Back on the Rock

Well, I’m back. I apologize to those (mostly Nick) who have anxiously been awaiting my next post. In my defense though, we currently do not have internet access in our dorm. This week has possibly been one of the longest weeks ever. Thank God its over! When I arrived back in August for my first semester, there were so many new things to take in, people to meet, beaches to go to……well, this semester I arrived with the ‘been there, done that’ attitude, and the nagging thought of “Oh God, I’m going to be here for 6 months” (perhaps this is what has prolonged my first week). Anyways, to those that are interested here is a run down on the courses I will be taking for the next 4 months:

Neuroscience – supposedly very challenging, has been rumored to fail even the honour students.
Physiology – I was so excited to start this course, until we started the first few lectures and the prof started bringing back some nice physics and chemistry equations from undergrad (I thought I would be done with this stuff!).
Genetics – this course runs for only 4 weeks. Its interesting, but way too general, so in trying to work out the basis of certain concepts, often more information is needed than we have been provided with.
Immunology – this begins a few weeks in, right before genetics ends.
Parasitology – this course is also only 4 weeks long, but is the last 4 weeks of second semester.
Clinical Skills/Professional Development – Not bad, but the department is poorly organized, which leaves the class constantly questioning “what are we supposed to do? Where are we supposed to be? What does that test cover?”

So, on Friday night we went out to celebrate a friends birthday at the Beach House restaurant (excellent food, although a little pricey). This was followed by a party at ‘the White House’, which is just a white coloured house located right outside the campus gates, and is rented out by a number of our friends. I almost did not go out on Friday, but I know from experience, that staying in by myself would make me even more miserable. In retrospect, perhaps it would’ve been a better idea for me to stay in, as I had my first encounter with the effects of excess tequila……and let me say that Saturday, I felt as though I had some sort of stomach virus, complete with chills, sweats, porcelain worship, and bed confinement. So needless to say, I am completely ready to study hard, everything is out of my system – literally.