Twenty Three

So it's officially my first full day of being twenty three.  How does it feel?  Exactly the same as being twenty-two.

It's Saturday night and I'm studying parasites.  Specially, currently I'm studying Babesia bigemina or "Bovine piroplasmosis, bovine babesiosis, and Texas Cattle Fever".  I've learned that there is a ton of parasites that come from Texas...  poor Texas.

Last week was probably one of the most stressful that I've ever had.  With three exams in five days, I felt like I was just living day to day, holding on in the hopes of passing and looking forward to my birthday.
I passed anatomy, which I took on Friday.  Then came Physiology.  And I officially failed my first vet school exam.  However, it was only by one point and because the average was a 72%, the class should be curved in the end.  Which makes it totally a little bit better.  Immunology was on Wednesday and I felt very prepared for that exam, even though it was a killer and I did pretty well.  I had my parasitology presentation after that on Haemonchus contortus, or the Barberpole worm. I realize that the more exams I pass, the more I convince myself that I could really actually be a Veterinarian.  That I may just be smart enough.  If I live to pass the next exam, then eventually I'll have no more exams left and graduation will be upon on us.

Thursday night, we had my birthday dinner at Rock Lobster where we get a free bowl of Sangria and a giant chocolate cake for birthdays.  It was a well deserved break after a crazy week.

I realized recently the importance of having good friends, that are supportive and helpful.  Someone who will answer your crazy anatomy questions in the middle of their studying.  Someone who eats breakfast with you Sunday morning just to get away from the books and the drama of being stuck on an island.  The people you can complain to over and over again but never stop listening.  The ones who keep me sane when island fever, homesickness, stress, and sickness set in.  I know that they are more than just my  friends... They are good people and I will be forever grateful for them.

Back to studying Parasitology.
Happy 60th Birthday Mr. Robinson!!!

Sleepy

Hello all.


I have taken my sleeping pills.  For those of you who don't know what that means, it means that this post may make absolutely no sense.  I apologize.

I have been really busy (nothing new) with exams.  Next Friday, March 18, we have Anatomy.  The following Monday, March 21, we have Physiology and Wednesday, March 23, we have Immunology.  But then it's my birthday!!  YAY!  Finally a break where I can have a good birthday weekend without the stress of studying.


It's amazing that we're almost done with midterms and soon, we'll just have finals to worry about.  I can finally have a break from the stress, the anxiety attacks, the psyching yourself out, or preparing yourself mentally if you did happen to fail the last exam.  
Originally, I was planning on staying in St. Kitts in April but due to some recent medical issues, I will be flying home, arriving on Friday, April 22 and leaving Friday, May 6.  I'd love to see everyone during my short break!

This is on our t-shirts and I think you'll all find it entertaining.  It's amazing how all of it is true:
You know you're a Ross Student when:
10. You can say life's a beach and mean it.
9. You have actually considered swimming home.
8. You graduate vet school with a minor in mechanics.
7.Finding fresh milk at the grocery store constitutes a "good week."
6. You have nightmares about killer centipedes.
5. Beer is cheaper than water. 
4. You plan an entire afternoon to go the bank to deposit your check.
3. Your car is older than you are.
2. You have more sweat lines than tan lines.
1. No day is ever just another "ordinary" day.



I'm off to sleep now. Another long day of studying tomorrow.  Hopefully I'll get in about 8 hours of studying tomorrow to catch myself up and start preparing for my anatomy exam.  Hope all is well. 

I found this quote and loved it:  
One night President Obama and his wife Michelle decided to do something out of routine and go for a casual dinner at a restaurant that wasn’t too luxurious. When they were seated, the owner of the restaurant asked the President’s Secret Service if he could please speak to the First Lady in private. They obliged and Michelle had a conversation with the owner. Following this conversation President Obama asked Michelle, “Why was he so interested in talking to you?” She mentioned that in her teenage years, he had been madly in love with her. President Obama then said, “So if you had married him, you would now be the owner of this lovely restaurant,” to which Michelle responded, “No. If I had married him, he would now be the President.”

Second Semester

Hello.

I realize I haven't updated my blog in approximately 27 years but I do have an excuse.  Exams.  Exams.  and more Exams.   Last week, we had Anatomy on Monday, Immunology on Wednesday, Parasitology on Thursday.  (Then we had a small break).  And then we have Physiology next Wednesday.  Welcome to my life of having no life.

Second semester is hard.  Much harder than first.  But part of it is just the mind games again.  In second semester, we don't have a buffer of people we know who are going to fail before us.  This may sound mean but I guess it's survival of the fittest.  Everyone who passed first is now in second, which means we were all smart enough to make it.  Now the competition is even higher to not be in the lowest 10% of the class.  Thus far, I have passed all of my exams so I'm hoping that I'm not down in the hole of misery.

