Ah - curses!
The dates for our second round of midterms were decided today. They start on March 27th (Maths), 29th (Physics) and 31st (Chemistry). The week after my birthday weekend. Not fair!
There's then only a 1 week break after those until the final exams. They start with my two terror subjects - Math & Physics!! Annoyingly I am probably on course to get an exemption from Chemistry final exam - but that's not until 20th April. If I get the exemption then I could have flown home earlier. Ah well, didn't know when I booked my flights!
Only 5 weeks left of classes - how scary is that? It's flown by! Still, March is generally going to be busy. English essay due, 2.5 novels to read in 5 weeks, midterms and then final exams. Ouch.
On the plus side I had a chat with my math's prof today about my choices for next semester. Basically I don't need to take Maths & Physics to satisfy the Uni's back home - I just need to take one of them. She suggested, strongly, to me that I concentrate on Physics. This is taking into account my current progress (!!) and the Prof that teaches next semester. Will be visiting the UK Uni's this summer to confirm everything...but fingers crossed! If I can kiss goodbye to Maths...then what a wonderful day that will be!!
Agh! Evil physics!
I got my mark back for the physics midterm - 77%. Am I happy? Sort of.
Two days before the exam I was totally lost in a world of inclined planes, velocity and force. The day before it all clicked and I finally understood it. However a note back with my mark says I've made the same error on every single question which, and I quote, "you will find annoying". In other words I've made a grade one stoopid mistake everywhere. So on one hand that's ok - because silly mistakes I can fix (flog myself daily so I live in fear of every doing it again), on the other it's disappointing as to lose marks for silly mistakes is just plain annoying. Note the use of the word "silly" everywhere.
So - it's better than I was expecting 2 days before the exam. It's lower than I would have liked it to be, but it was the first physics exam and I can still drag an exemption out if I continue to do well on my assignments etc. All fingers are crossed.
Still waiting for the maths mark to come back. Don't think that will be a happy day...
Bbbbrrrr....
Two pictures of the local river - frozen. As per the usual theme, it's cold!!
Chasing the golden GPA
Well, if the whole science and veterinary world doesn't take me then I think I'd do ok pursuing an arts degree (booo!!) - got English midterm back and I got a 95%. Yep, I feel damn pleased with myself. Seeing as English is the only course I'm taking this term that will go on my transcript - I'm definitely glad for the mark.
English is weird for me. It's a very painful process to go through writing the essays and working through the exams and I never feel like I've done a good job. However, the marks tell a different story - so something's working!
Today also marks the start of study break, aka half term. Woohooo!!! Whole week off. Sleep will feature highly. Sadly I have to do some work too. But right now, it's Friday and that means play day...!!
Competition heats up
There are some who attend classes who appear to be there for no reason other than to get their parents off their back. Most of the time they don't show up and when they do, often they can be seen sitting at the back of the classroom with their headphones in. Assignments are something that have to be done so they don't get kicked out of school (though that would never happen, the college needs the revenue!)
Then there are those who turn up to every lecture. Notes are taken and interaction actually takes places between student and Professor. Assignments are handed in on time and from that moment on the student will pester the Professor for a returning mark.
There is no in between. You're either one or the other. Those who fall into the second camp generally tend to be pre-veterinary students...
It may seem like quite a sweeping statement but my observations are as I see it. So, we can remove the first type of student from the equation and package them up on a shelf. The second type...now the second type need watching carefully. They are, after all, the competition. Maybe for me they are not direct competition as I am not aware of any who are applying to vet school back in the UK but all the same a feverous menace is starting to spread through the pre-veterinary classes.
The competition for places at the Atlantic vet school here is fierce. Worse still it's very difficult to predict what grades you will need to get in order to obtain an interview. They need to be high, this is known, but the exact percentage is unknown. The reason for this is simple - it all depends on the marks of those that apply. So, let's say this year there is a vast proportion of applications that apply with 95% GPA - that means the cut off level will be 95%. You could be a 94% GPA student (which is damn high) and you won't get an interview. The next year the vast majority GPA could be lower - say 84%, and so the level drops.
All this means that towards the end of the semester I wouldn't be too surprised to see students trying to "accidentally" scupper the chances of their fellow classmates in their plans.
