Worms, with Guns!

So I had to write a paper for Environmental Toxicology about the effects of firing range soil from a Fort Benning firing range on the survival and growth of earthworms. It was due this morning, so I spent most of my weekend polishing it up to turn it in. Then someone convinced the teacher to move the due date to Wednesday. I just had to get it out of my hands so I could move on to the next assignment I have to do, so I turned it in. I'm not sure if the worms disliked the soil because of toxicants, but they totally all tried to escape. We came into class the whole next week after setting up the experiment to find dried up dead worms all over the floor. This is the stuff that occupies the mind of a biology major.
My senior research project is still plodding along. It has been really slow due to malfunctioning of equipment, contamination, and pretty much clumsiness on my part. I did get some positive results in one experiment, but I still have to repeat it because of some wonky results in one concentration. We were supposed to do that today, but the cells weren't completely ready to be treated today. I'll be so glad to finish this up!
There's only a month and a half until the trip to Tanzania! I'm so excited! I've installed a Swahili app on my phone that sends me a word/phrase of the day. I know how to say "Call the doctor," "I think he has fainted," and "breast." I don't pick which words they send me, I just learn them as they come!
Graduation is looking to happen Spring of 2014. I was going to be finished this December, but I decided to take another run-through of Organic Chemistry 1 so that I could understand 2 come spring. It also looks like Micah (my son) and I will be doing Ochem together! Won't that be fun!
Just wanted to slap another update here. I've given up any kind of regular posting. :)
~Ciao!

A Little Help?

I have been very blessed that I get to go to Tanzania and the money has been provided to pay for the trip through grants, scholarships, and donations. Thanks to everyone who has helped out so far! There are a couple of scholarship applications still in the works, but those will not pay out before my trip actually happens. I have several items I have to purchase and I need to get a medical check-up and some preventative medications to take on the trip. I'm going to list the actual items I need, and maybe someone can loan some of them or maybe make a donation so I can purchase them. I am very excited about this trip, and I hope that everyone is as excited as I am!
Here's the breakdown:

Clothing Packing List
•    2 Long sleeved lightweight shirt for protection from the sun *all clothes should be muted colors, bright colors will scare away some animals or attract others…we don’t want either occurring!
•    1 Sweater / jacket for cold temperatures experienced at night
•    Hat (again sun protection, I also had a wool hat for warmth and gloves and long johns)
•    Bathing suit (if you stay in a lodge/hotel that has a swimming pool and would want to swim) – not required but an option if you want to get into the pool
•    Socks, undergarments (4 or 5 days’ worth, then plan to wash, most places offered clothes washing but you are charged a fee, in some places Maasi men did the laundry so no female undergarments were allowed…as I said, plan to wash in the sink
•    Belt (if preferred)
•    Sandals (flip flops) for wear during safari in the truck, if we stop and walk you will want hiking shoes and socks – the reason for flip flops or sandals is they don’t want you standing on the seats in the safari vehicles with your shoes on
•    Lightweight hiking shoes
•    2 Shorts/zip off pants (two pair) that convert into shorts are best, 3 -4 t-shirts, something to sleep in if preferred (your roommates might prefer!)
•    Sunglasses
•    Reading glasses (if you wear contacts bring glasses as it can be very dusty)
•    Remember: Bring enough clothing for the entire safari as you may not have them washed (most lodges do offer laundry service) *you can always wash clothes in your sink, we did
  
Personal items
•    Sunscreen / Sun block
•    Lip sun block
•    Toiletries such as toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shampoo *soap and shampoo are provided by all lodges, however, bring a small travel bottle then can be used to wash clothes
•    Several Ziploc bags for camera and toiletries (and dirty clothes)
•    Antibacterial hand (or facial) wipes/hand sanitizer and/or baby wipes
•    Ibuprofen and other required medications – make sure they are in original bottles *for Malaria we use Doxycycline a broad spectrum antibiotic, started 1 – 2 days before we leave for Tanzania – also consider controlled release Ambien, anti-diarrhea meds and get a prescription for Cipro (strong general antibiotic)
•    Recommended if you are not up-to-date with routine shots, such as measles/mumps/rubella (MMR) vaccine, diphtheria/pertussis/tetanus (DPT) vaccine, poliovirus vaccine, etc., Hepatitis A, Typhoid, Polio
•    Bug repellant (Tsetse flies cause sleeping sickness and are bad!) *we used lemon eucalyptus from Forestry Suppliers
•    You will NOT need bed nets

