Final Exams: 20% complete.

OSCEs are officially over. It was long, it was ridiculous, but at least it's finally over!

They really weren't that bad, but 3 hour exams are never fun.

So now, we have 2 weeks off for Easter holidays. Next week: Poland for 4ish days. The week after that, tattoo time.

That's right, I've committed to an appointment and I'm finally getting my vet school tattoo. It's not what I originally planned out, but I love it, it's gorgeous, and I will post pictures when it happens.

GObama!

So for those of you living under rocks, President Obama was elected for a second term this past Tuesday. I know a lot of people are unhappy about it, and yes, you have the right to complain (only if you voted), but he is our President and if you're a citizen of the US, you better respect that or GTFO.

Now that my mini soapbox rant is over...

Next week is my last week of proper lectures EVAR.

Yes, I spelled it wrong.

Seriously, though. Last week of classes. Forever. Except for pre-taught tracking. And final year seminars.

4th year exams are in just under 3 weeks, and I've got and formative OPSVE to 'prepare' for. But seriously, I'm not going to do much preparation for it. It's formative, it doesn't count, it's meant to be a learning experience and I'm going to treat it as such. If I don't know how to do something, well...color me surprised. It's more to prepare us for the final year exams than anything, and unfortunately this is the only time in the year that we have in which to do it.

I should probably get back to studying, since this is my procrastination tool (and I've got nothing really left to talk about). Until next time.

Pass.

Phew. What a relief.

3rd year is over and I have officially passed the exams, as well as the AHEMS research paper. From what I've heard, there were much fewer fails than there were last year for the 3rd years, which is fabulous.

So now, I'm officially 4th year (I think? I'm not really sure how it all works). But now, I can rest easy, prepare for summer EMS (8 weeks!), and not have to worry about another exam until December.

Well, I'll probably start worrying about it around October.

Yay! Celebration time.

It's like...a weight...has been lifted...

3rd year exams are DONE.

I'm not very confident about my performance, but at least I don't really need to worry about it until grades come back in 2 weeks.

And now, time to relax, celebrate being done with 2/3 of 3rd year (weird, right?), and get ready for Florida!

Yumchaa study time.

My friend D. and I got back to our old study habits today; we met at Yumchaa in Camden early early (I got there at just before 10, she got there at 9:30am) and stayed until dinner time.

It was really great to just sit in the café and study. Surprisingly, I work really well in that kind of atmosphere and I'm not really sure why. Maybe it's because my house was always very loud growing up between my mother shouting for my sister and I to do housework/come to dinner/get the dogs/stop fighting/etc and the barking dogs... But I do seem to thrive in an environment where there is white noise. And since Yumchaa has wonderfully large tables for us to sit at, D. and I got into the habit last year of going on weekends to study, just to go somewhere different.

I do have to say, after a while of sitting in college for class and then studying...you go a little stir crazy. Changing scenery really helps me keep focused on revision. I can get some stuff done at home, but then I get distracted and clean/cook. I can get some stuff done at school, but then I get sick of looking at the same room. So going to a café, where people are coming and going, there's music in the background and a nice steady level of quiet(ish) conversation...it's the perfect study environment for me. Plus, it gets me out of the house (always a bonus during revision time). If someone gets too loud, pop in the headphones and listen to some music. Fleet Foxes was my mainstay last year; this year, it's the Doctor Who and Sherlock soundtracks (yep, I'm a sucker for tall and lanky Brits). And generally, natural study breaks occur and I get to catch up on things with D. And then she forces me back to work (since I'm so easily distracted). It's just something that works. And it made me a very happy camper to be back in London for the whole day (even picked up some gluten free essentials at Whole Foods!!).

23 days until exam time. Not that I'm freaking out or anything.

Revision revision revision!

My 2 week placement with the small animal vets finished up yesterday. It was pretty damn awesome to be back in a practice doing things, but it was nice to realize once again that small animal is definitely not my thing. I love my dogs and cats, but working in a small animal practice would not be a good fit for me. I like the outdoors. And the smell of barns and horses. Yep, it's definitely equine/large animal for me.

