"To the uneducated, an A is just three sticks."

... a quote by Eeyore.
Today I realized that my studies here in Ireland have been slipping. I went into Equine Physiology knowing there was going to be a quiz, and I was unprepared. Partially my fault for not reading through last weeks packet, but when I looked at the material on the quiz, there was information that I couldn't find anyways when I tried looking it up after class. The professor is nice, but she races through lecture with a blazing pace and doesnt give us the powerpoint notes until about a week later, so you are constantly having to play catch-up. We just got the notes this morning (before lecture and the quiz), but I had class so I couldn't review. Needless to say I was upset. I really want to do well in my classes, but I'm having a hard time adjusting to school here, especially the requirements because there really aren't any. I miss the structure of school in the US, where they give you ample opportunities to make up your grades, many opportunities to prove that you are a good student. Here your course grade depends on one final exam for the most part, which is why GPAs tend to be low here. Yet we had GPA requirements to get into this University - it sort of baffles me. The USA gets such a bad rap for education and I'm not sure why. Before I came here I was told that it would be different in that students here are really here to learn, whereas in the US it's all about experience (which I don't think is completely true either). But the Irish students are NEVER in class. Perhaps about an 1/8 of our Equine Physiology class is there for lectures. The class quizzes (and the 2 that I just failed, luckily there are a few more :( ) account for 15% of our grade, and they aren't even in attendance for them. At least I'm there even if I'm failing the random question quizzes. I've never even heard of a denedron before - how am I supposed to know how to answer a question with a scientific word I've never heard of before is there? .....Anyways......


I'm taking Irish Step Dance and today we watched videos on Irish Step Dancing competition. I'm not horrible at dance, but its hard to keep up with Marie, our instructor. She is a dancer, not a teacher: a huge difference. It's like trying to listen to a cracked out PollyAnna with red curly hair on speed. It's fun, but frusterating because we all want to learn the steps, but we first have to decipher the Red Fury and then try to keep up with her stick legs across the dance floor. I don't think I've seen a dancer so thin. I was excited to be there today, but we didn't get to learn much dance, and we won't have tutorial next week, so it's three weeks without dance.


So without dance, I went to the gym for an extra bit of time, did about 45 minutes of cardio - so I was there for about an hour and half. I fooled around a bit when I got back to my room, showered, cooked some beans, rice, brocolli, and curry sauce, ate a few cookies and now I'm headed off to the library to claim some books, photocopy a few articles, and find some much needed texts. Then I have to write a lab report.
If there is one thing that I'm excited about is that once I graduate from college, there will be no more silly little lab reports, only "serious scientific studies". Good Riddance.


Today I had the random desire to 1) join Peace Corps after graduation and 2) go to medical school at UVM then work for Doctors without Borders. I think this mostly has to do with the fact that I am abroad now, and sometimes enjoy it. However, my feeling on being away from my family, my country, and everything I know and love change everyday. Each day I think about my future, my career(s),etc. and my ideas and desires change. Veterinary school versus medical school, but then can I actually get into those schools. Am I good enough, smart enough, brave enough? Intership or taking it easy or job after graduation? Do I need the money or just to relax or to learn? Where do I need to be? Home? Vermont? Somewhere else? I keep trying to figure this out, which has led me to be distracted from my studies and my enjoyment of being abroad. I'm really caught up in the future and I don't know why.


I think it's mostly because it's the one thing I can control, but yet I can't until I get there. And honestly that scares me to death.