I moved into my new apartment and Kona is getting much bigger.

  We had a visitor at our house a few weeks ago.  He's now dead, thanks to half a can of BOP and the end of a broom.

I decided I would rather not keep her as a pet.

Mom and I have been trying to figure out our December break and hopefully, all you can make it out on the cruise with you.  It would be so amazing to see all of you and just relax, which is something I'm pretty sure I've forgotten how to do.

Off to study for Physiology.  Love you all

No longer a Firstie.

Hello all.  I'm writing you from my bedroom, in AMERICA!  I have finally finished first semester and made it home for Christmas break.  So much as happened in the last few weeks...
We all survived our first round of final exams.  The stress, the long nights, the back to back exams were just as bad as everyone said they would be.  But we all made it through.  The last day of finals, my roommate and I moved to our new apartment, which means I had to remove my wallpaper (which I did so gladly):



























We all learned more information in the last 14 weeks than I feel I have learned in all my years of school combined.  Our professors shoved information into our brain and expected us to regurgitate every detail that was taught.  And we all did it.  My entire group passed first semester and I'm so proud of all of them.

Friday, I got on a plane and got off the rock.  I landed in Miami, chowed down Chili's, and waited for my connecting flight to Baltimore.  The flight was delayed two hours due to mechanical issues.  I was supposed to land in Baltimore at midnight, catch a cab, and stay in a hotel until the next morning.  When I landed at 2am, my parents and sister were there and I was completely shocked.  I had no idea and it was truly the best Christmas present ever.  I wasn't shocked that they were there but because I had absolutely no idea that this was planned, yet everyone else on the planet did.

I got to spend the next morning with Sara, Hunter, Cooper, and Jeff and it was so nice catching up with family.

After going to the fire station and out to lunch, my family and I headed back to the airport.  My parents and sister were on a different flight back to Detroit than I was.  Their flight had no difficulties... mine again was delayed two hours because of the snow in New York.  So I turned on my St. Kitts patience, enjoyed an Arby's sandwich, and parked myself in between two trash cans and surfed the web.  I finally landed in Detroit at 8:30ish and made it home by 10:00 pm.  I got to see my Kodi monster and took a long bubble bath and finally fell asleep in my centipede-less, sand-less bed.  It's so nice being home but it's weird not having to use my brain or stress every minute.  I'm just using this time to prepare myself for next semester.  It's amazing how we just finished finals and three weeks later, we have to start all over again, from week 1.
We all survived first semester, which means we all know what it takes to survive second-tenth.  I'm so happy to be home and thankful for my friends and family who kept me sane.  I'm off to go shopping today for Christmas clothes and last minute Christmas present shopping.   So happy to be home.

Almost There.

Hello,

My mother has informed that I've been neglecting my updates but I promise I have been for good reason.  Veterinary School has hit us all in full force.  We have one more midterm to take (Microanatomy on Monday) and then we're in the final stretch, heading straight for finals.  I have approximately 1,500 powerpoint slides to learn just for my exam on Monday.  The time that I get to sleep is not productive sleep, even after taking my sleeping pills and two Tylenol PM because the stress just keeps you up all night.  I'm becoming the unibomber again with strange writing and charts covering my walls in my bedroom, making up for the lack of wallpaper.
My roommate and I got a new apartment for next semester and we're excited to move in. The puppy is doing well, getting bigger, and is definitely a troublemaker.  But he's really good to study on when he's behaving or sleeping.  Here's him and I in his first time in a pool.

The past few weeks, we got to dissect the thorax and abdomen of our dog, which was incredibly exciting.  Probably more than it should be.  Especially the cracking of the ribs and the sternum...that was my favorite part.  We found out our dog has whipworms today when we cut the cecum open.  I also got to learn how to differentiate heart and lung sounds during small animal palpation today.
During our Introduction to Veterinary Medicine class this week, we had a guest speaker talk to us about how to not be poor, living in student debt for the rest of our lives.  That was encouraging :)
In Microanatomy, our next exam consists of "Blood/Hematopoeisis, Lymphatic System, Respiratory System, Digestive System, and Endocrine System".
In Nutrition, we just finished our midterm, where we had to identify different grass and seeds that farm animals would eat, including how much energy, fiber, protein, etc. is in each.  That was not fun.  Now we're learning about feeding cows, which has no use to me but I'm doing my best to pay attention.
In Physiology, 1/3 of the class failed our last midterm exam.  I somehow passed and have no idea how I did so.  The test was very unfairly written and we're hoping that our final exam will be a lot easier.  We're studying respiratory system.
In other news, today on the St. Kitts radio, they announced how to properly get rid of your waste water and how to return your library books.  Yes, I guess they have a library here.
The weather here is wonderful.  It's about 80 degrees everyday, low humidity, with an awesome breeze.  We're finally out of hurricane season and we're enjoying it.  We spent last Sunday at the beach with the dogs, getting burnt.  Because there was a cruise ship in port that day, we got to talk to a lot of tourist with the most popular question being "Do you LIVE here?!" It was incredibly relaxing and a much needed beach day.  The mudslide and chicken fingers helped too.
Yesterday, we went to see Harry Potter and we got it here about 6 hours before the States.  And the entire movie theater was sold out, all by Ross students.   It was amazing.