 Other   
•    Camera, 300 mm lens recommended. (bring extra scan disks so you can maintain resolution of each photo *we shot our photos in RAW but that took a lot of room, we each had 5 scan disks!)
•    Extra camera batteries *we will have electricity at each site and in the vehicle so bring rechargeable camera batteries and an adapter
•    Flashlight
•    Binoculars (each of our vehicles has 1~2 binoculars)
•    Locks for baggage
•    Video camera (if you want)
•    Small gifts for Maasai children (if you want)  – maybe chalk or gum or other school supplies
•    Travelers checks or currency *bring currency in small denominations, in some places they would not take a $20 *call your credit card company, let them know you will be using your Visa or American express (not discover) in Tanzania and the Netherlands, give them the dates of your travel
•    Wildlife guides (we can consolidate as weight will quickly become an issue)
•    Small backpack (to use on non-travel days to bring in the truck while on safari – this is also what I will use as carry on for our international flight)
•    Money belt (place to keep your passport) *each lodge had a safe in the closet of each room so you can leave extra cash, airline tickets and passport locked in the room, however, don’t forget them when we depart!) *Keep your passport on you while we are traveling DO NOT PACK YOUR PASSPORT, you will need to show it several times*
•    Snacks *if needed, to be honest we often had packed lunches or breakfasts and they gave us so much food we didn’t need snacks
•    Good Earth will provide bottled water in the trucks; you should carry a couple of bottles with you to your room.  Don’t drink water from the tap.  Only drink bottled liquids, wipe off the mouth piece or use a straw.






So if anyone knows where I can borrow this stuff or get it cheap, I'd love advice. As far as the medical stuff, I do not have health insurance, but I participate in a medical sharing plan called Samaritan Ministries. This means that preventative stuff and anything under a certain amount is covered by us, and anything else is sent to them and shared among the members. So donations in that regard are definitely welcome. Donation button to PayPal is below. Thanks everyone!

I'm going to Tanzania!!!!

So thanks to some VERY generous donations, a grant, and a CRAZY huge scholarship from CIE, my trip is PAID for! I am so thrilled that I get to go, and I am very grateful for all who have helped. We are leaving May 21 and coming back June 1. I can't wait to see all the awesome animals!!! So thank you all for your help, and I will be taking lots of pictures and telling everyone about my adventures in just a couple of months! WOOHOO!

Time is ticking!

So I'm going to Africa! There was some doubt as to whether the trip was going to be on, and I had started planning to go to the next trip in Oxford instead. But they actually lined up enough people to go, so it's back on!
Problem is, I am supposed to pay another $1,000 by this Friday, and I don't quite have that much yet. So if anyone would like to donate, I would appreciate it very much! You can donate by clicking the button below and choosing the amount, and VOILA! I'm going to Tanzania! :) Thanks to everyone who gives, I really appreciate it!

*phew*

So Fall Semester 2012 is OVER. After much nail-biting and craziness, all the grades are posted, and it's mostly good news. I made A's in Ecology, Physics, Biosystematics, and Senior Research Proposal. I made a B in Physics Lab, and I don't want to talk about it. Thankfully, I'm still on the Dean's List for this semester. I learned a valuable lesson about making sure group assignments are turned in, and I won't be depending on anyone but ME to make sure that happens next semester. So I'm going to enjoy a nice break, the Christmas holidays, and a week-long trip to the beach in Florida with my lovely family. :) Have a nice break, everyone. We earned it. (most of us)

I blinked...

... and when I opened my eyes, FINALS was staring me in the face. This semester went so incredibly fast. I have had a seriously great time.  I am enjoying my classes and doing pretty good (except for YOU physics!). I have ten more class days before it's over, and then two days of finals after that. Then I will be (semi-) free until January. I'm taking physics 2 (or 1, depending on how things turn out this time around), organic chem 2, cell and molecular tech, and environmental toxicology. Oh, and I will be doing my senior research presentation too.
I've been working on my senior research project this semester with Dr. Motley. I have had a lot of fun learning how to carry out experiments with cells and viruses and tinctures. I'm researching the antiviral effects of licorice root on hsv1. So far it's been a big fat zero because we initially were using too low of a concentration of glycyrrhizic acid (that's the active antiviral component of licorice root), and it wasn't doing anything. Now, we've been fighting with contaminated cells for two weeks. I am hoping on Saturday when we repeat the experiment AGAIN, it will actually work this time.
I had mentioned in a previous post that I am planning to go to Tanzania on a study abroad trip next May. I did pick the priciest trip possible, I think, but it's with a couple of my favorite instructors, and it's AFRICA! So I have asked some family and friends to help me out with the trip expenses with the promise that I will bring them back a gorilla or maybe some flip-flops or something genuinely Africa-like (hopefully not some strange disease). So if any of my millions of readers would like to contribute to my Go to Tanzania fund, you can click this button:

