My exam grades ranged from awesome to not so awesome (in my eyes at least) and it is a hard thing to get a grade that you don't think reflects how hard you worked in a class. In some of my classes (like anatomy and nutrition) I get it everything makes sense and if it doesn't I can usually find out the answer and get it to stick into my brain, but other classes (like micro and physio) it takes so much longer to make the information stick. Partly it is because I don't always care for the professor, but also I am a visual and tactile learner. I cannot just read something once and copy it once to make it stick I have to go over it multiple times in different formats before I can remotely grasp my mind around it. Man do I wish photographic memory genes ran in my family! Thanks mom and dad! I don't think that it is necessary that I work harder (because most days I am at capacity) but I think I need to study smarter when it comes to certain classes. I just hope I figure out how to do that sooner rather than later.
In these past several weeks I have learned that it is non stop here. That my life as a vet school student is eat, breath, and sleep school. Don't get me wrong you do need to take a break so you don't go crazy, but you need to find that perfect balance between school and other stuff and I am working on that. If all I did was study I would most definitely go insane. My best study break that I take during the day is with my sponsor dog Diego.
Diego is a medium sized, skinny, tan dog, with giant ears that stick up. He is one of the 39 kennel colony dogs here at ross and I am in love with him. I was first introduced to Diego after joining the Canine Medicine Club and going to their first Obedience meeting. I was assigned Diego and as soon as I met him I knew we were meant to be. A sponsor to a colony dog means that dog gets someone constant in their life to show them that someone cares. The kennel dogs are constantly used for palpation labs, anesthesia labs, and surgery labs (upper semesters spay and neuter them). They are required to be part of the kennel colony for 2 years and then they will be put up for adoption. The sponsor is also to get someone invested in a dog who might possibly want to adopt that dog once they are available. I've already decided that when Diego's two years are up he will be mine without hesitation. Not only is he sweet and adorable, but he is so intelligent! I mean I know I am biased, but I would say he is one of the top dogs when it comes to obedience class :) Over these past few weeks we have bonded so much. He gives me the motivation to work hard so I know I will still be around when he is ready to go in another year. Until then I visit him at least once a day just to work and play with him and also give him a nice comfy lap to curl up and take a nap on oh and he is educational since I get to practice palpating bones, lymph nodes, and muscles (so we help each other out). But besides Diego I do try to do one thing a week that is just for me, like play beach volley ball, go to the beach for a few hours, or go diving. This weekend is mid-semester break (3 day weekend) so I am doing two things I am going on a Catamaran trip to Nevis and I am going on a Dive.
Well I told my self I could go on both excursions if I work my butt off this week. So back to the books.
