mheh.

so i seriously want for this to be over... Basic sciences suck. That is what I have decided... and they especially suck when you go through them as fast as we do here. My next mini is in less than 2 weeks and I'm starting to freak out a little. I just study as much as I possibly can and hope that it will be enough... but I still have a hard time accepting that I cant learn everything that I need to- and I'm working on not feeling overwhelmed with the amount of things that I still need to learn for the test. Its just a lot of stuff. So so much stuff.

My life has been pretty boring as of late. I bought some crackers, tuna, seasoning, and butter from the store. The rest of the stuff I want I'll pick up on Saturday. The market is definitely cheaper than the store for fruits and veggies and eggs. So I will just go there early on Saturday morning. Then go to the gym, shower, and go to some tutoring sessions before spending the rest of my day studying. What a life. I feel like shampoo- lather rinse repeat. Just replace lather and rinse with study and sleep and you've got it.

I'll try to post some pictures up here (actually I HAVE tried, but my computer is a butt). Dont get your hopes up though.

~Kristen

Happy I feel Fat Tuesday!

Stuff just keeps piling up.... such is life I guess. I just wasnt and still arent adjusted to the overwhelming workload that medschool is. I study for what seems to me- all the time... I consider 10 hour days of studying all the time... and then feel remorseful when I didnt study more because I was tired or just couldnt do it anymore... enough is enough some days.

I complain far to often, but when all I do is study- its easy to complain about it :-)

Some stuff I forgot to mention last time- I saw an iguana... a real life wild freaking iguana. Just chillin by the sidewalk. It was crazy! and then on my way back to the Annex, I saw a hummingbird.

I went to Powderpuff practice on Sunday and will be part of the O-Line. On Saturday I went to the market for the first time ever and got some fruit, nutella like spread, and some fresh eggs. I'm happy to have the eggs (which I didnt know how to hard boil without looking it up first- in case you were wondering- 10 minutes in boiling water).

Carnival was yesterday (Monday) but apparently it was really weird this year meaning that they had all of the parades in Portsmouth starting at 4Am and by 9am, there was just one truck left.... so bust there. But I did hear the drums and music at 730am when I went to the gym- so I believe that they started and finished early. For my Carnival I had a study day- which so did most of the rest of the student body- I would say 95%.

I was going to go to the grocery store today and by some food stuffs- like fish, salt, pepper, butter... but realized that I had forgot my wallet... and the bank is closed- and I didnt feel like going back and forth 2 extra times to get my money and stuff so that will be pushed to tomorrow.

I dont really think that anything else interesting has happened. I study alot, and still havent really touched on anatomy which is bad- so I must do that this evening... AFTER I master physiology from the day though. I hate feeling overwhelmed so I have to stay on top of the days lectures or else I will totally loose it.

Last thing- I think my powderpuff nickname will be Krakatoa. I like it, and it will fit nicely on the back of a shirt.

Peace out!
Kristen

Ok... ok... so I freak out sometimes.

This was by far the most prompt we have gotten exam scores back... and drum roll please....................................... I got an A! Yup, all of the unnecessary freaking out after the fact for nothing... And I really dont know why I freaked out in the first place- because going in, I knew that I definitely knew my shit. I knew it sideways and slantways and longways and backways... and frontways and squareways- and any other way that the Wonkavator can travel... I knew it. So yeah... I knew it- and I got an A. Now my anatomy grade thus far is also an A because this grade brought it up. Its barely an A- one point or less on the border, but right now- its an A.

OH, this is mostly for Mike because he asked- PAcE is the honors program here. Basically, they market it as a self teaching (they call it learn at your own pace or something like that) that makes it so you dont ever have to go to class or even Cadaver lab... You dont even have to come to campus if you dont want to. You can stay at home all day long and watch the lectures from your computer. Keep in mind that the whole rest of the campus also has this option- only that they have to be using a school server to access the lecture material. Personally I hate having to stare at my computer for 3 hours straining to see where the gd cursor is (that is if the camera guy is attentive or quick enough to pan to the overhead screen- which most of the time he isnt). The only benefit is getting to take a quiz every other week that sort of lets you know where you stand- knowledge retention wise and how much you really need to get your ass in gear. The other part of PaCE is that you are only in Dominca for 2 semesters and then they ship you off to their brand new Bahamas branch for the last 2 semesters. So clearly if you go to the Bahamas you better like only watching lectures and not going to class. The problem with the Bahamas campus is that nobody here really knows if its accredited or not. The rumor mill is going full blast and to be quite honest, I doubt I will go there because I dont want to risk the chance of that campus not being fully accredited. And I like going to class and my friends, except one, are not in PaCE so they will not be going... so I would be all lonely in the Bahamas which would be not fun at all.

