Since everyone at school keeps warning us that we're going to disappear off the radar once classes start and I'm horrible at keeping in touch regardless, I thought I'd give this blog thing a try once again. Check back frequently- I'll try to update at least once a week so you all know what's going on down here in Blacksburg as I begin this new adventure.
Class begins tomorrow, but let me first tell you all a little about Orientation Week. In Australia, we called it O-week- here it's nowhere near as glamorous- or fun. Monday began by herding all of us little scared first years into room 125, aka The Dungeon. It's in the basement of Phase IV of the vet school, where we will be spending the next year. Like the nerd I am, I arrived very early, having been told by my Big Sister (Erin, a second year I knew from Town and Country Vet Clinic) that we chose seats on the first day. At 8 am, everyone else had arrived and we sat through a morning of intro speeches, followed by lunch provided by Hills Pet Nutrition, then a tour of the hospital. Then we had a bit of a break and returned to the Commons (the cafeteria) at 6 for dinner and a panel discussion in which we were able to ask questions to faculty, graduates, and current vet students. Following this period, we attended the bonfire- which was really nothing more than a fire around which we roasted some marshmellows for S'mores. I think the highlight of the day for everyone was a) surviving and b) receiving our fancy schmancy name tags.
Tuesday was the day we were all dreading. Katie, my roommate and another first year (I knew her also from Town and Country) drove the 30 minute drive to Shawsville in almost complete silence- we were exaughsted from the night before. We had to spend the entire day at Camp Alta Mons, which is an "adventure" camp with high and low ropes courses etc. What was intresting was the fact that also attending the camp was Hayfield Secondary, a rival highschool located about 15 minutes from my Burke home. Small world. Anyway, the day kicked off with an awkward breakfast, followed by an awkward get-to-know-each-other game, only to be followed by an entire two hours of awkward games. I think the real bonding occurred in trying to avoid playing the awkward games. The morning session was spent doing various activities such as "Take these 6 sticks and arrange them in an equalateral triangle." "While blindfolded, build something out of boxes." Yes. I'm not kidding. When looking at the prompts, it clearly stated that the target age range was "elementary-junior high". Sort of humorous to picture 91 doctor of veterinary medicine students (ages 20-45) playing with sticks, but nonetheless torturous. After a peculiar lunch and more awkward group games (we had to pass a frisbee from person to person using nothing but our backs... simple enough if you're 10, not to easy at 22!!!), our instructors put their feet down and insisted we spend the afternoon on the ropes course. By this time its close to 90 degrees with the humidity so high we might as well be swimming through it, and we're cranky. Our first activity consisted of standing on a moldy damp log in random order and having to arrange ourselves according to birthdays without stepping off the log. If three people fell off, you had to start over. Again, most of us aren't the same size we were when we were 12 and did this game, and the log was slippery! After 15 tries and some very cranky outbursts, we finally succeeded. The rest of the afternoon went better, although I didn't participate very much due to the extreme pain in my left foot from my severe plantar faciitis. Lucky me. When I got back to Blacksburg my foot was twice the size of my right one. Delightful.
Wednesday: Another morning of speeches, a lovely lunch from the business club, then an afternoon of picking up our class notes, buying unattractive coveralls for large animal husbandry, taking official pictures, picking up dissection kits, and renting microscopes. Incredibly expensive afternoon! Luckily we were done by 1:30 which was a nice break!
Thursday: A really nice breakfast by Purine, more speeches. Then Dr. Eng, our anatomy professor, spoke to us about the realities of vet school and how hard it would be. He told us that it wasnt that the information was difficult, but that the quantity and time in which we had to absorb it was the problem. He told us that there were oceans of information to learn= and illustrated this with a massive crashing wave. "This is what it will feel like... and that's you," pointing to a spot at the very point where the crest crashed to the ocean floor. Greeeeeeeeeeeat. By this point we're all considering dropping out and becoming Wal-Mart check out clerks. We all waited for the upbeat lesson at the end- but it never came. Basically we learned that we will have no free time, our families will forget what we look like, and that while this semester will be hard, first semester of second year is incredibly more difficult. I can't wait. ha. Following this uplifting talk, we had a diversity workshop which was interesting in that we were able to meet more people and got to see some of the true personalities of our classmates come out. I won't say anymore than it should be an interesting year!
Friday: We were all excited to be finally finishing up the week! After a few more speeches, we had lunch in the Oak Grove (a big stand of oaks on the campus, with a catered lunch) and had the opportunity to meet some more people as well as some faculty members. Then we had our matriculation ceremony. Each person had their name called and were then "coated" by Dean Shurig and officially welcomed to the profession. As dorky as we all felt, secretly we were all thrilled to have our starched white coats on. We're on our way to becoming doctors at last!
Then some of us who thought we knew things about large animals took the Large Animal Husbandry course pre-test. If you pass, you don't have to take the class- needless to say I will be taking it this fall. Of all I know about horses, 10 out of the 75 questions covered equines. The rest was on sheep, pigs and cows. White, pink, black/white- that's all I know about the aforementioned creatures. Haha, oh well. At least I know what to expect of the course because the pre-test is evidently very similar to the final!
(pictures are class of 2010 after our white coat ceremony, and some of my classmates and I at the luncheon)
This weekend has been very relaxing with finishing setting up the house, hanging out with friends, and taking Tahlia on playdates. Tomorrow classes begin and my life is forever changed! If you want to know my schedule at every waking moment, you can find it here. It's going to certainly be an adventure!
Well, bedtime is calling! I will try to post as frequently as I can on this, but we all know how that goes. Please email me your contact info- I'm trying to update my address book now that everyone has moved away and started new jobs!
Wish me luck!
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