One Fit Life

So THIS is what problem based learning is...

2012-01-26T22:07:00.004-05:00

Well, I haven't really had a chance to sit down and write anything since I've started this semester because I am so busy. This semester is different than last semester; whether this is different good or bad I am not really sure. In some ways this semester makes last semester feel like a cakewalk, but then I think about my huge anatomy exams and life doesn't seem so bad.

This semester I was finally introduced (officially) to problem-based learning. I had learned how to teach inquiry-based learning (which is very similar... in fact without looking, I don't know what the difference[s] would even be) with my education degree, so I was interested to see how I liked it from a student perspective. It's... interesting. There are times when I really love it; I love the discussion and coming together to bounce ideas off of each other. The group that I am in has an almost perfect dynamic and word is that we are eons ahead of the other groups in terms of being able to accomplish what we are supposed to from these sessions. There are other times when I am not so sure... this is mostly when I am spending anywhere between 4-8 hours researching outside of class time and creating 10+ page word documents with tons of information. Then, after discussion, sometimes it's still a little iffy as to what I need to know vs "extra stuff" that I had found.

But, all in all, it's pretty good. We just had our first exam that correlated with our PBL sessions, lectures and labs. It was hard and easy at the same time. Mostly, I messed up on small details (like what does a T1 wave MRI show) and vocabulary that I tried to learn but got mixed up on when it came to the test. It will be interesting to see if I pass it or not. The nice thing about these tests is that if we don't pass them, we simply retake them. So, I already know from taking it what information I was supposed to know that I was iffy on, so I know what to look over if I do, in fact, need to retake it. Plus, it's just not worth having a mental breakdown over. Or that's what I'm trying to tell myself.

I am finding my clinical skills lab time easier; we are actually correlating all that boring, background information with real therapy, like modalities. That's been nice. We just started electrotherapy though, and it is intense. There is so much information. We are having 3 lectures on it and 2-3 lab sessions on it. I hope that I end up understanding it all... our professor told us we should plan to re-read our class notes/the chapter in the book at least 3 times.

Other than that, my other classes are not so bad. I am enjoying Neuroscience so far, although to be honest, we have not really covered too much of anything. Exercise physiology is really boring, but I am trying to be a really good student since I've never had an ex phys class before... The only other course I have is my 1 credit Correlative Neuro and it's almost as time consuming as PBL, even though it's not supposed to be since it's a 1 credit course.

I need to figure out how to be more efficient in my information gathering for both PBL and Correlative, because I am just spending so much time outside of school researching it's insane. I need to learn how to reel it in and try to stick to my objectives and not go "too far" into detail if I don't need to... right now it seems like I go too far when I'm not supposed to and not far enough for other things... I think as time goes on and we do more and more cases, I'll get better at balancing and figuring out what is exactly expected of me from the course.

So, with that, I am pretty much done studying for the night; I tried to work on some of my Correlative but J* is on his way home from Tampa, so I'm anxiously following him/his flights and also had to take a brain break from the 3 tests (and 1 quiz) I took this past week.

About to start Semester 2...

2012-01-02T11:50:00.003-05:00

So, tomorrow I continue my journey in PT School and will start my second semester. Honestly, this two week break for Christmas has been GREAT. It was just long enough for me to get caught up on all of my personal life issues (minus seeing a couple of friends) and enough to recharge my batteries. I am happy to say that I am not dreading going to school tomorrow like I was before I started.

This semester will be interesting, I have the following courses:

Neuroscience (4)

Foundations of Movement Science I (7)

Fundamentals of Exercise Physiology (2)

Correlative Neuroscience (1)

For a grand total of 14 credits, as was my first semester. This semester will be my first semester with problem-based learning (PBL) and I'm excited. Coming from a background in education I am familiar with PBL and how to teach it, so I'm excited to use that particular knowledge to (hopefully) succeed with the course. It's a large amount of credits and I'm really just interested to see how this is all going to play out. The course is 7 credits, and it is all day Tuesday/Thursday. We have our PBL groups in the AM and then a lab portion in the afternoon. I have no clue what the lab portion is about, but I'm assuming it will be similar to my course in the Fall that was clinical skills 1.

In any case, I am trying to start this new year off with some changes; I am trying to remain positive although there has been a lot of stress surrounding me outside of school. I am thankful that although I had so many factors going against me in the first semester, I managed to pull through with good grades and am able to continue in this journey.

So, wish me luck! :)

I Did It: Semester One

2011-12-17T11:36:00.002-05:00

I am SO relieved to have made it through this first semester. It has definitely been more than just a small struggle; there are so many things that have been going on, that it really feels great to be done.

All I'm waiting for is my final grade for Physiology, but I passed my other 3 courses, so hopefully I passed Physiology as well! Now, two weeks off of full relaxation and Christmas fuuuuun! :)

T-minus 7 days to survival of Semester 1!

2011-12-09T17:20:00.004-05:00

Well, I'm still here. In 7 days I will be done with my first semester of PT school and it has been really wild. I still haven't decided where I want to go for my 1st clinical, and I really need to take advantage of being in the first spot for choosing... I don't really want to think that far in advance, honestly. I'm too busy worrying about my anatomy and physiology finals. I am doing well in both courses, but I am at a borderline A and so one slip up could potentially have me failing either. Although I have my struggles about being in school, I would prefer it to be my decision to quit, not that I failed a course and was unable to continue.

A question I find myself asking a lot is, how do you figure out if something/anything is "worth it"?

Sometimes when I get A's on my tests it doesn't even feel good. Only because I know how much farther I have to go in this journey to even get through school, and because usually it's immediately time to start preparing for the next batch of tests. But, it hit me for a second the other day... I got a 95% in my clinical skills class... That means that I know 95% of what I was supposed to know... That's huge. Why am I acting like it's not? I think that I get so overwhelmed with everything going on around me, that I don't even realize how far I've come in just this short amount of time.

In fact, I know for certain that I passed two of my four classes (clinical skills) and my principles of practice course, because the finals were this week, in what I like to call "Hell Week #2" Remember Hell Week the first time? Yeah, not fun.

However, this time I only cried twice, instead of every day, and I didn't have a complete mental breakdown leading to a horrible anatomy lab practical grade. So, I've improved.

I took yesterday off after my last test and came home and stayed in bed all day, and slept in today and did some Christmas shopping. Now I feel like I'm ready to do this and get it over with.

My anatomy final is cumulative, so it's going to be hard and I need to try to remember everything I've learned along the way, and that's a lot... Physiology is all about digestion which is not my favorite thing to study, so I've got to gear up and get in it.

Hopefully, soon, I'll be celebrating that I passed all my courses and can move onto semester #2.

How I won the lottery...

2011-11-14T20:58:00.002-05:00

I know what you're thinking, and no I didn't actually win the real lottery... I can't even win on a scratch off lotto ticket... but I did take part in a lottery where most would say that I "won"... allow me to explain... From the beginning.

At my school we have 4 clinical experiences. When it comes to choosing where you'd like to do your clinical they have instilled a lottery mechanism to be "fair and just". Basically, it happens like this... Before any of your clinicals, at the beginning of your schooling, you get a number. Whatever that number is (let's just go with #20) means that's when you get to choose your clinical. So, at #20, 19 people would get the chance to choose a clinical before you. So, #1 gets to pick first and basically gets to go wherever he/she desires. Then, for the second clinical they flip it, so #1 becomes #38 (in my case because there are 38 students in our class) and #38 becomes #1 so that it's fair.

Now, on the first clinical experience everyone is placed on out-patient orthopedic because that is what we spend all of our time learning about the first year. So, really, there is no choice, because everyone goes to out-patient ortho and you only get a choice as to where you go. The second-forth clinicals are a little more exciting because you can choose in-patient, skilled nursing, pediatrics, cardiopulm, etc... So, I was really hoping I'd get a "late" number so that I'd be near the top for when the choosing actually begins.

Low and behold... I am #1. I get first choice on wherever I want to go for my first clinical. And, I'm probably the only person in the history of ever to be mad about it. I would've much rather have been further up on the list for round 2-4 where there ARE choices, especially since some of the places I want to go to are going to be high on lots of peoples' lists.

But, this must have happened for a reason and I'm not going to complain about it, I'm just going to REALLY research the clinical affiliations and choose the one that I feel will be best for me and keep my fingers crossed.

In the meantime, I'm still freaking out about school, but I'm just trying to push it aside for right now with the end of the semester fastly approaching.

I just keep telling myself, well, I made it through today and that's one less day I have to deal with...

42 more days until the end of the semester.

2011-11-04T09:55:00.000-04:00

Oh hi. What's new and exciting?

