with the apple in his mouth for the whole first half. Fourth semester won… and it was a good choice from the judges… he was amusing.
Club sign-ups were this week too, and it was tempting to join SOOOOOOOOOO many… but I limited myself (being first semester and all) to only a few—Zoo/Exotics/Wildlife, Holistic Medicine, Association of Avian Veterinarians, and I’ll be volunteering with beach clean-ups for the leatherback turtle nesting season and assisting once a semester with the PAWS Association’s adoption events. And then, of course… Lindsey and I are hoping to somehow go to the gym at least 3-4 times a week as well.
… I have a long, busy semester ahead of me…
Until next week!
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Orientation Week! (a.k.a. "We're Going to Tire You Out Before Classes Start" Week)
Finally! Orientation week is over! It is EXHAUSTING! But, on the plus side, I’m adapting slowly to the heat. And yes, I’m a day late again—but we don’t have internet (STILL) at the apartment… very frustrating…
So… Monday, we finally got to go down to campus… where we had a lovely day of “setting up the basics” that they called the One-Stop. Got our IDs made up, submitted the paperwork for the visa, and all that lovely clerical junk. Then, we had a few lectures about the island and Ross University itself and went up to Brimstone Hill. Don’t let anyone fool you—there are a LOT of stairs for those of us out of shape. It was a British fort that was built on top of a huge sulfur vein/mountain… hence the name. And, of course, this was followed by dinner with the group.
Tuesday was more clerical junk—bank accounts, drivers licenses, insurance, etc. And then we got a tour of the campus. They’re doing so much construction and everything is such chaos on there right now. I’ll be surprised if I can find everything alright come the first day of class. It’s a nice campus though—good sized for how many classes there are going at once, but honestly, a bit smaller than I expected. Then we went to Shipwreck Beach… where most of us sat there watching the monkeys and mongooses a good chunk of time. They’re cute little buggers. It’s unfortunate to me—I’m not a beach person, so I just hid in the shade and watched everyone out there.
Wednesday was nothing but lectures—health services, security, housing, just to name a few. And when that was all done, Lindsey and I went out to look at cars and found a pretty good deal for one—a 2000 Nissan Sunny for $6000. (I wasn’t expecting that expense, but the apartment was a tad bit further from campus than we both expected.) We’re still bouncing name ideas around… but since we both have dogs named Kami/Cami, we wanted to incorporate that into her name.
Thursday was full of more lectures, all surrounding the curriculum and leadership. Boy do I hate leadership exercises—we had to draw posters in small groups about the values that we want to incorporate into our studies and ridiculous things like that. Once that torture was done, we finally made our ways to the bank… and I finally have money! What a relief. I have so many bills to pay off now. -_- And then, we got the car insured, paid the wheel tax, and transferred the ownership into our names. So, it is ours! Hooray! Then, Ross took us off to see Iron Man II. It was ok—the last half hour caught my attention, but it was long otherwise.
Friday, we went on a catamaran from Port Zante to the sister island of Nevis. I ended up getting a mild sunburn on the backs of my arms, which led to me also getting a headache and all those lovely problems I get when I’m out in the sun too long. I honestly was also hoping to see more of Nevis than a beach and 2 bars. It was honestly a disappointing trip for me. I sat there and wrote up some postcards and letters instead.
What a relief it was yesterday to do nothing. I got to sleep in till 8:00! (I’m naturally waking up around 6:30 from the sun down here and it’s really annoying. :P) Went grocery shopping… so it finally looks like someone lives in this apartment… and waited… and waited… and waited… for the internet people to come to install it. Urgh. I wanted the internet so bad… I had so many things to do on there. So, instead, I watched the wildlife outside on the porch—lizards… huge centipedes (which then proceeded to be eaten by the lizards)… some goats passing by the yard…
I’ve been thinking about what clubs I want to join… and I’m leaning towards quite a few—Holistic Medicine, Exotics/Wildlife/Zoo Medicine, Pathology Club, and assisting with the research of the leatherback turtles that nest on the island. We’ll see though… still have to meet with the organizers of each club.
It’s still kind of frustrating how they don’t recycle much down here—only aluminum and plastic. I’m so surprised that the students haven’t worked out a paper recycling program yet. Hmm… gives me some ideas. :P
So… Monday, we finally got to go down to campus… where we had a lovely day of “setting up the basics” that they called the One-Stop. Got our IDs made up, submitted the paperwork for the visa, and all that lovely clerical junk. Then, we had a few lectures about the island and Ross University itself and went up to Brimstone Hill. Don’t let anyone fool you—there are a LOT of stairs for those of us out of shape. It was a British fort that was built on top of a huge sulfur vein/mountain… hence the name. And, of course, this was followed by dinner with the group.
