Update from 2nd week

Alrighty, my lovely people!
So have few new people to add to my list of friends! (side note: I am not listing everyone so if you know find yourself listed do not be mad, you will get your moment in the spotlight soon )

So for starters, I want to highlight two new squad members. First, we have NOLA, she is from New Orleans, Louisana. So when you abbreviate her town and state you get NO, LA ---> and that's why she is NOLA.
Second, we have our next member from New Jersey. I will refer to him as Jersey.

Pressing forward let us just dive straight into the second week. I will continue to try to keep you updated but as I progress onward this semester I know I will not be able to post every week. Feel free to message me any questions you might have. Remember I was a Pre-Vet student in undergrad just like some of you. I searched for weeks for students blogs and Instagram accounts. Trying to collect all the data I could. If you are thinking of applying to Ross, I say do it! Jump off into the deep end.....of the ocean and swim (or most likely, fly ) to St.Kitts and become a Rossie (the nickname of Ross students).

I digress, where was I.....OH yes, 2nd week! Days seem to fly by here. My normal day consists of waking up about 6am-6: 30 am and getting ready for the day. I start off kinda slow, making my bed, washing any dishes in my sink and brushing my teeth. You know, pretty basic stuff. Now at 7 am, I meet Maryland at the patio area between the dorm buildings and we go on a 20 min run around campus and by the paddocks, where some the animals eat there breakfast. If you run any later then 8 am, it is just getting too warm, plus all the first semester students are heading off to morning classes so you end up weaving in and out of groups of them as you run. Side note: campus has a lot of "slopes". I say "slopes" because being from Kansas, I would call them hills but the locals and upper semesters continue to tell me that they are just "slopes". But hey, you know what? When you come down, you can see for yourself and you can let me know.

After my morning run, I head back to my dorm for a quick 20 mins and get ready for a study group and classes. I want to just say that I have a MacBook, iPad and an apple pencil. They are amazing and they make life a whole lot easier for me. But each student will have there own personal style so find yours.

Our vet prep course runs about 50 mins long and meets throughout the week. They are, for the most part, in the same room. So you stay in your seat and the professors cycle through. It's actually quite nice indeed! Also, all lectures are recorded and posted online for you to rewatch at another time. All the professors teach from powerpoints that they post before class (either days before or 30 mins before).

 (I know that in this video I said I would mute the volume but I can't get it to mute, so please disregard). This a video of our Vet Prep classroom with is the Lower Auditorium ( which is referred to as "Lower Aud").

We do have random little things peppered throughout our week. For example, the club fair happened on the student union pavilion (the grassy area southwest of the Student Union).  It was amazing to see how many clubs there were. Most clubs only meet once every month or every two months. SOoooo I decide to join a few as a normal member and not run for any officer position (at least not yet).

Clubs that I signed up for were AABP Club, Surgery Club, ZEW club and scuba club.
       -ZEW (Zoo, Exotic, Wildlife) Club
Core Statement: ZEW Club serves to provide Ross University’s veterinary students with hands-on experiences and further education in the fields of zoo, exotic and wildlife medicine. Whether it be researching, government, mixed practice, integration with other fields, etc.... we're your club!
     -Surgery Club
Our club motto is to further the students’ knowledge in the area of veterinary surgery with emphasis on small animal surgery and some emphasis on large animal and equine surgery, to provide information about specializing in the field of surgery within the veterinary profession, and when possible, organize hands-on opportunities for the members of the club.
       -Scuba Club
Welcome to the RUSVM Scuba Club! We are dedicated to introducing you to the fabulous world thirty feet (and further) below sea level.  The club is open to all Ross students, faculty, staff, and their family members. You don't need to be certified to join. Monthly club dives, other island dive trips, Beach Fest, and diver education opportunities provide students with ample opportunity to get to know each other and the island.
     -AABP Club
Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine's chapter of American Association of Bovine Practitioners (AABP).
 **any of you that know me, knew that I would find this club in a heartbeat**

Well that's a long enough post for now, until next time, Have A Great Day!

Semester Colors Explained

So this was something I have come to fully understand since I've been here and I wish to pass on the knowledge that I have learned.

