The Life Of A Hermit

This weekend at Adoption Day, we adopted out three dogs, and possibility three cats.  Sadly, the rest of the weekend I was just on campus studying.

Monday was my Pharm and Animal Behavior exam with an hour between the two.  So I celebrated being done with them by studying for my viro exam.
Tuesday and Wednesday I was up until 1am studying and the stress was starting to hit because because I really wasn't tired.  I had to actually force myself to sleep.  Everyone is so stressed about this exam because we only have two exams in this class and it's 50% of our grades....talk about pressure!

Viro exam on Thursday!  I was of course exhausted the rest of the day, but wasn't able to go home and get a nap until 5pm because of classes.
Friday and this weekend there will plently of sleep, relaxation, maybe some beach time, and sleeping!  Saturday is the pink semester Woofstock event.  I will be helping to work that and of course playing with all the dogs!  Mid semester break is already here!  I can't believe it's the middle of the semester already; I feel like we just started.  On Monday, a group of us are going to do the crater hike!  I'm very excited to cross that off the St. Kitts bucket list!

Here's our St Kitts/Nevis Bucket List so far:
 -Go on a rum run
-Go paddleboarding
-Go on a catamaran trip
-Stay at the Marriott and Four Seasons
-Do a hash
-Go skydiving
-Go horseback riding on the beach
-Eat French restaurant, vegan place, White House Bay, Nirvana, Marshalls, Beach House, Serendipity Carambola, Spice Mill
-Go out every night of the week
-Do the crater hike, sugar cane hike, radiotower hike, bat cave hike
-Go to town market on Saturday morning
-Go on a night dive
-Go to Lobsterfest
-Go deep sea fishing
-Graduate from RUSVM!

 

It Never Ends

Monday morning, we started our research set up by labeling papers and fecal tubes and rubber banding them together.  At lunch I meet with my bact teacher in order to go over my exam and see what I got wrong.  I stayed on campus to study that night, which I will probably be doing all week.
We had another Woodstock meeting on Tuesday morning before viro class.  At lunch, we had our first research information meeting giving the qualifications of the study for anyone who wants to bring their cat's fecal sample in.  That afternoon was an exciting one with double bact and another viro lecture (sarcasm).
On Wednesday, our path class was canceled since our teacher's flight was delayed, so  it was a full day of bact (lab in the morning, double class in the afternoon).  I studied viro with a few people after class and then had a pharm tutor session.  I also stopped by the Wedge on the way home b/c I've been craving chips and salsa all week! Yum!
I went to the gym as usual on Thursday morning, but then I ran to the bank and the store as well.  There was a surgery club lunch and learn about Prophylactic Gastropexy which was pretty interesting.  I applied and got the aviary manager position I applied for.  I am one of the three people that will be taking care of the birds in our campus aviary, cleaning it out, and helping to schedule the 4th semesters for the aviary rotation.  I am very excited to get started!
Sadly, Friday is not the start of my weekend as it usually is.  I have another research information meeting at lunch, a meeting with my path teacher, and a quick game of volleyball so then I can study the rest of the night.
This whole weekend I will be studying for three tests with a few review sessions, and PAWS' second adoption day on Saturday.

And The Exams (aka Lack Of Sleep) Begin!

I was unforanutely slighty congested over the weekend, so that made it harder to focus on studying, but I took tons of zinc and vitamin C, so hopefully I will feel better soon.

Our first Pathology exam was on Monday morning.  I also had to redo my clinical skills lab that day, since they wanted a group of us to have some more practice with it. Then it was on to studying for the next exam.
Tuesday and Wednesday was full of class and studying.  Tuesday night was a bovine club dinner that we stuffed ourselves at like we do every semester.  Jess' landlord's dog had 11 puppies, so we took a short trip to go see them.  They are so tiny and cute! 