Same old, same old here. I should really be studying physiology and anatomy instead of surfing the interwebz and writing in this thing, but as soon as I'm done here, I promise I'll get down and dirty with my books.

I went to counseling last week and it was weird; I guess it probably always is... nothing really got accomplished. My counselor told me that I need to not get stressed out about things that don't "matter". For example, my house is in a constant state of chaos because I never have time to clean it. Messes stress me out, thus when I am at home I am immediately stressed due to the dishes not being done, dishes all over the living room, dirt on the floor, clothes strewn about, etc.

Unfortunately, "breathing deeply" does not help me feel better about any of these things, so although I wanted to follow her advice, it's not really doing any good. The house is still a mess and thus I am still stressed.

She also told me I need to join the gym stat. No kidding. Once again, I told her I would do it, and yet I have had no time to go over to join (I suppose I could be doing THAT now instead of this, but oh well). I haven't worked out at all since August and it sucks. I went from working out 2 hours a day 4x a week to zero. I can tell I'm gaining weight and that makes me more stressed. I just don't know how to carve the time out to go when I feel stressed to the max about not having enough time. I mean, I can't even clean my house, let alone leave the house to go do something else. Ugh. I just need to do it and get over it, but I'm not done whining about it.

Anyway, we'll see what happens over the next few weeks when I go and if we can evaluate my study habits and figure out how I can be more effective then maybe that will help.

B.T.Dubs, I got a 98% on my anatomy test and a 98% on my clinical skills written exam. I'm sitting pretty; just unhappy.

So, anyway, I am looking forward to Thanksgiving week because J* and I are heading up to NYC to visit my HS girlfriend and stay for a few days. I cannot wait to get away from school and everything negative surrounding me right now; it is much, much, MUCH needed.

Besides that, only 42 days until the end of the semester. I just keep telling myself as each day passes, it's one less day I have to deal with; I got through it and I just need to push forward.

We'll see where I go from here...

Hell Week

2011-10-27T18:02:00.000-04:00

Well, I just finished the week that everyone refers to as "Hell Week" and just barely survived. Hell Week consists of 5 tests in four days and is allegedly the roughest week of the entire semester.

On Monday I had my second anatomy lecture exam, which wasn't too terrible. Although, I felt like I threw up all the information I knew onto that test and felt nervous for the practical the following day. I also had my "standard patient interview" with a faculty member in which he pretended to be a patient coming to my clinic and I had to gain information about him and his injury, hitting a number of must-asks, in an appropriate manner. No problem. Passed with flying colors.

On Tuesday we had our first "check offs" in clinical skills. Check offs consist of palpations and then either gait training/transfers/etc depending on what we have learned. The first check off was palpations of the lower limb and the shoulder and then gait training. You are given 3 structures to find for the palpation part (at random; you choose when you arrive at your check off time) and then you're given a patient situation in which you need to demonstrate appropriate interactions and decision making on choosing the correct assistive device (walker, crutches, cane, etc) for the patient. My check-off was terrible; as I've been writing from time to time I'm having a rough adjustment into school and haven't been happy since I started (in fact, to be honest, I've been quite miserable 95% of the time), thus it was a train-wreck that resulted in me having to re-take the check-off on Thursday.

Also, on Tuesday I had my anatomy practical exam. After my terrible morning I was feeling even more distraught about school and honestly didn't even feel like taking the practical; I just wanted to quit school and go home. But, I'm not going to make a rash decision when emotions are high, so of course I stayed and took it. And it was hard. There were too many people in the room so I couldn't follow my thought process and when the professor called "5 minutes" I had about 10 blank answers. I didn't stay to watch him grade it and later got my grade off the internet... 74%. Ouch. :(

On Wednesday, I had a free day. Some people were still doing their patient interviews, but I had done that on Monday, so it was a quick breather for me.

On Thursday, I had my clinical skills written exam, which went pretty darn well. It's not that I don't know the information, or that it's too hard, it's just that it makes me severely unhappy and I need to decide if I'm unhappy because I am constantly stressed or I'm unhappy because this is not right for me. Also, after the written exam I had to redo my check-offs, and I, of course, passed with a 100% and celebrated with lunch with my one classmate.

So, I am now home and feeling much better because there is no stress on me, however, as soon as it is time for another round of tests I will be feeling the exact same way, so I've decided to go to counseling to see if they can help me sort through all of this so I can make an educated decision that I won't regret.

Until then, I guess I'll just try to deal with being miserable.

First Exams

2011-10-04T21:37:00.001-04:00

So, I really don't have a ton of time to write in this thing now that school rules my life... plus, I have about 30 different personal things going on that really make me feel like I'm being pulled in 700 directions at all times. It's weird because school is really making a lot of things really difficult in the rest of my life and I don't know if I should be this angry about it.

I met with my advisor for the first time and she was very nice, but not really all that helpful. I just lied and told her I felt better because it seemed to make her feel better ;)

The big news is that I made it through my first 2 big tests alive and I got A's on both of them. I was so worried after my anatomy test because everyone I talked to had different answers than me and it ended up that all the answers I had were the correct ones; although I did make some stupid mistakes (as per usual). I got a lower score on my physiology test but had felt about 100x more confident about it after I took it, so I wasn't really phased by my grade. My previous high score on a physiology test was a mid-range C; so the mere fact that I got an A was amazing enough for me.

I do think I need to figure out how to study more effectively; after my two tests I have felt so completely burnt out; I'm having a really hard time buckling down to study (as I am writing this right now) and I need to get my act together soon so that I'm not freaking out in a couple weeks when the next round of testing hits.

Anyway, I don't really know what else to say, lots of things are going on and my head is constantly spinning and I'm not quite sure that I'm used to it yet. ;)

My first "real" grade...

2011-09-20T17:24:00.000-04:00

Ok, I don't have a ton of free time to post, because our first huge exams are coming up next Monday and I definitely need to study as much as possible. I have a LOT of muscles to memorize and a lot of information to integrate into my brain in what seems like an impossibly short amount of time.

In any case, I wanted to write so that I could have a giggle at myself and also let everyone know that I did have my first "real assignment" and I got a 10/10 on my physiology quiz.

I was pretty excited because physiology doesn't come easy to me and I really didn't use my notes/book at all (only on one question) and I was able to get all the questions right. It gave me a little bit of confidence to just buckle down and get this stuff into my brain.

So, although at times I feel discouraged and unsure, I feel like so far this week, I feel a lot more confident. Plus, my horoscope ruled and I just want to share it with you because it's amazing advice:

"Some construction workers walk along steel girders hundreds of feet above ground with no worry whatsoever. They believe that, if you can walk along a girder on the ground without falling off, then you can do the same 200 feet higher. There's something you must do that you're more than capable of doing. You feel daunted though by the fact that you have to do it in a new way or environment. Just take it one step at a time. All will be fine."

Week 3: I think I can, I think I can...

2011-09-15T16:42:00.000-04:00

Although I'm still having a rough time, I did manage to have one really good day this week (and that was yesterday)! So I figure that if I can just start to have more days like yesterday, then eventually they will all be better.

I really want to try to keep being positive and telling myself that I can do this. I am an intelligent person and this is something that I worked hard to get to, and it would be so silly to quit now when I've come a long way to get here, being a nontraditional student.

That being said, I hate feet. No, I really do. There are so many muscles! I used to be worried about being able to name the bones in the feet, but after having lectures on the intrinsic and extrinsic muscles, the bones are literally a piece of cake.

The good news is, we aren't getting anymore new material (muscle wise) until after September 24th, which is our first test. I now have a little over one week to learn all the muscles, their origins, insertions, innervations and actions of the lower limb.

But, I am going to be positive and say that I can do this and believe it! It's going to be a rough ride, and I'm off to a really rough start, but I really want to prove that I can do this. I can do it, these science classes are intense, but I can do it.

Well, I'm going to stop giving myself a pep talk and get back to finishing my muscles flashcards. :)

I dream about anatomy...

2011-09-13T17:56:00.000-04:00

Yeah, I'm definitely immersed in my courses. Two nights ago I spent the entire night dreaming about vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, and vastus intermedius.... Followed by a rousing night in dream land on nerves!

Right now, I'm just trying to keep my head above water... Hoping that I'll click with some classmates soon, that it will all click within my head, that I'll remember why I started this long journey in the first place.

But, right now I've got to take it one day at a time. I tried to stay after class today to study, but I just feel like I'm not getting anything out of it. I came home and spent 40 minutes and got a lot further than I did in almost 2 hours with my classmates. I don't want to give up on group study sessions because there are lots of things I do want to talk over and practice with others, but I feel like I need to get my base built, I need to see what it is that I know before I combine it with other people.