Pretty nifty, huh? The trip costs $6,200, and I'm supposed to have a $2,000 deposit by December 4. I am applying for a grant, which will be $1,000, so that will bring the December deposit down to $1,000.  Then I will need to pay regular payments of $2,000 on January 18 and February 15. I am also applying for a scholarship, but that won't be given out until after all the payments have to be made. It can be between $500-1,000. This cost includes everything on the trip except for a couple of meals and spending money. So if donations add up to more than I need for the trip and any vaccinations and supplies and other miscellaneous trip-related stuff, I will donate the balance to the charity of my choice. :) Sound good?

If you'd like to find out more about the trip, you can go to Study Abroad page at Columbus State University and read all about it. Thanks so much!!

Ciao,

~Val

What blog?

We are past midterms and approaching advising week. After that is early registration and suddenly all this energy will be directed towards spring semester 2013. 2013?!?!?!  Good grief, I'm getting old. 2013 is the year I turn 40. 40!!!!!
I've decided to take the trip to Tanzania next Maymester if I can raise enough money. It's a $6200 trip, and I have NO idea how I'm going to pay for it. I am really excited about the opportunity. I know I can get some money from CIE from the grants and scholarships, so hopefully I won't have to raise quite that much on my own.
The biosystematics midterm went well, and so far I have an A average for the class. Hopefully I won't screw anything up in the second half. I think I may have bombed the Ecology midterm pretty bad. I don't know why, I understand the material, I just couldn't pull anything up during the test. Before that I was doing pretty good. Hopefully I didn't tank my average too badly.
So things are moving along, and I'm having a really good time being the old chick in college. Hopefully I can do better keeping up with the blog. Ciao!

Fall is ON!

Somehow I've woken up in the middle of the fourth week of Fall semester. I have a biosystematics exam tomorrow, and I've been pretty good about studying along the way. The thing I've learned about upper level classes is that the content is so much more interesting. It's a lot easier to learn when you're actually interested in the subject. So I won't even address Physics in that context. I'm taking Biosystematics, Ecology, and Physics I this semester. I have long days on Monday and Wednesday, from 10am til 8:30pm on Monday and 10am til 7:45pm on Wednesday. Physics is the last class, and my brain is pretty much fried by then. Someone needs to make a nap lounge a reality on campus! The cool thing is I don't have classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. So I do have time to study. I have to go on campus on Tuesdays because of AMSA and Tri-Beta, and every other Thursdays for Honors meetings. But honestly, I get a little itchy to get out of the house by then anyway. ;)
I remember looking forward to being a senior and thinking that I would feel so different when that happened. I guess the only thing that feels different is the panic I feel when I think of applying to med school. But I really don't have a lot of time to concentrate on all of that at this point. I'm just trying to keep the grades good and balance everything else. I believe I've found a pretty good groove.
I'm thinking of doing a study abroad trip next May again. Dr. Ballenger (my favorite professor from my first study abroad trip!) is taking a group to Tanzania. I was considering going to the Galapagos Islands, but I have all this nostalgia from my first trip, and I REALLY enjoy taking classes with Dr. B. And it's AFRICA! That part makes me a little nervous. AMSA is also taking a spring break trip to Nicaragua this year for a medical mission. If I can manage to afford both trips, I'm going to try it.
So I'll try to update more often, I do have a little more open time during the week. So if I'm not studying, I'll try to blog! CIAO!

Things are getting exciting!