First thing first, the understanding that every semester gets a color. That semester class stays the same color until they leave the island to go to their clinics. Along with getting your own semester class color, you and your semester pick a mascot for your class as well!

So.... right now,

 1st semester is the GREEN semester and they will be called green semester until they leave to go to clinics. They have picked their semester class mascot, which is a Stag.

2nd semesters are the BLACK Cats

3rd semesters are the PINK Narwhals

4th semesters are the BLUE Blue Footed Boobies (it's the national bird of St.Kitts)

5th semester is the ORANGE Tigers

6th semester is the RED Lions

7th semester is the PURPLE Stingrays

Now since I came in as a Vet Prepper, I'm kinda lumped into the green semester with the first semester students but next semester when I go into 1st semester, we will take over PURPLE. So we will be the Purple semester and then we will also, as a class, vote on our new mascot for our semester.

Week one: Classes, Buses and Movies....OH MY!

Hello dearies!
Week one is pretty fun and interesting!
Classes are pretty straightforward so far, I would say to find a good study group and start studying the first day. Study every day and don't fall behind and it will help to not add extra stress. My study group and I meet for about 4-8hours a day so far (it depends on the homework and lecture load for that day). Remember all the things you had to do to get here, don't slack off when you have been given such a great opportunity, that others would die for. You are here for a reason to prove them right, you deserve to be here!

Vet Prep has 7 classes and you can find them on the Ross webpage.
-Case Base Learning (a pass/ fail class)
-Microbiology
-Pharmacology
-Cellular Biology
-Veterinary Terminology
-Transition to vet life (a pass/fail class)
-Clinical Application  (a pass/fail class)

Veterinary Terminology in the Multipurpose Lab

Microbiology in the Lower Auditorium

First Day of Vet Prep

Maryland and I went and caught a "bus" to go to the local movie theatre with a group of people. I say "bus" because it was not what you would normally call a bus. So if you want to catch a bus there are a few things to know.

Bus Fact #1: Buses kinda just make loops around the island but all buses will always end at the capital Basseterre

Bus Fact #2: They don't make spots at every bus stop, they will pick up people who just flag them down on the side of the road.

Bus Fact #3: The bus fare is always $2.50 EC (which is $0.93 US)

Bus Fact #4: It is normally a Van and not an actual bus. ( when the van/bus pulled up to get us, every cell in my body was screaming "Do NOT Get In That Van with the Strangers!!" but that's what you have to do. #SorryMom)

Bus Fact #5: It is only a bus if it has a green license plate and it has the letter "H" before the numbers on the plate.

Bus Fact #6: Bus drivers seem to drive faster than taxi drivers
    *I think buses are the only things that don't run on island time

Bus Fact #7: have your $2.50 EC ready to give to the driver (either right as you get in or right when you get out) DO NOT MAKE THEM WAIT FOR YOU (or else they will be very grumpy)

Bus Fact #8: When in doubt, ask the fellow passengers on the bus. Most are extremely friendly and happy to answer any questions

Bus Fact #9: have your ID out and visible, this will inform all those around you that you are not a tourist but, in fact, a student! This will help you as you mingle with the locals.

So even though the final destination of the buses is the capital, there are tons of places to stop along the way. There are two grocery stores and even a movie theatre! Yes, you heard correctly there is a real US quality movie theatre! Maryland and I went with a smaller group of upper semester students to go see The Greatest Showman. I was amazed at the prices! A movie ticket back home would have easily been $10 US dollars but here it was on $6 US dollars! We were also informed that on Tuesdays that Ross Students can see movies for $3 US dollars! You can't beat that! This theatre even gets movie about two or three days earlier than back in the states. It was a nice thing to do to take a little two-hour study break.

Well, my dears that is all I have right now.  Tune in next time to hear about of our adventures during the weekend after the first week of Vet Prep!

Bus ride to the Capital

The Movie Theatre

Orientation Week for Vet Prep

Friday, Dec 29th,2017- Landed in St.Kitts!!

     Alright, things are getting serious, people! Landed in st.kitts and our plane stopped on the tarmac. As the fellow passengers and I exited the plane, we walked across the tarmac to the airport building. It felt like a scene from a movie. The sky was so blue and the air was cooling with the warm Caribbean sun shining down. First thing first was customs, I had to fill out customs paperwork and show my passport. The lady also asks to see a copy of my acceptance letter, after I informed her I was on the island for vet school. I informed her that I didn’t have the physical paper on me but I tried to show her my email acceptance letter I had on my iPhone. She was less than thrilled about that but she ushered me on through. 

