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).

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:

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!