Tonight I get to attend an APTA meeting, and although I'd really like to stay home and study (since I'm in the groove and J* won't be home all night) I need to go and get this marked off my to-do list. Plus, it is about tai chi and I'm really interested in seeing what they have to say. I'm sure I'll write a blog post about it when I have a moment either later tonight or tomorrow, if it's worth sharing. ;)

Anyway, I am just trying to maul through all the personal struggles I'm having while trying to pretend like everything is absolutely fine on the inside . I'm worried that if I don't "shape up" soon that lots of things are going to happen- namely I won't do well on my tests, and I'm concerned about how long J* can be supportive without just telling me to get over everything.

Well, I need to get my shoes on and get ready to leave to go to this ATPA meeting, so until next time!

Week 2... It's not going to get any easier...

2011-09-08T20:52:00.001-04:00

So, I made it through my second week of schooling and to be honest, I don't know what the heck I'm doing. I feel like I am so far behind compared to some of my classmates with knowledge, I can't get into a group study mode where I feel like I've actually learned something and for some reason I'm having a terrible time organizing myself (which has never been an issue before.)

Right now I'm feeling like I really miss my old job... way more than I thought I would.

Interdisciplinary Day

2011-09-04T11:55:00.000-04:00

On Friday we ended the week by being required to attend an interdisciplinary event. Basically, students from the graduate school health programs all came together and were able to meet, mingle and then we were broken up into small groups and given a case study. We had to discuss what each of our roles would be within the case study and listen about each others' careers. There were DPT students, MOT students, Nursing students, PA students, and clinical psychologist students present.

For the most part it wasn't that great; it wasn't organized very well and it was very hard to hear the members within your group because there were around 20 groups all in a huge auditorium all talking at the same time.

After we finished reviewing the case study, talking about our roles, etc we had a speaker... Surprise (ok, not really) the person that was the speaker was the person that the case study was built on. (A C6-C7 spinal cord injury; he is categorized as a quadriplegic but has pretty good movement in his upper limbs/body, although in the past couple of years he has lost some fine motor control; his accident was 28 years ago). It was a great story, got me teary-eyed a few times and thankful for everything in my life as well as excited to be able to help make a huge impact on someone's life, much like the doctors/therapists made an impact on him.

The real reason I'm posting this is, though, I was APPALLED by the members in my group and their attitude towards PT/OT. One girl outright asked us "What exactly do you do?" and seemed insistent that we had absolutely no role from the beginning in the patient and was more concerned about what she and her classmates (PA students) would do in the ER.

My fellow DPT student and I, as well as an MOT student did our best to educate those within our group, but honestly.... The profession has GOT to do something about this.

I really couldn't believe the attitudes that came out today and I hope that after meeting me and my classmate that the students we were in contact with can understand that we play a huge role in the patient's well-being.

I'm also hoping that as we all go through schooling, everyone is able to recognize the roles that various healthcare providers play and then acknowledge those roles as being important in their own independent way; not in a competitive format.

A nursing student did make a comment about when being out in clinical (a hospital/in-patient setting) she said that the members of the healthcare team rarely acknowledged each other as humans; they rarely even made eye contact and said "Hello" to each other and she hoped that as we all went through our schooling that we would be able to remember that each and every one of us is first off, a human being, that at least deserves the respect of a handshake and a greeting. Needless to say, everyone applauded after her comment and I truly hope that this is the attitude of all of those in the programs at the university I'm attending, as well as elsewhere.

I Did It: Week One

2011-09-01T13:35:00.000-04:00

Well... As I'm sitting on my couch, watching a special on UFO's (trying not to think about the anatomy and physiology I should be studying) I can say I'm officially finished with my first week of DPT school.

It's definitely interesting... in lots of ways. The content is interesting, the way my classmates are all starting to interact is interesting and my mental/emotional state is definitely "interesting". Most mornings start off with me feeling extremely enthusiastic and ready to learn and end with me either almost in tears/wanting to be in tears, anxiety-ridden and thinking, "What the hell am I doing?"

All of my classmates are really nice, and I'm starting to form relationships with most of them and so having people to relate with will be good to lean on when the going gets tough. I'm sure that I'll stick with this, I just want all the fear and anxiety to disappear so that I can remember why exactly I wanted to do this, since I feel like I made the decision years and years ago. (Ok, it was just 2 years ago, but whatever!)

So... what did I learn in my first week?

Some people have never seen a cadaver before DPT school
DPT Orientation is very long and is full of the 700 ways you can fail out of the program
Some of my classmates appear to be light-years ahead of me
But, when I talk to them, they feel the same way as I do
I probably should have studied anatomy over the summer even though everyone told me not to worry about it
I need to learn how to get over my dislike of physiology so that I can do well in the course
Anatomy is already kicking my ass

So, one week down... only 14 more in the semester! ;)

My First Day

2011-08-29T21:35:00.001-04:00

Well, I survived my first day of PT school and am already wondering if it is too early to start a countdown. ;) There are 36-37 students in my class and we spent the morning in anatomy lecture, followed by physiology lecture and then a 4 hour long orientation session that left me literally exhausted.

My classes are definitely going to be very demanding and I'm already dreading September 26-27 because I have my first anatomy exam followed by (back to back, no less!) my first physiology exam and then my lab practical on the next day. The work seems rigorous, but I'm excited to get started to see if I can rekindle the passion I had for this as much as when I decided to go back for my pre-requisites.

Our orientation consisted of having lunch with our advisors, another tour of the facilities (that's three I've had in total; I think I know my way around!) and introductions by all of the faculty and all of my classmates and a lot of going over the rules, expectations and overview of the program.

It was a lot to take in on one day, but I am happy that I am not the only "older" student, as there are a handful of people my age and slightly younger/older that are not coming directly from our undergrad degrees, or related fields.

I feel like so much happened today, but honestly my brain feels like it can't anymore at the current moment, but I just wanted to post and say "I did it! I survived the first day!"

The search for the perfect backpack

2011-08-04T09:51:00.000-04:00

So, as school is closing in closer and closer and I should be thinking about important things (i.e.; buying my anatomy book, buying a new laptop, etc) I am instead debating on what wonderful and amazing backpack will help me meet all my schooling goals.

I have a couple of backpacks, however, they have seen their fair share of destruction throughout my high school and undergrad career. I bought a new backpack when I went back to do my pre-requisite work, however, it's not very large and I ended up using some of my other old backpacks in place of it...

I am extremely picky when it comes to backpacks... I can't simply go into a store and choose one at random and walk away... I usually have to look for weeks, multiple times debating over whether it should be one pocket or two pockets, too many zippers, not enough. Are there hiding spots? Do I want hiding spots? Are there places for me to put my pens? Do I need a pencil case?

The questions are endless and so, unlike most may think, the search for the right backpack is quite an investigative adventure that takes some time. I hope I can pick one before the 29th. ;)

I have an addiction to school/office supplies.

2011-07-26T17:27:00.000-04:00

Side Note: Woohoo! I am officially done with all of the requirements for school; I got my bloodwork done today and hopefully will have the titer results in the next couple of days and another big thing can be checked off my "to-do" list. *does a happy dance*

So, I am a sucker for office/school supplies. I could spend hours and spend hundreds at Staples or anywhere where office supplies are sold. I love post-its, tables, folders, sharpies, etc. I love it all. However, since I have such a great love for supplies, I often end up buying a bunch of stuff that I don't use... So, I have decided that this year, I am not buying ANYTHING before I go to class and actually see what I need. That's right, I am cutting myself off from anything school or office supply related.

I did buy one thing, though: a planner. A planner is a must-have item for me; I love writing down what I'm doing and what needs done and checking off the days/items as I go. It helps me keep my head on straight and feel accomplished. And this year, I got a super, super cute planner because I didn't wait until the last minute to find it!

So, this is my oath to you all; I am not buying any school supplies until I see what I actually need!!

The countdown is becoming much more real...

2011-07-19T16:04:00.000-04:00

41 days until the first day of school... Let me just throw some adjectives out there of what I'm feeling:

excited, nervous, determined, scared, committed, unsure, proud, sick.

Yes, I realize that these words are contradictory... But, alas, that's what I feel, so I'm saying it. It feels like I made this commitment YEARS ago (In reality, it was only about 7 months ago) and even longer since I was in a classroom learning (hello August 2010).

Thus, I am a creature of habit, and I have grown quite used to my habits, my life as it is right now. Friday was a hard day for me. It was my very last day of work at the Physics Department. Honestly, if that job paid more and was in a closer location to my new house, I would keep it forever. The physics department taught me so much more than I ever expected. I remember being so nervous to start (I'm always anxiety ridden when I start something new) and on Friday I was crying because it had all come to an end.

