Where does the time go?!

It has been just about 20 days since my last post!  Where the heck does the time go?!  Oh wait, I know, it goes to that little thing I like to call vet school.  And I still wouldn't change a thing!

I am staring down the barrel of week 6 (next week!) and I can't believe it!  It feels like I just got here, just moved in.  Some days it feels like I just got my acceptance and was trying to figure out what I was going to do.  

Things with school have gotten more intense, which I expected.  Last week my group was the presenting group for the course called structure and function, which is a case based learning class.  We picked a tough topic to explore and present on based on things we needed to learn more about or understand from that weeks case- one that we had to delve deeper into and understand more than the rest of the class.  Despite having a full course load we met every single night after classes last week doing research and then compilation and practice presentations... we talked to the professors, we talked to friends and classmates.  It was by and large the most work I've put into vet school thus far.  I hate presenting to a class.  At this point in time I've done enough presentations to know I survive them, but I also can't usually calm my nerves beforehand and I almost never sleep well the night before.  What happened to being a young kid who loved getting on a stage and performing?!  Ya, I wish I had the comfort level that some people have, but I don't.  Ah well... regardless our presentation went well enough.  We talked a little long, picked a topic a little too broad but answered a lot of questions we were asked, and we all made it through.  I really like my group for this class (thank goodness because we will be staying that way for the whole year).  It's a rare occurrence in a group setting where you don't have too many strong personalities and know-it alls.  My group is a good mix- we all contribute thoughts and we all work to make sure the rest of the people in the group understand the problems we are working with.  I'm fortunate! 

I can't believe that we are coming up on Thanksgiving already!  Wait, don't call me a liar yet!  Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving in October- this year it is October 8th!  I get that day off from school but I won't be too excited because Oct. 10th we have midterms starting.  We still have all our regular classes but midterms run every other day (I think) while the other classes are still going on- one class  midterm that is every other day... this is fair warning for everyone who likes to contact me or is used to hearing routinely from me, I will be running on little sleep some times during that two week time period, and I will likely not have a lot of free time to chat or do other miscellaneous things... it is hard to keep up with regular school work let alone intensively studying for a midterm.  Most classes have 2 grades- midterms and finals.  It means I have very few chances for screw ups.  Please don't worry I PROMISE if I take study breaks or have free minutes I'll return phone calls! 

Aside from studying and school work I have paid my dues to two clubs- Shelter medicine and Pathology.  I have not heard anything as of yet from Canine Med club, and just barely heard from Internal Medicine Club (but just for a presentation, which was actually postponed anyways.)  I really am excited about Shelter Med club, and I have already signed up to help out in October with a Microchipping clinic (since I've chipped dogs and cats before, and I can restrain animals!) so that is something I look forward to!  

Lastly the school is having an open house this weekend for kids and their families.  Each class is responsible for certain aspects of the open house.  My class is responsible for balloon animals and face painting, and also an anatomy lab tour where the kids "walk through the stomach of a ruminant", and see different set up bones and cool things.  I signed up to help for the last hour of the anatomy tour-- hopefully I can make it through (it does involve kids afterall... BUT at least the kids won't be expecting me to make art on their faces!)  After the open house at dinner time a bunch of us are planning to go out for dinner to a restaurant on the island... then that night there is a benefit dance for the boyfriend of a girl in our class who is struggling with cancer.  Should be a busy Saturday! 

Time to go study Immunology... if I can bring myself to do it!

Two weeks in!

Today was the end of the second week of vet school!  I am so excited to be going to class every day and learning practical things!  It got old in undergrad learning about things like calculus-- I mean really, why do I need to know that?  Even though the work load has increased this week with group work, class work, clubs and life in general I still love being in school.  I know that not every week is going to be easy (in fact, I rather feel that school will just continue to get harder) but I really enjoy it!  

So whats a typical day like in the life of this 1st year vet student?  Well, every day has subtle differences but here's an overview:

6:30AM- Alarm goes off for the first time

6:39AM- Alarm goes off for the second time, out of bed! (Well, that's the plan anyways)

6:40-7:45AM- Morning routine stuff, usually involving breakfast, a shower and the news

7:45-8AM- Commute to school.  I am still trying to figure out the way they drive up here... mostly because the speed limit says 70 kilometers/hr and they are doing like 90... and if I am not doing 90 I get honked at... but sometimes they are soooo slow.  Just never know!