Tuesday was more clerical junk—bank accounts, drivers licenses, insurance, etc. And then we got a tour of the campus. They’re doing so much construction and everything is such chaos on there right now. I’ll be surprised if I can find everything alright come the first day of class. It’s a nice campus though—good sized for how many classes there are going at once, but honestly, a bit smaller than I expected. Then we went to Shipwreck Beach… where most of us sat there watching the monkeys and mongooses a good chunk of time. They’re cute little buggers. It’s unfortunate to me—I’m not a beach person, so I just hid in the shade and watched everyone out there.
Wednesday was nothing but lectures—health services, security, housing, just to name a few. And when that was all done, Lindsey and I went out to look at cars and found a pretty good deal for one—a 2000 Nissan Sunny for $6000. (I wasn’t expecting that expense, but the apartment was a tad bit further from campus than we both expected.) We’re still bouncing name ideas around… but since we both have dogs named Kami/Cami, we wanted to incorporate that into her name. Thursday was full of more lectures, all surrounding the curriculum and leadership. Boy do I hate leadership exercises—we had to draw posters in small groups about the values that we want to incorporate into our studies and ridiculous things like that. Once that torture was done, we finally made our ways to the bank… and I finally have money! What a relief. I have so many bills to pay off now. -_- And then, we got the car insured, paid the wheel tax, and transferred the ownership into our names. So, it is ours! Hooray! Then, Ross took us off to see Iron Man II. It was ok—the last half hour caught my attention, but it was long otherwise.
Friday, we went on a catamaran from Port Zante to the sister island of Nevis. I ended up getting a mild sunburn on the backs of my arms, which led to me also getting a headache and all those lovely problems I get when I’m out in the sun too long. I honestly was also hoping to see more of Nevis than a beach and 2 bars. It was honestly a disappointing trip for me. I sat there and wrote up some postcards and letters instead.
What a relief it was yesterday to do nothing. I got to sleep in till 8:00! (I’m naturally waking up around 6:30 from the sun down here and it’s really annoying. :P) Went grocery shopping… so it finally looks like someone lives in this apartment… and waited… and waited… and waited… for the internet people to come to install it. Urgh. I wanted the internet so bad… I had so many things to do on there. So, instead, I watched the wildlife outside on the porch—lizards… huge centipedes (which then proceeded to be eaten by the lizards)… some goats passing by the yard… I’ve been thinking about what clubs I want to join… and I’m leaning towards quite a few—Holistic Medicine, Exotics/Wildlife/Zoo Medicine, Pathology Club, and assisting with the research of the leatherback turtles that nest on the island. We’ll see though… still have to meet with the organizers of each club.
It’s still kind of frustrating how they don’t recycle much down here—only aluminum and plastic. I’m so surprised that the students haven’t worked out a paper recycling program yet. Hmm… gives me some ideas. :P
Monday, May 3, 2010
Greetings from St. Kitts
I have apparently already lied to all you loyal blog-readers and am late on an update. My apologies—Saturday was a tad bit crazier than I ever anticipated… AND I don’t have the internet at my apartment just yet, so I had to wait until today to leech off the Wi-Fi of the Ross Campus.
So… I had successfully been awake since noon-ish on Friday and was still packing until about 3:30 am on Saturday--partly due Jeff having some of his friends over and partly due to the fact that I REALLY procrastinated with the packing.
Nevertheless, everything important made it into one of the 4 severely overstuffed pieces of luggage that are on their way alongside me. (And an interesting security pointer: You know that laptops have to be scanned separately… so don’t X-Boxes and CD/DVD cases.) And, of course, my carry-ons were subject to two “random” checks. Perhaps that is because I struggled so much trying to lift the duffel-bag getting to the plane… hmmm…
The first flight left early by about 5 minutes to head from Boston to Atlanta… and I splurged a little to get the WiFi on the first bit of the flight. $10 wasn’t that bad for the 2 hours of internet to try to make sure all the loose ends were all tied up before arriving on the island. Oddly enough, the girl that sat next to me was also on her way to Ross, but to visit a friend that had been there for a year already.
I couldn’t have asked for better timing between the two flights. By the time I arrived to the gate (having given up and starting to drag the carry-on that felt like at least 100 pounds), they were already boarding my section of the plane. The funny thing about that flight was that I slept for a majority of it… yes, including the take-off. I still don’t quite know how I managed that one!
