Time flies when you are having fun...

Hi, ya'll - WOW so hard to remember to post when you are having so much fun! I've been home for a while now and am LOVING IT! I still have over a week left, well, just about a week then back for semester two! Oh yes, I got my grades and got a satisfactory progress in everything! that felt so good and I really feel like I will be out of Dominica in 3 more semesters for sure now!!!

Again, sorry about not posting but being home totally took me away from it and there is too much activity to talk about! I'll be heading back on January 6th (actually arriving the 7th at around 4:30pm). Then off to a quick registration and back to my apartment to get ready for classes the next day. I already know of alot of new students who have headed down so if you have any questions just message me on facebook, email or instant message me! Just remember - RUH student lounge equals FREE A/C! :-P Hahaha. That got me through the first few days and my mom!

Break is going well. I feel bad that I have not been able to see everyone in the time that I have and I really should be spending more time at home. Hopefully, things will workout this next week because it is so easy to feel like I am disappointing people by missing them. But at least from now on I should be back every 8 weeks or so (yes this semester I WILL be doing that). I wish they would send me my schedule so I can book my flight but I might have to wait until registration. Sigh.

Well, I'm off to go hang with everyone. This weekend is going to be so great! But I will definately be posting again to give you the highlights of my break!!!

Have a safe flight for those flying down and I'll see you soon.

Love, Jess

I'm Leeeaaaaavin' on a Jet Plane!!!!

I feel like it is Christmas Day! Well, not yet but it's here! My last day on the island until my semester break!!! What a ride this has been - but a REALLY good one. Today's plan? I'm glancing over a couple things then I am heading to the gym and hopefully going to time it out to where I have just enough time to workout, eat, chill for a few mins and take the exam! After that? Stop at Picard pick up a bottle or two of wine then head back to the apartment to shower/get pretty and finish packing. We are going to Cabritz tonight. Nothing special but just to get out of the apartment! Then Max (my taxi driver) will be picking me up at 4am!

Then plane ride after plane ride till I hit good 'ole Michigan!!! Be landing in Detroit at 11:20pm then heading off to Big Als with some family/friends (late bar night but hey it's going to be GREAT!) so if you have nothing to do I should be at Big Als by around midnight!

I'm at a point where I just know I did what I could and hope that all my brain is working well today... No matter how it goes I am going to be so excited to get back but to do well on this would be AAAAmazing. I know a few people on my flight so hopefully that will make it more bearable!

Back to the land of no mosquitos or fruit flies all over my bed. No more rats running around or dead dogs in a box on the side of the road. Hahaha. But then again no more cute geckos on my wall... :) Ooooh fast food, shopping, snow!!!!! These three weeks are going to be fantastic! I have some awesome stuff planned and also NOTHING planned lol.

Soooooo, just have to get through this exam at 1pm. I am just about as ready as I can get myself. So I better finish this up and get to my workout!!! I'll definately write again before taking off for break!!!

Wish me luck and keep me in your prayers if you do that! Love you!

Loooong, deeeep breath...

Love, Jess

Final exam tomorrow!

Nervous nervous about tomorrow... I really don't have much else I want to do... I guess talking some things out/practice questions but I am looking around seeing everyone else studying like crazy and can't help to think WHAT ARE YOU STUDYING!?!?! I can't take anymore studying. I dont' understand everyone studying 4 months of material like mad a day before the final. It's kinda irritating to see. Whatever. I will just keep looking at some biochem then just do practice stuff the rest of the day.

Since I am not sleeping tomorrow night at least I know I will be leaving tomorrow (be it in the wee hours of the morning but still). Mostly I am trying to avoid the cleaning ladies again today then I am heading back to the apartment and going to watch some tv or something.

Tomorrow I am going to try to force myself to sleep till ike 9am then I am going to workout, workout, workout!!!! I gotta get that edge off. BY then I am hoping it is like almost 11ish and I can eat and get ready for my exam at 1pm. Ugh, I am just so edgy now I can't stand it.

I just can't wait till tomorrow at 4pm when I will have my bed filled with food, vino, and painting my nails pretty pink and where my biggest problem of the day is if I smudge the paint :-o!) Not much longer. I know some of the breakdown in biochemistry of who is making the questions so I am trying to hit the highlights of what they said... I should probably work on other subjects... Okay, enough rambling - back to it!!!