I'm excited to start school, but I am so sad to leave all those I've become so close with in the past year behind. I really felt so important and appreciated at my job, and I will cherish that time forever.

And so, I am almost done with getting everything in line for school; just my terrible, horrible bloodwork awaits me (needles, needles, needles... hate, hate hate) and then I'll have everything set; other than my parking pass.

I also applied for unemployment and I'm hoping to be able to keep renewing it throughout my schooling; but we'll see if I can keep re-opening my claim or not. Right now my initial claim is being processed, so we'll keep our fingers crossed that I can get a couple hundred dollars every 2 weeks to help with the cost of gas and whatnot.

So, I am both anxiety-filled and excitement-filled as the last 6 weeks of freedom are closing in on me and school will be starting sooner, rather than later.

Needles and doctors, oh my!

2011-07-01T10:20:00.000-04:00

So a lot of my classmates and I are lamenting on our facebook group about all of the health requirements we have to fulfill. Ugh. I mean, I guess it's your sort of normal run of the mill stuff, but I don't do well with big long to-do lists that involve pointy needles.

So, just as a warning to all who may apply, you have the potential of looking forward to all of the following (makes me feel like I'm a teacher again, yuck):

FBI fingerprint check
Criminal Background check
Child Abuse check
Current CPR training
TB test
Blood titers for a slew of things (hepatitis, measles, mumps, chicken pox, etc)
Physical

Yay. On top of that I also have to go my heart check-up in July and my "lady" doctor. July is a crappy month.

I got my two-week notice letter in the mail and it made me really sad. I really do love my job and I'm going to miss everyone when I'm gone. It's really hard for me to focus in on getting everything organized so that they will be able to find things when I'm gone. Really sad. I'm a creature of habit, so this is hard for me. I just keep thinking, "I had an entire year before school" and now I'm staring July 1st in the face... It just seems like yesterday I was applying. And although I am sad about my job ending, I am very excited about school... I think. (Ok, I'm more nervous!)

Oh hey, I forgot to tell you... I got a house!

2011-06-24T10:21:00.000-04:00

So... I realized I haven't written on this blog forever and then I realized it's because I've been really busy... busy working on "the house"!

J* and I got a house and closed on May 3rd. Since then it's been a whirlwind of weekend work dates paired with J*'s constant attention in the evenings to try to whip this place into shape.

In fact, here I am a few weeks ago sanding the floors... I know, I know... I make sanding look real good. ;)

Although our original plan was to "take our relationship to the next step" and move-in together, we hadn't considered that would involve buying a house. But, given rental rates vs mortgage rates, we couldn't pass it up. This house has great potential and we are impatiently awaiting the day when we can sit on our couch and admire all the hardwork we've done... Or, in my case, sit on the couch buried in school books up to my ears... But hey, it will be somewhere to sit! Which is more than I can say about our current situation.

Anyway, none of this would be possible without the love and support of J*, and although I give him a hard time, he really is a good guy at heart and I wouldn't want to be sanding floors, ripping down wallpaper, or finding weird electrical things with anyone else. :)

Am I really that old?

2011-04-08T16:15:00.000-04:00

Are all of my classmates younger than me? Please tell me I'm not going to the only "over 25" person!

My school started a DPT group for those who are going to be in my class, so as people are added we can meet each other virtually. It's sort of nice to get a sneak peak, but so far it looks like I'm the only one not coming straight from my undergrad. I hope that there is at least one other "oldie" so I feel more comfortable.

I know age is just a number, but I would really appreciate it if someone else was a nontraditional student/career changer so that I have someone to relate to. I was so happy when I found my couple "older" friends when I did my prerequisites and they have honestly become lifelong friends. We really bonded over the fact that we weren't 18 and freshman... it was really nice.

Regardless, I know that I'll find someone (or a group!) that I'll get along with and everything will be ok... I'm a chronic worrier, fyi. In case you didn't pick up on that. ;)

Registration

2011-03-31T15:27:00.000-04:00

Well, it's that time again. I just got done registering for my first semester of DPT school today! :)

Of course my classes are planned out for me, but I can't believe I actually registered!
My schedule looks like this:
Human Anatomy (6 credits)
Human Physiology (3 credits)
Introduction to Clinical Skills (2 credits)
Principles of Practice I: Intro to PT Practice (3 credits)
Total: 14 credits

That 6 credit Anatomy scares me, I'm not going to lie about that... plus the Phys on top of it... I hated Human Physiology the first time... I'm really not interested in how things work on the cellular level and my professor was really boring... Hopefully I'll have a better time with it the second time through and with a different professor.

The only choice I got to make was if I wanted to do my anatomy lab on Tuesday or Thursday. I chose Tuesday so that I'm done for the week on Thursdays at 11. No class on Fridays! Although, who knows when all the open labs/potential other requirements will be... But, it'll be nice to be done with classes on Thursday and have the rest of the weekend for studying, relaxing, house cleaning, etc. :)

It's so interesting how different every PT program is... I have a friend who's been regularly taking 17+ credits per semester... I think that I have less overall credit hours because of the modified Problem Based Learning program; a lot of courses are combined, so instead of having four 3-credit courses, I have one 11-credit course. That will be interesting... Hopefully, I made the right judgement call that I feel I can succeed in that type of learning environment when it comes around in Spring 2012.

Loans! Loans! Loans!

2011-03-30T18:31:00.000-04:00

I got my financial aid package today. This is exciting and also a little scary, only because I can't believe I am signing myself up for debt. Eek!!

I've never done this student loan thing before, so all of the paperwork/visiting the website is really scary. It's not that the websites/information is hard to understand, it's just hard for me to sign myself up for 7.8% interest rate on around $70k... that's a lot of money and a lot of interest.

I didn't receive enough money to go unsubsidized all the way, but I received almost the max amount allowed for unsubsidized, so I have very little in subsidized.

What's the difference? Unsubsized means that no interest collects until you are done with school/are not enrolled full-time. Subsized means that interest starts accruing immediately. So, I will be making interest payments on my loans while I attend school. If you don't make payments on subsidized loans then the interest "capitalizes" and you end up paying even more back when you are out of school.

I got approved for just a little bit more than what I need for the school year tuition/fees wise, so I accepted it. I figured I can use the extra hundred for books or I can just put it right back on the subsidized loan as payment for the interest. We'll see when it actually happens...

What alarmed me when I got my letter was in big, bold, red letters the amount of +$40,000 as my estimated school+cost of living!!! I thought that I was only approved for 1/4 of that amount and didn't know what I was going to do! Then I realized that they estimated my cost of living to be around $20k... Um, I don't think so! I can live much poorer than that! Actually, the truth of my personal situation is that I am dating a very supportive person who has agreed that he will support me while I go through school. Without this, I honestly don't know how it would be possible for me to go to school. My parents supported my entire undergraduate degree (what wasn't covered by grants) and living costs (because even though I lived close enough to commute to school I wanted to be "grown up" and live near campus) as well as when I went back for my prerequisites and I really can't ask anymore from them. They have been nothing but amazingly supportive of my decision (once they got over the disappointment of me not wanting to teach.)

So, since my rent/utilities will be paid for by my boyfriend, I can count on my parents to support me here and there for gas money and whatnot. I'll also be losing the job I have currently when they downsize, so I am hoping that I will be able to collect unemployment for awhile, and that will definitely help.

As far as getting a job while in school? I get overwhelmed easily and don't always accept change the best, so I want to get settled into my new "home" (wherever that may end up being), figuring out how to get places from there and get settled into my new school environment and the coursework. If I feel that I can handle something part-time eventually, then I'll deal with that then, but for now I want to remain unemployed.

But, anyway... I was a big girl today and signed myself up for a massive amount of debt that will follow me around for the next 13 years (the 2.5 while I'm in school and then the 10 afterwards of paying it back... I hope that I can pay it off quicker, though...)

My (Hard) Decision.

2010-12-15T18:01:00.000-05:00

Well, after weeks of debate, stress and decision making I have finally decided what offer I would like to accept for PT school!

When I wrote the last time, I was in the middle of a really hard time... choosing the right school for me. And after a LOT of consideration and time I decided on School B, the smaller, unranked school.

My reasoning?