So I've basically learned how to survive with incredibly high cortisol levels and I'm sure I'll feel the effects of that when I go home in a month.  I've informed my family that I plan on sleeping for 24 hours straight the day I get home.  I live day to day, class to class, studying when I have time, and attempting to sleep when I'm sick of studying.  Tonight, it's Friday night and I'm spending it in my room, studying.  I think I'll figure out a way to get the sand out of my bed and I need to find a store that sells toothbrushes.

All is well.  Miss you all.  Be home in 30 days.

Round Two

Hello all.
It's Saturday, October 23rd.  We are all preparing for our second round of block exams, with our Microanatomy exam on Wednesday, Anatomy and Physiology the week after that, and then Nutrition.  However, we do have our "mid-semester" break this weekend, which means we have Monday off.  But I guess that just means more time to sit around and study.  We're having our "family" dinner on Monday so I get to cook my hamburgers from back home.  I'm excited to eat food that somewhat resembles a normal meal.  Tomorrow, I'm spending a few hours at the beach then back to studying.  I think I may make it to the beach on Monday as well.  I need that Vitamin D.
In other news, my roommate and I found a new apartment for next semester and hopefully for the rest of the time I'm here.  It's brand new, two bedrooms, two and a half bath, with two balconies.  Just if it was over looking the ocean.  But we're excited.
My roommate also adopted a 5-week old puppy.  So I've become an aunt again.  I'm constantly reassuring myself and my family that it is NOT my puppy.  But he's a cutie and he provides some entertainment during the study breaks.

I'm off to bed early tonight, partially because I'm sick of studying and because I want to get up early and head to the beach.  We've had good weather the past few weeks without an tropical storms but I hear that there's a few forming out in the ocean right now.  I guess we'll wait and see.  A hurricane would be rather nice, say on Wednesday this week when I have my Microanatomy exam.  Maybe?

Miss you all.

Midterms.

It's Wednesday, October 6th and I'm sitting in a coffeehouse.  There's basically a hurricane going on outside (I'm exaggerating but there's definitely a tropical depression) and it's been raining for 4 days straight.  Everything is flooding, mudslides have occurred, we don't have internet at the house, the ocean is incredibly angry and spewing sand at everything.  All of us are happy because last year, they built a "by-pass" a.k.a. the only highway on the island that goes from Frigate Bay (my town) to school.  That way, we don't have to drive through the city.  They have roads that turn into giant rivers, usually resulting in cars drifting into the ocean.
It's been a while since I've posted.  We had three midterms so far and one more next Wednesday. I passed my microanatomy exam with a B and I'm rather pleased with that.  We had our three hour anatomy exam this past Monday, which started at 7am.  We get our results back tomorrow and I'm pretty nervous for them. Today, we had our physiology exam.  All of us just crammed for it because we were so busy studying for our anatomy exam.  But I'm pretty sure I got an A on it.   But I don't want to get my hopes up.
Things that I miss from the United States- McDonald's French Fries.  Taco Bell.  Street Lights.  Pandora/Hulu.  Climbing into bed without checking for centipedes.  Washing a load of clothes without the fear that the washer will flood everywhere.  Real home cooked meals instead of microwavable dinners.  Milk that doesn't expire the next day.  Or two days early, the day after you bought it like today.  Not seeing stray dogs on the side of the road.  Not dodging goats/pigs/dogs/cows while driving.  A room not full of sand.

Today, I was standing in line for lunch and the girl behind me was complaining about how cold it is.  Today, the high temperature was 86 degrees.  I get that it's raining but don't be a drama queen.  We're all really excited to watch the Michigan State/Michigan football game this weekend.  That's after our Nutrition review 10-12 and Nutrition Mock exam 12-2.

I have to get back to studying.  I hope everything's good with everyone back home.  Love you all.