One More Week to Go! (Week 10)

Week’s Itinerary = Pathology Exam 3 and Parasitology Final

I think this was my motto for the majority of the week, or that’s what I kept telling myself.  I am so looking forward to electives!  This week welcomed me with my 3^rd Pathology Exam and my Parasitology FINAL!

So my experience with the 3^rd Pathology exam was not fun at all.  After taking the pre-test, the grade of a D showed before my eyes.  I was distraught, but it kept me motivated to not give up.  Fortunately, a friend told me a couple hours later to check my grade again because apparently the numbers were screwed up (if I did not tell you before, the pre-test and actual exam are done online.  Guys, my actual grade was a nice, solid B.  Talk about messing up my insides!!  I’m glad I was focusing solely for my Parasitology final after taking the pre-test though.  I still did not pass the pre-test, but this time the professor said we could keep our grades if we felt good about our pre-test grade.  I’m keeping that good passing grade!!

Now for the Parasitology final.  What can I say, I always feel like I need one more extra day to study all the thes parasite names.  It was tough like always but with a grand finale of DOOM for the cumulative questions. The cumulative portion was brutal (very specific).  I still happened to keep a B in the class!!  Praise the Lord!

Just 1 more week of finals until electives freedom!!  It honestly felt like finals weeks since mid August.  This semester was intense.  Gotta finish strong though!

WTC started up again! I got to take care of a Screech Owl & a Chipmunk:

Through Him,

~Camille

Psalm 51:12– Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Uncovering the Veil (Week 8)

Week’s Itinerary: Parasitology Exam 3 and Personal testimony

Hey guys! This will be a short post as far as what went on school-wise this week.  I will  also share a testimony of my past.  I promise it’s not too random.  But first, let me share with you how my week went:

Remember I said last week that the professors and administrators were so kind to allow our Class to postpone the Parasitology exam to Tuesday instead of Monday?  Well, I wish I can give them each a huge hug after that challenging experience without being too creepy.  If it wasn’t moved, I would have failed it without a doubt!  There were a voluminous amount of parasites as usual, but I was struggling like with Epidemiology by keeping it ingrained in my mind.  The disease names were ridiculously long too!!  But I passed (B).  Yes Lord!!

No news for Pharmacology yet.  It has been over a week, and I am a little nervous but will not let that rattle me.  (Later found out that I got the same grade as my Parasitology grade.)

Guess what!?  That was it for the rest of the week!!  Relaxation time, YES! After the lecture exam for Parasitology, I was invited by some classmates to go have dinner at Los Coyotes, paint nails, and watch a reality show that they like which was “Bad Girls Club”.

http://www.wondaland.com/?attachment_id=1823

That was the only thing that evening that I am trying to deplete from my existence.  It was honestly an hour of my life that was wasted 🙂  Still had fun guys!

During the night, we had a lot of intense discussions about life in general.  One discussion that was directed towards me was how I needed to open up more and come out of my shell.  Everything that they were encouraging me to do, I took to heart, and I had the opportunity to share my past with them for why I am so distant with people I meet for the first time.

I joined an organization called “The BULLY Project” where I shared my testimony on the site.  ((http://www.thebullyproject.com/))  I would be more than happy to share it with you on my blog too:

I never thought I would have the guts to share my past experiences of once being bullied.  I am now in my 20s having an incredible life, but the scar that bullying leaves with you is so powerful.  If sharing my story helps just one person, my mission will have been accomplished.

My story begins in my elementary school years where most people would only have distant memories of playing in the dirt during recess or learning how to add and multiply.  I, on the other hand, have detailed memories of rejection.  My elementary school was surprisingly notorious for children having hickeys and experimenting sexual immoralities at such an early age.  I just wanted to be a kid.  Classmates would see me playing basketball and tackling boys in a football match during recess time and just enjoying life.  Yes, I was proud of being called a Tom Boy. 