This school is significantly less expensive tuition wise than School A.
School B gave me an amazing first impression & was cemented when I visited again for the interview.
School B had my interviewer personally call me to congratulate me on my acceptance and offered his direct line should I have any questions/comments.
School A couldn't even bother to send me anything official in the mail; all I received was an email.
School B is actually more well-known in this area than I gave it credit for; a lot of people sound impressed that I'm going to attend there.
I couldn't visit School A before the School B's deadline of acceptance and I wasn't willing to risk choosing a school I never visited.
I have heard from a lot of people that School A is very number oriented whereas School B really gets to know its students and helps them succeed as individuals, not numbers.
School B felt like it fit my personality better than School A; and I am excited about the curriculum.
And... as a bonus; School B is a 2.5 year program, not a 3 year program so I can graduate in December 2013 instead of May 2014. :)

My best advice to anyone having to make a decision is to take your time and don't rush into a decision... It really helped that I had a few weeks (I wish I would've had longer) to really sit down and talk about it with anyone/everyone, and put all the information down on paper. I also called someone from each school to talk more specifically about tuition, possible scholarships, clinical opportunities, etc after I received the acceptances to get more details or to clarify things that I had heard about previously.

It was really a curse with the multiple acceptances, but it taught me to be very thorough in decision-making and I 110% believe that I made the right choice for me.

The Curse of Multiple Acceptances.

2010-12-05T14:38:00.000-05:00

So, I think that there is an unsaid curse when it comes to being accepted to multiple schools. Instead of putting myself out there and having one school tell me yes, I am having 2 schools tell me yes and now the decision is actually mine to make. I think I'd much rather prefer having the decision made for me... now I find myself panicking over "what if" I make the wrong choice.

I have a hard decision between attending the Highly Ranked School versus the Smaller Unranked School. I can't deny the highly ranked school; it's highly ranked for a reason... but, I can't help but remember the feeling of "home" and "friendliness" when I visited the unranked school.

I've been having a HUGE struggle with this and talking to just about everyone that I can; even those who are sick of listening to me. In fact, I even made a spreadsheet to weigh out the pros and cons. That has definitely helped a lot, and so did talking to the PT that encouraged me to go DPT instead of PTA.

The thing is, even after all of this, I am still debating. Back and forth, back and forth. That's how it's been... At first I was Highly Ranked School all the way! Then, I visited the Unranked School and was like "This is it!", but then I got accepted by the Highly Ranked School and so then I wanted to go there again, then as soon as I got my acceptance for the unranked school I wanted to go there! And back and forth I keep going.

I'm running out of time to decide. The deadline for accepting the offer to the Unranked School is December 15th and they are unable to give me an extension. The open house for the Highly Ranked School isn't until January 15th. Can I really choose to go to a school I've never visited?

This is driving me bat crazy... and so, back to the pros/cons spreadsheet it is... and anyone else who wants to listen to me ramble about the choice that I have to make.

Acceptance #2 - School B!!

2010-12-02T16:38:00.000-05:00

WAHOO!! :) Got my ACCEPTANCE email from School B today! :) They are sending a packet of information & my official letter soon!

After the interview, I thought for sure I blew it, but I guess that maybe I'm not as crazy as I thought I was and they did see the potential in me! I am so relieved!

I can't believe it! Two acceptances! And just a month ago I was bawling my eyes out feeling like I wouldn't get in anywhere!

Acceptance #1 - School A

2010-11-19T17:26:00.000-05:00

Surprisingly, the last place I was expecting to hear from this afternoon was the highly ranked school I applied to; even more surprising was the fact that it was an ACCEPTANCE EMAIL!!!!!!!!! Wow! I can't believe I got an acceptance and way before the December 15th deadline!!! When I first started the process this school was my #1 choice... I am so excited! I have quite a bit of time to let them know my decision, and that's great, because I should be hearing back from School B soon. :) YAY!!! :)

Interview Day - School B

2010-11-14T18:32:00.000-05:00

It's been awhile since I wrote, I've been busy with work, teaching my spinning classes and trying to prepare for the interview... But, yesterday was quite the day. I went down to Jon's house on Friday because the interview day started at 8am and it would only be about a half hour drive from his house rather than over an hour from my house. However, I also compromised my comfortable bed for Jon's uncomfy bed, and my sleep suffered. But, I think I was really nervous, so I doubt I would've slept better at my own house. I wore my gray suit that my Mom loves and ended up feeling really frumpy the whole time I was there... oh and it was so hot out (like 78) and my hair ended up getting frizzy and stuff. I'm sure I was a looker!

The morning was broke up into 4 sections after a little breakfast. There was a welcome thing and then there was a tour with first year students of the facilities (that I had already gotten at the Open House), a Problem-Based Learning "mock session" so you could see how their education works (they do a modified Problem-Based Learning program), an interview session and then a writing session. So, I was in the group that our schedule went tour, interview, problem-based learning and writing. I actually was ok with this set-up because the tour gave me time to sort of calm my nerves and then I had the interview, then another "calm" period of the mock session and then end with writing.

Welcome: So, they made everyone stand up and say their name, where they were from, what their undergrad major was and what you were doing now if you were already graduated. So, I ended up being the very last person to go and wouldn't you know I was literally the ONLY ONE that had a non-related bachelor's degree. Talk about buzz kill right from the start. Everyone else is talking about being exercise science, biology, kinesiology, etc and hear comes elementary and early childhood education girl. Great. Right then my spirits started to falter, and it continued on that for the rest of the morning.

Tour: The facilities are great, but I already knew that because of the open house. It was still nice going around and seeing everything again and having that same "good vibes" feeling about everything. Plus, it was neat to sit back and chat with some of the first years. Almost all of them were chosen from the early interview date, so that made me feel pretty good.

Interview: I got paired with a boy and he was a moron. I mean, I'm not trying to be rude, but some of the stuff he was saying I was really questioning what he was talking about. The questions were really, really weird. Basically I could answer every question with "When I was a teacher" After the interview I felt completely defeated. I felt that the questions didn't showcase me as a good PT candidate, it showcased me as someone who had a teaching degree- they wanted life experiences and my only experiences were with teaching. I felt like I had really screwed up and it was really hard for me not to break into tears right there. I honestly feel like I'm completely screwed. I was the only non-related degree person there and then spent the whole time talking about being a teacher. *bangs head off of desk*. That is the only interview I have walked out of feeling terrible.

PBL Session: This is probably the most important part of the interview day because not every school uses problem-based learning. I really enjoyed the session and I think it will be challenging but also engaging to learn this way. Basically, instead of having some separate courses we will have PBL courses where we are broken up into small groups of students with a faculty supervisor and given a case study. Then the faculty will lead us through the case study, helping us to learn and diagnose, etc, etc. Although I feel this will be a more difficult way to learn, I think that ultimately it is a better way to learn because when I am a PT I will have a patient and it won't be just a knee replacement (or whatever) it will be that attached to a person with other needs. Second year students ran the PBL and I won't lie- the one girl was really stuck up and I wanted to smack her, but I tried to ignore her. A lot of people in the session knew answers to questions that I didn't really think about, but I did answer one question correctly. Then, we spent the rest of the time talking about the differences between the two schools I (and a lot of others) have applied- which was really nice, although they all had pretty negative things to say about School A. I don't know what to think. I've heard a lot of so-so things about this school (but they have to be good because they are within the top five) and I hate to form an opinion without experiencing it myself... but since the my interview date was the same day as the other's open house, I guess I won't get the chance to see it myself.

Writing: The two writing questions weren't bad... Once was about morals/ethics and the other was "what will you bring to the group" -- so again, I had to say about being a teacher and always having different ways to try to learn/remember information. Seriously, they are going to think I am insane and should just be a teacher. I am really trying to use my teaching degree as a springboard... There are a lot of similarities and knowing how to deal with people/how people learn differently is a huge advantage (in my opinion) so hopefully someone will recognize this too.

After the interview, I called home and cried. I just really feel like I may have screwed up royally.. But, I have about 2-3 weeks to wait until I hear back and it will be one of three things- accepted, maybe or rejected. I will go nuts until I find out, I just know it! Plus, School A has been reviewing my application forever and their deadline isn't until Dec 15- it feels like years away and who knows if I'll ever hear from School C, I'm not really worried about them. Anyway, I am having a slightly (probably) unnecessary pity party for myself following my stupid interview. Ugh, I wish I could redo it and think of other things that aren't teaching related!!!!

Interview Invite - School B

2010-10-29T20:36:00.000-04:00

I GOT AN INTERVIEW INVITE TO SCHOOL B!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This feels AMAZING after all my stress on the GRE! I know that if I can get there, I can just answer the questions and really show them that I am a great person! I have been feverishly looking up interview questions to see what I may be asking, as well as reading up on things on the APTA website. I just know I can nail this interview!! Positive thinking!! I can do it! Ahhh!! I'm so excited!!!!

