Term 3 Or The Hardest Way To Fall

Well Hello there, Dear Readers

It's been a while but I am Some how back and I yet again writing in this, honestly fairly depressing blog. You might have noticed that I decided to spruce up the place so it would better match what actually gets written here, that is to say trashy despair with the odd ray of hope and some random stuff thrown in. And since I am talking about me blog I might as well remind you all that I have decided to move to a biweekly posting schedule, this is to try and cut out some of the straight up garbage random post that I was making far to often last term, this was mostly do to a lack of time to devote to the blog every week, moving forward I will be trying to right a mildly high quality of content (grammar however will probably remain at it's current low standards).
             It is also so that I can open the floor to you my Dear Readers to write your own posts for this blog, since I know that at lest some of you will have read one of my post and thought I can do better, now is your chance without having to go though all the crap of starting a blog, writing a weekly/biweekly post, and posting it to social media so that everyone can judge you on how bad you are at writing. No all you would have to do Is email me your post in a Word Doc to GetAwayWithVetSchool@gmail.com, but don't get crazy about it if i don't have a guest post to post then there just won't be a post between my post's which again will be biweekly. (P.S. if you look at the side bar I added this email so you won't have to dig for this post later)

Okay so now that the house keeping is all out of the way we can get to the heart of this post, I did have a resit at the start of this term which I passed, however the fact that I had this scary scary test looming all summer didn't do wonders for my nerves. This whole week (This was the first week of classes and the resit was on Monday morning) has been a wired mix of relief, exhaustion, and getting stressed about Term 3, which is widely held as the worst term of vet school at SGU, manly do to it's poor schedule, and high concentration of "difficult" course's. Honestly though I am so Happy to be in term 3 since that means that I am not the total failure that I felt like this summer, I went so far as to try and avoid people that know me because I was afraid that they would ask how vet school was going, and while in my heart I know that they don't care what I do and actually just care about me, my brain is absolutely certain that if people knew how much I struggle with school, and with myself, that they would look down at me like a worm on the hot concrete, with petty and disgust in their eyes as they step over my rapidly drying carcass. Obviously this is just my internal conflict, since I don't think I will ever fill like I deserve any kind of praise, let alone peoples respect, but before you start thinking bla bla bla we have herd this same thing from you ever term, which you have I went back and checked the archives, although I have never stated it so plainly before (side note, Please don't go back and read old post, I promise that they are all worse then even I thought they where when I wrote them), very long story short (no really I cut about 500+ words from this post) that is how I was feeling this summer, It's not like I didn't do all kinds of fun things this summer, I raced, went to LBL, hung out with my family and animals, but I always had the stress of school right there in the back of my mind no matter how long I studied it was never enough to satisfy my own sense of un-accomplishment. That's okay though because I have Family and Friends, and Friends that are Family, and they all accept the facts of who I am, and what I am trying to do with my life, and while most of the people I know back home only know the strong, confident, compassionate, outgoing, well put together me, and nothing of the stressed and struggling me, I know that they would understand and empathize with me, Just like you do. Thanks If it wasn't for you all and the grace of God I don't think I would be capable of tackling what is shaping up to be my hardest Fall ever. Well I suppose I will talk to you again on the 10th of September, Till thin

 TTFN

Easter a Time to Remember Or, Always Check the Mouth of a Gift Horse

Hello Dear Readers, firstly sorry I am a day late yesterday was still a "day off" which I spent studying and feeling kinda off so I just decided to wait till today to write. So Easter is a great time of year first and foremost because of what it represents Jesus dying and rising from the dead 3 days later, 2ndly because here at SGU we get a four day weekend, which I spent trying to relax and have some fun but also studying for 3 upcoming exams.
So in my sad sad attempt to relax which only succeed in making me feel like the lazy, good for nothing, procrastinator that I am. I also found myself reminiscing, which seem to be happening more and more to me, if it happens with anymore frequency I be seeing my life flashing before my eyes, so I suppose I could be dying, or it could just be the hardcore sleep depredation. Ether way it is slightly interesting to see what things I look back on with such fondness and longing to go back to that time just for a visit, and the things that I kinda don't care about or almost wish had never happened. Now I am not going to get into any specific memories, but I will say that I am surprised by the number of specific exact moments that have shaped my life.

