Last Midterm Exam!!!

I think I may have written my last midterm exam last week!!!


I'm not completely sure, as there is a very compressed course next semester. But that course is an entire semester worth of classes, crammed into several 6 hour days over the span of two weeks. It seems unlikely that they'd have a mid-term exam in a course of that format.  However, stranger things have happened. This is nursing school, after all.


Barring an unexpected midterm exam in early January, I think we are f-i-n-i-s-h-e-d with midterms!!!


Now to go and finish my last paper of this semester. The paper itself is done, but there is still the dreaded reference list to write, as per APA 6 norms and standards.  Ugh. Once school is done, I'll be so happy to never have to write up anything in APA format again...until NP school starts, but I'll worry about that later!


Kate

Still smiling

Yes, still smiling (although I thought I was starting to drool a few days ago...scroll down and look at the cartoon from a few days ago, if you have no idea what I'm talking about!)

After a few days of nervous waiting, I did find a "S" beside my name, as in a "satisfactory" result for my practical lab exam.  WHEW.  That's one less thing to worry about.

Tomorrow I have my first midterm exam.  The school has condensed learning experiences, so we basically cram all the information in one semester into a half semester, so everything is sooner.  The midterm exam is tomorrow, and the final will be in mid-October.  Then pediatrics is finished, and we move on to maternity.  I like that its so focused and concentrated, but wow, is it ever a lot of work and clinical shifts.

Speaking of clinical shifts, I had t-h-e best pediatric shift ever, on Friday.  Not that I did anything more complicated, it was a difference in my approach and confidence.  I felt that I almost knew what was going on in the unit, where the important stuff was, how to work the monitors and other various equipment and stuff like that.  It was almost a day-night difference in my approach. 

The 8 hours flew by, and before I knew it, I had to leave.  I didn't want to.  But I did, with a bounce in my step, a huge smile on my face, and a feeling of accomplishment and having done something useful, like never once in my first career.  This is a sign of things to come for the rest of my career.  I am thrilled.  I got home, chatted with my son, got laundry (scrubs!) going and went for a run...all that after I'd been awake since 4:45 am...and I am NOT a morning person.  Incredible.

But back to the academic reality now.  Apart from my exam tomorrow, I also have to do a pediatrics quiz that is part of my final mark, prepare for an upcoming lab for Tuesday, but the quiz for that prep needs to be done today, try to start my care plan, prepare a brief talk on complementary therapies for Tuesday morning and keep working on my ethical dilemma paper.  Did I mention that this is a busy year???  Last night I was feeling a bit sorry for myself with all this work on my shoulders, when I could have just simply stayed in my first career, and had weekends mostly free.  But then I just thought about Friday's great shift, and its all worth it.  I am ready for school to be over, but it is worth it...and school cannot be over yet, as I still have so much to learn!!!

To top it off, my hubby is away this weekend, which leaves me as the parent in charge of the kids all weekend.  It is such a beautiful fall weekend, sunny skies and warm temperatures -- the kinds of weekend that literally begs you to spend it outside.  But here I am, nose mostly in a book and the kids mostly entertaining themselves.  They're such great kids -- they built a huge fort yesterday and did various crafts in it.  Now they are "helping" me by watching TV -- they are more than happy to help me that way!  Lol!!!

OK, back to the books...this too shall pass...

;-)

First midterm exam

Last night I got to write my first mid-term exam for second year nursing school.

It was on "lifespan psychology", which, I must admit, is a course I am having trouble linking its real value, to nursing. I'm hoping it will get more interesting/useful as time goes on, but the first exam focused heavily on theories -- Piaget's theory, Erikson, Pavlov, Bronfenbrenner, Watson, Skinner, Bandura, and on and on....

There was also a large component on heredity and prenatal develpment. Both of those topics we covered in detail so great in last year's physiology classes, that it was amusing to listen to our prof, a newly-minted PhD in psychology, (who is apparently teaching his first course ever, based on his ego-laden lecturing approach...but I digress...), lecture us about neurotransmitters, neurons, axons and the like (this course is reserved for nursing students, so we all have the same background in physiology).  It was a repeat of high school biology class. 