Love,
Me!

Can't believe I have to wait more more day... ahhh!!!

Yikes, yet another day where I am barely able to study. I started off after mini three well but lately it's just not happening. I got a good amount done today but it is odd not studying hardcore. Oh well.

The power went out and it got pretty hot so that didn't make me want to study either. Ah well. I am hoping others are like me. It is nearly impossible to go over everything again - but then again - you aren't suppose to forget things after you take each mini so really I know this stuff is in my head but it just depends how hard these professors are going to question us.

Sigh... Just doing some anatomy and biochem right now... Not sure what else I can look at... I guess a little histology too - lol, it could never end!

One more day then no matter how much I know it will be over and that is a relief to me. I am sure that this test will be pretty specific because it is hard to test general concepts without being too easy. I don't know why but because my mind has been so uncooperative these past couple days I almost feel doomed like karma will not have me do well because I haven't been 24/7 dedicated. Ugh, I'm hoping that isn't true.

I just hope God is on my side Friday because I know how hard I have worked this semester and I KNOW the knowledge is all there but you just never know how hard they will make these exams... Tomorrow, I am guessing is all biochem and review with questions. I am also worried I might have spent too much time on biochem but it is worth the most so I guess that is okay.

Anyway, hopefully this is my last boring post because this time tomorrow I am going to be done studying for good and working on finishing up my packing n' all.

Alright, I better go and try to keep going.

Love ya'll!

One more long day...

Yay, it is Wednesday! I think I, like alot of people, just want to take this exam and be done. My brain is tired and wants some rest so I am hopefully finishing up studying today and doing light stuff tomorrow.

So, yeah heading to campus in like an hour and going to stay until I feel like I could take the test tomorrow and be fine with it. Plus, today I have to exchange my money back to US and pick up my visa papers. Tomorrow is all about finishing packing and getting myself ready :D! Friday I am going to sleep for a bit, workout, eat and go straight to the exam - after that welp cya later (hehe). Then I am staying up till the cab comes and gets me!

Sigh... Only a couple more days, but it feels like years... Alright time to get ready for the day!

I'll write again later today

Jess

Time to start wrapping it up...

Is it over yet??? Ugh, mother-time is playing a cruel game with me, hehe. Today is going to be as much histo and genetics and as I can handle... I can feel this ending soon. I wanted to be done studying tomorrow so we will see. I may have to go to Thursday but that day will be light. I am still so happy about my scores. I can't imagine how much I would be freaking out right now if it went poorly. I would be in such a panic.

So getting in at 11:20pm and going straight to Big Als! So if anyone needs to find me late on Saturday night that is where I'll be!!! :-D Woohoo!!! I'm getting hmm... a long island? A shot? Hmm... lol... Okay, no time to think about that now. But boy, am I going to be soooo antsy on the plane!

I really hope I can sleep on the way home. I am going to be too scared to go to bed Friday so I will be up all night till Max (my driver) picks me up at 4am.

Well... I am going to get scootin'... going to try to get some work done btu I will probably write again later today!

Jess

4 days from tomorrow morning!

Stillllll studying... my poor bed has a groove for me from studying on it so much! Still waiting on grades too. Not sure if I will ge tthem back today or not because our grievance rep is still talking to professors. I could just calculate it myself with the key we were given but that is too scary to me. I was going to workout today but I'm not feelin' it too much lol. I like to workout especially to de-stress - but I am so not stressed! I will try to workout one time this week and definately will before the final so whatever :P! It's almost too the fact that I just don't want to be on campus. Everyone is worked up into such a frenzy I don't want to be around that

But today, I am getting my visa papers, pick up any mail and food too then back to the apartment to study all day and all night! Things are moving along well and it seem like I will probably hit all I need to for the final that I was hoping for. At least all this studying is making the days FLY BY! I honestly don't think that I will sleep alot at home because any sleeping in will make time seem like vacation is going by that much faster...

