School and Promise Walk

So, the end of this semester had me pretty burnt out, between trying to plan for Luke's birthday, finishing up volunteering, our crippled dog, etc. I figured out the lowest grade I could get for my A&P I final (which was not cumulative or I probably would have done much better), which was probably not the best way to go about it. I needed a 52% for an A. My final happened to be last Wednesday. I decided to study for 10 minutes...it was "only" over every muscle, the brain, nerves, so there was a fricking lot and nothing that especially interested me. (I already knew the lobes of the brain pretty well but the stupid little stuff like the optic chiasma? Eh, not so much.)  Anyway, I needed a 52. It kicked my butt and I knew it. The exams are all identification, no multiple choice, though we got a word bank of like 200 words. There was a lot I didn't know and when I wasn't sure, I put the same words down multiple times hoping I'd get at least one of them instead of mis-guessing on all of them. I told Joe when I got home I wasn't sure if I pulled it off. But I did. Barely. A 57%, I think that's probably my worst test grade EVER. But guess what? I still have an A for the semester, so I don't really care! The lady who taught my class was the biggest joke of an instructor ever. She was nice enough but knew the material about as well as I did.

I have my other final for the lecture part of A&P on Thursday. We get to drop our lowest test grade in that class, and so far, my lowest test grade is a 94% and I've gotten a 100% on every quiz (we also get to drop our lowest quiz grade.) So I basically have to go in and write my name on the scantron and can leave. (Our instructor has said as much. We have to "take" the final, but we don't have to keep that grade, and we don't actually have to try.) I think I actually will try, just for the hell of it, because I feel kind of bad about my 57% in lab.

One more semester of this crap and then I am DONE DONE DONE until I start ultrasound school. I am going to be a glutton for punishment and do it for 8 weeks, 2 days a week, this summer. I think it will be a busy 8 weeks but I think I'd rather do it this way than drag it out over 16 weeks anyway. I have a better short term memory than long term, so I am hoping I won't need to study as much since sometimes I'll be tested over stuff we learned 2 days before instead of weeks and months earlier. My parents have very helpfully agreed to watch Luke for me. (They didn't even offer it at night over the summer, so that wasn't an option, but days will be better I think anyway so I can get Luke on some semblance of an evening schedule. When Joe was in charge while I was in class, it wasn't uncommon for Luke to take naps at 6pm or 7pm and then stay up till 11 or later!)  Also, I am done with my 120 hours of volunteering, so with no classes or anything set to do at night except 1 online class, I should have plenty of time to study if I wanted.

I am getting really excited for the Promise Walk on Saturday. When we first started planning, we were hoping to have at least 50 walkers and raise $5000 because this was the first time doing one in our area and we really didn't know what to expect. We now have over 100 walkers and have raised over $6000. We have a lot of great items donated (6 flags tickets, baseball tickets, restaurant gift cards, movie gift cards, a lot of cool homemade items...) for raffles and silent auctions at the walk to raise even more money, so it should be a great day! It is not too late to register to walk ($20 for adults, $10 for kids, includes shirts)  http://www.promisewalk.org/pfpw/register.asp?nnaffundid=49 (select team "Brooks" if you'd like to join our team),  or you can donate in support of our team online here http://www.promisewalk.org/pfpw/teampage.asp?fundid=1741 , any donations are completely tax deductible as the Preeclampsia Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization.  Thank you so much to those of you who have already donated, it means so much to us! I am really looking forward to Saturday!