the Final(s) Countdown

James, I hope you enjoy the Europe reference -- had to throw that in there since it's your all-time favorite song... get a webcam and this could be you:



Yes, I am indeed in the throes of a crazy finals week -- I did get 2 of them done last week (Clinical Medicine & Epidemiology) but this week I have 5 more -- one each day. How am I faring, you might wonder? Let's just say sleep is nil, stress is high, and I'll be ready to collapse when this week is over. I am feeling more and more like a hermit these days -- it's hard to find a balance when you feel there is *always* something you could and should be studying. I don't mind the studying; I love what I'm learning. I guess I'm just saying I struggle with finding that balance between school and the rest of life. Put it this way -- when you start thinking things like "Hmm if I cut down my showers to every other day, that would give me an extra 30 minutes of study time a week" then you know things are a little off-kilter, although I don't think PA programs are designed to give you much free time. I think the decision goes something like this: figure out how much coursework and material would most likely kill them, and then back if off just a little.

And to top if off, I folded like a pizza box on my 1st exam on Monday. The Dean of Student Services warned us during orientation that everyone should be prepared to fail at least 1 or more exams along the way, and to not let it get you down. And the school actually does take the stress levels generated by the program seriously -- we fill out Beck depression inventories every quarter, and there is free anonymous counseling available to all students. That being said, failing an exam still slaps the taste right out of your mouth. Rather than drone on any more, let me illustrate my performance via images:





Now, I should probably say that I still ended up with a B in that course overall -- one good thing about our finals is that they are weighted the same as a regular test. The other good thing -- nowhere to go but up from here! And with that, I think I'll get back to the books ... my next post will probably be after my last final on Friday, providing I haven't assumed room temperature. And if I do somehow make it through, I plan on sleeping straight through my break -- someone make sure I wake up before the next quarter starts, ok?