Exams!!!!

Don't worry those exclamation marks in the title are not from excitement, they're more an expression of STRESS! Yes, ladies and gentlemen, stress has descended upon the 2nd year students of Nottingham University! Exams began on Friday, with Reproduction! Anyone who has studied this subject will realize the ovarian cycle is rather integral to the whole thing, so, one would think it would be a dead cert for an exam question! Sadly, it wasn't! (question spotting no longer advised....). Still I'm putting that exam behind me, I have a major anatomy exam on Monday, on the head, abdomen, back and pelvis! Its going to be excruciating, especially the practical exam. Here these practical anatomy exams are referred to as 'spotters' and in a room of 16 specimens, with one minute per specimen, you have to go round a scary room and identify tiny anatomical structures that have been pinned by someone who clearly knows far more anatomy than you do! After that exam, a few days later, I have a Kidney exam, an Endocrine system exam, and an Alimentary System exam! So this will be a week of hardcore revision (and possibly red bull and pro plus). Wish me luck?? :-) Oh, I'm still looking forward to rugby tour which is the light at the end of this dark tunnel of exams!!

A new term....

Yes, im back up in Nottingham! Even though exams are a week away w*e still have more lectures, and are currently learning about the anatomy of the eye and ear (tres complicated I can assure you!). So whilst trying to balence the joy of revision with a broken leg (yes, its still broken...) im still having to prepare for my final weekly mini anatomy test. After this week I will have finished the anatomy of the entire body! A slightly scary thought considering I seem to have forgotten all the bits I learnt last year! Everyone in my year is working very hard, even the SUPER cool people who are usually seen frequenting the coffee bar more than the library! One thing I do have to look forward to is rugby tour, which kicks off one week after my exams finish. Its to an unknown destination this year, just turn up to the airport with your passport and a toothbrush! This term medics drama is putting on another play, which I might direct, but after breaking my leg on the second night of the play I was in last term, im going to have to get used to a lot of 'break your leg' jokes! Right, back to revision.....

The Christmas 'holidays'

Holidays, ah yes, I remember those.....the times when you used to be off school and just lounge around all day over Christmas with nothing important to do! Shame thats not the case any more! The xmas holidays of my first year weren't too bad to be honest, I only had 3 exams this time last year, easy! (looking back on it) This year I have 6! Sadly that doesn't equate to double the work, more like 5 times worth! So I've spent a lot of time these holidays knuckling down to some hardcore revision! Perhaps thats a bit of a misnomer, since revision should imply re-learning what I already know... Its at times like this I wish I had spent just that extra hour or two a day going over the lectures I had just had! (note to self for next term: work all the way through the semester not just cram at the ends). Seriously, I crammed for my a levels and it worked fine, but you just cant do it at med school. As I've said before, the material isn't that hard, its just the volume that makes it difficult! So yup, my xmas has been 6 hours of work a day or more, for most days I've been back home, and I would consider myself to be woefully behind still! Perhaps im being melodramatic? I mean, I only need 40% to pass! (never has 40% seemed so unattainable!). Well there's only one thing for it, a dangerous cocktail of pro plus and red bull with have to be mixed for a few all-nighters! (actually no, thats not a good idea, I've seen people in my year try that one and it wasn't pretty!) I'm sure ill get through the exams, perhaps not with a flying colors, but at the end of the day, a doctor is a doctor! Nobody is going to ask for my module marks when they come to my practice in the future! So, good luck to everyone revising for exams as they read this, you KNOW my pain :-) happy xmas