 Moving on to a slightly more lighthearted look at what happens on a long weekend in vet school, and the answer to that is very easy nothing happens, ether you chill hangout with friends and you get no studying done, or you study everyday and you have no fun and you relax 0%, or you try to both have some fun and get some studying done. Which ends with nothing happening since your fun is spooled by think that you should be studying and your study suffers because you just want to be done so you can have fun, it's lose lose but since this is vet school nothing can be easy so we had/have two of the hardest quiz's this week and then Monday we have a final, A Final! just writing this I could feel my stress levels rising.
So whats the take away here, Days off are a form of mental warfare designed to break students who are already losing it. and thank God because without him I would never have a shot at make it though this mine field. TTFN

P.S. Photo is a bit of reminiscing

WellnessWeek, Or Quiz quiz go away, Or Smoke roll on by

Hello, dear readers last week was a bit dark so this week i figured I would talk about some good good stuff.
Starting with wellness week a week full of events put on by SAVMA (Student AVMA) which is pretty cool there are loads of different things to do, like free massages, bob rose panting nights, a wellness lunch lecture everyday, I am sure I am missing some events and other wellness stuffs. But the most important one of the events was a collaboration with the Improv Comedy Club, the show we put on was sort of the big week ending event, and as a bones the show went real real well.
In other news I finished up my first round of quiz's which has had it's ups and downs, but at lest I get a bit of a mental stress break for a little bit. Well this was a short one, but before I go I have some interesting news a building in the True Blue industrial park caught fire today as far as I know no one was hurt, but it is wired coincidence considering that a building in my home county's town square just burned down, so just watch out dear readers and remember that fire is great till it's not. TTFN

Life, Death, and Everything Inbetween Or. Priority's

Hello Dear Readers,
lately there has been a lot of talk of priority's in vet school, which I have come to realize effects us more then those attending school closer to home, also I realize that not everyone shares my views on these matters so please understand that I am not calling anyone out, (please don't take offense as non is intended) so if you think that this post might  hit to close to home Please stop reading now, YOU have been warned (even though I believe that I will only be covering topics superficially as always).
When you decide to leave the country you call home to attend vet school, you leave a lot of things you care about behind with no promise that things will be the same when you get back, we all hope and pray that our family's, animals, friends, and homes will be okay during our time on island. Sadly life is never that easy and loses do happen, and then there is a choice that has to be made what is more important to me, that which I am losing or that which I am learning. Unfortunately there is not a clear universal answer, with the most solid answer being that it Depends. There are exceptions as for any rule, and mine is for my family I would find a way home if the worst where to happen.
(Maybe I should explain the two big issues with going home for us on Island Money and Time, Money is the easiest to think of off hand as we all owe a lot of it to the government, but money is also the easiest to dismiss and spend on a flight since we owe a lot of it to the government. Now time is something that is not considered at all till you realize that you have missed a week of classes, labs, and studding for them, it is possible to keep up with some of that work but it would be extremely hard to do.)
So let us ignore the exceptions and focus in on the one most common scenario the inevitable, impending, death of a pet which while sad and some times heart breaking at the thought that your best friend that you raised, cared for, played with, and cried with. could just be gone when you return months later after finals, to realize that while everyone else has already stopped accidentally calling their name you still do multiple times a day, and you still look for there food dish, or to walk with them. For the most part we know when we leave which animals are at a higher risk and when that call or text about that animal comes in we are more ready for it, however if something unforeseen happens you get blind sided by grief.
So now that everything has been laid out I can finely talk about priority's... unfortunately they tend to change, would I fly home to see Hope (my first foster dog turned best friend) one last time before she died? Honestly no, I have said goodbye to every animal on my family's farm every time I have left for school, does this mean that I wouldn't be sad? No, I would be incredibly sad, and I know people who would absolutely spend the time and money to get home just to hold their animal friend once more and that's fine there hearts our bight, but in our field of work that can be deadly.
So to rap up let me explain somethings to the People that find my dealings with death a bit odd, when I was a kid growing up my family would take a once yearly visit to St. Jude's children's hospital for my older brothers check up, inevitable he would be back somewhere being tested and I would play with the other kids, most of which had cancer and would not live to be an adult. Now I did not understand this at the time, it was meany years later after I had been volunteering for my local animal shelter for several years, and been raising rabbits, chickens, etc.. I had fostered over a hundred animals, and I had seen death I had seen plenty of it before I was 13 or so and all that death before hurt it hurt for weeks I have a very big heart. But the thing that really changed my how I deal with death was a adult sheltie mix named Hank, I spent weeks training Hank so that he would be more adoptable and it worked he was adopted, but weeks later when I came in to do my vol hours at the shelter Hank was back and I ran out and we played for a couple minutes he still remembered his training, then he was put to sleep... you see the person who had adopted him was older and he had gotten out of hand for them, so he came back and unfortunately at kill shelters they can't afford to keep dogs around for months on end waiting to find just the right home (and I will have to talk about how I support all humane shelters even if they have to put animals to sleep), it was this moment that I realized that you can not cry for every animal lost, as you would quickly run out of tears. But that you should be thankful you got the time to make memories of the good times and bad, since then they will never really die....... TTFN