I don't mean to complain, but frankly, I sincerely do hope it gets more useful and interesting.

Something happened to me as I sat down to write yesterday's exam.  Something that has never, ever, ever happened to me before (and this is my fourth university degree!)

I realized I had NOTHING to write the exam with.  Normally, I bring my backpack or computer case, which has loads of pens, pencils and erasers in it.  I'm the one who shares my pencils with others.  For the exam, however, I brought only my purse with me.

So last night, I sat there in the classroom, and my blood ran cold as I dug through my purse and realized it contained my wallet, my BlackBerry, my daughter's Epi-pen and two lollipops.  Nothing else!  I could not believe it.  Perhaps what I could not believe even more, was that that making sure I had a pencil with me hadn't even crossed my mind when I left the house!!!

Luckily two friends came through very quickly as I sheepishly voiced my need for a pencil.  But I just kept shaking my head in disbelief that I could come so unprepared like that to an exam.  After all the university exams I've written in my life, you'd think, just maybe, I'd know better.

It all ended well, and gave us a good laugh after the exam!

Onwards and upwards!!!

One continuous mid-term exam

Honestly, this semester has been drugery.

All the mid-term exams were spread out weekly, one after another.  When I initially saw the term schedule, I thought how nice it would be this term, having the exams all spread out.  Ideally, it is nice to have only one exam per week to study for.  The down-side is that it makes for a semester that feels like one l-o-n-g exam, with most weeks having one.

We just finished first set of mid-terms two weeks ago, finally, and now are finished the next  round (second midterm exams), which were again spread out over two weeks.

This past Tuesday was the toughest day, with two exams on the same day.  I haven't had that since I have no idea when, although I'm sure I must have had that experience when I did my BSc, many years ago.

Now we have a bit of a 'breather' for the next three weeks, until classes end.  Then there are four final exams to write (nicely spread out, so no multiple exams in one day, whew!), and the first year of nursing school is done. 

Despite the feelings of having endless exams and so much learning, I must say that this year has flown by.  Hopefully the rest of the program will fly by too, and before I know it, I'm working as an RN.  YIPEE!!!

Breakthrough!

For the first time in my life...after having studied this several times in the past...I actually thoroughly understand the roles and functioning of the coenzymes of the oxidative pathway.  Hallelujah.  All I can say is that FAD and NAD (which stand for flavin adenine dinucleotide and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, derived from riboflavin and niacin, respectively) had better be on today's exam! 

Oxidation-reduction reactions, roles of coenzymes, ATP synthesis, metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, the activation of sugar, the %?&* Krebs Cycle, oxidative phosphorylation and the electron transport chain -- bring them on!!!  Oh yeah, and I cannot forget the physiology and biochemistry of the entire digestive system too.  Bring that on too!!!

I'm not entirely sure just how this will make me a (better) nurse, but that it not the point today.  The exam is today, and that needs to be passed, and that`s how it will make me a nurse.  A thorough knowledge of the digestive system I can understand needing to know, and can see how that will help in my work as a nurse, but learning details down to the biochemical level, that's just not that important for a nurse to be able to explain and teach to patients.

I will be so happy when this exam, and this particular course, are over.

Fingers crossed for a good exam this afternoon!

Back to my last minute review...

Three months from today...

...I will be back sitting at my desk, at work.  I cannot believe I've already been off work for five moths!

Now back to reality.  I have my first mid-term exam tomorrow, this time in anatomy. 

Wish me luck!  Here we go again on another round of exams!!!

Second round of mid-terms over!

Whew.  That was an intense, brain-straining marathon. Another 3 exams over.  My dear husband is a very patient man, and lived through the week with grace and bringing home take-out dinners a couple nights. It is somewhat odd, as I mentioned in my previous post, to be having another set of 'mid-term' exams near the end of the term.  We will have two more weeks of classes, and then we have finals.  And one term will be done!

