Well hey there blog

Sorry I've been totally MIA, unfortunately, I had to retake my exam, I got murdered on the verbal and physical science section. So since July 19, I have been doing absolutely nothing but studying. Literally, been in the library from 9-5, come home for dinner, then back to studying. I was able to get my scores up on the practice exams, which I completed all of them before the exam. I took the August 6, and I have to say, I did feel a little better about the exam than I did the first time around. I definitely felt more confident about the Physics and Gen Chem stuff. Of course there's a few questions which I'm wondering if I guessed correctly, but honestly, there's really no point in me fussing over it. Honestly, what I get is what I'll get, and hopefully it'll get me in somewhere. Since then, I've just been relaxing, going out to see friends, and all that fun stuff.
Yesterday I had my city day with my mom, went to see Sister Act and did a ton of shopping. Today, I went to Witches Brew for the first time and the second I walked in I LOVED the place. It was so quaint and cozy :) After I did some more shopping with my friend, got stuffs for my birthday, which, BTW in 10 DAYSS!!!!!!!!!111!!!! :)


Anyway, back to enjoying my reading time, and maybe some the 90s are all that tv :)

I can't stand waiting any longer...

When I said this was going to be a very long wait... I didn't think these days would go by so slowly. I'm pretty sure I'm checking the MCAT THX site everyday, 6 times a day.  I just want my score so I know if I have to start taking it again, so I can start studying again.  I'm registered already for the August 6 exam, and hopefully I'll be able to cancel it and get some of that money back.

arghh. I guesss I can start studying a little bit here and there.  My brain is seriously about to explode though, I'm still waiting for a reply from my advisor, I sent her THREE e-mails about my letters of recommendation, and she hasn't gotten back to me yet.  So I've prepared envelopes for everyone's letter, and plan on having her photocopy them and send them in by mail, instead of online...

Personal statement is basically finished! Just having a few people read over it, and that's pretty much it, and then I can click *submit*

Almost there. 12 more days until the scores come in.

MCAT IS DONE!

Oh man, was that a grueling exam.  Five or so hours of sitting in front of a computer with these industrial noise blockers.  As for the exam itself, I'm not really sure what to think.  Don't really want to get my hopes up, because I always feel good after a practice exam, and I end up not doing as well as I thought.  Studying for it was kind of difficult, as I was studying mostly while I was away on vacation.  For the first few nights, while in Hong Kong, studying was no problem at all, and I did manage to get a good amount of studying done.  It was once we got to Singapore that studying got to be a little difficult, not because I didn't want to study, but mostly because I was unwillingly put into a benadryl-induced coma most nights after about 30 gnat bites on my legs that I got in Hong Kong totally inflamed and started really itching and hurting.  I am now convinced that I'm allergic to hydrocortisone, because as soon as I started using that, they inflamed.  We got home from vacation on the 10th, and my exam was yesterday, so I had 5 days to fight jetlag and study everything I could.  Scores should be coming out on July 19.  This is going to be a very. long. wait.

DONEDONEDONE

ohmygosh. I can't believe that I can actually say that this semester is FINALLY over!
It's been a hellish sort of semester (hence the lack of updates, which I am truly sorry about..)
But anyway, as per usual, my grades havn't been put up yet, except for Physics and Calculus. Got an A in both classes, no surprise there, I needed like a 38 and a 77 on the finals to get an A. Yay!

But anyway, I had a nice start to my summer, went out to the beach and food with some friends yesterday after my final, then came home and accidentally passed out, instead of going out again *oops*

Today, woke up late which was very nice, since I've had 4am wake up times scattered throughout finals week, and I started on my AMCAS application already.  Boy.  This is complicated, with a capital C.  But I'm getting through it, slowly but surely. 

I'm just glad that the semesters finally over, it felt like it dragged on for such a long time.  I'm also glad that I can finally say I am done with Math, Physics and that one particular teacher I didn't particularly like this semester.

