Winter Term 2012-2013, Week 1: The Beginning of the End

One week of my final term as an undergraduate is over. I only have nine more weeks of class, plus finals week. This is so crazy. Life has returned to its normally-hectic state, as I jumped right into my full schedule of classes, proctoring, and extracurriculars. Oh, yeah. And I have another interview to prepare for before Winter Break. This one came as a curveball because I was not expecting to have another interview before Kansas State. But, I do. And it's with Iowa State! My second choice after good ol' Minnesota! At first, I was really worried because I wasn't sure how I'd get there and not miss class. I thought I would have to  take the Greyhound, which would require 14 hours of travel roundtrip. Instead, I have taken a big leap as an adult and booked my first rental car. They do allow you to rent as an under-25, but there's usually a fee or surcharge associated with it. Which I get. But, anyway, I found a discount code for Hertz, so that fee will be deducted from my total. All in all, for the same price as a roundtrip bus ticket, I have the freedom to make the three hour drive there and back all on my own schedule, and I won't miss class at all! Now, I will be very tired probably after my interview, but I think I will be fine. There is not much else that I can do. For right now, I have put interview preparation into hyperdrive, spending upwards of an hour-and-a-half to two hours each day formulating my answers to some of the questions I anticipate will be asked of me. It can get tedious at times, but on the whole, it is wonderful to really clarify my stand on lots of veterinary issues and to really come to a good understanding of who I am as a person and who I want to be in the future (i.e., my goals and such). I feel really prepared already, just from having answered some of the questions. I think I will go into the interview fairly confident. After all, like I said earlier, they want me there! It's quite the accomplishment to be even invited to interview, so I can take that with me. I will probably also need to treat myself to some CDs to listen to on the way there and back, just to make the drive more enjoyable and to calm my nerves. On the whole, I think it will be a big adventure, and I love those, deep down.

My classes are going pretty well so far. I need to make sure I can focus on them well enough to keep my grades as high as I would like them. I have been worried that my work quality might slip because I am preoccupied by preparation for my interviews, but now that I have a set schedule down, I can relax a little more and focus on each thing one at a time. I have the same professor for Microbiology as I did for Immunology, and I am glad, since she is a really awesome person. She is so funny and intelligent. It makes for a really great lab and class experience. We get to listen to music in Micro lab, which is sometimes fun and sometimes really distracting because I want to sing along. We also get to use the lowest grade of research microscopes, which are the highest grade of student scopes available. That is just really cool to me to be able to use such high-quality equipment. I feel like that class will really teach me things that I will use as a veterinarian.

My Human Physiology professor is a really great person, too. I talked to him a couple of days ago about my interviews and how nervous I was, and he said he felt the same way when he interviewed for a job at Augustana. He made me feel a lot better. What also makes me feel better is that I read that the interview committees understand and expect me to be nervous, and they will take that into account when they are evaluating me. Part of the test is being under pressure and for them to see how you do in an unfamiliar situation when you are off your game a little bit. I just have to show them that their invitation to interview was not a mistake!

Animal Communication is going to be a pretty interesting class, I think. It is taught in a more grad-school-type format, where most of the class will be taught by student groups presenting on a topic in the field. I have a pretty good group, and we get most of class time to work together, so I won't have to worry too much about lots of outside group work for that class. That will be good, since I have a group project for both Human Physiology and Microbiology. I had two group projects last term, so I don't think one more is going to kill me. I don't think, anyway...you can never be too sure...(I kid, I kid...)

On Friday night, I gave myself a well-deserved break from studying and went to see The Bourne Legacy in Olin with Sarah and Devon. It was a pretty good movie, mostly because of Jeremy Renner. But the original Bourne movies are much better.

Yesterday, I got to go to the animal shelter again after quite a long absence. Most of the dogs had been walked, and the FIV room is still closed (le sigh...), so we sat in the normal cat room. There were actually a couple of really affectionate cats in there, which is weird. Crazy Lucy is now not allowed out except at night when all the other cats are put away because there have been too many "incidents." I sort of feel bad for that cat, like she's a little misunderstood. She's kind of bipolar, one minute being very cuddly and the next trying to bite or scratch her handler, but for the most part, she's fine.



Finally, this week will be pretty short, as it's Thanksgiving on Thursday, one of my favorite holidays! I was really hoping and expecting to get a ride back from a fellow Minnesotan, but she is leaving too early for me. I can't miss my class on Wednesday because I have a non-makeupable quiz (yes, I know that's not really a word, but work with me here). However, being the awesome friend that she is, Sarah has agreed to let me come with her to Cincinnati for the break! We are going to her grandma's house, and Sarah said that she's looking forward to introducing me to the family and especially her grandma, who she says I will like. What would I do without my friends? I have never been to Cincinnati, so I'm hoping it's a good experience. At the very least, it will be an exciting eight-hour road trip with my best friend, which is always a recipe for insanity. I imagine much belting out of songs and dancing in the car will occur. I will really miss my family, and I was hoping to work some over break (and celebrate my birthday as well as pick up some little Christmas gifts for my roommates), but that's just how things worked out this year. This is what is so hard about going to school 380 miles away. The only thing that I would change about Augustana is its location. If I could, I would totally move it to Minneapolis, with all the same people and everything. But life doesn't work like that.

Anyway, I wish you all a very happy holiday weekend! I know I have a million things to be thankful for. What about you?

(P.S. Sorry about the lack of pictures...maybe I'll have some from Cincinnati for you next week?)