The anatomy/physiology exam went excellent, if I can say so myself.  It was one of those awesome exams when it all comes together, and you clearly know the correct answer to the multiple choice questions, and some of the options given seem ridiculous.  So that one went very well (I hope!).  The other two exams were back-to-back.  I finished writing the first one in about an hour, so I had about an hour before the second one started.  I think they went OK, but I didn't have that awesome feeling leaving the exam room. 

During the third exam (psychology), as I was diligently filling out the little circles on the scan sheet, I kept telling myself that every little circle I colour in, I am one coloured circle closer to being a nurse -- I just have to get through the exam.  It is an interesting course, but I must admit, I see little relevance between the course content and being a nurse.  Perhaps the link will become more obvious during clinicals or when I'm actually working as a nurse, but for now it seems like a 'filler' course in the nursing program.  But like I said, it is interesting and I'm mostly enjoying it, but there just seems to be little relevance to my end goal in its content.

Now to just re-group my focus and energy on the homestretch.  Oh, and maybe tidy up the house a little and even have some fun!!!  :-)

Exam marathon begins

Today will be the first exam of 3 in the next 48 hours. 

I feel good, albeit nervous (of course -- as per usual for any exam!).  My cold is mostly over, I've been sleeping again, and have actually managed to have some info stick in my brain.  Hopefully it is the correct info that I will need later today.  Lol!

Now I just have to remember to breathe.  Breathing is always good!  :-)

I have a lot to write here, but it will have to wait until this set of second 'midterms' is over.  Midterms three weeks before finals???  I'm not sure what is going on with that, but that is simply the way it is.

Best of luck, strength and stamina to anyone writing exams (and extra patience to anyone living with somebody writing exams)!!!

Onward and upward.

Weekend breather

I had forgotten how intense writing exams is.  The focused concentration for 90 minutes is extreme, and then when the paper is handed in, there is such a flood of relief and relaxation in your body, that one seems completely unable to concentrate on anything else in the immediate future. That's how last Friday afternoon felt, when my first set of midterm exams was over. 

The past weekend was great, and I didn't touch my books.

Today classes resumed, and I am feeling good both about the midterms being done, and about the next batch of learning that is beginning. 

We have a new prof in my physiology course, who is exponentially more intense than the previous prof.  Not that there was anything wrong with the other guy, he was very good and I enjoyed the lectures.  But today's new prof is dynamic, clearly l-o-v-e-s the material and simply exudes passion for the topic.  AND she managed to cover an entire chapter during one 90-minute lecture.  (which may not seem as much to some, but perhaps a quick peek at a physiology textbook will explain why this is a TON of material...and it all has to be memorized!)

I felt so great at the end of today's lecture, given how intense and interesting it was.  I went home and straight to the books, to re-learn, re-inforce and start memorizing the details of the chapter.  In my past  university experiences, it is with profs like this one that it is imperative you stay on top of the material.  Catching up later is possible, but very, very difficult.

I'm starting to prep for my other lectures this week too, so it is all good.  I am happy.

As far as results go, I've heard back from two of the three exams.  So far I've gotten an A+ and an A.  The latter result was on the exam I studied the least for, so hopefully that will be the lowest mark of the bunch.  Like I said, I am happy.  I am satisfied.  I am learning much.  Things are going well.

Oh, and I should mention, that the S&V studying snack food has been replaced with air-popped popcorn....a much, MUCH healthier alternative!!!  Lol!

Studying...

...while snacking on my beloved "S&V" (aka salt and vinegar) chips and drinking ginger tea.  Hmmm, not exactly a healthy habit.  (I guess the ginger tea would be considered OK!)  S&V chips are my main junk food addiction (I don't have a sweet tooth, but make up for not eating sweet junk food by eating salty junk food!) Funny how some habits re-surface years later.  I always used to snack while I studied, mostly chips or salted sunflower seeds.  Now it just seems to be chips.  Probably time to nip this bad habit in the bud, as I want to stay fit and healthy!!!

This morning's exam was OK.  I think I did well, but it wasn't that really good feeling like last week, when I know I did well (or at least I think I did, as I am still waiting for the results!).  I am not at all worried about not having passed the exam, but it is a question of whether it will be a high A or a lower A.  I really didn't know what to expect from today's exam, as there were no sample questions given out, and the course material was rather general.  I will know for next time to memorize all the details in the textbook.