Now onto bigger things. More specifically, the MCAT -_____-

I can't stand people who don't appreciate...

Nurses.
Especially those who are going on into the medical field.  I have this one friend who is upset that his dad has yet to see a "DOCTOR and has only spoken to NURSES and NURSE practicioners...fml" I swear I want to be this kid up, because he really has NO idea what nurses go through during their day, all that they do to get to where they want to be, and how important a nurse truly is to the medical field.  I can't stand that this kid thinks that because they only go to school for 4 years that means that they don't have the medical knowledge that a doctor does.  Well guess what, just because a nurse doesn't go through 8 years of school doesn't mean that they don't know what they're doing.  The doctor I shadowed once told me: "While it is the doctor that owns the patient, the nurse owns the floor, they know exactly what is going on at all times, 24/7.  Go to them when you need help."

I will also never forget this that I read once: "Somewhere right now a NURSE is getting yelled at for being late with pain meds, while holding her bladder because she doesn't have time to pee, starving because she missed her break, being pooped/peed/bled on, and is missing her family while taking care of yours. In the minute you took to read this, NURSES all over the world are savin...g lives. Re-post this if you are a nurse, love a nurse, or appreciate one"

You know what I have to say to you? Who is the one that's taking care of your Dad when the doctor's not around? That's right. A Nurse.  When your a student doctor you better start learning how to appreciate all the work nurses do.

Spring Break

Wow, it seems like spring break came and went.
I started off spring break by relaxing a bit and watching a few movies.
Sunday I went to see three schools.  Yes.  Three schools.
Cornell, NYU and Columbia.  I didn't get to go and look inside the actual school because they were all closed but I was able to get a look around the campus.  I liked Cornell better than the other three.  I liked Columbia the least of the three, mostly because the campus is in a bit of a shady side of town, and I can't imagine myself commuting to that school everyday.  I don't know, I don't see myself there.  So, for now, of the schools I visited my top list are:
1. Hofstra
2. Cornell
3. NYU

Practice MCAT #2

Considered it owned :)

I'm so so so so so happy right now.  Granted, I could definitely do better, and I think the same questions that stumped me the last time stumped me again, but there was improvement in all three sections! Now I know I need to definitely focus on the physics and general chemistry, those were my lowest percentages of correct answers.

Overall? I couldn't be happier, I got some studying in, I can get much more in, and I havn't really done much studying lately because school's just been consuming my life away.
My plan for tomorrow? Get all of my work done, which means getting this CORE paper done, my embryo lab report and my physics lab report done.  Totally do-able. So this way, on Monday I can get some MCAT stuff done, and maybe start working on my personal statement? :O

they're all in

and it's all good news :D

100.5
Just imagine this guy sitting at a desk and that is what I looked like

Booyah!! All of those 3 hour sleep nights most definitely paid off and I have to admit, I can't be happier to say that my lowest grade of those four exams was a 97.  To say that I'm uber happy would be an absolute understatement.

good news! :D

Oh man.  3 day weekend was pretty much consumed by this Core paper that I had to write, which, still isn't finished and is due tomorrow (oops).  It's almost done, and when I say almost, I really do mean almost.  I only have about another page to type up for this bad-boy and then I can call it a night, and so tomorrow during my FOUR HOUR BREAK I can work on my lesson plan for this week's SI session, and maybe get some MCAT stuff in there.  Probably won't happen, but it's good to be ambitious once in a while, right?

Well, of my exam grades last week, I got 3 of them back so far, and I have to wait until Friday to get the 4th one.

Physics (which you already know) - 97
Embryo lab - 99.5 (she took off half a point, because all I said was bridge, and she wanted more, but she only called it a bridge? *shrugs* I'm still awesomely happy with the grade)
aaand Calc - 100
BOOYAHH

Waking up at 3am and feeling like absolute shit that day was definitely worth it, but hopefully for the next set of exams I won't have to do that because I'll have more than just a day to study for each of them.  We shall see.

