Crystal
11pm on sunday night and spring break is over. For some reason I thought spring break was going to be longer than one week. Maybe universities have a longer spring break? At any rate, tomorrow we return to class. This quarter will bring me to Microbiology, Organic Chemistry and Keyboarding. It could be a rough quarter. I have two instructors that I've had before and I'm not dreading having to spend another quarter with either of them... so let's hope all will go well.

Grades from last quarter:

A&P 4.0
Nutrition 4.0
ECE Pass

Cumulative gpa is 3.92, I should be in good shape for getting into TCC. Not my first choice school, but I like feeling like I have a solid back up plan.
Crystal
Wahoo, another quarter down. And I'm expecting good grades too! I'm starting to feel nervous at the idea that in one more quarter I will be applying to nursing programs. I'm so ready, and yet not, all at the same time.

As silly as it sounds, I couldn't bring myself to sell back my A&P book or lab manual. I'm telling myself that it will be a good reference while I am in nursing school. I think part of it is that I've never put as much effort into any class before. I'm happy it's over, and yet, find myself also wishing A&P was a 3 quarter class. It feels like there is still so much we didn't cover.

Nutrition is over, and I am quite tickled to have walked out of that class with the highest grade. It was fund having Woods for an instructor again, and I allowed myself to come out of my shell and be more outspoken in that class than I am in my others. He is writing me a letter of recommendation for my nursing applications.

I'm so happy to be on spring break! The house will get cleaned, and I will take naps. And I need to work on memorizing the functional groups for organic chemistry. Other than that, I'm making no promises.

Next quarter is Microbiology, Organic Chemistry and Keyboarding.
Crystal
For the first time in the last two quarters I feel like I have a good routine going. Ok, so I never made time to get groceries last week and we were without milk for 2 days, but still. I think I have figured out what I need to do to get the grade I need out of A&P, and have found a balance of getting things done ahead of time for Nutrition so I'm not cramming the night before. Of course, we have less than 3 weeks left in the quarter so I'm not going to be enjoying my better schedule for long.

I'm still very frustrated with A&P. Yes, I am going to have a good grade in this class. Most likely not the 4.0 I really want, but certainly above a 3.5 and for this level class that's nothing to shake a stick at. However, the way I'm getting that grade leaves me feeling a little dirty. This class as a whole is failing. We are either failing to understand what the teacher is instructing on, or we are failing to be able to figure out what he is asking on tests. The most likely thought is that it's a combination of both. On our last test the class average was 56%. That is unbelievable in a 200 level class. This is not a class full of slacker students who don't care what their grade is; it is a room full of pre-med, in one way or another. We are all either pre nursing, pre dr, pre pharmacist, pre dental. We are all heading for highly competitive medical programs. And we are all at the end of our pre-reqs, we've done lots of other classes, we know how to study and we don't expect to be handed easy grades. So, I don't have to get great grades on my tests to earn a good grade, I just have to do enough to be above the curve and allow the curve to push me up to the higher grade. And I'm worried that while this will look ok on paper, I'm not learning all I need to know to be successful in my nursing program, and in my career. I don't want to be the nurse that no one wants to care for their family.

I registered last week for my spring quarter classes. Microbiology, with my A&P instructor from last quarter. Organic chemistry from my Chem 100 instructor. And I'm rounding out my credits with a keyboarding class, one credit that I wont learn much from, but I will allow me to remain full time status. While I am really looking forward to this quarter, Mike is dreading it. Our organic chem class is from 5-10pm. Yawn. I love the night classes, he just wants to go home and go to bed. But it's the only one being offered this quarter... some of our science instructors are taking leaves, and/or are trying to teach a much lighter class load. I'm hoping this works in my favor.