I had a conversation recently with my faculty mentor for my senior research project. He asked me when I would be graduating, and what I had taken so far. I really didn't know the answer, I was thinking probably Fall 2013 for graduation. He looked at my file and said I might finish in Summer 2013. That would make a big difference in my applications process. I feel panicky all of a sudden! ACOM (in Dothan) should be finished by Fall 2013, but now Auburn University is making some noise about bringing a satellite VCOM campus to Auburn. I worry about all these med schools in Alabama and whether there will be seats for matching all these DOs when it comes time for residencies and internship and whatnot. But I don't have to worry about the hundreds of DO students, just me. I guess I'll have to figure out how to shine.
I just can't believe how quickly all this has flown by. The only time I really feel impatient is the week after finals before they post grades. I guess all pre-meds worry about GPAs and MCAT scores, and here I am already obsessing about matching and residency. I've got a LONG TIME before that is even a consideration.
This summer has been nice, I finished music appreciation on Friday, and next Monday starts bio of aging. I have to call the nursing home this week and go meet with them about coming in for four hours a week. This is the week that I am going to mark stuff off my list that I've been putting off. I feel like once the next class starts, it's a downhill slide into Fall semester. I'd better get some stuff DONE!
CIAO for now. :)

Remember me?

I think spring semester was the busiest ever. And I mean life did NOT make room for school this time around. My last final was on May 4, and I'm still trying to catch up on rest and stuff from studying. I ended up with a B in both Genetics and Cell Biology. I actually feel like that's what I deserved, I was just incredibly distracted this semester. I did make an A in Political Science. Summer classes started this past Monday, but the only thing I have going on is music appreciation for the first half. On June 11, I start biology of aging with Dr. Zuiderveen. It's mostly online, but I have to volunteer in the nursing home four hours a week and keep a journal. The final is on campus I believe. But summer looks to be a bit less stressful than spring was for sure! In the fall, I'm taking physics, biosystematics, and ecology. Dr. Newbrey has said she's a go for doing an honors contract in ecology. Boy is that a relief, I was beginning to think I wasn't going to get all my honors stuff finished. But hopefully it's going to work out now. Honors contracts are pretty much just some extra work that you do in a class in order to make it honors level. So I'll try to keep updating here, I'm just not all that interesting here lately. :)

Things are CRAZY!

Sometimes personal life gets a little too loud for me to concentrate on school. This has been one of those weeks. My sixteen year-old daughter is struggling with TMD (temporomandibular joint disorder), and we spent all night in the ER one night in order to find this out. So I missed my political science test the next day, along with all of my classes for the day. I thought I was getting everything caught up (including my study blog), but then on Saturday, I had a car accident, and I spent the day in the ER myself. I'm OK, just bruised pretty badly. The lady in the car that I hit (yep) broke her arm and I think she may have had surgery. I feel really terrible, everyone assures me it was an accident, but I feel like the idiot who can't drive.
My hubby took me to the Toyota dealership and bought a new Prius, and it is RED! I LOVE my new car. So in the middle of all this life, I'm trying to manage to learn something and make some decent grades. I had to make up my political science test today, and I think it went fine. Hopefully I'll find out tomorrow on that.
So now I'm updating the study blog, trying to catch up on some reading, and I'm about to study the vocabulary that I'm being quizzed on tomorrow. Maybe life will go back to being a little more on autopilot so I can concentrate on school. Just a few more weeks til spring semester is over! I went to advising on Monday, so I'm pretty sure about what my schedule for summer and fall semesters will be. I'm planning to take Physics 1 and Biology of Aging. We'll see how that works out. Then in fall, it's Biosystematics and Ecology. Things are starting to look like I'll be a senior soon! WOW! I've got to work on coming up with a senior project proposal. I so don't know what to do. Ideas?

Best intentions...

Yeah, so it's March. I have LOTS of updates. So the first day of class, I decided that taking Chem II was a bad idea. I'm sure my professor is a lovely person, but he told me that (1) I had to have my book in class, and (2) I could not have any electronic device during class. Well, my book is ON my iPad, and I told him that. His answer? That's your problem. No iPad, must have the book. So I chose door number 3. I'm outta here. I'm not going to buy the book AGAIN. I have no regrets. If I find the time later I'll retake the class, otherwise, I'm just going to deal with the C. Oh but wait, there's more! The next class after Chem II is Orgo II. The professor did.not.show.up. This is not good. My Orgo I professor was a great dude, and I was looking forward to having him again for II. Apparently he's not coming back, and there was some kind of drama. We got a replacement professor, and he is lovely. However, the head of the chemistry department is facilitating the labs. He's one of my favorite professors, but he is NOT an organic chemistry instructor. After my third panic attack, I dropped that one too. So that leaves cell biology, genetics, and American government. Now that we have passed the midterms, I am perfectly happy to only have these three classes. They are no walk in the park, and I've had a few hiccups in the testing department. I have resolved to buckle down and be a little more responsible in the second half of the semester.
Currently, I'm studying for a government test that is coming up on Wednesday. It shouldn't be too bad, I enjoy the class, and I'm working on catching up on all the reading. And boy, is there a lot of it! We are doing a fruit fly experiment in genetics lab, and that has actually been pretty fun. Our mutant flies have brown eyes, and we are determining what kind of inheritance leads to the mutant brown eyes. Our first cross is finished, and we should be done with the second in about a week. It has been fascinating learning how to roofie flies so we can examine them under the microscope without them flying away. We also introduced some glowing plasmids to some E. coli in a petri dish, and saw them glow after a couple of days. The smell!
Cell bio is kind of kicking my butt. I do well in labs, but the tests are intense. I'm sure I'm going to pass both classes, but I'm not sure how good my grades will be. I'm always in knots about it right up to the end. Anyway, I'm blogging instead of studying, see my ADD? I'm going to get back to government. *Yawn*