Survived this week!!

Oh man, I didn't think I'd make it, but I DID :D!!!

This week was absolutely crazy, because of all the tests, I had about one day to study for each exam, which, believe me, was not all that fun.  I think I averaged about 4 hours of sleep each day, and the latest I woke up last week was 5am.  Oh how nice it was to wake up with the sun shining in my face yesterday morning and today.  Overall, I think I did pretty damn well on all of my tests this week.  Physics I already know I got a 97, which I better have.  She made that test wayy too easy.  Calc wasn't too bad either, mostly because the test questions came exactly from the suggested exercises he assigned.  Too bad those math majors in my class had "no time" to do them.  Their loss.  Embryo lab exam and lecture exam I'm still kind of iffy about, but nothing that I'm too worried about I suppose.

Will let you know what happens when I get all of them back.
But, hey. Good news. After last week. THREE DAY WEEKEND BABYY

Almost through with Hell week #1

Well, I'm in my second full week of classes this week, and I've already forgotten what sleep was.  Sleep just keeps running away from me and it won't let me keep it company.  Not really sure why, but even though I am absolutely exhausted, I didn't even get to really sleep the 3 or 4 hours that I gave myself.  First tests of the semester always scare the hell out of me, and I guess having 4 first exams in one week isn't really helping. I managed to get through the Physics test in one piece, our professor made it easy for us because it was Valentine's Day.  There was just ONE thing that I know for sure I screwed up, but what can you do.  My Embryology lab test today was very straight forward, I just kind of BSed my way through one of the questions, but I think I did a decent job coming up with an answer that seemed appropriate. We'll see how much my teacher likes my awesome BSing abilities.  She seemed to like them very much when it came to my paper about the evolution of the placenta, so I'm guessing that I'll be good and dandy.
Probably going to be getting our physics test tomorrow, and I still have a Calculus test and my Embryology Lecture test coming up.  Tomorrow I have a day off from exams, but because my Calc teacher decided to teach new stuff today that will be on the test on Thursday, I gotta get a move on.  Hopefully tomorrow during my four hour break I'll be able to get through this stuff.

Almost there!
Oh.  And it's supposed to hit 60degrees on Friday yayy :D

Full Steam Ahead

It's February 7, I can NOT believe it.  I feel like I just started school yesterday.  But that's pretty much how quickly the semester started off, with reading, homework, papers and the stress.  I guess it doesn't really help that I've also been trying to balance all of my school work with studying for the MCATs, which, so far, it's going a whole lot better than I thought I would do once school started, but I'm actually doing pretty okay.  The stress level is slowly rising, partly because we've had what seems like 478903249302 snow days already.  I have yet to have a full week of school, this week marks the beginning of what may be our first full week of classes.  But because of all of these snow days, exams and due dates are pushed back a week, which definitely does not help my problem because, well, that means all of those exams and due dates are now pushed into weeks of other exams and due dates. Wonderful.  2 weeks from now will probably be my first very high stress week of the semester.

So my classes are:
Physics II - which has already amounted to the same nonsense that I had to deal with last semester, and I've managed to be very productive in class.  I study for the MCATs, and believe me, I'm better off because the professor just confuses everyone anyway.  I went over all of the homeworks this weekend, and I seem to understand the material much better than the people who have actually paid attention to class.
Beyond 9/11 - probably one of the most interesting classes I'll take at this school, and it's being done very nicely, a lot of discussion, and we're allowed to share our opinions and participate, which makes the two hour class go by very very fast, which is very good since I really hate night classes, and this is a night class.
Calculus II - I think I'm enjoying this class more than any of the classes I'm taking now.  Mostly because I'm learning Calculus, and mostly because I'm doing damn well in it.  And frankly, it feels good.
Embryology - this is a whole other animal than Comparative Anatomy was, and I didn't think would be this difficult, but of course, my professor finds a way to make my life absolutely miserable and difficult.  Between not knowing how to pronounce half of the material, and just not knowing the material, is making it quite difficult to learn, but I'm picking it up, slowly but surely.