Customs to get into St. Kitts was much easier than any European country I visited—no real questions asked, and I was on my way through the immigration along with my luggage kiosk within half an hour. Of course, as soon as I walked through the doors, the humid heat of the island hit me like a ton of bricks. I’m not used to the Caribbean being THIS hot and humid—it blind-sided me. Eventually, everyone in my orientation group made it through customs as well (but I think it took everyone else maybe about an hour to an hour and a half total) and we piled into a mini-van
to drop everything off at our apartments.
I lucked out with the first stop of the journey and the fact that my new roommate, Lindsey, was arriving on a later flight that was delayed. So you know what that means—I had first choice of bedrooms! Naturally, I took the one that had thicker curtains that would trap the cool air in better during the day (as I tend to leave an A/C on at night) and block the sunlight better in the mornings. Well, it worked out because I later found out that purple is Lindsey’s favorite color, so she wanted the other bedroom anyway.
After unpacking and a quick nap, Frank (the orientation leader) picked up the group again and we headed off for dinner at a local restaurant/outdoor bar. I honestly have to say that I was not overly impressed with their style of BBQ chicken, and I hope that the rest of the island’s food isn’t as bland as theirs. At that point, we had our first lesson in the local currency—although it’s still hard to remind yourself that $1.00 = 2.65 EC… so to see prices on a menu as high as $65, it scares you for a brief second. After dinner, Frank took us to Ziggy’s… the local bar that a LOT of the Ross students frequent. General consensus was that we were exhausted by 10:30 and wanted nothing to do with this socializing. Luckily, we were in bed by 11:00.
Sunday was a whirlwind as well. Frank picked us all up at 7:30 in the morning for breakfast. I’m still having a hard time adapting to the “island speed,” which is more like inefficient and slow as a snail compared to the Boston way of life… but, I’ll eventually adapt. I’m good at that. :P
Then, the fun of grocery shopping! I’m glad to see that a lot of the same products we’d use back home are down here—Pantene shampoo, Sunchips, Tide laundry detergent, and one of my personal favorites—Chunky’s clam chowder (yum!)… but it slipped our minds more than once that $8.00 EC is a normal price for a bottle of shampoo. Once that culture shock was done, we were returned to our apartments to relax for an hour, where I was greeted by a rather large gecko that reminded me of the Geiko gecko.
Then, the not-so-fun part of the day commenced—the beach. And yes, I did see one of the monkeys… and no, he was not drunk—he was in a cage on this one. They also have a local pig… a HUGE pig… like a 500-pound-pig waddling (well, in the instances we saw him, sleeping) around the beach. His name is Wilbur. How fitting, huh? After several hours of watching the boys playing beach volleyball and taking some pictures of the island landscape, we went to another bar/restaurant nearby for dinner. I decided to be brave and try the conch fritters… and have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. Luckily, this day ended at 6:00… and I finally had some time to get to know Lindsey before her group leader took them out to Ziggy’s for the night.
I think she and I will get along nicely. :P
And, that’s all for now… I’m off to finish up day 1 of the ACTUAL orientation process… I’ll talk to you all again on Saturday (I hope!).
So… I had successfully been awake since noon-ish on Friday and was still packing until about 3:30 am on Saturday--partly due Jeff having some of his friends over and partly due to the fact that I REALLY procrastinated with the packing.
Nevertheless, everything important made it into one of the 4 severely overstuffed pieces of luggage that are on their way alongside me. (And an interesting security pointer: You know that laptops have to be scanned separately… so don’t X-Boxes and CD/DVD cases.) And, of course, my carry-ons were subject to two “random” checks. Perhaps that is because I struggled so much trying to lift the duffel-bag getting to the plane… hmmm…
The first flight left early by about 5 minutes to head from Boston to Atlanta… and I splurged a little to get the WiFi on the first bit of the flight. $10 wasn’t that bad for the 2 hours of internet to try to make sure all the loose ends were all tied up before arriving on the island. Oddly enough, the girl that sat next to me was also on her way to Ross, but to visit a friend that had been there for a year already.
I couldn’t have asked for better timing between the two flights. By the time I arrived to the gate (having given up and starting to drag the carry-on that felt like at least 100 pounds), they were already boarding my section of the plane. The funny thing about that flight was that I slept for a majority of it… yes, including the take-off. I still don’t quite know how I managed that one!
Customs to get into St. Kitts was much easier than any European country I visited—no real questions asked, and I was on my way through the immigration along with my luggage kiosk within half an hour. Of course, as soon as I walked through the doors, the humid heat of the island hit me like a ton of bricks. I’m not used to the Caribbean being THIS hot and humid—it blind-sided me. Eventually, everyone in my orientation group made it through customs as well (but I think it took everyone else maybe about an hour to an hour and a half total) and we piled into a mini-van
to drop everything off at our apartments.
