21 Days

In 21 days I will be back in America for the first time in almost 9 months.  I am so excited to see my family and friends, eat some delicious food and enjoy AMERICA.  I have already compiled a list of places I want eat and a list of things I want to order.  Some of these places include El Taco, In N Out, MacDonald’s, Taco Bell, Pops Café, Lucilles, Mexican food (anywhere), Mud Sharks, Pirates cove, BJ’s, Tropicana, Petes Patio and a few others.  I can’t wait to get a good steak, some crab legs, a nice fresh salad, DESSERT, a juicy burger, artichokes, potato and macaroni salad, etc. Don’t worry Mom I don’t think you are going to have to cook the 14 days I am back!! One thing I do NOT want to see is any chicken or rice.

At home I know I am going to our Lake Havasu house for a few days to enjoy the sun, lake and our boat.  Other plans include a trip to Disneyland (with some amazing co-workers), trip to San Diego to see my “second mom and dad” and their current litter of springer puppies, up to Santa Barbara for the Dog show (not showing anyone but plan on doing A LOT of shopping for Kitts), lots of lunch and dinner dates with friends and who knows what else.

One thing I am looking forward to doing is SHOPPING.  Last two semesters I did a lot of online shopping but not this semester.  I am not sure if it’s because I don’t have time to look or when I do look for 5 minutes nothing jumps out and says “buy me.”  I am looking forward to seeing a mall and trying/buy lots of things.  In undergrad I had 6 malls within a 10 mile radius of me…so it is A LOT different down here.

Ok back to island life. Not much is going on here just trying to finish the semester strong.  Last weekend was the powder puff tournament and sadly our team did not do the greatest but still had a great time!! I didn’t hurt anything too badly besides doing something to my right ring finger.  It was either dislocated or fractured so it is currently tapped to my pinky.

Powderpuff Team

A lot of people were wondering what the students do with our pets on the island.  There is no boarding facility on the island so students who stay over break watch the pets.  Kitt’s is staying with a girl who is going into her 6^th semester. She is watching a few other dogs over break so I know she will have a great time.  Kitts LOVES playing with any other animal so I know she will enjoy having housemates to play with. She is such an awesome dog and I could not imagine my life on this island without her.

Brittany and I are all set to move into our new place.  We get the keys Thursday at 10:00am (we finish our final at 9:00 am).  We have 44 hours to move our stuff in and get on a plane to go home.  I know I will curing myself and wondering where all the junk came from. 

Going to be some long days of learning all this information but this semester is almost over with!! Good luck to everyone on finals…we can do this!!

I am starting to add a few words at the bottom of my blogs so future Ross students can find it :)
Ross Vet School Blog
Vet Student Blog
 Being a Vet student at Ross University

Done with Exams

Kitts showing her feelings about Exams

I am officially done with exams this semester until finals.  Test went extremely well the second time around even with the class averages be 10% to 15% lower.  The upper semesters said to do well on your first set of exams because they only get harder and they were NOT lying.  Our first path average was a 92 and the average for the second exam went down to a 77.  Our first Bacteriology midterm average was around 90 for the second exam it was around 80.  Happy to say I will take my grades and run.  I will be going into finals with 95% A, a B+ and 2 solid B’s.  The highest grade on a final I need in order to pass my class in a 62.  I am not good with pressure for a certain grade so knowing I have A LOT of wiggle room for finals makes me happy.  

I am happy that my hard work in studying is paying off.  I see so many people going out, getting drunk, etc.  I may not be the tannest person in my class or have a high alcohol tolerance but that is not why I am here…I am here to earn my degree.  Sadly, I think MANY people forget that here. I am here for my DVM…not my MRS degree

I see people spend countless hours in the library, meeting with professors, never going out but barely getting by on exams.  Then I see people going out all the time, ditching class, “studying while on facebook,” and cramming the nights before getting B’s and C’s.  

I really wish grades reflected how hard people try.  I know they say C= DVM but there are 2 different “C” students.  Those that are truly trying and actually know the information but get tripped up on the test and those that memorized the right slide for the question the night before but couldn’t tell you a think about it the next day.  

Ok that is my rant on grades… now onto my next grant…students driving drunk on this island.  I really don’t get why students think it is ok to drink and drive on this island.  I feel like once a week someone is wrecking their car because they were driving drunk.  You wouldn’t do this in the state so why do you do it here?  The last place I want to visit on this island is the hospital.  I have not been there but I have heard horror stories.  Most schools won’t even look at your application for a graduate program if you have a DUI.  I guess since you never get pulled over here for driving drunk, or they don’t do DUI check points people think it is ok.  Wish the school would step up and do something about this instead of it being a “good story” you tell your friends on Monday.  We are in graduate school yet people still act so childish here…driving drunk, dating this one’s roommate to get back at the other one, putting your nose where it doesn’t belong, etc.  I just want to scream at people and tell them to GROW UP!!

Ok rants over…onto other stuff

Brittany and I signed our new lease next semester.  SUPER excited to move into our new place and I know Kitts will love HER pool.  I hate our living situation right now but I will truly miss the dome and our amazing landlord but super excited for the new place.

Our New Place :)

Friday afternoons I have been taking Kitts to the beach with a bunch our people in our semester.  It is tons of fun for 20+ dogs to get to run loose on the beach, chasing balls, rolling in the sand and just having a great time.  All the dogs get along well and they seem to enjoy it after sitting at home all week during the day since we have class.  I also have been taking Kitts to shipwreck where they have a dock and she LOVES to jump off of it to get her toys.  I guess in addition to agility training, dock diving might be added to our list when we get back to the states.  

Just some of the "pack" saying throw the ball already

They come in all shapes and sizes down here!!

Tomorrow is our 2^nd class fundraiser… a Powderpuff football tournament.  I think this is my favorite time all year long but sure makes me miss my AXO football team.  I just hope it doesn’t pour down rain like it did last semester.

I am already making plans for when I come home in August.  I am mostly thinking about all the food I want to eat.  If someone would have told me that I would not me in America for 9 months I would have never believed them but guess what…I was.  

Next blog I will give you results of powderpuff and more of my plans while I am “back in America”