8-8:30AM- Prep for first class of the day.  Sometimes this is just as simple as putting my butt in a seat... some days it involves remembering text books or chatting with group members.

8:30-9:20AM- Some days this is Intro to Vet Med- which is an introduction to the school, veterinary medicine, and the classmates/teachers.  It doesn't require a lot of work though currently we have group projects we are working on.  On Monday's this is Structure and Function which is a course designed to integrate all our other classes in a case based learning scenario.  We work in groups in this class as well to put together diagnoses and cases based on facts presented to us.  We have only done a trial case so far- Monday starts the real cases... and it is going to be intensive.  On Friday AM's the first class is Immunology. More on that in a bit. 

9:20AM-12:20PM- This chunk of time has a variety of classes that could be taking place, or as is the case on Friday we have a 2 hour break and then a class, then lunch.  Generally this time is filled with Animal Behavior and Welfare- which is pretty straight-forward, somedays it consists of Histology which is my personal favorite course (also known as Microscopic Anatomy), some days it is Physiology- which I can tell is going to be one of the toughest courses of the semester.  Animal Production might be taking place which is a class focusing on production systems in various animals- including aquaculture!  This is the meat of the day, and we spend a good chunk of it writing or typing notes as fast as possible!

12:20-1:30PM- LUNCH!  I know some people use this window to study but I am not programmed that way... I like my lunch time to relax, regroup, and hang out without having to study something.  Sometimes down the road this spot will be filled with club meetings!  I have signed up for path club, canine medicine club, shelter medicine club and internal medicine club.   

1:30PM-2:30, 3:30 or 4:30PM- Depending on the day after lunch is usually a lab period, or a little more lecture.  On Monday's we do Macroscopic Anatomy lab which is our dissection, and we do this til 4:30.  It is a great hands on learning experience.  On Tuesdays we have Histology lab- which is a lot of microscope and/or digital slide work to learn the various structures.  This is my favorite-- well, it is tied with anatomy.  On Wednesdays we have Immunology lecture which is exactly as it sounds... this course is hyper-detailed but dry (at least to me) as I've had overview of the material before, and the professor is not my favorite lecturer.  We have Structure and function on Wednesdays also.  On Thursdays we do more Anatomy and on Fridays we have structure and function presentations.  

4:30PM-5:30PM- I always give myself this hour to decompress and not study if possible.  Sometimes the hour is earlier if I get out of class earlier, but regardless I like to have time not to be studying or I will burn out and stop studying all together.  I find that this is a good time to chat with friends and family etc.

5:30PM-7:00PM- Studying- rereading lecture notes, doing further research, reading for classes the next day, making notecards or highlighting text books.

7:00PM-7:30PM- Dinner... hey everyone has to eat!

7:30PM-10:30PM- Study some more.  Sometimes depending on the day's course load I break for a TV show or something else.  

10:30-11PM: Pre-bed time routine... watch crappy tv,, chat online, relax, read.

So there you have it!  I should mention that we also have an every other week Wednesday AM lab- but when that lab is not in session you get to sleep in since class doesn't start til 1:30!  Of course I usually fill that time studying.  That's vet school- study til you drop :)  Saturdays I think will have a chunk of time spent in the anatomy lab... it is difficult to do careful dissections and get everything done cleanly and well in the time frame allotted so we make up with extra time outside of class.  

Side notes: 1.) I want to thank Nikki and her mom for their very thoughtful and overly packed full care package :)  It was a nice icing to a good week, and it means a lot that they are thinking of me!    

2.) One of my favorite crappy TV shows is Big Brother-- getting seriously close to the end!! Any other fans out there?

3.)  Next week one track of the two current Atlantic hurricanes (Leslie and Michael) has them colliding and creating quite a windy storm up here!  If it happens I will be traveling to go see some ocean waves I hope, and I will post pictures!  

4.)  I promise if you message me or call me and I am eyeballs deep in studying, I will get back to you-- it might not be that hour or the next few hours... I will hopefully be able to do it that day-- but I make no promises other than I will get back to you!  Life gets a little crazy sometimes :)