I lucked out with the first stop of the journey and the fact that my new roommate, Lindsey, was arriving on a later flight that was delayed. So you know what that means—I had first choice of bedrooms! Naturally, I took the one that had thicker curtains that would trap the cool air in better during the day (as I tend to leave an A/C on at night) and block the sunlight better in the mornings. Well, it worked out because I later found out that purple is Lindsey’s favorite color, so she wanted the other bedroom anyway.
After unpacking and a quick nap, Frank (the orientation leader) picked up the group again and we headed off for dinner at a local restaurant/outdoor bar. I honestly have to say that I was not overly impressed with their style of BBQ chicken, and I hope that the rest of the island’s food isn’t as bland as theirs. At that point, we had our first lesson in the local currency—although it’s still hard to remind yourself that $1.00 = 2.65 EC… so to see prices on a menu as high as $65, it scares you for a brief second. After dinner, Frank took us to Ziggy’s… the local bar that a LOT of the Ross students frequent. General consensus was that we were exhausted by 10:30 and wanted nothing to do with this socializing. Luckily, we were in bed by 11:00.
Sunday was a whirlwind as well. Frank picked us all up at 7:30 in the morning for breakfast. I’m still having a hard time adapting to the “island speed,” which is more like inefficient and slow as a snail compared to the Boston way of life… but, I’ll eventually adapt. I’m good at that. :P
Then, the fun of grocery shopping! I’m glad to see that a lot of the same products we’d use back home are down here—Pantene shampoo, Sunchips, Tide laundry detergent, and one of my personal favorites—Chunky’s clam chowder (yum!)… but it slipped our minds more than once that $8.00 EC is a normal price for a bottle of shampoo. Once that culture shock was done, we were returned to our apartments to relax for an hour, where I was greeted by a rather large gecko that reminded me of the Geiko gecko.
Then, the not-so-fun part of the day commenced—the beach. And yes, I did see one of the monkeys… and no, he was not drunk—he was in a cage on this one. They also have a local pig… a HUGE pig… like a 500-pound-pig waddling (well, in the instances we saw him, sleeping) around the beach. His name is Wilbur. How fitting, huh? After several hours of watching the boys playing beach volleyball and taking some pictures of the island landscape, we went to another bar/restaurant nearby for dinner. I decided to be brave and try the conch fritters… and have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. Luckily, this day ended at 6:00… and I finally had some time to get to know Lindsey before her group leader took them out to Ziggy’s for the night. I think she and I will get along nicely. :P
And, that’s all for now… I’m off to finish up day 1 of the ACTUAL orientation process… I’ll talk to you all again on Saturday (I hope!).
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Acceptance!
So… where did things start to lead up to this point?
For years, I have been trying to get into veterinary school… and got nothing but rejections from Tufts University, Cornell University, and University of Pennsylvania (just to name a few) year after year. About a year ago, I decided to broaden my horizons and went to an open house for Ross University just to see what this place was all about.
I kept a letter that they had given in the handouts, praising us for even getting that far in the process of choosing a career path. “… I can tell you what I hear over and over each spring on graduation day: ‘Don’t give up your dreams lightly. Being called “doctor” for the first time is worth every bit of sacrifice.’ Pursuing a career in veterinary medicine is a life-altering choice. If you are this far—if you are holding this piece of paper in your hands—it means you have already gone further than most people ever imagine.”
It gave me a sense of renewed hope that I may just have my chance at becoming a veterinarian, despite my less-than-straight-A grades during my undergraduate education. Nevertheless, I re-took a few classes to get better grades and put in my applications with the usual suspects for this year.
After my rejection letters poured in one after another, I decided to give Ross University a try. Within a few weeks, I had an interview booked with Jeannie and I found myself pouring out my dedication to her in less than an hour. Six torturous weeks passed and one evening in early March, I was sitting at my computer with a cup of tea and got a phone call from a number that I didn’t recognize. It was after 8:00, so I figured it had to be something important… and answered the call.
“You better start packing, because you’ll be going to Ross University starting in the May semester.” I was confused… I wasn’t expecting getting called in for an interview, let alone be accepted into school in the first place!
The next few months were a whirlwind of scrambling experiences to get ready to leave—getting my rabies vaccines, obtaining student loans, finding homes for my pets, training a replacement at work, finding housing and a roommate (as the dorms were closed for maintenance issues), booking flights, finding books, etc. But it never fully hit me that I would be in school again until this week.
One week from today, I will be on my way to St. Kitts… I have so much packing to do… but it’s all starting to fall into place.
I’m going to miss everyone up here in Boston, but this is what I want to do with my life—I WILL be a veterinarian in 2013… and I’ll keep you all updated as to my stories through here at least once a week.
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