Applications Received!

2010-10-28T19:12:00.000-04:00

Eeks!! Double email today. Both School A and School C have received my applications and they are officially "under review". My tummy is doing super flip-flops! So exciting, but even more nerve-wracking knowing that they are looking at my stuff!!!

I is knot stoopid!

2010-10-27T16:17:00.000-04:00

Can I just tell you how stupid the GRE makes me feel? I took it THREE times and only bumped my score from a 1040 to a 1090. Come on, now! I was literally in tears (and probably cried for about 3 hours) after I finished the last one... I tried so hard and studied as best as I could. I couldn't get a 500 on the verbal and all the schools say that they want a 1000 minimum (500 in each). I have no idea if they will just throw my application out if I don't meet the minimum requirements... I definitely could see that they would because they get so many applications, they have to begin weeding them out somehow. I just feel so sick that I may not even be able to get a chance to go to school because of a stupid verbal score.

I already emailed School B and asked them if they look at all the other aspects and they said that they do, but still I would've much rather have been over the 500 and not have to worry about getting eliminated simply by a number (without them looking at anything else). School A and School C are reviewing my stuff, so hopefully since they are already reviewing it (and the deadlines aren't until Dec 15 or March something) they are looking at every part of it. I just have to say a prayer that if this is meant to happen, it will happen. I have worked so hard and hopefully they will see that through my GPA (and my personal statement and LOR!)

But, right now, I would be lying if I didn't say I felt completely hopeless. I already came up with a Plan B!

In the waiting line...

2010-10-15T22:18:00.000-04:00

The anticipation is killing me! Today is School B's early decision interview. I am just dying to hear from them. I just went to their open house this past weekend and absolutely LOVED IT. The school was gorgeous, the faculty were so kind and the students all seemed really happy. In fact, after visiting, I think I'm definitely more interested in School B than School A.

School A's open house is coming up on November 13th (which also happens to be School B's interview day) so I may or may not get to go. But, I just got such a great "gut feeling" about School B, and a lot of people said negative things about School A, so that was sort of a bummer.

The PT building is new and it is off the main campus, but there is a huge parking lot (a big downfall of my undergrad university) and a shuttle that will take you from the PT building to main campus and back during the day. They didn't really seem to have too many options research wise, but I'm not letting that stop me from the overall awesome feeling I got from there. I just was blown away by how "homey" it all felt. I'll admit that I'm more sensitive and I definitely like to be treated like a person and feel like I am a part of something, rather than only be a number. Plus, my parents got to go with me and they loved it too! :)

Now, it's time to cross my fingers.

2010-09-21T11:45:00.000-04:00

I officially submitted my application today on PTCAS. I decided to apply to three schools. Mostly because I am attached to my family and don't want to be too far away, and also I don't want to be long-distance from my SO any longer than I have to. (We are working on 3, almost 4 years of being long-distance and it is getting old!)

Thus, I decided to apply to all three DPT programs in a city about an hour from my hometown.

My School Choices
1. Highly Ranked University (School A)
2. Smaller, unranked University (School B)
3. Back-Up School (School C)

I still need a letter from one of the PTs I did my shadowing with, so I hope he gets that submitted super quickly so that my application is complete.

I kind of feel panicked it went out this "late" even though it's still early in the game. At least I'll definitely be considered early decision for the smaller, unranked school (Oct 15) and School A's deadline is December 15. As for School C, I'm not really worried about, because it's my "just in case" school!

So... now, once I get that last PT letter I just have to wait and see what happens. This, I'm sure is going to be the WORST part.

Shadowing: A Summary of My Experiences

2010-08-28T19:53:00.000-04:00

Since my shadowing was during when I was taking physics, I didn't really have time to talk about it, so now that it's done I just want to re-cap what I learned/what happened at each of the places I shadowed out.

Family Friend PT: I did my first shadowing stint in April 2009 with a family friend who has been a PT for over 20 years. This was when I was just considering PTA and she is really the PT that pushed me to go "all the way". I spent around 25 hours with her over the course of 3 days and I saw SO much. She really is a do-it-all-PT. I'm not sure that I could have the stamina that she does or the schedule, but it's good to know that you can do all kinds of different things at once. She owns her own out-patient clinic, which was really great in itself, but she also does some visiting/home care through a local visiting nurses company. I got to go into a couple of nursing homes with her as well as pediatric home care! The peds were so cute and I really think I would enjoy working with them, especially since my first degree is in early childhood/elementary education. I can really use that degree to my advantage once I'm a PT. (But, I also want an open mind to experience everything before I decide what I may want to "specialize" in or towards in a job!)

Local Hospital OP & IP: The local hospital was a nightmare. I really wanted a lot of in-patient care and I only got about a day and a half worth and the other 30 hours I got was in the out-patient facility. The PTs weren't very helpful and I spent a lot of time folding towels and cleaning beds. I felt very out of place and no one really seemed to want to explain anything to me. The one lady I got to follow around had a really neat day- she did in-patient in the morning and then in the afternoon she dealt with lymphodema patients, which was awesome. Other than that, I mostly felt bored and out of place. I couldn't wait to find somewhere, anywhere to shadow so I could leave. I still thanked them for allowing me to come, but yuck, not a great experience.

Local OP Facility: I had a really great experience at the out-patient place I went to-- it was just one PT and a secretary (who he let do different things with modalities, which I found interesting since she has no PT degree of any kind...). He actually allowed me to ask questions, watch diagnoses, and he explained anything I was interested in. When there weren't patients I'd pick his brain about school and life. He was a really nice guy AND he was also a "second career" PT person! It was really cool to hear about someone else who had a previous degree and went back to pursue PT instead. It gave me hope that I can do this and that it's not impossible! And since he is the only PT at the clinic he brings his dog into the clinic with him. It's a gorgeous white dog in the husky family and was the nicest dog ever! All the patients were so happy to see the dog, I think it really helps the atmosphere therapeutically. Plus, he gets to spend all day with his pet everyday! Pretty sweet!

So, all in all, 2-out-of-3 great experiences isn't too bad. I am just hoping that my 110 hours will be "enough". It's been really hard trying to fit them in while doing school full-time plus two part-time jobs. I think I really got a great scope of potential job positions with those three (especially with the first!) and we'll have to wait and see if it pays off. I also hope that I got some good recommendation letters from it as well!

Step One is DONE!!!!!!!!! =D

2010-08-05T19:10:00.000-04:00

Yes!! Today I am officially done finishing ALL of my prerequisite courses for PT school! The angels are singing! I am so, so, so happy to be DONE!!!

After my Physics II final, I hardly knew what to do with myself! I can't believe it. It's been just a couple weeks short of one year of hard work! And, I didn't do too bad, either!

Prob & Stats - A
Developmental Psychology - A
Biology I - B (grrr... stupid professor... I had an 89.4% AND visited him in his office all the time for help!)
Biology II - A
Chem I - A
Chem II - A
Anatomy - A
Physiology - B
Physics I - A
Physics II - A (I'm pretty sure!)

Plus, I had General Psychology (B) from my undergrad stuff.

Unfortunately, my two Bs brought my GPA down from a 3.92 to a 3.89... that really makes me upset, and I know that my GPA is still great, but still- I was SO close to the A in Bio I (and deserved it in my opinion!) that I wish I could've pulled off a 4.0.

This whole process has really been about me proving to myself and to the unknown "they/them" that I am smart and that I CAN do this!

Now- it's time to celebrate! And then Monday I start my last shadowing stint (around 30 hours) and super soon in 2 weeks is the GRE. *EEEEEK*

Oh hi, PTCAS.

2010-07-01T17:39:00.000-04:00

So today I officially created my PTCAS application account. Wow. I can't believe it!I'm sooo nervous about getting everything in as quickly as possible.

I only have one more class to take before I'm done with all of my prerequisites and it's Physics II! I can't believe I'm almost done! I've actually sort of enjoyed Physics I, and I'm really glad I decided to take it in the summer separate from all my other courses. It's given me enough time to really study and concentrate on it.

I already have some of my references and everything, but I'm sure I'm going to be nervous until I actually hit "SUBMIT" and it sends out to my schools!

Looking Back: 2009

2009-12-31T15:53:00.000-05:00

I know it's been awhile since I wrote, but school has been really demanding, in a good way.

Here we are another year... Life goes by so fast, I swear.

January: In January I applied to grad school for Exercise Science because I was honestly too scared to do anything else. I also went to a preschool interview and the lady wanted me to start the next day, but it didn't pay well. I was also pretty pumped that Barack Obama became president! Woot!