Our Bacteriology exam was on Thursday and another clinical skills lab, which I did much better on this time around.  It was with suture and instruments.  Instead of having my viro tutor on Wednesday, since we had our exam today, I had my tutor session today.  To celebrate the week of exams being over, Alex and I went to see Hangover 3 with some pizza and margaritas.  It was such stupid humor, but I don't think I laughed that much in a long time!
Friday is volleyball and I can actually make both of my games, since I'm on two teams.  Usually they play around the same time.
This weekend, I will just be studying and preparing for my upcoming two tests in the next two weeks.

Rain Rain Go Away

We lost our first volleyball game on Friday, but we had so much fun doing it in the pouring rain!  On Saturday during Open House, a student came over to us to tell us that she found a kitten outside of the dorms and was keeping it in her dorm room.  PAWS of course, took it in, but luckily it already has a home.  The rest of the day I  helped a friend study for her Physiology exam (everyone knows how much we all love physio here).  A friend had her birthday dinner at Spice Mill, which was amazingly good food and drinks.  Then on Sunday, at PAWS Adoption Day, we adopted out one of our older dogs which was great!  No cats though :(  That night, there was a pot luck dinner at a friend's house.


I think it has rained every day this semester so far....welcome to hurricane season (again).
We gave our Necropsy presentation on Monday which I think went pretty well.  Unfortunately, that night, I went to make pancakes for my breakfast for the next day, and there were bugs.  It was a brand new box.   Then I went to check my breadcrumbs to double check, bugs. Half full container. I decided to check tea and sugar and flour. Bugs, bugs, bugs. The flour was a brand new package, I used it once. SO sick of this.
Tuesday there was a surgery club meeting about laser surgery at lunch that I went to.  I also stayed after class to study pathology and bacteriology with some friends.
On Wednesday, Pink semester (my semester) had our multicultural bake sale that went very well.  I am doing another research project and had a meeting for that at lunch.  I am doing a project on Trichuris spp in cats with Dr. Jennifer Ketzis (whom I did the chicken and lice research with), Dr. Mary Pieria, and Dr. Shell.  I had two tutor sessions that afternoon.
Thursday, I met with the pink fundraiser for our Woofstock event that we will be putting on over Midsemester break in order to raise money for our class.  It will basically be a big dog field day with competitions, bathes, and nail trims.  There was another tutor session that afternoon that I went to in order to prepare for my pathology exam on Monday. 
Alex and I ran to the bank and the store Friday morning before class.  After class, I studied with a few friends until the PAWS and SAFE meeting at 1pm.  Tonight will be an early night after volleyball so I can get some studying done.
This weekend will be full of tutor sessions and studying for Pathology on Monday and Bacteriology on Thursday.

Disney Rum Run/Beachfest

Friday was the Disney rum run and everyone looked so good and was so creative!  There was Lilo, two Pocahontas' and John Smith, Jasmine, Alice, Belle, Maid Marian and Peter Pan, Tiana, Rapunzel, Tinkerbell, Jessica Rabbit, Meg, Princess Leia, Arel, Esmeralda, Mickey and Minnie, Mr and Mrs Incredible, Gaston, Mad Hatter, Tony Stark, a pirate, and probably some others that I missed.

 Saturday was Beachfest!

 

Sunday, I met with my necropsy group to work on the paper, did laundry, and caught up on work.

Monday, I studied in the morning, had class from 1-5pm, met with one of PAWS' new foster to bring her supplies, Skyped with Bethany, and worked some more on our necropsy paper.
I had a very long day on Tuesday.  I had class from 9-4pm, with a PAWS meeting at lunch.  My necropsy group then decided to get together again to hopefully finish our paper and presentation.
Wednesday was another even longer day.  I had my first bacteriology lab class from 8-10am, then a break, then class from 1pm to 4pm, followed by a virology tutor session at 4pm and a pharmacology tutor session at 5:30pm.  One of our new PAWS kittens isn't doing well and is at the clinic hopefully getting better!
There was an avian club meeting and my first clinical skills class of the semester on Thursday.  The avian club needs a few club officer positions filled....hmmm....I'm debating....I'm doing a lot this semester and I like it!
There is a VIDA meeting as well as volleyball on Friday! I am apparently signed up for two different teams, so hopefully they won't play each other!
There is a Open House for the university on Saturday that PAWS will have a booth at that I will work from 10-11am and then my friend is having a birthday dinner at Spice Mill.  Our first PAWS adoption day on Sunday and then some friends are having people over for a potluck that night.  Busy busy busy!
 