Now I am studying for tomorrow's physiology exam.  I have mixed feelings about it -- I've done all the sample and practice exams and quizzes on the on-line version of the textbook, and gotten mostly 100% on all of them, so that is definitely encouraging and confidence-building, but, always a but, that doesn't mean the exam will go that well. 

We shall see tomorrow -- in the meantime I review as much as I possibly can, and eat more chips!!!  (I think the dog will get an extra walk today, and I may even visit my old friend the treadmill in the basement, for a quick run...or I could just put the chip bag away...)

Am still studying...but taking a quick break to blog...

Two more mid-terms await me this week, one on Thursday and one on Friday. 

I've worked my way through various population health models, and will need to do more physiology still tonight. 

Maybe next week I will attempt to re-surface socially for the first time since school and this huge lifestyle transition started.  I owe so many people phone calls and emails!  But I am optimistic about this re-joining of civil society, given that I'm almost back to normal with the latest round of family viruses, and I am truly getting into a studying groove.  And most importantly, I'm adjusting to being a student again and wrapping my head around the fact that this stage of life is my current reality (leaving a desk job to be a student again was a major shock to my system)!  I'm guessing I should be fully mentally adjusted to being a student by the time I return to my desk job in May 2012...

I really must get back to the books, but one last item I want to share tonight is a quiz I took recently, from the text book on "Life's Transitions: The Aging Process", from my Determinants of Health course.

It is a simple quiz, one that estimates your life expectancy (based on various health behaviours and heredity factors).

The good news is that I'm going to live to be 101 years old!!!  I guess I'll get be a nurse for many more years than I thought, given that I plan to never fully retire from this job. :-)

The quiz can be found at: www.livingto100.com  (oh yeah, and eat right, don't smoke and get your body moving, even if it is just a daily walk around the block!!!)   Best of luck!!!

OK, OK...am really going back to studying now...

Midterm #1 - that was OK!

Actually, I'm thinking better than OK.  I think it went really well. 

I wanted to write a quick post this morning, before the first exam, but I just ran out of time.  What I wanted to write was that I had this incredible feeling of calm, before the exam...not something I was used to having before exams!  I was trying to figure out if this feeling came from A- being well-prepared for the exam, B- being a 'mature student' and having lots of univeristy exams already under my belt so this is not a new experience, C- studying in a field I LOVE, which makes learning easier, or D- still feeling that this whole 'going back to school for nursing' experience is still a bit surreal.  (YES, can you tell I was preparing for a mostly multiply-choice exam!?!? -- LOL!) Well, I think the answer was E- all of the above.

It was multiple choice, the bane of my test taking existence, but I felt quite confident about the vast majority of the 55 questions.  There were two I just skipped to return to later (which I did!), and about 3 more that I think I answered correctly...but the rest, I think I just knew all the info.  There was also a long-answer essay question about the inner workings of the eye and vision, essay style, which I could have explained if awoken from a deep sleep.  So that was good too. 

Now, of course, thinking I did well on a multiple choice test, and actually having that confirmed, are two very different things.  I think results will be posted on our student course-specific websites, so I'll be checking that in the coming days.  I remember, "back in the day" when I was first an undergrad, our results were typed up, pinned up on a bulletin board on the wall, and we'd all crowd around, elbowing each other as we jostled for a better view of the sheet of paper, looking for our student number and the corresponding mark!  Those days have most definitely gone the way of the dinosaur!!!

Now it is full-steam ahead for my two mid-terms next week, one of them being my beloved anatomy and physiology.  So much to prepare for there.  And this weekend will be busy with our celebrating Canadian Thanksgiving, and a out-of-town wedding we'll be attending.

Happy Thanksgiving, happy studying to any and all students, and happy weekend!!!  :-)

Mid-terms!

Mid-term exams start this week...my first university exam in many (many!) years will be on Thursday.  Two more will follow next week.  Can you believe the term is practically half over already???

Must get back to the books.  I also think we will have a surprise quiz in class today, in physiology.  On a good note, I spent the weekend working on a physiology assignment, and managed to get 99% on it!  Wahoo!!! 