One day during lunch at the cafeteria, I sat next to some girls and was asked a question, “Do you like boys?”  Now remember, I am just a little girl (this was 3^rd grade), so my immediate thought process was “Ewww gross! Cooties!”  So, I responded with a simple “No.”  Right after that day, I heard rumors of me being gay.  That news left me distraught for months.  I cried for many nights because I was accused of being something I was not.  I had strange interactions with people after these rumors were spread.  One time during recess, a photographer for our yearbook gathered me with some girls to take a picture of us.  When we were about to take the picture, I just naturally put my hand on a girl’s shoulder and she screamed “I don’t hang with you people!” in front of the whole group.  I was paralyzed for a second and then I just walked away because I did not know what to do.

I was never physically bullied, but I was mentally destroyed through gossip and hurtful words.  For the first time in my life, I knew what it felt like to want to end my life in order to get rid of the pain of rejection.  The choice I made in the end is what kept me alive today, and that was trusting in the magnificent strength and power of Jesus Christ.  He was and is my hero.  I just began casually talking with Him and asking God to be my armor and protector, and He did just that.  I began sharing His love with everyone I met, and people would start saying, “Naw, she’s just a Christian”, and the rumors and cold stares ceased because they finally knew my true identity, a child of God. 

Well, there you go.  I hope my testimony encourages those who have once been hurt by people in the past or are still going through rejection.  You don’t have to feel so alone when people do not like you.  Who cares what they think!  You have a powerful King of kings who will always protect you and never leave your side.

Through Him,

~Camille

Romans 15:1-2

We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.

One Class Down (Week 5)

Week’s Itinerary= Dermatology Final, Parasitology Exam 2, Behavior Quiz 1 Retake, and FMG Album Release

Can you believe it!?  I finished a class already, which was specifically Dermatology.  As a whole, this class was great.  I learned great practical tools about skin issues in dogs but surprisingly not a lot about cats or other animals.  Now, out of the 2 exams in this class, the last section with Dr. Zabel was the more challenging one.  I enjoyed her as a person plus her teaching.  It was just that her questions were trickier to me than with Professor Hensel’s midterm.

I got back my Pharmacology exam from last week and got an A (93%)!  I need to thank my Pharmacology tutor who gave me her notes and my classmates who studied with me.

My Parasitology exam was on Monday, and that was the one I was really nervous about.  I was literally still learning new parasites till the last second before the test was being passed out in class.  I am trying to think of the best words for how I felt before taking this exam.  I just felt so “spacey” and scatter-brained simply because there were way too much stuff in my head!  We got back our grades, and I surprisingly did better than my 1^st exam grade (an 85%).  Praise God!  I need to personally thank my mother because she helped quiz me with these parasites on the phone when I could not find a classmate to quiz with.  Thank you Mom! 🙂  The test questions are straight forward.  It is just the huge amount of parasites to memorize.  You can do it!  The next professor who came after our 2^nd exam is a GREAT teacher.  He explains stuff very well!  He talked with us about Cestodes and Trematodes.

I have great news for my Behavior quiz.  My grade changed from a 60% to an 86% after taking the retake quiz!!!  That was very nice of the professor.  It was similar to the first quiz, but I feel I was more prepared for the questions.  Don’t stress over this one.  Now, there is the 2^nd quiz to worry about b/c it is with the Epidemiology exam on Monday of next week…

On Monday after the Parasitolgy exam, I had to prepare for a presentation for my Wildlife Treatment Crew requirement.  I thoroughly enjoyed my case with the Bald Eagle that I shared with you all earlier in my blog, so I did a presentation on that.  I think people enjoyed it, so it went well!

At the end of the week, I heard some great news from my brother giving me an update on him and his group’s upcoming album!  His group (FMG) does Christian Rap and R&B, and he asked me to make a beat with him and sing on the same song with him and his group (I love making beats too!)   I really want to glorify the Lord through this song, so I pray that people will hear it and be blessed.  Hear is the website to my brother’s group:

http://thefreedommusicgroup.com/

I did get to go back home for a bit to see family!  My brother also has a radio show, so I stopped by to see how he was doing.  During my visit, I got to meet a really cool guy who has been an actor in a few movies and shows!  His name is Deance Wyatt, and you might have seen him in the movie “Freedom Writers”.  He is now a pastor, so God has truly blessed him in his career.  I pray that God will continue to bless him with a great future!