This last week was pretty amazing, though. I got to scrub in on a tendon reconstruction surgery, which was interesting to watch. The dog had come in with a wound on its left carpus that wouldn't stop bleeding (arterial bleed!) and she refused to put any weight on it. I ended up holding the left leg during the surgery, so I got to see it up close and personal. I even managed to guess the correct suture material for everything!  I also participated in a euthanasia on a heron, which was interesting but sad. Someone had found it on the side of the road just sitting there, and had brought it to the practice to be humanely euthanized (which was the right choice). I've never seen a heron up close, but man they are gorgeous creatures. Unfortunately, this one was really sick and did need to be euthanized.

And now, the next 4 weeks will be devoted solely to revision. Exams are the first week in May, and the week after I go to Florida to finally meet my nephew! That is what is keeping me going.

Too early for revision?

So I may be crazy, but I've started to do objectives for our different strands/modules. Yeah, the exam is the first week of May. I know this. But that eager beaver side of me is just taking over.

For those of you who don't know, all of our lectures/DLs/CALs/etc come with a set of learning objectives; what we're supposed to get out of them, really. Last year, I included writing out these objectives as part of revision, which really helped (or at least I like to think they did, since I managed to pass). Not for everyone, since they're really time consuming, but when you have nothing to do all day for 10-12 hours, writing out objectives for about...100ish lectures is doable.

This year, my study tactic has been a little different. Since getting the trusty iPad, I've not been writing out every lecture. Instead, I've been making flashcards from each lecture through Quizlet.com (an amazing website, if you've never heard of it, you better go over there now). First of all, it's FREE (the best word in the world for students), and you can upload them to your iPad or iPhone (or iPod, I hear those still exist) through Flashcardlet. So basically, I've got all my lectures on hand to study from all the time. Granted, I haven't really had time to take advantage and actually DO all the sets, but when I'm on placement it will come in extremely handy when I'm on lunch or have absolutely nothing to do.

Mmmm..placements. I'm both nervous and overexcited for them. I managed to clinch another 2 weeks at a mixed animal clinic in Gloucestershire, which brings me up to a total of 8 weeks. Probably going to book another 2 weeks at the very end of the summer with whoever will have me, but that's contingent upon me passing exams first round. Otherwise, I'll be doing my last 2 weeks during Christmas 2012.

This term is flying by so damn quick! Scary to think that it's almost over.

This is IT

Day one of finals. Commencing in just over 4 hours. My intestines feel like they are looping into knots at the moment. I'm ready to get this over with.

See you at the other side!

Home Stretch.

The final lap of revision has commenced. Only 4 days until exams start, and 17 days until the last exam of the year; freedom, in a way, and coincidentally also happens to be US Independence Day. Gotta love the irony there.

After 4 weeks straight of studying (technically more), my brain is starting to melt. But it's in there. All the information that I've accumulated throughout the year is definitely in there. I know this, because when doing group review, I'm actually able to make sense of things without my notes (most of the time). It's just a matter of pulling it out when required and making sense of it.

I've got two slogans getting me through this exam period: 'Don't panic.' -Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy; and 'Do, or do not. There is no try.' -Yoda

Oh, and just keep swimming.

3 weeks...

Well, less than 3 weeks until final exams. Yikes.

I found a flat, though, despite my anxious and furious studying. I'll be living in Potters Bar next year, instead of my original plan of staying in London. It's cheaper, and I can have a car if necessary. One bedroom place all to myself, with a gas stove and a bath tub! I'll be living in luxury for sure.

Anyway, just wanted to drop a note saying that yes, I'm still alive and no, I won't be fully functional until after July 4th.

T-minus 5 weeks and counting.

I've got 5 weeks until final exams. Yikes.

They're 90% of my grade for the year. Yikes x2.