Speaking of which, I'm looking outside my window right now and while it is raining it looks like snow! It's falling really slow - yet another thing getting me all amped! Ahhh, and also just confirmed my flight - I get in at 11:20pm NOT 11:30pm, hahaha - woohoo!

Well, I left this blog for a while and its around 2pm and I have gotten my grades back. I actually looked this time (thanks SAna for helping me haha). Wow, hard work really does pay off! I managed to pull of 3 As!!! I can't believe it!!! Okay, well on the 3rd A I was off by a point, but whatever. Physiology, biochemistry and histology! DPS and anatomy I kinda had to weigh out because this mini was worth so much more in those 3 subjects but wow. Not only that but I really am improving in biochemistry. I tanked the first test... Ugh, still trying to forget that but then on the second one I really improved (over 20pts.) but this time - this time I did really well. How well? 100%!!!!!!!!!!! My first 100% in medical school and I think EVER on a test haha. It was only 10 questions on that part but I really needed it! I'm so happy!

So now I am EVEN MORE motivated if that is possible! :D I just really REALLY tried for this one and am so happy it paid off. There have been times when I worked so hard and it still didnt' pay off as much as I had hoped but I had someone looking over me on this one!

So, back the books for me with a big smile on my face. We won't know our final scores until a week after I get home so I am going to be in the greatest of moods when I get back having these last scores in my head. What a way to finish off first semester!

I'll write again soon! 4 days from tomorrow morning!!!!!!!

XOXOX
Jessica Lynn

Too excited to study!!!!!!!

Woooooopie! 5 days to go and I am packed and sitting at the door! Today, well I am going to be studying till late, but has overall I think been a productive day. I still want to get alot more done. There is so much to go over I am starting to get so bored with a subject I have to keep switching. But the excitement is building!!! Sharla and I have been talking about our Christmas party and I am fReAkiNg out! I am so pumped to see everyone for the holidays I can barely concentrate at all!

Well grades should be back tomorrow and a little anxious to see them. I'm hoping it went good so we will see. If it went well, even more stress will be lifted for Friday. That would be amazing... Ah well. But yeah all my suitcases are just about ready to go, my carry-on, and all my paperwork (passport, plane tickets, etc) so I am so ready to go. It still feels like years till I will get back - weird!!! Because as my sister has pointed out its around 160 hours left (hahaha love ya!).

So I guess bowling might be out for Sunday but Big Als/Malarkeys might be in so who's coming??? Hehe.

This whole week will be studying but I still have to get my visa papers from the registrar tomorrow, exchange my money for US currency, and then - work on my appearance :D... Since I will be off dirt roads and muddy trails for a few weeks I might as well put on a fresh coat of nailpolish and what not! YAY!

Ugh, if I can just study for another 72 hours or so... just a little longer brain - come on!!! Don't putter out on me NOW!

LOL, oooh... wait... yup I think it is starting to cooperate. I better go!!!!

Love love love,
Jessica

Brand new day!

Yay, my brain is happy again. I got up around 6:15-6:30ish and feel much more fresh. I think my mind just needed a rest. I really did study hardcore the day after the mini - so probably an overload... Anyway, it's Saturday and you know what that means!!! ONE WEEK! (I don't think this blog could hold the amount of exclaimation points I wanted to put after that last statement!) At this time next week I will be sitting at Melville Hall (the airport here) waiting for my flight (8:55am).

Oh and just to let you know for next week fam/friends, here is my flight schedule (approx.):

4am: Picked up from my apartment to head to the airport
8:55am: Flight from Dominica to Antigua
5:30pm (eww): Flight from Antigua to North Carolina (omg the United States, haha!)
9:30pm: Flight from North Carolina to Detroit!

Doesn't seem like it should take 2 hours to fly the last stretch because I think it gets in at 11:30pm, but maybe it will get there early :-P! So that is the plan. I am starting to realize how much I have to really pack for home and decide what books to bring, what to leave, when to plan out time to pack, etc. And I still have to study! Yikes! All soooooooooo exciting though.