Happy New Year!

Welcome, 2012! I think that was the fastest Christmas vacation I have ever experienced. I was thinking that having a month off between semesters would be a really long time, and I would get a lot of things accomplished on the home front. Well, that didn't work out as well as planned. I am still gimpy, so I spent the whole month with my foot in the air ordering everyone else around. That, however, was quite successful, and I have a nice clean closet and bedroom as a result. I went to the doctor yesterday, and he said I am allowed to bear weight on the left foot now. So I shouldn't have as much trouble getting around as I was having when I had to keep off. I still have the crutches, but they are mainly for balance rather than weight bearing. I can actually walk alright without them, but I keep them around in case I decide to face-plant.
I have been stalking all of my classes on CougarNet and CougarView to see if any of my instructors have posted their syllabus. For some reason, there are two areas that they can post their stuff. I don't understand why they maintain the two areas, but it seems the instructors are pretty much convinced that the one they use is the best. I personally prefer CougarView because it is more interactive than the static file-hosting feel of CougarNet. However, no one asks me what I think. I did find the American Government (POLS 1101) syllabus, and I printed it out for Monday's class. The instructor also posted the readings that are supposed to be completed before class, so I've started reading those. I have to admit that I am pretty dumb when it comes to politics. I hope I learn a lot in this class, and I really hope it's an atmosphere that encourages learning rather than belittling those who aren't as savvy. I am very conservative politically -- well I think I am -- but sometimes I get confused because I am not sure that the information I get is really trustworthy. It boils down to the fact that I am pro-life, and I overlook a lot of political stupidity to vote that conviction.  (This is a blog I wrote about feminism and what I think about it if you're interested -- http://thestapleszoo.blogspot.com/2008/09/i-am-feminist.html)
I am a little (well, very) nervous about this next semester. I may have overextended myself a bit. I probably should have stuck with Orgo 2 with lab, Genetics with lab, Cell bio with lab, and political science. But I made that C in Chem 2 last summer, and it has been irritating me. CSU will replace the C if I re-take it and make a better grade, and I still have the digital book on rental for another semester, so I thought it would be a good time to add it on. I also added an honors organic gardening class. I figured that would be therapeutic since my course load is so crazy. I really hope I didn't overextend myself. I can always drop Chem 2 if necessary, but I am really hoping to knock that out and do better this time. That will restore my lovely unspotted 4.0.
I hope I'm not sounding like a snotty pre-med obsessing about course loads and grades and what-not. I tend to obsess about things -- usually unnecessarily. My friends always fuss that I whine about tests and grades and then it all works out. But I think sometimes it works out BECAUSE I obsess about it.
So while the month off from school was really nice, this last week has been REALLY boring, and I'm ready to get back to obsessing and studying and seeing all my school buddies. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with myself when I graduate. I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas and New Year, and I will see y'all real soon! Ciao!

