Sunday, March 30, 2008

Back from Spring Break-The Ides of March

Well it's the height of March Madness, spring break has come and gone, and feels as if it never was and just 4.5 weeks of classes left before exams. I am definitely tired out. Studying is more of a chore right now than particularly enjoyable. And while only a few weeks remain, more than a few exams still lurk in the future unfortunately.

Coming back from spring was difficult for me. I couldn't the sleep the first few nights, not due to stress but to due to reacclimation I suppose. I plowed through and have been sleeping better since Matt aka sleeping beauty, go back to Blacksburg. So clearly, it had something psychological to do with leaving my "home" in Nova. I have no idea why 1 week caused an entire re-adjustment to occur, but it did.

The week ended with an exciting meeting with my mentor on my sumer research. He picked my brain on my interests to target with his research background. He is extremely nice and got me excited about working this summer with other grad students, state of the art equipment, and exposure to as many types of research techniques as possible, both cellular and animal research.

This week will be long (2 exams), but interesting with a replay of the NAVC elephant in the room conference tomorrow night with VA legislators and veterinarians to discuss the future of the profession with respect to salaries and student loans.

The week will end with a 5K on Saturday in support of cancer and the open house, that I had attended 3 times before I was a vet student and now I will be on the other side of the table. I plan to help with electron microscopy tours, club selling tables, and a housing fair for the incoming class.

So here's hoping for a good week. I am still back in transition so I will have to take it slow and day by day to make it through. May 7 cannot arrive soon enough!

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Spring Break Bliss

While it isn't the most glamorous spring break, it has been a needed break from vet school. The week has flown by, with futile attempts to regain a social life, do some school work, clean my other home, and start on the spring yard work. Bits and pieces have been accomplished (as well as some quality reality tv viewing), but as always I am running out of time. It has been a treat to be home, trying out new recipes on my guinea pig husband, catching up on the outside world, and getting a full night's sleep every night.

Soon it will be nose to the grindstone once again, but with 5 weeks left I am beginning to smell the end of first year. I can anticipate how sweet it is going to taste.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

In the thick of it now

It is week 8 of the semester and could not be further from the middle of the semester and one of the toughest weeks. We have a nutrition final tomorrow and the dreaded parasitology midterm on Friday, which terrifies pretty much the entire class, myself included. I studied pro actively and hard for the first quiz and received my lowest vet school grade so far, so I am trying my best and hoping it will be good enough for Friday.

Everyone is tired and more than ready for spring break. Only 1.5 weeks stand between spring break and school,but that entails 3 tests and 1 quiz:( Not included any catch-up work if we don't want to spend all of spring break studying (which I do not!)

I will cease blabbering and put my nose back into my books for a few more hours.