No Blogspot in China

So I had planned to blog while I'm in China, but apparently Blogspot is banned by the People's Republic. Although I've read that some people have gotten around the ban with proxy servers, and others randomly get on every once in a while when they try, I'm going with the assumption that it isn't going to work for me. It's a bummer - I'm not trying to foment rebellion or anything; I just want to share stories of our adventures and pictures of the Weird Food of the Day. But don't worry! I still plan to keep a journal of sorts and take zillions of pictures, so I'll blog retroactively if I'm unable to blog in real time. I am so excited to go and I know you all can't wait to read all about it when I get back!

Final Exams

Today was the last day of classes of the second year of vet school! Unfortunately, that means final exams start on Friday...

Exam schedule

Friday: Systemic Pathology

Saturday: Epidemiology (a.m.) and Nutrition (p.m.)

Sunday: day of worship or cramming, depending on your priorities in life

Monday: Clinical Pathology

Tuesday: Physical Exam Skills

Wednesday: Pharmacology

Thursday: Teaching Animal Unit (farm animal knowledge)

There’s definitely stuff I like about finals:

1. I’m well-rested. Going to bed early and sleeping late are excellent study-avoidance tactics. Add in all the unintentional naps brought on by the studying itself and I’m getting a good 10 hours of sleep a day.
2. No classes = no getting behind on new stuff while you’re learning the old stuff.
3. Each exam takes 3 hours or less. Less time spent at school has an almost magical effect on my mood.

The bad part about finals is, well, finals. Seven exams in seven days. Some pretty easy, some insanely difficult. Some are just a pain in the ass. It is an undoubtedly stressful time. The weeks leading up to finals are actually the most stressful for me. When the exams are looming in the near future, but you’re still being taught stuff, and tested, and expected to participate in case discussions, AND expected to operate in society like a relatively normal person. The stress definitely takes a toll on your brain function. I can tell I’m stressed because:

1. Increased number of spelling and grammatical errors in emails, Facebook status updates, and tweets. For someone who is a spelling and grammar freak, this is very abnormal. There are probably lots of spelling and grammar errors in this very blog post!
2. I’ve spent a week wondering where some of my clothes are. Not active wondering, like where I actually think they are lost and I go looking for them. Just that odd feeling like, “Hmm. I thought that shirt was in this drawer. It’s not. That’s weird.” I found my clothes today. In the dryer. Very wrinkled. At least I didn’t actually lose my clothes. I did lose something else, though. And I’m not a loser of things. It’s a little concerning.
3. Decreased verbal filter functionality.
4. I just ate 14 pieces of chocolate in about 60 seconds and didn’t even think twice about it. Until the 13^th piece, anyway. Now I have heartburn.

One last good part about finals: it allows me to showcase some of my practical skills, like procrastination. Exhibit A: this blog entry.