Hi all! It's been such a busy week for me. The closer it gets to the end of the semester, the more I have to do, so I'm living on a schedule right now! (Which isn't so bad, but I'm just ready for a break!)

This week has been kinda hectic because it's crunch time for me for my Biology 203 class, anatomy & physiology. Despite some of the "horror stories" you may or may not have heard about this class, it's really not that bad. I actually enjoy it, but to get through the course with an A it really takes a lot of studying and the ability to say, "NO!", when friends ask you to go places with them. I also attend almost every open lab during the week to study the anatomy material for our weekly quiz! Open labs are probably the best thing the professors could have created to help students be successful in the anatomy lab.

This week we took our LAST quiz of the semester, learned a few new terms and that was it! I'm thankful that we don't have a quiz next week; the bad news is--our practical is coming up! On a practical exam, my professor sets up 24 stations of models of the human body, and asks us to give 60 terms, from memory! I know this sounds scary, but I've taken my first one and it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be, so I am more confident about my next one in two weeks! To help myself & fellow classmates even more, my professor has opened up open lab times for extended hours next week, so I have plenty of time to prepare.

I also have the lecture exam to study for, but it's not until May 5th, so I have a little more time!

Despite any nervousness you may have about BIO. 203, I promise it is an enjoyable class! I am a nursing major, so I had no choice BUT to get to like it, but after attending a few lectures I realized it was and still is my favorite class I've had while at IPFW. There is so much material to master, but my professor, Dr. McClellan, is doing an amazing job of teaching. If you or a friend do have to take this class, my advice is to be prepared to work hard, but don't overwork yourself! Spacing studying time out & studying frequently will do the job. The most important piece of advice: DO NOT TRY TO CRAM BEFORE AN EXAM! Trust me, it won't work! :)

Posted by Rachel Cooper at 8:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Before I go into telling you stories about whats going on in my world, I thought I should tell you a little about myself!

I'm originally from Marion, Indiana. I'm not surprised at all when people tell me that they haven't heard of it! It's very small, with one high school, so everyone knows everyone. It's a simple task to get to one side of town to the other in about ten minutes! Sure, we have the typical fast food restaurants, but I hated not having the choice to go to an IHop or a Texas Roadhouse for special occasions! (Needless to say, we don't have many nice restaurants such as those!) The "main" store people in the city shop at is Walmart; there's no K-Mart, or Target! Hopefully I have painted a picture of how small Marion really is :) I do love my hometown because of all the memories, but I love Fort Wayne because it is SO much bigger!

Honestly, IPFW was not my first choice of colleges. Several of my friends and I all had our minds so set on going to IUPUI! As my senior year came closer & closer to the end, I started feeling as if IUPUI was not the place for me, so I visited IPFW. When I made my visit, I liked everything I saw, but I just wasn't sure yet! After a few weeks passed, I just got a feeling that IPFW was the right place for me.

Now that I am in my second semester as a freshman, I KNOW I am in the right place! Because I am from a small town, Fort Wayne is the perfect "upgrade". Yes, it took time to learn my way around, but I can get to just about any place I need to go! (Thank you Cherrelle & GPS Navigation System!) The campus itself seemed HUGE when I began classes, but I've gotten used to it and now it's nothing to find a class or a building. One of the best parts about being here is how involved I have been, and all of the people I have met from all over! In high school I just focused on grades, and wasn't really involved in many afterschool activities. Now, so many events take place on campus, it's hard not to get involved! Also, I've met people from all over the U.S. & people from different countries! I'm not going to lie, college life is a hard task, but it's also a learning experience that I never want to end!

Posted by Rachel Cooper at 10:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)