February: I got all my friends addicted to Spinning, which was totally awesome. Found out I was accepted to grad school for Exercise Science and started reading books about health so I would have a semi-clue what was going on. I pulled my ribcage muscles- which sucked, a lot. And I got my cartilage pierced while Michelle held my hand. Haha.

March: I got my job at the YMCA as an instructor and started to feel like things were finally falling in place with where I wanted to go in life. I celebrated my 24th birthday with all my friends and then got the stomach flu on my actual birthday. But my parents bought me a brand new bicycle. Yayyyy! And within like 4 days I read the entire Twilight series. Haha.

April: In April I found out I didn't get an assistantship to go to grad school, so I had to turn down the offer to go. It was really disappointing, but I started looking into other options. I felt really discouraged because everything was going so well and then something wrenched in my plans again, but now that I look back I think God was trying to show me I had more to offer to the world. I quickly decided I would get an associate degree as a Physical Therapist assistant. And then the PT that I shadowed really got me thinking as to I should go for full PT. And I really took a long time to think about it and decided that PTA would be selling myself short and I was going to pursue my original idea of being a physical therapist no matter how scary!

May: The very last episode (in my opinion because the new "spin-off" sucks) of Scrubs aired... I bawled my eyes out. Seriously, the best show ever. Shell and I went to NYC at the end of the month and had the time of our lives. Seriously, it was so much fun to be with your best friend in a huge city. Now, I need to go with Steph! :) I also got attached to a kitty at Erica's Aunt Diane's house.

June: I couldn't get into any classes at the local college for summer school, so I signed up for two online classes through two community colleges nearby. Developmental Psych and Prob and Stats. Erica's bridal shower also happened, which was very nice. A beautiful day. Still obsessed with the kitties at Aunt Diane's house, begging Jon and his mom to let me have one.

July: On July 4th I got to take Andi home with me and then to Jon's house. Yay for my kitty! Meeeooow! :) And I also got to go to Myrtle Beach with all the girls. It was sooooooo much fun to go on a vacation just us. It was great :) And I finished both of my online summer classes before I went! Thumbs up! :)

August: Erica and Evan got married on the 8th (which is also Steph's birthday!) and it was a really nice, cute wedding. Very much like them. Can't believe one of my besties is a Farmery now! Yay! Steph had her bridal shower and it was flipping awesome. I am not even lying. I am the best planner EVER! Haha. And at the end of the month I started back at school. Going for physical therapy was becoming a reality instead of just a dream. I was taking Biology 111, Chemistry 111 and Anatomy. And I got my old student worker job back! :)

September: We found out my dad was losing his job after 30+ years of having it. The building where he worked was being sold to be turned into college apartments. Panic mode started as my Dad searched for a job, but nothing was available. He went to a few interviews, but nothing worthwhile came from them. I started my battle of continuously feeling extremely guilty for having my parents take out a loan for me to go back to school. But, Adelle had her bridal shower, so that was nice.

October: Steph and Josh got married on the 10th and it was the best wedding ever. We had a blast, seriously. NASA blew up the moon and everyone thought it was going to be this huge awesome thing, and it wasn't. I was disappointed. And I had school work coming out of my NOSE.

November: Adelle and Tim got married on the 14th (Michelle's birthday) and it was nice. Jon and I got in a couple huge fights and I thought we might break up. But, I realized that I was wrong and we worked things out. Jon and I went to NYC for Thanksgiving. It was so much fun. We had such a nice time and it couldn't have come at a better time since we were having issues. We got to eat dinner with Emma on Thanksgiving and that was lots of fun. :)

December: I finished my first semester. A in anatomy, A in Chem 111 and a B (almost an A) in Bio 111. I was really proud of myself and felt super smart for the first time in my life. My dad transferred his work to a new garage and the transition is ok. He's making the same amount of money, but we have no benefits. My dad is without them completely, my mom is paying mine and we're trying to figure out how to afford hers. It's really stressful and makes things not happy around the household. Christmas was very small this year, but it was nice.

Overall, this year was a big year of change. I took a lot of steps to get headed in the right direction and I'm proud of myself. Hopefully 2010 proves to be a good year! Cheers!

Mmm... brains.

2009-10-21T10:26:00.000-04:00

I am doing school work until it comes out my stinking nose. Chemistry is a lot of fun, Anatomy is a lot of fun, and Biology is stupid. haha. Well my prof makes it stupid.

Sometimes I still can't believe that I had the balls to go back to school and change my "major".

Anytime I get discouraged with classes I really just think about how lucky I am to have this opportunity.

Plus- it's really nice to actually USE my brain. Struggling is kind of nice. I feel so much smarter than I ever have before. :)

So, yeah! I don't really have much to say. School, school, school. That's my life!

Classes.

2009-09-28T19:15:00.000-04:00

I'm just sitting in human resources waiting for the last 15 minutes of work to end and this is about the only 2 seconds I have to myself, so I thought I'd let everyone know I'm still alive.

It's totally different being "older" and taking freshman level classes with freshman. The kids that are 18 seem so much younger and immature than I am. I guess it's because I have a plan and I'm only taking the courses that I need and I want to do well so that I can get into grad school.

Speaking of classes, my classes are going really well, but they are sooo time consuming. I'm about to go study for my first anatomy test after i get out of work... can't believe it's on TEN chapters. aiy.

The cadaver doesn't bother me at all, I thought it would, but it's actually totally awesome. I am always grossing everyone out when I tell them about looking at this or that and whatnot. It's so cool to actually really see something REAL instead of a plastic model or photo. Nothing touches the real thing. People think I'm nuts, but all my classmates agree. ;)

Anyway. I'm going to start on my anatomy flash cards and then I'll head over to the library wooooo.

Hope everyone's been doing well! :)

In the groove!

2009-08-31T23:55:00.000-04:00

The first day of class went well. I just had biology and bio lab. And I got my student worker job back from undergrad. It was kind of like being in the twilight zone... Back at my old job (although they are in a new office!) with most of the same people. It makes this new experience a little less scary! :) All my stuff at work? Literally where I left it 2 years ago. The first thing I saw when I walked into the student room was "My Book of Instructions" - too funny.

Tomorrow I have chemistry, then I have to go to the Y to teach pilates, then back to campus to teach spinning, then a break and then anatomy... a hair cut and hopefully yoga! Tuesdays and Wednesdays will be my most difficult days just because those are the days I have to go to class, go to the Y and teach spinning. I need to pack a bag for tomorrow... back to showering at gyms! *thumbs up* showering in gyms is just so totally awesome, let me tell you! haha. But, there's just no way I'm teaching spinning for an hour and then going to sit in class. Gross. Anyway-- basically I'm trying to procrastinate packing a bag with shower items.

I'm actually kind of tuckered out. I should go to sleep soon. (I don't care if I'm like a grandma or not! :p)

New beginnings.

2009-08-29T16:13:00.000-04:00

Monday I am officially starting my new beginning. I spent this past week cleaning my room and getting rid of a LOT of my teaching things I had acquired. Some got thrown away, some were given to friends that are teachers, and some were donated. I am jumping into this new dream fullheartedly with determination. I will succeed. I will follow my newfound passion. I will not let others make me feel stupid, silly or irrational for going after this. Classes at the local uni will lead me to be able to apply to my "dream school" to make this happen. So, I found a lot of quotes that really hit how I feel, so I thought I'd share them with you. In case you are starting a new beginning too. :)

“There are two mistakes one can make along the road to truth...not going all the way, and not starting.”

“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.”

“The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are.”

“So many fail because they don't get started - they don't go. They don't overcome inertia. They don't begin.”

“From small beginnings come great things.”

“Beginning is easy - continuing hard”

“Vitality shows in not only the ability to persist but the ability to start over.”

“The indispensable first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: Decide what you want.”

Don't let your past decide your future.

‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?’ And whenever the answer has been ‘No’ for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

Once I started seeing through the eyes of my heart, instead of a socially conditioned lens, things started to transform dramatically.

No yesterdays are ever wasted for those who give themselves to today.

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.

It is no disgrace to start all over. It is usually an opportunity.

“Before the beginning of great brilliance, there must be chaos. Before a brilliant person begins something great, they must look foolish in the crowd.”

“All personal breakthroughs begin with a change in beliefs.”

“People have to really suffer before they can risk doing what they love.”

Refreshed!!

2009-07-27T23:20:00.000-04:00

I finished both of my online classes with As. :) And I also got into BIOL 111 and CHEM 111 for the fall at the local uni. I'm #2 on the waiting list for anatomy, so we'll see if I get into that or not.

Now I need to get my loan in order, and then I will be set. Things are falling into place for PT, and I'm glad. I can do this.