I have a shit ton of studying to do this weekend, but what else is knew right. HA! thats all we do :-), but it seems to be working. Also, I will let you know how Carnival pans out, but its mostly a big deal in the larger cities- so Rossau and Portsmouth.. so there may not be a parade or a bunch of drunks here.

I'm going to the market tomorrow because I need food. All I have left is one frozen banana. Luckily I have friends that feed me- so for dinner tonight Merhunisa made me an egg sandwich with Bosnian sausage. It was very very good. I dont remember what the sausage was called, but it was like a hard salami and I really <3 class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">Ghirardelli chocolate with caramel that she gave me- and which I ate later ( I shared it), but she just kept whipping out the deserty items... so before I left I had eaten two lindor truffles, some crackers with nutella, and another Bosnian dessert that was- well the only way I know how to describe it is- a banana flavored circus peanut covered in chocolate.

I guess its time for me to get back the the ole bump and grind of a lively Friday night of studying.

~Kristen

Make stupid mistakes in a lab practical day...

Well my first anatomy lab practical is now over, and I know that I made some pretty stupid mistakes... I mean come on. Just stupid little things- and then were was the stuff that I flat out didnt know. I better damn well have passed it... I did way to much second guessing myself, but we'll see when the grades come out I guess. Just shit. Thats how I feel about this whole thing... A big bunch of well I sure messed that up. Oh well.

Maybe I'm making something out of nothing and I did just fine. Like I said, well find out when the grades come out.

Other than that, a pretty uneventful day of more studying... actually I'm still not done watching class right now, so I have to finish that.

Just a big ole bunch of ugh... the more I look up answers on the internet, the more I know I got wrong... so just ugh

~Kristen

Answer- Its a soul eater

What is Anatomy? Thats CORRECT!!!! The first anatomy lab practical is tomorrow and man have I been studying that... I even made my mom (thanks btw) help me study the brachial plexus and axillary artery on the phone last night. Its hard to study that kind of stuff from a book, especially when the answers are all right there- for me it helps to talk stuff out. So thats what we did, and I knew that beast pretty darn well (only a few stumbles).

Me and Blerina are going into the lab one last time this afternoon- just to do a run through of everything, by this time cramming is useless- either you know it or you dont and you have tonight to work out the small details that you don't know well. This week has basically been entirely dominated by Histology- embryology to be more specific, and it is hard so I've been making sure that I still take notes on the packets each day so that I dont feel too overwhelmed come the weekend. Good news is that the weekend is almost here- only 2 more days... and then we have Monday off because its a national holiday called Carnival. Its supposed to be absolutely crazy, so I will probably be no where near the craziness and either cooped up in my apartment or the annex (unless I decide to go to the beach).

Powderpuff starts on Sunday- so I think I'll go and see what thats about here... aparently its a big deal, and I mix sports a bit so what the hell right?

Lastly, I did circuit training on Tuesday and that was pretty darn hard... my abs hurt, and so do alot of other things... well anyways, its time to take a PACE quiz so I've got to go.

~Kristen

Histo Histo Histo!

(of course you must be thinking brady bunch, because thats how I always say it :-D)

ummm... tomorrow is the first of 2 histology lab exams... I'm pretty sure I know my stuff for it, so lets hope that I ace this bad boy. Unfortunately I can not say that I feel anywhere near as confident for my first anatomy lab practical that is on Thursday... Anatomy will be dominating most of my weekend for sure... I cant let the other stuff slide though, so I will work on it as well, but I am in for some long days I can tell you that much.

And considering that my anatomy grade wasnt as high as I would have liked it to be (not a big enough buffer) I neeeeeeeeeeed to do well on it too. Ugh... just a big ole batch of ugh. So think of me next week and pray that all of the necessary anatomical stuff will be there when I need it.