Here's to hoping the physiology quiz is on the same topic as the weekend assignment, 'cause I know that stuff inside and out!

Back on track!

What a difference a few days can make!  "Life" is definitely getting back on track, energy levels are increasing, and I got caught up in my courses.  Yes, this is much better than last week.  What an awful feeling that was, to want and need to do things, yet feel so incredibly tired. 

We are also s-l-o-w-l-y getting into a home routine, with the kids activities, sports, music lessons, homework, and my new 'stay at home mom' routine into just that -- a routine, not randomly happening days.  In hindsight, even under regular conditions (i.e. not mom leaving her job and starting nursing school!), it always takes us a few weeks to establish a busier routine, after a relaxing summer.  This year it was particularly different, with so many changes happening. 

In terms of school, it is such a reassuring feeling to know that I already have a classmate network established, where I can get help if needed.  Now we're talking about getting a study group going.  This is probably a good idea, given how much memorizing is required in physiology classes, and even in psychology class.  The latter class, it turns out (so far, anyways), is mostly a combination of stats class and neurophysiology.  I've studied both, so the topics aren't really 'new' to me.  I really didn't know what to expect from the psych course, but so far it is very much related to physiology....I admit I haven't yet looked at chapters in the text that we're not doing yet.  My first mid-term is next week, in psych, so hopefully that will be OK. 

I've done one physiology assignment so far (got 90% - yay!!!), and have another one due early next week.  Everything, and I mean everything tested, is multiple choice.  This is a h.u.g.e change from my previous university studies (I think a post on test taking will be in the works soon).  Even when I was writing exams in my science courses, we didn't do any multiple choice exams.  Every test was short answer, definitions, and of course, in the chemistry and calculus courses, showing the work and the calculations for the various reactions. 

What I find somewhat ironic (is that the proper use of the word?), is that I avoided taking this 'intro to psych' course when I was doing my first undergraduate degree, because we students knew that that course was marked based entirely on multiple choice tests and exams!!!  That was the main reason I didn't feel like taking it as an elective back then.  Now here I am, years later, taking the same class that is tested in the same format.  C'est la vie, life goes on, and frankly, it is an interesting course!

Back to paying some attention to my littlest one now.  She only goes to school in the afternoons, so mornings are 'our' time.  In one word, these morning together in the past few weeks have been 'amazing'.  I am so grateful to have this time with her.  :-)

Happy momma, wife and nursing student!!!

Am still so sick...caution...complaining/venting post...

It was a week ago last Thursday, that I sat through a full day of lectures shivering, even though I think I was wearing about 4 layers of clothing (never a good sign!!!).  A few days later, the head cold emerged.  By Wednesday (2 days ago) I was feeling better, but then yesterday it seemed to mutate into a chest cold.  I spent most of yesterday's marathon lecture day (I really don't like Thursdays) coughing (much to the 'appreciation' of my classmates, I'm sure) and it zapped me of all energy and brain power.

Today I'm a bit better, but did NOT have the energy to even think about driving to class, and then listening attentively.  OK, maybe I did think about going, but that expended and depleted my energy stores!

Luckily, very luckily, I now have friends in class, whom I can lean on for info for the missed class.For this, I am extremely grateful.  Merci, merci, merci.     :-)

I just want to feel like myself again. 

For the first week of class, I was a bundle of nerves and excitement, given that it was the actualization of so many years of thinking about doing this and wishing it.

During the second week of classes I was mostly a shivering heap, knowing full well I was in the early phase of fighting a nasty virus.

This week I am lethargic and coughing my lungs out.

Oh yes, and on top of all this, I feel that I have fallen so far from where I wanted to be in my studies.  And add to that, that my first mid-term exam is in less that two weeks...not a good feeling.

I just want to be my energetic, enthusiastic, 'normal' self again, who exercises on her treadmill most mornings, walks the dog before the kids leave for school and (mostly) meets the daily challenges head-on with energy to spare.

Here's to next week. There's always hope, that much I know!!!  Here's also to a full weekend of studying, to catch up on my studies.