First exams are coming up, and of course I will keep you updated.

But, I'm starting to get kind of pumped about medical school because I've started looking into different medical schools, so I've started looking into their requirements, and I am VERY glad that I'm taking this second semester of calculus, because one of the schools that I'm looking into (can't remember which one) requires a full year of calculus.  So all I need to do now is harass all of my professors for letters of recommendation, get them in, start working on my personal statement, oh yeah, and pwn the MCATs :)

Vacation is almost over

Okay, so I've probably officially wasted this entire break.  Well, no not wasted, I just didn't seem to get everything done that I had wanted to accomplish, which, is okay.  I got through most of my MCAT books, taking notes and being a good student and stuff, and I can finish going through these notes probably during the first few weeks of school when I have those massively huge four hour breaks in between classes.  As for going over my old Calculus notes, that was an epic fail, and I am praying very hard that Calc II next semester doesn't totally kick my ass.  I'm praying that it won't because if my professor for Calc II is anything like he was for Statistics, should be no problemo *crosses fingers*

So, the break is nearly over.  I've got MOST of my books already delivered.  Just missing my embryology lab manual.  Which I TECHNICALLY don't really need until the second week of school, but it would be nice to have already.  I've contacted the seller twice already, no response, this person BETTER send me my book.  STAT.  Never again am I buying from a newbie seller on Amazon, just to save a few bucks.

An update on the whole medical school thing.  I will be starting the search for other medical schools in the area to add to my list to where I will be applying, since the list has been kept at a very short number.  I'm debating on applying to other schools that are outside the state, just because.  The only thing I'm really truly worried about are the MCATs, going through some of this stuff is kind of getting me worried, because I really and truly don't remember, and the way that these books put some of this stuff is not making my anxiety go away.  In fact, it's making me even more anxious, I'm hoping/praying that going over old notes will help ease that anxiety.  Thank GOD I had an awesome inorganic chemistry teacher back in high school, because my inorganic chemistry notes from college n'existe pas.  The biology, organic chemistry, and physics, however, have been going well.  Slow, especially the biology, it took me like a week and a half just to get through one chapter (I REALLY don't like the micromolecular systems...).  Other than that, it has just been taking me a while to get through this stuff because I've been kind of lazy, and well, my Season 5 DVD box set of House and Season 3 of NCIS really hasn't helped at all.  But in the next few days I'm hoping to rectify at least some of that deficit that these box sets have caused.  Also mostly because my dad is coming home from vacation today, so I really won't have the pleasure of being a total lazy bum and sit in front of the big TV.  My dad going away was probably the worst thing in the world for my work ethic.

Happy New Year

I know it's 10 days after the New Year, but when I said that the work I set up for myself really is a whole lot more than I expected - the biology book is a whole lot harder to get through, I'm still stuck on chapter 4, and I should be on 8 at this point. I've got some catching up to do.  I'm working on it though, I promise.
I think it just took me forever to get through this chapter because it was a whole lot of review, and it was review of stuff I really have no interest in. Cells. I got another MCAT review book, the official one from the AAMC, and right on the shelf it went.  I'll get to it eventually, I promise.  I started to take my time with getting through all these books because I started to feel burned out, and I got to that point way quicker than I thought I would, but I've rested a few days, and I think my momentum is starting to build up again.  Next week I'll start looking up other medical schools around the area.  Hofstra is looking real good right now, but I was told that they send out thousands of application invites.  Thousands of invites, 60 spots when I apply.  No pressure at all. This is probably going to be the highest stress I've been under.  I mean I love the competition because it makes me work harder and to my full potential.  And there's always competition, so I'm always working at my full potential.  Anyway, this was just a quick update.  Back to my work .___.