Goodbye Maria you where an amazing first goat, and very good at escaping.  

 

I found a baby Gecko, Or AVMA site visit.

Hello Dear readers, This last week has been a bit wired, compounding this today was my first quiz which I felt super good about, and then it blind sided me with badly worded question. but that's now behind me I am going to take A extra hour off this afternoon, and then proceed to ace everything else this term.
Okay now that I got that of my chest let's move on to happier subjects like how the other day I found a Baby gecko on the inside of my windowsill (see photos) It was very small and extremely cute. there are a number of lizards on the island which for someone from south central Tennessee is a bit odd to see so meany, oh yes we see snakes, turtles, and the odd skink, but no big lizards or geckos.
In a totally unrelated event, SGU is still trying to get everything set up for the AVMA site visit which could end the schools accreditation (probably won't) but it has lead to RULES being enforced, since for the most part the school likes to put out these rules and never enforce them, It's like a fun game of Simon says but instead of doing what Simon says usually people just smile and node, like that's nice. here are some of the most ignored "Rules" no eating or drinking (expect for water) in the lecture halls, study rooms/halls, on the buses, and the one that makes since in the labs. the problem with this rule is that most clubs hold lunch lectures or meetings where food is available and where do you have these meetings Lecture halls, study areas, and some times in lab, so there would be a double standard if this rule was ever enforced (which it will be when the AVMA comes), next and my favorite rule from the AVMA directly, No animals in class. Since it would be a distraction (fair point) then the professors ask people to bring there dogs for lab which is 1 hour after lecture (not really enough time to go home get your dog, eat lunch, and then be back in time for lab.
anyway I will stop ranting now and go back to studding since I have a quiz on Friday, Have a good week, Do not let one mishap throw your whole week off. TTFN

Henry

Henry

Henry

 

To Quiet, Or Back to the Rock

I am back at school trying to do my best to stay on top of the work load, and get used to the new apartment.
The term is starting off like a big storm, that is to say that things are far to quiet, with our anatomy goats somewhere between Grenada and Jamaica, lab has been delayed for now but we will have to make up for this lost time which will probable be about the same time that the two quizzes a week start.
However, life is not all doom and preparing for doom, the new apartment is very nice other then the internet which is fairly spotty right now, but the hammock-ing life is very good and relaxing. So far I have had one week of classes and I don't have to much to talk about yet but I do have a couple of good pictures so take a look and maybe I will have a more stuff to talk about NEXT week till then close the shutters, go to your hidey hole to make it this storm. TTFN   

Living on a Prayer Or Is Grenada the most saportive island? Or Litting them Down

So I still have two midterm test results to get (but I honestly don't have a good feeling about them) so I wanted to get this one out before I ether fail-out (I write only half lite heartily), or pass/get a high enough score that they don't kick my out right away and I have to study even harder. I am so incredibly thankful of all the support that everyone has given to me, all the prayers, and well wishes for school, I won't lie and say that all the support doesn't endlessly stress me out with a totally unreal fear of disappointing all of you. I know it's crazy but I am very confident in my insanity at this point in my life, regardless to my sanity or lack their of I know for a fact that I don't deserve Friends and Family as awesome as all of you, Thank you for having my back.
Related to this is the fact that leading up to midterms and during midterms the Locals of Grenada have been super great Bev who is the house keeping for our room has told me that she is parying for us every time I see her which most weeks is twice, multiple complete strangers have come up and told me that they pray for us students everyday, which is very powerful.
Now let's not get all doom and glum here Heck I made it further towards my goals then I thought I would when I got in to vet school so all this is icing on the cake, (and if I didn't screw up these last two midterms to bad I will keep pushing).
so just to rap this up, you are all great, Grenada is great, and vet school is a long never ending nightmare that I wouldn't trade all the dept that I now have for a moment of it.