Okay, so yeah just waiting for Ms. Sana to wake up so we can go to campus. Going to probably stay until it gets dark out. I hope today is really productive. I'm sure it will be. I think this weekend I want to get through alot more biochem, DPS, and histolgy/embryology. Again, it is almost like you have to pick what you want to do well in. I hate doing that because any cushion I have in classes I don't want to just blow off. Like anatomy, DPS, histology are all going fairly well - I don't want to blow that...

Hmm... we'll see what the day brings! I started to buy snacks for the plane! LOL. I can't believe how excited I am. Everyone is talking about walking into a supermarket and being dumbfounded by all the choices. Heck, I haven't even driven in 4 months!!! So strange.

I was telling my mom this but I have had such bad thoughts about this 3 weeks just being built up too much. What if it just flies by and I feel like I am coming back days later? What if ya'll have to work and can't hang out much? Sigh... I'm too much of a worrybug! It will be the greatest time.

Time to hit the books. Less than a week till this test is over and I can hopefully call myself no longer an MS1 but an MS1.5!!!!!

-Jess
XOXOXO

Just about time to turn off the brain and turn on the liver...

Wow, my brain is b-e-a-t! Today I just can't seem to get as much done as I wanted. Oh well, I guess I will just get as much as I can get done today and start again in the morning...

Tomorrow I will be on campus all day then back to watch a movie at night. Ah well. So tonight was interesting... Sana was talking to me outside of my room swingin her flash drive around and for some odd reason she THROWS it off the balcony! LOL. Right into a locked up storage area for James (our landord) that was gated in. Who but I would go downstairs hop over a wall to get it for her. As dumb as it may seem that made our night. That is how exciting our time gets here... So so sad, hahaha. Boy was the hop back over the wall hard! :-P So random - so Sana don't do that again!!!

Hahaha. I just keep thinking this time next week, I will be (while slightly intoxicated) ALL DONE WITH FIRST SEMESTER!

Alright, well I am waiting for my garlic chicken to be delivered so I am going to try and recharge!

Love ya'll!

Jessica

Guess I need to wait till I get home to party hardy...

Well I went out last night finally!!! Okay... for like 90 minutes. It was fun though. A bunch of us were just sitting on the pier of the Caribbean Sea talking and having a few drinks. I had a few sangrias but after a while everyone just got up and left. Some people wanted to sleep, some wanted to start studying. It made me think more of how excited I am to come home because we know how to have a good time!!! Hahaha.

Ah well, so last night I had my hole-punching party. Basically organizing 16 weeks of information so I can study it over the next 8 days. So much stuff. I really just have any handouts given in class in binders but ALL of the information is mainly in my computer: lectures, practice questions, etc. So now, I am studying biochemistry all day and on week 3 right now. Moving along! But I still have to organize as I go. I feel like I should be studying on campus (sorry Sana) but I am so comfortable at home! We'll see how productive I am today but am definitely going to be working out on campus still...

The cleaning ladies are coming today - ugh. One of them is so strange she will stand and like stare at me sometimes. Don't know if they are expecting money but every week - EVERY week I say don't clean my room, I can do it. But I come home and they do anyway. Sigh, oh well. Today I put a sign on my door "Studying - no need to clean my room but thank-you :)" . So hopefully that works.

Maybe on my breaks I will make my packing list! Mom do you want to help? :D Yay! OH! And I guess next Sunday is bowling so who wants to come? Anna, anna.... I know you are in! Hahaha. Unless there is something else you guys want to do. But I get in Saturday night at like 11:30pm and don't want to wait until the next weekend to hang out with people!!!

So excited that my mom has the day off work today (yay!). I always look forward to Thursdays because she is home all day and we chat most of it! So great. Maybe that is why I don't want to go to campus - haha.

I am not too worried about the final to be honest. It won't be as specific as the minis, just basic concepts so I think it will go well. I never took a mini and just - forgot - the information. I still have it in my head (haha for the most part - hey it was alot of material!!!) So that relaxes me a little. Still anxious about my mini #3 scores. Physiology was worth so much so I hope I managed to pass it. Sigh...

Well, I guess back to biochemistry - see how far I can get today... Maybe I will write later :-P

LOVE YA'LL! 9 days!!!!!!!!

Jessica

ONE EXAM LEFT FOR FIRST SEMESTER!