Of course I jest about the malicious intent of students (maybe), but it all means that you push yourself so hard to get the high marks. I need to get high grades, maybe even higher than normal just because I will be presenting myself as someone who left the UK to study for pre-vet - an oddity in itself. I need to blind them with academic brilliance (ha!).
To this end I have been flogging myself over my marks. Generally they're high, with the exception of Maths. Maths is the subject I need to work on, but it can be done. Not wanting to brag (yeah right), my GPA currently runs at 80%. Take off Maths and it screams up to 92% - so yeah, maths is my killer right now. It will be overcome...if I've cracked Physics (and I *think* I have) then I can crack Maths. Hell, I've cracked Chemistry which is a miracle - so it has to be possible!
Oh and normal communication services will be resumed shortly. I have been completly immersed in studying for the midterms, which are now over (hurrah!) and once my brain is back I will be able to form sentances of worth. Sadly there are more midterms fairly soon after study break. Such a con that word "midterms". Lies, damn lies.
Gooood Mornin'
The results are in - first Chemistry exam has been taken and passed! 86% Looks like there are a few brain cells left in there after all. Got maths exam tomorrow morning, that'll be quite a test of the brain. Been studying away all day and now I'm full! 11am tomorrow will be the hour of reckoning.
Other good news - I got the house. Offer, mortgage etc all went through and it will officially become mine on 29th June. I'll need to fly back to Canada for that week in order to have a walk through of the place and get some furniture in there.
Currently heading back to the UK on 26th April, back end June, then back to the UK...before heading back here at some point in late August. No other plans are concrete yet! Of course - the cats are coming across with me in August...scary times!
Study break (half-term) is coming up on the 18th Feb - looking forward to that after all this studying! Get a week off in which to sleep...sleep and maybe sleep! Also going to try and get my theroy test booked for drivers license over here. Pass that (I bloody hope!) and then get the road test booked. Want to have license before I come back in August (or maybe even June) so I can get a car sorted. There is, rumour has it, more to Canada than Truro and I'd quite like to see some of it whilst I'm here!
Madness will be taking place this Friday night - the International Students Association are putting on a show....a sort of variety show and my job (with others) is to round up the poor victims who will be performing on the night. No idea how it's going to work yet (hey, we have 3 days left still!) Fingers crossed it all goes ok on the night!
Tis but a little storm.
Today was the day I was supposed to have my first midterm exam - Chemistry. I received an email from the Prof saying that, despite the weather, the exam was still on. Cue putting on more layers of clothing than physically possible and stepping out into the snow covered wilderness that was the campus.
It's generally a short walk across from residence to the lecture building but this morning I had to battle against deep snow, strong wind and quickly damp ankles. Generally cars stop at the crosswalk midway through Campus and wave you over. They were doing the same this morning...but there was a hint of distrust among the students that the cars would actually be able to stop! Frustrated drivers were waving them across frantically as they slowed their vehicles down - all students were stuck like glue to the pavement waiting for the cars to come to a dead stop...else they would be dead.
I arrived at my first class to find my Prof standing on one of the tables peering out the window...not a good sign. Strike one, I was the only one who had turned up to class and thus class was cancelled. Same Prof was due to oversee the Chem exam - I bid her farewell and went off to do some last minute revision.
The allotted time arrived and off I went to the Chem classroom - I was alone...slowly other students started to arrive but we were 2 down. All the students from on-campus residence had made it in, those off ...hadn't. The Prof had no choice but to cancel the exam...I was both thrilled and gutted. Thrilled as I could do more revision, gutted as I was *ready* to take the exam!! It's now on Friday...
Math was also cancelled later on - although I did get a class credit for at least showing up (yay!) and English had been off since early morning...free day! Mmm, free day spent inside as the snow was now darn deep and the wind rather fierce...
This weekend I'm due to head up to another Uni called St of Xavier (or something like that...) for their Chinese New Year celebrations...I am curious as to what will occur. Also..finally, yes finally, it looks like Brokeback Mountain will be coming to the local cinema (another yay!), so a trip to see that this weekend could also be on the cards. That and lots of studying...
Thar be snow...
After they decided that the best place to pile up all the snow was outside my window...
Early morning - check out the splatter on the far wall.
Truck carrying some extra weight there...
Excuse the poor quality of the pictures - the snow has made me lazy today and the thought of bundling on a thousand layers to take piccies didn't really appeal! I may change my mind tomorrow...