Aaaand I'm OK

Finals week is a nice distant memory. I'm going to assume that I didn't completely toast either of the two finals that I had to take, because I managed to pull off a 4.0 for fall semester. I was totally happy with that result! I was really sweating the orgo final, and I think the instructor took into account that I did work really hard even though most of my test scores weren't great. I am eternally grateful for such an awesome teacher.
On the Monday after my last final, I had surgery on my left foot. I can't put any weight on the foot until further notice, and I'm starting to get a little nervous about that because classes start back on 1/9. I'm hoping when I go back in to the doctor to get my stitches out that he puts me in some kind of walking cast. I have classes back to back on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8am to noon, and the last three are in three different buildings that are a little further away than I think I can walk in 10 minutes. I guess I'll beg my professors to forgive me if I don't make it on time for the first few weeks. I did contact the disabled services director at CSU, and she replied that since my "disability" will not last more than six months, they don't have to help me at all according to the ADA. It's nice to know that CSU will only accommodate you as far as the ADA forces them. Boo. I've pretty much learned that any help in place for disabled people is more geared towards those on wheels than those on crutches. The handicapped stall in bathrooms is ALWAYS the last one, and the thought of traversing a slippery tile floor on crutches for any more distance than is absolutely necessary is quite unnerving. Not to mention that walking on crutches wears me completely out. But I guess it's exercise, right? I really don't think I want to wheel around in my wheelchair on campus, but I am not sure I can crutch it for such long distances either. I'm just hoping I'm getting around better by then.
So my schedule next semester is NUTS. I'm retaking Chem 2 to replace the C I made the first time I took it. That's on MWF at 8am. At 9am is orgo 2, thankfully in the same room. Then at 10am, I have to be in Howard Hall for cellular biology, and then it's back to Jordan for genetics at 11. On Mondays I also have orgo 2 lab at 1, and then political science at 4:30 on Monday and Wednesday. Lab for genetics is on Wednesday at 1:30, and lab for cellular bio is Thursday at 9:30am. I don't have any classes on Tuesday, but I have to come on campus anyway for either AMSA or Tri-Beta. I'm a little worried about taking such a heavy load, and I'm prepared to unload chem 2 if it gets too heavy.
I've really enjoyed having a month off. I meant to keep up with orgo over the break so that I would be ahead, but so far I've been on complete brain break. I had the surgery on Dec 12, and I've been pretty much recovering from that and being useless. This week we're in Saint Augustine for our yearly family vacation. I love coming down here, there's lots to do and the weather is just fabulous. But I've been pretty much useless here too because I can't get around as well.
The osteopathic medical school in Dothan received their pre-accreditation a couple of weeks ago. They plan to break ground next month and be finished in time for the first class in fall 2013. It's looking like I'll be in the class of 2014 at this point. *fingers crossed* I'm just keeping an eye on everything going on down there. It's very exciting!
I guess that is everything for now. I'll try to be better about keeping up here. Ciao!

Finals week

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That is all. See you next week.

Winding Down

So I'm counting on one hand how many class days in each subject I have left before the semester is over. I have an exam in Orgo on Monday, and I haven't studied as much as I'd like. So I'm spending today in the books. Well, actually, I'm doing everything BUT studying -- including writing a blog post. The hubby and kids were supposed to leave the house before 9am for a pancake breakfast, and they are still here. I can't study very well when hubby is watching Netflix and the kids are playing the piano. I'm waiting for blissful silence so I can immerse myself in studying. In silence. Yeah, we'll see what happens if it ever gets quiet in here.
I have really enjoyed this semester, but all I can think about is it being OVER and having a month off. Of course, I'm planning to stay in the books over the break so I can start Orgo 2 a little ahead. We'll see what happens with that too. Somehow I see myself in pajamas all day after waking at noon, playing video games all day and reading trash. That's probably more closely aligned with reality. But I continue to kid myself.
As the semester comes to a close, I am reflecting on everything I've learned and the really awesome things that have happened. I've met a lot of people since I started at CSU, and some of those have become some really great friends. I still see a lot of the folks that went to the Bahamas in May when we run into each other on campus. I've gotten closer with some of the AMSA folks, and apparently all the old folks flock together in Honors (PJ and Don!). I'm starting to feel kinda at home at CSU. Even the faculty is starting to grow on me, and I'm not one to get along with teachers for the most part. Apparently I can be a bit of a pain in the butt with my obsessing over grades and constant need for clarification. I think that comes with the pre-med package, I do try not to be a diva.
So as the days tick by and I spend increasing amounts of time in the Honors study lounge (with COOKIES!), I hope that I am able to be in every moment instead of wishing it away. Because it seems like people look back on college with some degree of nostalgia, so I should be enjoying it instead of dreading it. But sometimes ingesting copious amounts of coffee and junk food coupled with the stress of finals staring you down can create a negative attitude, not to mention some crazy digestive disorders. I just hope when it's over all the hard work will pay off, and I can cruise into Christmas without regret. Not too much to ask, right?

Loving My Life Right Now!

