Friday, October 14, 2011

Regis College Runs the Tufts 10K!


 Representing Regis College @ the Tufts 10K this past Monday, October 11th, 2011!

     This past weekend was a great day for women as over 7,000 signed up to run the 6.2miles in the 35th Annual Tufts Health Plan 10K....two of them from our very of Graduate Admissions office!

Regis held residence under a large white tent, sheltered from the scorching October (October??) heat.  We were able to promote all of programs and gave out some much-needed Regis College lip balm in the process:)

At the starting line...thousands of women line up to run in support of one another.  Many first timers but all sisters, mothers, and daughters...and all women from all over running for a very good cause!  I was glad to represent Regis at such an inspiring event, and hope to run next year!

Monday, October 3, 2011

Test Week at Regis!


Monday morning began with my usual; checking e-mails, breakfast, morning news, and a heaping cup of caffeine (to which I added Pumpkin flavoring to celebrate the season).  But this week had a different feel to it.  As I locked the door to my apartment I realized what that feeling was.  It was test day and in the midst of driving to school I had forgotten why I had stayed up so late the night before.  My pharmacology test!  Running through the mechanisms of cell death, I suddenly felt more comfortable about taking my first grad-school exam in less than eight hours.  In undergraduate I got used to getting myself pumped-up for exams bright and early and getting in-and-out of the test before 10am.  But in graduate school all of my classes start at 5pm so I had to find a way to keep that level of excitement going throughout the day.  This made me a bit nervous since I am a creature of habit and like to get all the hard parts of my day out of the way first.  Maybe I would have a cup of coffee every hour on the hour?  No, too much caffeine and besides, I had to steady my hand enough to fill in the bubble sheet.  Perhaps jogging a few laps to get the blood flowing?  I looked down at my feet and realized I had chosen my highest heels and didn’t feel like breaking an ankle, especially on a Monday.  Worse case scenario I did have my iPod with plenty of “Space-Jam” music to get myself amped by 5pm.  “This could work…”, I thought to myself. 

At work I kept myself busy filing, returning e-mails, and making trips to the photocopier.  I even indulged myself in a sugary snack at lunch to keep the gears moving.  Before I knew it work was over and I had some time to hop on over to the library for some last minute studying.  Shuffling through my note cards I noticed some other students who were also in my class and I asked if they wanted to go over some notes together.  We hit every topic under the sun from the meiosis and cell division to complex drug receptor binding.  It was great to get a second perspective on the class and also say my note cards out loud.  We each learned something new from the group and felt relaxed knowing we were all on the same page.  I checked my watch and almost had a panic attack…it was 4:30pm.  My test was in 30 minutes and I hadn’t even had dinner or my lucky cup of tea before the test.  I grabbed my notes, said farewell to my classmates, and sprinted like a madwoman who just caught a glimpse of Brad Pitt on campus.  Mid-run I shoved my dinner into the microwave at the grad lounge, warmed up some tea, and impatiently tapped my foot as I watched the clock hit 4:45.  I would definitely not have my ritual first row-center seat, but I would at least have dinner.  The microwave didn’t even have enough time to beep before I grabbed my scalding hot leftovers, threw on the cover, and continued my Brad Pitt-sprint through campus. 

4:50pm…I arrived at Science Hall, flew downstairs to Room #2, and was shocked.  No one, not one single person was in the classroom.  What was this?  Didn’t we have a test today?  Had I truly lost my mind?  Was I in the wrong room? I was not prepared to run in heels to the other side of campus, especially with smoking-hot ziti. 

And then it hit me.  Monday, one of the only days that was set apart from the rest, class started not at 5pm, but 5:30pm.  I breathed a sigh of hysteria but also relief.  Taking my usual seat I opened my pasta dish and leisurely ate, not even believing that I ran like a fool to a class that hadn’t even begun…in heels.  Feeling ready tackle the exam, I was happy I was even still awake for it.  I had certainly found a way to keep my adrenaline running right up until test time.  Mission accomplished. 

First tests are a funny thing.  You wait so long in anticipation and before you know it you’re in the hallway waiting to be called back in for lecture.  And not soon after that, test week is over and you have completed test after test without even blinking.  It felt great to dump all the knowledge that was in my head on paper and be done with it this past week.  My friend Natalie and I joke that we felt like we had to walk perfectly straight all week for fear of having our knowledge spill out.  And all in all, it wasn’t too bad!  The professors had certainly prepared us both for the test itself and the knowledge that we would have to apply in the field of nursing.  Each professor held a review session which was open, informative, and extremely helpful.  That’s one thing I have really come to love about Regis: the professors.  They always remember that we have other commitments throughout the day and by 5pm we are often pretty wiped.  So classes are very interactive, specific, and oftentimes hilarious.  And the review sessions were scheduled not around the professor’s day, but the students’.  I attended one study session that started at 9am since most of the students had work that evening so the professor agreed to stay late.  Even on test day the professors make sure that we all feel confident and relaxed.  I have appreciated this aspect of graduate school very much and am thankful to be in an environment that fosters such holistic learning. 

In the end, test week wasn’t terribly terrifying.  I could compare it to meeting a friend’s greyhound for the first time.  Those guys are big, and kind of wild-looking, but once you get to know them, they are sweet and very manageable (with the help of a friend of course!).  Once you have the knowledge and experience to handle one, you can handle any that come your way!...Especially when you have a great pair of running-heelsJ