I started revising for exams this past weekend, and I can't believe how much I don't remember. Well, that's sort of a lie. I remember a lot, but not details. In the Graduate handbook, you get a list of all the objectives for each subject that the lecturers expect you to know for the exams. I'm just now going through them all. The objectives are super helpful in condensing what you need to know and helping you figure out how to say what you want in a concise manner. But it just takes FOREVER. Probably not the smartest idea to leave them until now, but what can I say? I was too wrapped up in AHEMS for 7 weeks and slept because I needed to sleep. Can't beat myself up about that.

Plus, 5 weeks is not THAT short a time. This is doable. Totally and completely doable.

I'm debating blocking my free movie site for a few weeks so I have less distractions. Can't block youtube because I've been watching videos about renal physiology and such as well as dissections. It's amazing what you find on youtube nowadays.

Oh yeah...I'm also going to look at flats during the next 5 weeks. I've decided to get my own flat and live near Hawkshead campus in Potters Bar. Fingers crossed I find a good one that's a decent price.

Hell Week.

For those of you who have ever been in theatre, you know what I'm talkin' 'bout.

We had our last lectures on Friday, which I skipped in lieu of enjoying the sunny day we had. Also, we aren't getting tested on them. I had a date with the Regent's Canal walkway, and I took it. It's really beautiful over there, if you can avoid looking into the canal and seeing all the trash there. But the willows are starting to bud, and I was in heaven. Spring is definitely my favorite season.

Today, I'm at Yumchaa with my friend D. who has just admitted to being a caffeine addict. Yesterdays's total: 2 red bulls, 2 Lucozades (a UK energy drink) and 2 large coffees. D. is having a mochaccino, I'm having a tea (no drugs for me!).

Just 6 more days and then I'm free for 7 weeks!!

Well, free if you don't count the 6 weeks of placements I have...

2 weeks and counting

Only two weeks until the exam for Term 2. I'm so behind on revision, but strangely I feel that I'm in a better position than I was in last term. Doing 4 to 5 hours of studying a day really makes a difference, even if it's split up into a couple of study sessions. It's obvious, really, but it took me a whole term to get that into my head. I find that my retention is a smidgen better than it was last term.

The term 2 exam is going to include some heavy hitters: Parisitology, Pathology, Virology, Bacteriology (lots of -ologies), Nervous System, and Reproduction. My brain is already beginning to melt. This weekend, I've got to get the entire Reproduction unit done. I haven't had a chance to review any of it (health concerns among other things taking up my brain space). It'll be tough, but if I can't finish it, at least I can take a big dent out of it.

And...only one more week of lectures! Phew. Thank God for that.

ISF = intentional study failure.

So the ISF mock happened on Friday of this past week. After going through the 15 minutes of being grilled about what I know about a particular structure or organ, I now know what happens when you get tunnel vision in revision.

Ok, grilled is a bit harsh. The lecturers I had my ISF with were actually quite nice, and tried to help as much as possible while I was answering. It was reassuring to realize that yes, they actually DO want you to pass and do well. One question I completely blanked on (aced anatomy, failed on the histology part of it) and did fairly well on the second (I somehow managed to remember the information I learned last term).

As for the tunnel vision...

I focused SO hard on trying to remember the muscles and bones and innervation of things that I got stuck on the first page of the Level 1 ISF questions. I'm so behind now on studying that I don't know if I'll be able to catch up by the end of the term. Silly of me, really. Now that the ISF panic is over, I can get back to being productive and studying what I'm supposed to be studying for the end of term exam.

But now, I'm going to go see Ben Folds in concert! It's been a concert filled weekend, with Maroon 5 and Sara Bareilles on Friday night and Ben Folds tonight. My last weekend of bliss before I bury myself with school work until end of term (3 weeks! Time flies...).

End of Term Exam

35 MCQs. 1.5 hours to do it in. All I need to do to pass is get above 50%. (I mean really, how ridiculous is that?)

Why am I freaking out about this? Who knows. It's what I do best.

And look, this is what it's doing to my poor friend D -

RVC: Torturing vet students during exams since 1791...