Microbiology seems to be a pretty standard pre-req for most all RN programs, I just can't figure out why. What are we learning in this class that we are going to utilize in our careers? I doubt I will find myself staining a slide of e-coli in the next 5 years. Maybe I'm wrong though. Don't get me wrong, I find the information interesting. And watching the people at the lab station across from you attempting to set themselves on fire day after day is always amusing. And really, I think what it comes down to, microbiology that nursing programs use to weed out those that can't candle the higher level sciences.

After several promptings by my instructors I filled out the application for tutoring. It seems that many of my former instructors would like me to impart some of my knowledge into future students. And it pays well, so why not? Well, because the supplemental instruction (SI) instructor for A&P doesn't want there to be tutors in the tutoring center, she wants students to be forced into using the SI. This would be great, but the SI instructor only offers one time slot twice a week, and that time slot leaves students in conflict with their other classes. This was something that frustrated me when I was in A&P, the SI was offered during the same time as Chemistry, so I was essentially forced to choose between getting more practice in A&P or attending my chemistry class. So, college politics being what they are, I am now in a tug of war between instructors and SI. The instructors want me to come to their classes personally and round up the students who are interested in tutoring. I am sure this would not cause warm and fuzzy feelings with SI. Not to mention, if the tutoring center doesn't decide to go ahead and override the SI people and hire me anyway, I would essentially be signing myself up to tutor large numbers of people for free. And that wasn't really my goal.

Ok, time to polish my essay for this years scholarships.... it's due tonight by 5!

This is the quarter I've been dreading since the first time I sat down with a adviser to plan out my pre-reqs. The very idea of a quarter of microbiology and organic chemistry made my heart beat a little faster. Now it's here, and instead of voices in my head, I'm hearing action music as I dash from one thing to the next trying to keep my head above water.

I have never been a student that had to put in the required hours of studying. It's not fair, but true. I tend to need to study less than many other students. This quarter I'm living with my books. Picking away at pre-test questions for micro, writing another lab report for o-chem, taking a stab at another problem from my o-chem homework.

I keep hoping that I'm going to fall into a routine and it will all feel more manageable. I think the reality is I will be hearing action music in my head for the next 7 weeks, and will hopefully slide out of finals week knowing I can take on more than I thought.

I still haven't even looked at my keyboarding stuff... that's a bad thing, right?

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.

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.

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.

Well, we've hit the mid point of this quarters classes. This quarter is flying by.

I feel like I have found my niche... I really love learning about anatomy and physiology. I love the concrete -ness of this is how the body works. I'm really wishing we were allowed to dissect, or even just get a hands on look at something that has been dissected. This whole looking at pictures and talking about it isn't giving me the full immersion that I'm craving. Still not hot on the instructor though.

Nutrition. Well, this class is more in depth than I anticipated. Still not hard, but harder than I anticipated. Having my biology instructor makes it worth it. Having the top grade in the class is amusing. I could probably score higher in this class if I was to devote the study time to this class that I do for my others. Basically, I ignore that this class exists until about 8 pm Friday night. I spend some time getting my notes ready for the test and print off the power points for the lecture. And then I spend 4 1/2 hours in class on Saturday and I'm free again until Friday night. To be fair, it really helps that a lot of the more in depth ideas that are being taught I've already been exposed to in at least one other class, sometimes as much as three times before. So things like cellular respiration just doesn't require a lot of thought on my part this time around.

I register for my Spring classes next week. I can hardly believe that I'm getting ready to start my final quarter of pre-reqs. I hope nursing school goes by just as quickly.

In the mail this weekend was a letter addressed to me from Columbia University in New York. Puzzled, I opened the letter, and became somewhat more confused. It seems this school would like to offer me a spot to further my education, due to my academic excellence. Washington to New York, that would be quite the commute. I guess it's an honor to have colleges interested in me, it's just taken me a bit by surprise. Is this because I am on the Dean's list? And if so, why weren't the interested in me while I was on the Presidents list?

I did much better than I anticipated on my first A&P 2 exam, no thanks to the boob of an instructor. Should anyone out there be heading to Pierce College in Wa, I would be happy to share the boobs name so you can avoid the ridiculousness I am experiencing.

Nutrition is going great. Maybe not quite as much of a slacker class as I was anticipating. Certainly nothing near the level of instesity of all the other science classes I have passed through. If nothing else, I am getting the opportunity to view some movies that I had been interested in seeing, just never got around to before. So far we have watched Fast Food Nation, an interesting and at times funny movie, though it would be easy to drive a mack truck through his "study". This week we started Lorenzo's Oil. Another movie I have heard great things about. We only watched the first half, and I came home eager to see if it happened to be playing on any of the channels we receive. As luck would have it, it is playing this week, but on a channel we don't receive. I guess I'll be waiting for next Saturday.

Now that Cameron is attending his second semester of campus childcare I feel that I can give a fair review of our experience there. First, the cost is great, and they accept child care assistance and offer small scholarships to families that don't receive child care assistance. They feed them several times a day, and parents are encouraged to drop in betwee classes to eat with their child, on the schools dime. They try very hard to maintain a family friendly environment, and also have a study area for parents to hand out between classes. In the study area you will find comfortable chairs and tables, wireless internet for those with laptops, and computers for those without. Snacks and beverages are also provided. there are children attending the center with severe food allergies so no one is allowed to bring in any food or drink. The staff is wonderful, very warm and caring to the kids. They take the time to really get to know each child and make sure they are having a good time. My one complaint is that the staff is supplemented with various students as work study positions. Some of these parents have been less than stellar. Huge plus to the staff, when I have brought up concerns arising from the work study people, the staff has been right on top of it. I love that they take pictures and fill out a folder letting me know about special things my child did while I was in class. The kids go outside every day, no matter the weather, and are often taken outside the play yard to go on nature walks. Another great feature of the child care center is that they plan monthly activities for families to participate in, usually free or very low cost. We have participated in a family gymnastics night, including free pizza and drinks and very cheap tickets to Northwest Trek. Next month there is going to be something at the Seattle Science Center, this month they had a family movie night that included a craft, popcorn and drinks and a new release movie. Your campus Child Care Center is your friend, at least it is at Pierce.