Once passed customs I went downstairs to collect my checked luggage. I was one the last few down to the luggage area and I immediately found my luggage. It looked absolutely fine, aside from a large crack across the corner of my pink roller suitcase. But that suitcase had a fabric liner inside of it and that lining had held any the items in the bag. I found the Ross University Rep outside and I checked in with her. As we loaded the bus to take us to Ross I met two new friends, “Georgia” and “Maryland”. Georgia is a first-semester student and Maryland is a fellow Vet Prep student.  At the dorms, I met “Ohio”  who is a 1st semester and “San Antonio” who is a vet prepper.  Later that night I also met “Pennsylvania” who another vet prepper. 

                        

Saturday, Dec 30,2017- Island Exploring

Ohio, Maryland, Georgia and I went to meet up my sister J, at the Marriott and take in the beach. We walked over to the strip, which includes Shiggy Shak (a local bar/restaurant). We caught a taxi into the capital, Basseterre. We were lucky enough to be able to be in St.Kitts during Carnival. The costumes were bright and colorful and the music was upbeat but very loud. They even played “shape of you” as an island remix. It was quite interesting. If you were there, you may have gotten the impression that the island was hard of hearing because the music was so loud, one could feel their eardrums wanting to break. Once we got back to campus, we went to a local grocery store called Best Buy. Please understand that this is not the big electronic store that we know and love in the States! But they had tons of name brands and I found lots of things I eat at home.

Shopping Purchases included; Frosted Flakes, popcorn, peanut butter crackers, Campbell's soup, red baron pizza,  Jif peanut butter, and milk. As Maryland continues to tell each of us, as we find more familiar snacks, "we are going to be alright"! 
 

Sunday, Dec 31,2017- New Years Eve

New years eve arrived and we took time to explore and tour the camps with our orientation groups. The campus is just large enough to get a little confused. Each group has an OL, an orientation leader, who is an upper semester student. They show you around and answer your questions. We also got to go to the student union building and get our ID cards. These picture IDs will give you access to your classrooms, the gym, and the dorms. You also need your ID to get back to campus so always take it will you. That afternoon we brought all of our electronic devices and had a "security slime" put on it. SO bring everything; laptops, ipads, apple pencils, cameras, phones and such. For dinner, Georgia, San Antonio, Maryland, Penns, and Ohio ordered pizza for a delivery service called (869-To-Go). We invited a few more students to our group and played "heads up". I highly recommend that you branch out and meet as many people as you possibly can during your first week. Don't stay with the same two people and not branch out. This is your time! Everyone is new and everyone is nervous and excited! Be bold, go say hello and start a conversation! that evening we can a bonfire on the beach to ring in the new year. I went with some people and just went from group to group saying hello. Meet the OL's, the first semester students and the vet preppers.

Monday, Jan 1,2018- Shipwreck Beach

So Monday was a pretty relaxed day. There was an option of going to Carnival or to the beach. I picked the beach because I wanted a relaxing day without a lot of noise and stress ( I was sure to get plenty of that in the future).We went to Shipwreck beach which is south of the Marriott and over the big hill ( that's how you navigate on the island, by landmarks of some kind). I will say that I reapplied sunscreen every hour but still got brunt so maybe do every 30 mins if you are as pale as I am. On shipwreck beach there are monkeys. Word to the wise, do NOT feed the monkeys! They will hassle you for food if you feed them and they can get violent. Also, watch your drinks because monkeys can and will come sip on your drink. Nobody wants a drunken monkey. After the beach, the OL's set up a movie night for us in two of the classrooms. They showed Jurassic World and Moana. It was a fun way to just relax and meet your fellow students in a low-key setting.