I'm not sure if it's just the air of gratefulness surrounding this month, but I am so incredibly happy right now. I feel like I've found a groove with school, and things just seem to be going smoothly. I'm really enjoying all of my classes, and it's only a few more weeks before winter break. I'm looking forward to having some time off! It looks like I'll be having surgery on my feet while I'm on break. I have deformed feet! Actually, I have bunions on both of my feet, I was actually born with them. My Mom had them and so did my grandmother. I hope I didn't pass it to any of my kids. Hopefully John's feet were dominant! But it's possible that I will have both feet in casts, and I won't be able to bear weight at least on the left foot for eight weeks. I'm already trying to think about navigating my spring classes in a wheelchair. But hopefully once I get this done, my feet will stop hurting! I know, let's cut something open, break it, screw some metal to it, and boom! No pain! I know recovery will be a booger, but my Mom had it done a few years ago, and she said her feet don't hurt any more. That will be so nice.
I haven't blogged in ages, and I felt like I should check in here and update, but there's not a whole lot going on besides school, church, and kids. Thanksgiving is coming up, and I'm really excited about spending time with family and eating some turkey. I have been working with the Center for International Education a lot lately with the global ambassadors. We had a reunion last week for everyone who studied abroad, and we also had a slideshow contest. Our group (Andros Maymester Trip) won the contest! We won movie tickets and we've agreed that we're all going together! I've been doing various class visits to encourage students to get involved with Study Abroad. I loved my experience, and I enjoy telling others about how they can make it happen for them.
AMSA is the American Medical Student Association, and I've been attending meetings every other Tuesday at lunchtime. We have all kinds of different presentations -- an orthopedic surgeon who is also an osteopathic doctor lectured one week. I was really excited to hear from another DO. Last week, a representative from PCOM-GA visited. PCOM-GA is the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine -- GA Campus. They are located in Suwanee, GA. I am really excited about becoming a DO, and I know it's just the right fit for me. Osteopathic physicians treat the whole patient, and not just the presenting symptoms.
John and I went down to Dothan, AL to visit the hospital that is building the osteopathic school there in town. We also drove by the location of the school, although nothing is going on there just now. They are still in the pre-accreditation phase, and hopefully by next summer we'll see some progress on the actual building of the school. But it was really exciting to visit the area.
One last thing I'd like to mention here today: I hate pizza! I'm not talking about a good New York slice from an authentic restaurant, I'm talking about your average joe delivery pizza-in-a-box. It seems to be the main sustenance of the college student, but I must protest. Every single meeting that I attend (every Tuesday and every other Thursday) involves pizza. I'm usually really hungry and do appreciate the free-ness of the meal, so I eat it anyway. But I swear, once I graduate, I am never eating delivery pizza again. I was commenting the other day that we have lived in the boonies so long (7 years), that we haven't been able to have pizza delivered. But I also realized that I have not missed it one bit!
So that's pretty much what's going on with me right now. I'm sure there's more, but I stay caught up in the busy-ness of school, so it's hard to remember what all to update. Until next time!

Halfway there!

Wow, it's advising week! That means that we're halfway done with Fall semester. It has flown by very quickly. I have to make an appointment with my adviser, and then it won't be long before early registration starts. What's really exciting is the big long break I'll have between fall and spring semesters. We will be going to St. Augustine the week after Christmas, and I'm going to pick up a copy of Organic Chemistry II as a Second Language for perusing during the break. I can't believe how quickly everything is going, and how not quite quickly enough it seems sometimes.
I got a position with the Center for International Education as a global ambassador. That means that I participate in information tables and class visits spreading the word about Study Abroad. I did a presentation last week, and let's just say I hope the next one goes better. We have information tables once or twice a week, and I "man" those in between classes. We are also planning a Study Abroad fair in the next few weeks. It's such a great opportunity, and I think if more students knew how awesome it is, they'd want to get in on it.
Anyway, not much going on other than school, kids, church, and KNITTING! :) I've completed half of a project without moving on to something else. Well, it is a pair of reading mitts, so it's not going to take a long time to complete. But that's all I have the attention span for currently anyway.
I guess that's it for the update, I'll try to check back in when it's more exciting. :)