Julia's Graduation

This weekend Julia graduated from undergrad at UNC!  Congratulations! It was great to see all my family, stocked up on some delicious food, and do a little bit of shopping.

 

I flew back on Monday and slept most of the flight.  I got back to St Kitts around 2pm, did a little unpacking and then went to my 4pm Animal Behavior class.
Tuesday was the club fair, so PAWS was able to get some more fosters signed up.  We also had a PAWS officer meeting that night.
On Wednesday I had a SVCEES meeting to decide if I wanted to join again and also my first tutor session for Virology that night.  We had a double pharmacology class as well.
Thursday was my necropsy day!  Yay to getting it done early in the semester!The case was a dog that presented DOA with a distended abdomen, foaming at the mouth, and unproductive retching.  The owner thought the dog was poisoned, however we found no evidence of how the dog died.  After 3 hours of class in the same room, I had to wait another hour until the Scuba club meeting until I could go home.
I went to port to pick up my package from Taylor on Friday.  Yay!  It was a total surprise, thank you! This morning was "physio without pain" which is basically Dr. Reich's way of teaching us more without having an actual class or grade to worry about. Tonight there is a Disney rum run and I will be dressed as Lilo. 
This weekend is also beachfest!  I will be getting my tan on, on Saturday, and then catching up/getting ahead with some work on Sunday.

I have finished the video from our Africa trip!  Check it out here: ACE video

Start of Third Semester

On Sunday, I was a bit jet-lagged unpacked, checked in for the semester, and got organized for the start of 3rd semester! (Finally)  I went out to dinner with friends to catch up on everyone's break.

This semester I am taking Pathology, Virology, Bacteriology, Pharmacology, and Animal Behavior.  Here is my schedule, although the first couple of weeks are a little different.  I have the bacteriology lab on Wednesday, so I will have Friday afternoons free. Animal behavior is an elective, so that's why it's not shown on the schedule.

Monday :10-11am Pathology Lab, 2-3pm - Virology, 3-4pm - Pathology, 4-5pm - Animal Behavior
I am already getting into the routine of getting to the gym at 7am this semester.  This way I also have some time to study after the gym and before class starts.  I always hate the start of the semester because you find out who is still in school and who has either failed out or failed back.  I always end up losing friends and incredibly hard to see them go.

Tuesday: 11-12pm - Virology, 1-2pm Bacteriology, 2-4pm Pathology
I cleaned out the FCP room from where all our PAWS cats stayed over the break.  I've already had several people contacting me about wanting to adopt cats, so we are off to a good start!  Iron Man 3 is playing here, so I saw that with some friends Tuesday night.

Wednesday: 1-2pm Bacteriology, 2-4pm Pathology
I've been continuing to update pictures and make a video montage of our Africa trip.  There are so many pictures!  I'm beginning to get sick of looking at them.

Thursday: 1-2pm Pathology, 2-3pm Bacteriology, 3-4pm Virology
To celebrate Ashley's birthday, a group of us went out to sushi! Yum!

Friday: 10-11pm Bacteriology, 11-12pm Pathology, 2-3pm - Essential Veterinary Skills
Unfortunately, I will be missing the veterinary skills class and Mr. Ross because I will be catching a flight to Chapel Hill to surprise Julia for her graduation!  Pretty sure she already knows I'm coming, but let's try to keep it a surprise anyway.

So this weekend, I will be with my family (including grandma and aunts) celebrating Julia's graduation.  I can't wait to tell everyone about my trip and so them all the pictures!