Change and Adapting

I hope this blog finds everyone in good health. A lot has happened since the last time I wrote; my fall semester went well, and I enjoyed the holidays with my family. The second semester started off really well, I was happy with my coursework, and I was giving tours every week!

I meet some excited to-be-students that were full of questions about the Biomedical Sciences programs, the certifications, and of course the Veterinary School. The best part of giving tours for me is talking about the admission process into vet school. I love that the interview section consists of several miniature interviews with only a couple of people. It gives each person a chance to kind of start over between each interview.

In February, I got the opportunity to sign up to be an ambassador at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. At first, I was hesitant because I am still new, and I have not done anything like this before. After weighing the pros and cons of this potential experience, I decided to participate. I ended up signing up for five shifts for the first half of my spring break.

On the Saturday of my first shift, I was nervous for two reasons: I was not 100% sure where I was going inside the NRG arena, and I was afraid I would not be able to answer people’s questions. Thankfully, my partner for the shift was able to answer the questions that I did not know. On each day that I was there, I learned more about myself and met many new people. On my six-hour drive home, I learned of the event shutting down to protect everyone involved from being exposed to the novel coronavirus.

Throughout the rest of my spring break, I was updated on how Texas A&M would be transferring all of its in-person class to an online format. As it became clear that I would need to move out of my dorm room, I drove to College Station to pack up all of my things and check out.

For me, it was a little emotional to have to move out so suddenly because I really loved the routine that my roommate and I established throughout the year.

The first week of online classes was definitely hard at first because both students and professors were unsure of how exactly this would go. Now we are in our third-week classes, and I am enjoying my morning of drinking hot tea and taking notes on my physics lecture. I had my first online test last week, and I am hoping to get some good results soon from it. Overall, I’d say that my online class experience has been great and it has given me a chance to take up new hobbies that I have been wanting to start like yoga and painting.

Hopefully, the next time I write, everything will be back to normal, but until then, stay healthy everyone!

 

Balancing Act

It has been so exciting getting into the groove of things this semester as a sophomore biomedical sciences (BIMS) major.

I am currently taking organic chemistry, “Great Diseases of the World,” American history, women’s health, and introduction to animal science. The biggest challenge so far has been organic chemistry, as I’m sure almost every BIMS sophomore can tell you.

Learning to study for organic chemistry is a task in itself, and then you have to do the actual studying! I have learned that scheduling to study overtime before testing makes you so much less stressed once you get to the test, and that has been a lifesaver for me so far.

This has helped me to slowly start learning to balance my time between work, school, and my social life.

My favorite part of this new year has been moving into my beautiful, one-bedroom apartment with my two little buddies, Charley and Reggie. Charley has been with me since he was just a little puppy, in August 2012, and Reggie has been with us for about a month.

I have struggled a bit with worrying whether I’ve spent enough time with them or given them enough love, but I think we are getting on just fine.

In another area of my life, working as a BIMS Ambassador has been such an awesome experience. It is so great to feel like I can help those around me and show them the little world we live in here in the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences.

It is also great that I have the ability to work on my studies when I’m not helping others, which has been such a blessing. Having time where you are simply able to sit down and focus is so great.

Through the CVM Ambassador program, I also gained a great new friend. Sahana and I not only are in the ambassador program together but we also have a few of the same classes! It is so awesome that I have been able to find new people I love through this program.

Most fun of all is that I recently learned that a photoshoot I modeled for when I went to Australia back in May 2019 will be included in a book coming out in March 2020! It really makes me think about the amazing opportunities we can have if we just reach out.

The book is called “This Is Me,” by Georgie Abay and Julie Adams. I am so excited to see my photo in the book.

It isn’t my favorite photo of myself but it shows me that what I may perceive as OK can be so beautiful to those around me and that we are often too hard on ourselves as humans—we all should remember that we are all so gorgeous in our own ways.