Keeping up

I'm really not sure how students (or anyone, for that matter) kept up with their schedules before smartphones. I'm sure I could carry a calendar around and consult it every five minutes to see where I'm supposed to be next, but I have a hard enough time showing up in the right place at the right time when my phone sends me alerts. I feel like my schedule is so very tight right now. I'm not complaining, I love that I'm actively working towards my goals almost every minute of the day. But sometimes I feel really conflicted when a friend wants to have lunch, but I have a 12 pm class. I worry that at the end of this entire trip, I won't have any friends left and my family won't remember who I am. I guess I need to pull out my calendar and schedule some open time. HAHA!
Next week is fall break. What I imagine I will do during that week is sleep in, play video games, and knit. What will probably happen is I will be catching up on reading for classes and trying to tame the laundry monster. But it's OK, it's still a break, and I won't be burning up the road trying to make it to class on time. AND I won't have to pray for a parking place, either.
I've been working on Friday afternoons shadowing a local pediatrician for the last few months. She has taken on a couple of medical students and a medical assistant who needs hours to graduate, so I will have a few weeks off from that. I really love working in pediatrics -- kids are fun, and it's mostly a nice variety of cases that come in. The doctor that I work with is really nice, and she takes every opportunity to teach me. I still have to find a D.O. to shadow for my med school application, but I've gotten very comfortable here. I could definitely see a future in pediatrics.
Have I said long and loud enough how much I love my organic chemistry professor? I lost sleep over this class before it started, and now it's the one I look forward to the most. We had a lab mid-term yesterday, and guess who made a 100 on it? Yep, me. :) I have to do honors contracts for the honors program, which means that I sign up for an extra project in one of my regular classes to make it an honors level class. I approached Dr. Rugutt about doing a contract for organic chemistry, and he gave me a project! I just have to wait for the honors approval in order to proceed. We will be doing a project called Green Synthesis of a Novel Anti-Breast Cancer Chalcone. Chalcones are produced by citrus fruits, and they have anti-cancer properties. So I will be performing a lab sythesis and writing a paper on the results. I also have to present at Tower Day in the spring and submit my report to the undergraduate journal at CSU. So before I even finish my undergrad degree, I'll be published. :) Isn't that cool? It's totally win-win.
So things are moving along. The biggest lesson I've learned since I started this journey is to never avoid something unpleasant that is a part of getting you to your goal. I decided years ago that I did not want to be a doctor because I didn't want to deal with chemistry. I was afraid of a little science class! I'm sure there are much bigger obstacles, but chemistry was the big giant standing in my way, and I cowered for too many years. The other lesson I learned that is not quite as big is never take chemistry 2 in the summer, you're just setting yourself up for disaster.
I have to say even though my schedule is a tight fit, and there are some other things I don't quite have a handle on, I am as happy as I have ever been. I am working my behind off with studying and other school activities, but I feel like I am moving towards what I was put on this earth for, and it makes it all worth it.

Stuff

I never know what the title should be on some of these entries. I put "Stuff" up there, hoping I'll be inspired by something I write and then change the title. We'll see what happens
The first organic chemistry test was great, he gave us some very good study tips, and I made a...

Wait for it...

ONE FREAKING HUNDRED. Yep. I was VERY shocked. I hope that I can keep it up. An A in orgo would just make my life.
I have to give credit to my professor. He is very thorough and takes as much time as we need to understand a concept. He told us that he goes to church and prays on Sunday about what to put on the test. He really wants us to learn, not just pass.
I applied for a Global Ambassador position at the Center for International Education, and I got it! I will be attending various informational events for Study Abroad, and maybe even giving presentations to students interested in studying abroad. We have so many great opportunities for studying abroad. You can read about my Bahamas study abroad trip at this Andros Blog link. So now I get to spend this semester and spring semester telling people about all the upcoming trips! I've got my eye on a trip to Oxford next summer. Hopefully it will work out.
I've been shadowing a local pediatrician at her office on Friday afternoons for a couple of months now. I really think pediatrics is where I'm leaning. I know my background is women's health, but I am pretty sure I don't want to be an OB/GYN. I'm hoping to get some more shadowing experience from other specialties. But I'm pretty sure I'm going to stick with family practice or pediatrics. I also think it would be cool to work at an urgent care clinic. I think that has something to do with me being ADD.
Working with the pediatrician has been interesting. Sometimes it's disappointing seeing things from her side. I've taken my kids to the doctor, and I wonder now what the doctor must have thought when he left the room after a visit. Now I have a front-row seat. Not to mention, this is Alabama. I used to think it was a stereotype that Alabama is backwards and weird. But after one chick shows up barefoot and soaking wet with her kid in nothing but a diaper, I had to think again. There are some crazy people in my town, and that is just one example. I could go on, but there is HIPAA. I'm having a blast, though. I am learning a lot about pediatrics, and so far I like it.
I guess this is a bit of a long post, I'll try to post more often so it won't be such an immense post. Until next time!