I would Rather try to catch my Dreams, Chasing them across the earth, oceans, and sky above. Till I can no longer run, and Fail.
Then live life safely, and Never even Try to Run.  TTFN

The End is Apon us, Or Life, the story is still at the begining.

Well dear readers finals start tomorrow and if I don't get at least a B on my physio final I am going to fail the class (not the way anyone wants to start their vet school career) I really don't know how this would effect my standing with the school since I am already deceling this term, but I believe that if with 5 full days of studying for this one test I should be able to pass. If I don't then life will go on I will figure out some other totally awesome life goals out (not that I am planning for failure, In fact I am writing this Sunday night after my study time).
I have a couple hints for anyone who is thinking about vet school but first a real quick programing note: there will not be a post next Monday do to finals, my last post for this term will be on the 15 of May ( if any other news happens there will be quick update). Okay back to the Fun tips for vet school!
1. Don't go to vet school straight out of undergrad or masters program (if you are like me you will decide that this is a once in a life time opportunity and you will go regardless, Be Warned, You are already Burned out and you need a break even just a summer is better then nothing, I know because I have only just recently got things clicking again.)
2. God
3. Going to Vet school out of country is not as bad as you might think, getting student loans is the same as going to school in the states. and going to school in the Caribbean gives you the ability to fly home for the summer (which is nice) even if the flights are kinda crap.
4. Friends are life, and if you don't want to go crazy
5. Friends outside of vet school are also life (for real support systems)
6. Use every available resource even if you don't think you need it
7. Have some fun
8. Never get down on yourself that's when you start giving up
9. sleep!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
10. Follow your dreams, ( I honestly never thought that I would get in to vet school and now I am here and even if I fail I will not regret a thing well maybe the 32 grand in loans but hey you win some you lose some life keeps moving on).
TTFN Dear readers till the 15th. and the 16th I get to see my little girl.

Injecting some Happiness, Or I have Weathered this Storm!

So Dear readers I realize that I have been talking a lot about the hardships and stress of vet school, but this week I figured I should talk a little about all the good things that have happened, or at the very lest the not negative things going on in my life right now.
I will start with my friends, and how super supportive everyone is and even though it has only been about 9 weeks since we all met (feels more like several years), I have always had something to smile about with all of them around and when you decide that learning pretty much everything about how animals work and the names of every single thing inside and out, you really need people who you can talk to about classes but also about whatever. I am a part of a very sporadic game of Torchlight 2 (remember studying comes first but you need to take breaks), also a on going (in between classes) discussion of a D&D game which may or may not come to pass but at the very lest the conversations are great (king of the dragonborn and a ranger without a bow), so yes friends are very important to keeping you on track and mentally sound.
Moving on with some of the things the school offers to help you stay happy (fair warning I Don't participate  with any of the stuff I am about to mention), like an ultimate frisbee club I know a few people who play with them all the time and they like it, there are thriving basket ball and FootBall (not US) leagues which even have teams and uniforms, the crossfit people are entertaining to watch after class, and if you would rather not flip tires the school has a (very) small gym, and if you go off campus you can get your scuba certification, lay on the beach, or rent a boat for a trip. And if you don't like the water there are island hikes every weekend, (I really have no idea how people find the time for these activates but I guess if I had a car and I could go racing I would unless there was a big test coming up).
Anyway It is very easy to fall into despair here, you know how much I have struggled here if you have been reading this blog, and it has been a good way for me to face my own problems head on, but what I haven't talked about is the fact that I always try to keep a smile on my face though everything I also try to cheer up those that are around me, because I am not the only one struggling and if I can make someone else smile then I fill a bit better about my problems. after all we all moved to an Island to go to vet school/med school, and we all feel the pressure building up like we live in systolic hypertension, (High blood presser during the contraction of the heart which maybe caused by a reduced elasticity of the aorta) but the we just have to take that bitter pill every morning, and try are very best to be better then we where yesterday, and last week, and last month, and last year. Smiling is the only way to get though it, and you need friends to smile with you, (it doesn't matter if they are human or animal friends, both are nice) and it doesn't matter if those friends are on the other side of the world complaining about there AC, or if they are down the hall they all make a big difference.
Well I will wrap it up Here for now, remember smile more and you will see the storm clouds roll away from the faces of those around you, also thanks for reading I will talk to you next week.

 Also we played with cows this week, which brings a smile to everyone's face.