Man!  I keep having my “Alfalfa hair” moments 🙂

Through Him,

~Camille

Proverbs 14:27

“The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death.”

All in God’s Hands (Week 3)

Week’s Itinerary= Parasitology Exam 1, Pathology Pre-test and Exam 1, and Behavior Quiz 1

On Monday, the Parasitology exam was brought to the table.  Taking this exam was all in God’s hands and strength.  Let’s just say, I am so glad it was multiple choice b/c it was easier to do rule-outs for selected answers.  For the lab, I think I did very well (straight identification and memorization).   Taking the exam was similar to Anatomy’s Practical portion where specimens are placed throughout the room, but these creatures are under the microscope.  We did not have to rotate and wait until the professor says “Move” like Anatomy.  You were able to move freely, which was surprisingly kind of nice.  It did not feel disorganized at all to me.  The specimen was duplicated under 2 microscopes by a question, so it is okay to look at both to get a good idea of what parasite you are looking at.

Tuesday was just a really unfortunate day for exams and quizzes.  One reason why I felt defeated that day was because we got the exam and quiz grade right after taking it, so it felt more like being punched in the face after receiving the grade.  So, I was the one student who had to retake the test on Wed for Pathology.  I got an 85% on the pre-test, and you need to get a 90% or above to pass the test, so of course I was frustrated b/c I almost passed it.  The night before, I got great tutoring privileges with some friends, so that helped a lot!  Not giving up!  With the Behavior quiz . . .  I honestly just started studying on the day of the quiz 😦  I just did not have time guys.  This past weekend with the bald eagle, squirrels, and wren really consumed my time, but the experience was wonderful & I will never forget it.  On the quiz, the professor did a lot of scenarios and asked what type of behavior theory it was (multiple choice).  The theories can be very tricky, but once I get the general idea, I will greatly succeed.  With that being said, I did get a 60% 😦 I’m glad it was a quiz though so that I can learn from my mistakes without feeling incredibly doomed!  (At the end of the week, she reasoned with us and is allowing us to retake the quiz 2 weeks from now/ NICE!) To make me feel if there was hope in the air, I checked to see how I did on my Dermatology Midterm I took last Friday.  I GOT AN A!! (93%)  Oh, how beautiful is the Glory of the Lord!  I later received my Parasitology Exam grade that I took on Monday and received a B(82%).  I was so ecstatic to hear this after going through that mess of exams on Tuesday.

When I went to take my Pathology exam on Wednesday, I was surprised to see a good amount of classmates taking the exam also.  It felt surprisingly relieving to see that people are just as normal as I am 🙂  Just kidding!   This exam was tricky!  But, I still got an A!!  You are wonderful Lord!

The next test for next week is Pharmacology, and it is scaring the mess out of me!  It is so hard for me to pay attention in most of the classes, but Pharm is the roughest (next up is Epidemiology).  I just feel bored out of my mind and totally confused.  Just brace yourself in this class.  A classmate of mine wondered if I was not an auditory learner at the way I don’t pay attention in class.  My answer is I am very bad with learning from large class lectures.  It is not a personal environment for me where I feel comfortable to ask questions and share a discussion with the teacher b/c everyone else will get ticked off at you.  I learn better through one-on-one discussions as it relates to auditory learning.  Plus large lectures go way to fast, so I get frustrated b/c I lose focus.  So there is my studying struggle in a nutshell 🙂

I finally got some pictures from my last Shorinjyru Karatedo National Tournament (Japanese from of Martial Arts).  I did 2 kata tournaments (2^nd place in empty-hand and 1^st in weaponry).  The last tournament I did was kumite, which is “sparring” or fighting against an opponent.  I had fun as always, and there were more children this year!

Here is my head sensei from UGA

Here is my head sensei back in my hometown in Georgia.  I have been very blessed to have 2 really good senseis!

This girl is super sweet!!  She’s very enthusiastic about this fighting style, so I hope she sticks with it.

They grade hard!  7 is a normal score given to people, but I will still try harder!!!

Through Him,

~Camille

Psalm 8:2– “From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.”