It's begun again...2nd tri is here

So the first week of second tri has come to an end (ok, in truth, I'm in my last class of the day right now...shhh) It was a nice surprise that we don't have 8 tests a week at the beginning of the tri. The craziness doesn't truly begin until August....so my sanity will remain for at least a few more weeks!

 

So staying positive, laughing a little, is extremely important. I was personally feeling very overwhelmed on Wednesday, the first real day of classes. I got home from school, crabbed at my boyfriend, angrily ate some trail mix and then had to return to school for Spinal II lab. Let's just say it wasn't the best day. So I vowed to go to bed early. Lack of sleep in addition to stress is a lethal combination. Not only did I almost end up on "Caught you Sleeping" I knew that to have a successful tri, I couldn't continue doing what I was doing.

 

A few keys to being successful:

 

- get enough sleep! (but supplement with coffee as needed)

- find an outlet - I don't mean the nearest outlet mall. I mean some non-school hobby that you can do regularly to rest your brain and put some fun in your day.

- stay on top of your school work and don't wait until the night before to study

- eat healthy and exercise  - I can't stress how important exercise was for me 1st tri. It stimulate the release of endorphins and will undoubtedly improve your mood

- use your resources - use me, your professors, Dr. Margrave, PASS tutorials, etc.

- make things other than school a priority: your health, friendships, charity, etc.



And a new trimester begins...

Its the first day of a brand new adventure for a whole gaggle of new Palmer students.

I have this odd upper classman feeling now... I remember how nervous I was a trimester ago,  but this trimester I have a feeling of confidence. I know what is coming (and what to wear). So if you had your first day today, remember that you will be me in one trimester. You will make it through. It probably won't be all smiles and laughs, you may want to quit, or cry, or curl up in a hole, but take a break, read, exercise or do something to take your mind off the stress of school. You will make it!!

If it was, in fact, your first day, you probably heard a bunch of mumbo jumbo about sexual harassment, research, and the ALC. You won't remember this in a week. What you should remember is that you only need a small handful of the books on the list they gave you(the list will follow) and that these people will be with you for the next 3 years, so make friends! I was tempted to become a hermit, but soon found out that they wasn't doing me any good.







Book List:

- CNS (nueroanatomy) note booklet
- Neurophys note booklet
- Gray's Anatomy 
- Netter
- Locomotor (maybe) 

I did use any other books besides these. Also, I would HIGHLY recommend buying your books on Amazon. If you want to save even more money, go back an edition or two, the book will be essentially the same, but a fraction of the price. 

The last thing you need to remember is that the 1st tri is a period of adjustment. Not only are you getting used to difficult classes and a new school, but it may be the first time you've lived away from home, the first time living alone, or maybe the thought of having finally picked a permanent career path is scaring the begeezies out of you. No matter what, remember that you have people to lean on at school and at home. Also, everyone in your class is going through the same thing! Good luck!