~Kristen

Take a breath and start all over again

So, its been quite awhile since I've posted, but lets face it... I've been BUSY STUDYING!!!!! all the time, every day (of course intermixed with freaking out). But, Mini 1 is over, and now I know what to expect for the next one. Basically, what everyone already said- "study the packets." And they were not kidding- at all... Nit picky freaking questions from once mentioned slides (if mentioned at all) and I was like- WHAT THE HELL.... really... what the hell. I may have actually said that during the test. Or at least muttered it- and then laughed. Which I am proud of myself for doing... not knowing an answer and laughing instead of having a meltdown because I did not know an answer. :-)

I tried to pump myself up before the test by listening to a massive amount of Hoku- Perfect Day- until my computer was out of batteries and I could no longer access youtube. Then I thought of any other songs that made me happy, and just thought of those going to the test, before the test, during the test... and AFTER the test I had one of the best workouts I had had in a long time. Just walked out all of the stress that was lingering within me.

It is unfortunate that we cant have even a little reprieve of studying though- Histology Lab exam is on Friday and I need to rock the shit out of it. 7% of my grade that I need to be an A! And then next week we have our first anatomy lab practical... which will most likely SUCK... because thats where they can ask what all of the little origins and insertions are and what is this nerve and what is this artery/vein... and let me tell you.... THEY ALL LOOK THE SAME... ALL OF THEM! veins, arteries, nerves... I want to go back and dissect the cat in high school again that has the blue and red silicone crap pumped into its arteries and veins so you know which is which... THOSE were the days. *sigh*

I tried mediasite-ing stuff today (which is where you can watch all of your lectures online). I'm not sure if I'm sold on it yet. Considering its 5 oclock and I still havent technically finished mediasite-ing yet.... BUT it was definitely useful for anatomy... They talk so fast that you try to write something down and you've already missed it. This way I can pause them and write it down, and then play it again.

The only draw back is that the people that go to class will all be done by noon... and I would get done at 1- if I started right at 9 and then didnt take any breaks or anything. It would take serious diligence, but if I want to go to the Bahamas, I need to start doing it.

Side note- Spare tires are hard to deflate... but I was walking home to shower after the gym this morning, and this guy on his front porch yelled "looking good!" which made me happy. pretty sure I said "getting there." Which I am. I dont notice it, but my friends say that I look taller and smaller at the waist. :-) It was a personal decision.... I am trying to be a doctor here... and I will NOT be a big ole fat doctor that tells my patients that they need to go on a diet and start exercising because they are unhealthy... nope... nope nope nope... It would be the same reason that if I smoked, I would stop because its unhealthy and you are trying to be a DOCTOR??!?!? and you smoke?!?!?! Some people... I just dont get it.

Well, now that I have sufficiently managed to not study for quite some time, I need to finish watching lecture and then make some sort of master document for my histology lab exam so I can ROCK IT!!!!

Also, Thank You for everybody that said a prayer for me and believed that I can do this. Thats probably my biggest problem... not believing in myself (so it helps that everyone else seems to believing in me for me... and I will do my ABSOLUTE BEST not to let you down.)

Much love,
Kristen

Its been awhile

So its been awhile since I posted, but thats because I have LOTS of stuff to do and limited time to do said stuff in. There is always something that I can be studying and when I stop I feel like I could be studying more... What I need to do is stop comparing myself to others (I have some friends that LIVE in the library- I consider an 18 hour day there living there), whereas I just try to put up a good 10-11 hours a day in. I have other things like eating and sleeping and trying to go to the gym that I need to do too.

My first test is in 8 days- February 9th and to be honest I'm quite freaked out by it. Only because since I study so much, if I bomb it, what do I change? I dont know. Just keep studying I guess. Hopefully once I jump this first educational, emotional, and mental hurtle my life will get a little better, but upper classmen have assured me that it doesnt. HA!

I did get to watch Nadal win the Australian Open today though- in the gym- I was multitasking. Then I tried to study more biochem and then spent 3.5 hours in the anatomy lab trying to learn that.

Now i need to study more biochem, histology, and anatomy. I was trying to make it so that I could possibly watch the superbowl but lets face it. That aint gonna happen.

I did buy a copy of Twilight today though. Apparently bootlegging is not illegal in Dominica. So when- notice i say WHEN i pass my first mini (so when i get the scores back) this will be my treat to myself.

Ross is just very stressful, and I'm very stressed... but the good news is so is everybody else.

Well like I said, I need to go study some more, and also hope hope hope that my package from home gets here tomorrow because this is my last day of toothpaste before I have to buy some. UGH. I just want that damn Crest to get here.

**also- sidenote- adding this after I posted this already... I really need a hug :-(