It's official, one exam left and home the next day!!! I am sooooooooooooo happy and yes, as my last blog said - BEAMING!

I think this mini went well. Biochem - well I got that confidence boost! That seemed to go awesome! I am hoping everything else went well too - we shall see. Who knows about anatomy but it wasn't worth much and I think I may have a little cushon so it's alright... no more specutation - I'm happy for now so I will leave it like that!

You guys, I'm coming home next Saturday!!! NINE DAYS FROM TOMORROW!!! I'm so happy I could cry! Now I am just watching an episode of ER and having a Kubuli (Dominican beer). Ooooh yeah. Then I may do some organizing and hopefully going to hit up some of the sangria!

Welp, time to relax - catch ya soon! :D

WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!

Someone is going to be beaming tomorrow!!!

It's just about here - mini #3 and I find myself excited! I am finishing up studying and pretty relaxed about tomorrow. I have my exam at 8am and after that I know I am going to be so unbelievably excited! Granted I still have my final but that is on the day before I come home :D!!!! So after tomorrow I have a whole 10 days to get ready for that and pack!

I think 10 days is way plenty for that exam but I am also really excited because tomorrow I am going to Roseau to do some shopping with Sana! It's an hour away or so (which is hard to cut that much time out of your day) but I am planning on taking tomorrow off anyway to relax! I may even be possibly having some sangria (Trent, how 'bout it?), haha. Tomorrow I think is going to be a good day. Now, I am just finishing up reviewing some little subjects and then I will be going back to physiology for the rest of the day, doing practice questions and such.

I can't stop thinking about home and hanging out with everyone next weekend (NEXT WEEKEND!). Someone best be hanging out with me Sunday (bowling???). Anyone that is up for doing something that day let me know! Otherwise I might be baking :-P...

Okay, okay... Back to studying...

Jess!

Mini #3 comin' right up...

Sitting here in classroom 4 studying... and boy do I feel tired today! I am not sure why. I worked out, I had some good food... Hmm... maybe once I get home, shower and get more comfortable I'll wake up a bit. Tonight will be my "long night" I guess. My mini is 8am Wednesday morning so I don't want to be up super late tomorrow night.

Things are still going pretty well. I have a ton still to do but it is all planned out so I am not too worried about it. Most people are studying physio because it is a huge chunk of our grade - 45%. Yikes. Yeah, I definately think another coffee is in order.

-----

Welp scratch that... back in the apartment! We were SUPPOSE to have a study room but SOMEBODY made the reservation for the wrong day... Just kidding Sana, I love you!!! Hahaha, so I am just relaxing for a few then back to the books.

XOXO
Jess

Sooooo close!!!

Good evening! Well another day just about done. Got a good amount done today with physio and still going. I am just lightly studying the rest of the night... I started the night with some pop/popcorn to watch Elf now I am having a Heine watching Cocktail, haha. Ah well. So - tomorrow is December 3rd. Wow. That makes me happy!

Tomorrow, is still up in the air. Don't know where I want to study or if I even feel like working out at all. Blah...

I guess I should start figuring out packing and what books I what to bring home! It's getting so close but I won't have time to pack all in one night so I'm going to be spacing it out over the next week or so - how fun is that!!!

Well, nothing much to my days now besides studying... So, consider me boring :D!!!! Don't worry, things will spice up when I am back in the T!

So rest up Ttown - I'm comin' home!!!

IT'S DECEMBER!!!!!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!! FINALLY IT IS DECEMBER!!!! I just finished my histology lab exam - not bad at all - I'm sure I did quite well. Now time for mini #3 and the final. Again, studying for mini 3 is like studying for the final - the better I study for this the less time I have to spend on it for the final. The mini is on Wednesday then I have about 10 days to study for the final. That is definately enough time, I believe.

I am working on physio now and will be probably most of the weekend. I have an appointment with the professor at 3pm so hopefully I can learn something there (cause I never really go to office hours)... Ah well we will see!

Also, I wanted to give a shout out to my dad - HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!
I am going to try to email Becky a letter to you to read! Don't think I forgot about your special day! I love you and I hope you have a great day - relax!!!! :D

Well, I better get to studying... Maybe I will write again later today!

Love you!

Jess