Sunday, July 28, 2013

*Knackered*

Normally, a person feels a little rested and refreshed after a weekend.  I've been studying like a fiend all weekend.  We're pretty much doing at least 4 (thick) chapters a week in Microbiology, and tests are coming about once a week.  I have a test in the morning.  Fingers crossed I do better on this one than I did on the first a week ago.  Wednesday was the lab mid-term, and I feel quite confident about my knowledge on that one.  Still anxious, though.  I'm glad I've only got two more weekends like this.  Plumb tuckered out.

The real pity of this situation is that the course is so fascinating and energizing that it would have been great to really delve into this subject over the space of a regular semester rather than in a condensed summer course.

My lab table of 5 has four very strong personalities.  Much ball-hogging and all that. I stay low-key and pretty much keep my mouth shut.  One guy is a one-upper and talks obsessively about how superior his cell phone is.  (yawn)  Another seems a very nice man, but he's type A/OCD and has to adjust everything the person before him touched-- microscope perfectly in focus, but he has to mess with it.  Water running at the perfect rate from the tap, but he has to re-do it, because he wasn't the one to turn it on.  Third lady is a know-it-all and thinks she should be running it all. Mr. One-upper gives Mr. Type A copious amounts of crap for his cell phone. I'm tempted to tell him I use two strings and a can for long distance communications-- but again: keeping my mouth zipped.   Fourth lady is very quiet, pleasant and intelligent.  I'm careful not to let Mr. One-upper bully me into procedural errors, because he's screwed up everything he's touched, so far.  Hmm-- I wonder why nothing grew on our streak-plate, mr. I've gotta stick this hot needle into the sample culture without letting it cool

Gosh. I'm tired and venting.  Almost everyone in my class is going into an RN program here or there.  Keeping my mouth shut seems a wise course: you never know when you're going to have to work with someone later.  Still, I wish I'd picked a different table.

4 comments:

Home on the Range said...

It will all be worth it when it is done. Hang in there!

Jedi Master Ivyan said...

Been there. Maybe it's a good thing the class is short. You only have to "behave" for another few weeks.

If there is some attrition in the class, maybe you could mosey over to a different table?

Old NFO said...

Smart move on your part... :-)

charlotte g said...

Listen, keep your mouth shut, smile and learn. Graduate school taught me a lot.