 

 

Tuesday, Jan 2,2018- First Offical Day of Orientation

So the day arrived and it was the first day of orientation.  This was the day we learned the term "Island time". They had told us that we would get ipads, laundry cards, and island cell phones. None of these things have arrived. We learned the term "Rush Slowly". When you get to St.Kitts, you understand this statement on a spiritual level. In the morning, breakfast served and it was free to all students. You have to promise me right now that you need to try, at least just once, the zucchini bread.  It will mend your weary heart and prep you for the first day of orientation week. The orientation talks will, of course, begin with many speakers. Now, take a deep breath! Some of the things you are told may be overwhelming but don't worry. You have your entire class and your OL's to help guide you. When you walk into the room and you have a sudden flood of emotions, don't worry every single person is having their own mental breakdown too. So we are all in this together! You were picked out of tons of student and you deserve to be here and you can become the DVM you have always dreamed about!
So after the emotion hurricane, that is the first day of orientation, is over, you can breath a little. Take the afternoon to go explore with your fellow students. I went with Maryland's OL group to Port Zante. Port Zante is where all the cruise ships dock. If you go when there aren't any cruise ships docked, most of the shops won't be open. So you will want to go when a cruise ship docks, to get the full experience of  Port Zante. Bring your student ID with you and wear it around your neck when you go out, most of the locals that are trying to sell things will leave you alone if you have your Ross ID on. This is not a hard rule because I had a girl in my group, who just simply sat down to get some ice cream and a random local came up and started rubbing her leg with an aloe plant. It was quite a shock to her and she sweetly told him to stop but he just kept going. Our OL came to our rescue and told the gentleman that she didn't need it and that she had no money to tip him. Our OL explained to us that the local men needed to be very firmly told No. You can't softly tell them no because they won't get it. Also, go with a group and have a plan for getting back to Ross. I highly recommend calling Mr.Rogers to take you when you and your group travel about.  He charges (normally) 20 EC  (Eastern Caribbean Dollars) for a round trip. That's about 8 US dollars and don't worry, you will get use to the EC to Dollar conversion very quickly (it takes about a week).

Wednesday, Jan 3,2018-Second Day of Orientation

The second of orientation talks where pretty general. They held a lot of knowledge that will be beneficial to do your best to pay close attention. this was also the day I got approved to move from Cleghorn basement to Douglas hall main floor. The thing about the dorms is that is your room number is in the 100's then it is in the basement. 200's are the main floor and of course, 300's being top floor. That evening we went to Sprat Net, a local bar/restaurant, I encourage everyone to try new things when you go to new places. As my mom and dad always say, try everything at least once.

Thursday, Jan 4,2018- Third Day of Orientation

The third day of orientation was a bit longer but we got done by 3pm which left plenty of time to clean and decorate my new dorm room. Went and did another shopping at best buy for a few things. I must caution you to always check the dates on things, especially milk. You do not want to buy a gallon of milk that expires tomorrow. That evening there was a game night at the student union building. We even had a scavenger hunt around campus. I know I keep harping on this but go do activities and things that are organized for you because you don't have any homework yet.

Friday, Jan 5, 2018- Fourth Day of Orientation & Radio Tower Hike

After the fourth and last day of orientation, I went on a guided hike up to the radio tower. My hike was lead by an OL who had done the hike many times before. Word to the wise, take a full bottle of water, wear good shoes (tennis shoes or something you can hike and climb in) and bring a buddy. The hike is roughly 1hour and 20 mins uphill and it is very steep in most places. Don't be ashamed to stop for breaks! take your phone to take pictures as proof of your great trek up the mountain. That evening the OL took our group on a taxi tour of the island's capital. 

 

Saturday, Jan 6, 2018- Catamaran

Okay this was a great day! The Catamaran trip was awesome! 1st semester and vet prep all got mixed up and put on one of two catamarans. Even though there was rain, it was Caribbean rain. It means that the rain only lasted for 15 mins max! We were told that we would get laundry card to operate the washers and dryers in each of the dorm rooms. But with the laundry cards nowhere to be found, Ross had to come up with a different idea. They made it so we could use one washer in Wood's Dorm, one washer in Columbus' Dorm and one dryer in Tegerman Dorm. Imagine 100 plus students with only two washers and only one dryer. This just goes to show that Rossies are adaptive and overcome issues that arise. That evening, San Antonio, Maryland and I had an adult dinner party. We made chicken fried rice, using chicken nuggets (cut into tiny pieces). 

 

It was a busy but fun-filled week!