The last time I sat down to write here it was a month into the semester--I never finished that post--and now we're just past midterms and creeping toward the 3-month mark.
Getting through midterms seems almost impossible now that I have time to stop and contemplate it. I'm not sure how I managed, to be honest. Midterms essentially went:
October 8 - anatomy exam 2 (I kicked butt)
October 13 - histo exam 2 (I did not kick butt but did pass)
October 14 - cell bio and med terms finals (I kicked butt on both)
October 21 - nutrition exam 1 (I so did not kick butt and consider myself lucky that I barely passed... it was NOT FUN)
October 29 - anatomy exam 3 (I did fairly well)
October 30 - radiology midterm (results pending)
It was one long month of studying for the next test. I've actually been studying in the library. I was in the building for 12 hours straight for the first time on the 28th... but, sadly, my productivity dropped significantly after last Thursday. Daylight savings time ending didn't help much either--it was dark when I left school at 4:30 today. Dark! At 4:30! At least it's light in the brief time I go outside each morning...
In other words, I really should be reading. Or something. But the motivation isn't quite what it needs to be.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
On the subject of OneNote
I received a free copy of OneNote my freshman year of undergrad and gave it a try. I was far from impressed; it felt clunky and was full of clunky text boxes that seemed to fill the screen rather than having a seamless word processor-like interface. I developed a burning hatred for those clunky text boxes. I seem to remember uninstalling it after less than a day and proceeded to avoid it like the plague.
So it may surprise you that I now use OneNote exclusively for my notes. It's still clunky if you wish to type and leaves those clunky text boxes--but the moment you flip your screen around and pull out the stylus the program becomes decidedly un-clunky and is almost magical. You can 'print' anything to it and insert picture clips from anywhere--very useful features for a veterinary student. Plus, carrying around a 4-5 pound computer is a lot more convenient than carrying around 9 different binders (or even just one giant one).
Its handwriting recognition certainly needs work, though, and it has a number of small, annoying features. Like autonomously labeling pages if you don't give them a title... for instance, a drawing of a shoulder joint doesn't spell anything, much less "SQ Booger," nor does "hinge joints only" spell "siamang." I will admit that the first made me giggle.
So it may surprise you that I now use OneNote exclusively for my notes. It's still clunky if you wish to type and leaves those clunky text boxes--but the moment you flip your screen around and pull out the stylus the program becomes decidedly un-clunky and is almost magical. You can 'print' anything to it and insert picture clips from anywhere--very useful features for a veterinary student. Plus, carrying around a 4-5 pound computer is a lot more convenient than carrying around 9 different binders (or even just one giant one).
Its handwriting recognition certainly needs work, though, and it has a number of small, annoying features. Like autonomously labeling pages if you don't give them a title... for instance, a drawing of a shoulder joint doesn't spell anything, much less "SQ Booger," nor does "hinge joints only" spell "siamang." I will admit that the first made me giggle.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Short reflection on the first week
I now have a ridiculously annoying internal alarm that blares study now or you're going to fail out! solely from being told countless times that I will fall behind if I don't study every night. What makes this even more frustrating is that I'm a champion study-the-night-before-er, aka a horrible studier.
Case point: I have studied every night since Monday and only three of those sessions have been productive (productive = I feel as if I learned something).
I am strangely unstressed by this. Frustrated, but unstressed.
Random notes: I only needed to bring lunch once, as pizza has been provided at each of the club meetings I've attended. Locker room lockers go very quickly. There is always a rush for the bathroom immediately after class. It's nice not having to carry 9 binders around. Our tablet PCs' batteries suck. And my cat likes to sleep on my head.
Finally, it has become glaringly obvious that the attention my dog needs and deserves is not compatible with the amount of studying I need to be doing. So he will be going back home as I'm sure he wants to. All I will say is that I tried--which is what I set out to do when I brought him up here--and that I know I'm making the right decision. But my home will be 95 pounds emptier come Tuesday.
Case point: I have studied every night since Monday and only three of those sessions have been productive (productive = I feel as if I learned something).
I am strangely unstressed by this. Frustrated, but unstressed.
Random notes: I only needed to bring lunch once, as pizza has been provided at each of the club meetings I've attended. Locker room lockers go very quickly. There is always a rush for the bathroom immediately after class. It's nice not having to carry 9 binders around. Our tablet PCs' batteries suck. And my cat likes to sleep on my head.
Finally, it has become glaringly obvious that the attention my dog needs and deserves is not compatible with the amount of studying I need to be doing. So he will be going back home as I'm sure he wants to. All I will say is that I tried--which is what I set out to do when I brought him up here--and that I know I'm making the right decision. But my home will be 95 pounds emptier come Tuesday.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Orientation
As orientation has come and gone, and the first day of classes begins in roughly 11 hours, I figured it was time to reflect on our 3-day introduction to ISU CVM. So here goes:
Reflection #1. It's generally not a good idea to go to bed after midnight when you have to wake up sometime between 6:00 and 6:30.
Reflection #2. I find it hard to believe that I'm the only INTJ in the class. Are we really that rare?
Reflection #3. Icebreakers and team-building activities can be really, really lame, but they actually do help you learn more about each other.
Reflection #4. Three days is not enough time to meet all 150 or so of your classmates. I think I've met like 50 (if that).
Reflection #5. Orientation is both exciting and absolutely exhausting. I've spent the past two days catching up on sleep.
Reflection #6. Even if your eyes are blurring with exhaustion and you would much rather be sleeping at the start of your White Coat Ceremony, you will get excited when it's your turn to be coated.
Reflection #1. It's generally not a good idea to go to bed after midnight when you have to wake up sometime between 6:00 and 6:30.
Reflection #2. I find it hard to believe that I'm the only INTJ in the class. Are we really that rare?
Reflection #3. Icebreakers and team-building activities can be really, really lame, but they actually do help you learn more about each other.
Reflection #4. Three days is not enough time to meet all 150 or so of your classmates. I think I've met like 50 (if that).
Reflection #5. Orientation is both exciting and absolutely exhausting. I've spent the past two days catching up on sleep.
Reflection #6. Even if your eyes are blurring with exhaustion and you would much rather be sleeping at the start of your White Coat Ceremony, you will get excited when it's your turn to be coated.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
An Introduction
So who is this mysterious person posting on the internet?
Well, to start, I'm a first year veterinary student (VM1) at Iowa State University who is intent on becoming a zoo/wildlife veterinarian. I live a hop, skip, and a jump from the vet school with my dog and my hyperactive kitten. I grew up in Iowa (well, for the most part) but was actually born abroad, which I'm sure had something to do with the urge to leave the country I get every few years and the desire to try my hand at international work. I also attended ISU for undergrad and graduated May 2008 with a B.S. in Zoology. That should be more than enough to identify me if you know me ;)
Well, to start, I'm a first year veterinary student (VM1) at Iowa State University who is intent on becoming a zoo/wildlife veterinarian. I live a hop, skip, and a jump from the vet school with my dog and my hyperactive kitten. I grew up in Iowa (well, for the most part) but was actually born abroad, which I'm sure had something to do with the urge to leave the country I get every few years and the desire to try my hand at international work. I also attended ISU for undergrad and graduated May 2008 with a B.S. in Zoology. That should be more than enough to identify me if you know me ;)
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