The beach was great. I've never been to Myrtle Beach before, but I absolutely LOVED it there. Waaaay better than VA Beach. It was so much fun being with the girls, although I missed Jon. Haha. We have lots of great stories, laughs and pictures (I put them up on facebook!) I guess I can chill a bit and just take it easy til school starts on August 31. Woohoo.

Progress...

2009-06-30T01:24:00.000-04:00

Here are my announcements because my brain is tired and doesn't want to think in full sentences. :p

1. Going to the beach in 14 days.

2. Finishing first online class in 13 days. (So I can breathe a little before the beach.)

3. Trying to cram for my psych class to get it done in 13 days as well.

4. I know what classes I need for the fall, I just need to fight to get the overrides.

5. Andi (my kitty) will officially go to Jon's house (her home) this weekend.

6. I love the show, Cake Boss on TLC.

7. Still teaching pilates 2x a week.

8. Miss Spinning way too much.

9. Wish I had a real biking buddy to ride outside with.

10. I think that is all I can think of right now.

Ghandi rules...

2009-06-23T01:41:00.000-04:00

i have a new motto:

be the change you wish you see in the world.
I'm trying to let go of my stress. I've been having a rough couple of weeks but I think I'm on the other side of it now.

First two pre-reqs...

2009-06-05T01:24:00.000-04:00

I got home from NYC on Sunday evening, but I have definitely been having the week from hell this week. Ugh. New York was amazing, as if I expected it would be anything less. It's so hard to leave there. The only thing I look forward to when I come back is seeing my parents and whoever I left behind. (Usually my friends, but this time it was Johnny Ty!)

I'm taking two online classes. Developmental Psych and Prob & Stats. I just did Stats for 4 hours straight tonight. I have everything done for the week, except I need to finish reading the chapter and take the second quiz. But I definitely already read the other chapter, took the quiz, did my discussion board assignments and my excel homework assignments. (Not all tonight... Tonight I did the second chapter and the homework assignments on Excel.) So, just a little bit more and then I'm done. The Psych class isn't demanding at all, which is nice, but I do need to pick up the book and read the next couple chapters.

K, I'm going to bed so I can get up at a reasonable time to do more school work. YES! Can't wait. Ewwww.

How to do it...

2009-05-05T00:13:00.000-04:00

PT school figuring out is going. I'm not going to be able to fit all the credits I need into one year... Too many sciences, but I am tempted to try to do it anyway. I'm so impatient. Might be around home for 2 more years before I head to the city for 3 years of schooling.

I'm hoping that I'll be able to get a class or two this summer, although I already have a trip to NYC and a beach trip, so that's probably going to mess with what summer sessions I can attend...

Gotta get a good number of volunteer/shadowing hours in. It would be pretty sweet if I could get a job at a PT place so I could make money and get hours in at the same time.

Sometimes this adventure is so exciting I can't wait to begin it and other times I am so scared! But, I can't let fear stop me. This is my life and I've got to live it!

So... Hi

2009-04-19T22:35:00.000-04:00

My week from h-e-l-l is over. Actually, that's a lie. I had a really good week, it was just really, really, really busy.

It's been awhile since I've written and I've been doing a lot of soul-searching. One of the reasons I wanted to go into exercise science was because all along I've been thinking about pursuing physical therapy. I thought I could use an exercise science degree to bridge myself into the health field. But, since that didn't happen, I have been thinking about other things.

I was looking at physical therapy school and it's expensive, really expensive. So, I thought maybe I would like to do a PTA program. I went up to a community college about an hour or so from my house and visited with the program head to talk about my desires to become a part of the PT world. After talking with him I felt a little more confident, maybe I can do this! So, I decided to call up a family friend, who is a physical therapist and do some shadowing with her. After spending 3 full (12 hour days) with her, I have pretty much come to a new conclusion. PTA is selling myself short.

I am a smart girl, and I've never really overly-challenged myself. I have had... oh, I don't know 3 people tell me to go for full PT and not to just do the Assistant.

2 of the 3 people told me that I'm a natural leader and should do PT, because I lead well. (I actually like to follow in some instances, but I suppose I can lead too. I like both sides.)

All of the people told me that I'm too smart for PT Assistant. Which, I guess is nice.

So...great! Right? Well, there is a big downfall... I am missing quite a number of core classes required for Physical Therapy school. I have to take about a year's worth of science courses before I could apply to PT school... This is going to be hard. PTA is less debt, less time but won't pay as well... I see pros and cons in both the positions, and I want to make the best choice for me.

The one really cool thing about physical therapy school is that it is now a doctorate degree. So, I would graduate with a clinicial doctorate and become a DPT.

Oh, and just in case anyone suggests it- there are only 3 programs in the entire USA that you can bridge from a PTA degree to a full PT... and I have been told by everyone that it is not a good idea to do.

So I have to decide one or the other. But, the more I think about it, the more I think I really want to push myself to do PT.

But, it's also going to cost me a shit-ton of money, which is deathly frightening to me. =/

Ok... Time to go lay down! I've been super lazy today and it has been fantastic!

New path... again

2009-04-10T00:25:00.000-04:00

I think I've got it this time. Really, I do. Haha.

So- I am in the midst of getting into Physical Therapy Assistant (PTA) school. Butler County Community College has a 2 year degree and they only accept 30 students. Last year there was a waiting list.

I've been emailing the program director back and forth all week long, he seems really nice. I'm going to go meet him in person on April 21st.

Before I apply I have to have 20 hours of volunteer/work experience under a licensed PT or PTA. Luckily, I know a lady pretty well that does this for a living; and has her own business.

So far I've gotten 3 hours in, and this coming week I should at least get 10+.

I'm getting it done as quickly as possible so that I can get that application turned in and get accepted.

The best part is for the first time since I've tried to change my career SOME OF MY CLASSES FROM IUP COUNT!!!! Woooohooooo! All my science, math and english courses count, plus my liberal studies (Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology...) So the only non-PTA classes I will take will be Anatomy & Physiology I and II.

So, keep your fingers crossed that I can get my hours super quick and get my application turned in, so I can hopefully get accepted!! (Also, Penn State DuBois has a program so I can try to get accepted there as well.)

The 3 hours I spent with the PTA and PT on Wednesday was awesome. It was EXACTLY how I thought it would be, which made me super, super excited! :)

So, yeah. New life plan #230498234098234. It's all good. I think this time I'm done. (I think... I hope. I can't take this too much longer.)

Back to stress & frustration.

2009-04-06T00:51:00.000-04:00

After my last post, it seemed like I was on top of the world... I just got sent back to the bottom of the barrel, probably for gloating too much.

The long and short of it is I'm not going to grad school anymore. I got rejected for an assistantship; so I have no way of paying for my education.

The bigger issue is this- exercise science is not a booming field... therefore, it is extremely possible for me to get my master's degree and not be able to get a job. When I was thinking about having an assistantship this took away some stress. My tuition would be paid for, and if I didn't find a job right away at least I didn't have to worry about student loans.

Well, with no assistantship student loans and a lack of finding a job is a situation I'm not putting myself in. It's the reason why I decided to give up on education. I already have one degree where there is difficulty in getting a job, so I don't want to put myself on the same path again. So, I made the regretful decision that I'm not going to be able to pursue this.

It's back to the drawing board. I'm checking into some various associate's degrees. I think I'm giving up on finding a job that I love... A job doesn't define me as a person; it's just a means to get the money I need/want for life. Plenty of people hate their job, so maybe I will too.

But, really, it's been a huge disappointment. I'm really tired of wrenches getting thrown into my plans and it not working out. I have to fight so hard for everything and other people just get things handed to them. I know, life isn't fair, but geeze... could I catch a break just ONCE?!

Argh. Back to the drawing board. Back to stress & frustration.

It's ok to follow your passion

2009-03-05T23:46:00.000-05:00

I've been going through a really large life struggle for quite some time... around 2.5 years to be exact. Only recently I have decided that it's time to face my "fears" and do what will make me happy.

More recently over the past few months I've been undergoing a huge life change with deciding to no longer pursue a career within education, my first degree.

It started out small, but I gained enough courage and now I'm getting somewhere. I wanted to write, because, I feel like everyone needs a reminder now and again that it's ok to change your mind and follow your dreams.

When one door closes, another one opens.

Everything with teaching for me was so hard. Nothing came easy. No long-term sub positions, no jobs, no interviews, etc. Ever since I decided that I wanted to follow my passion of fitness and go back to school for Exercise Science... things have been happening. Right now they are small, but to me... they are so significant. That maybe God does have His hand on my life afterall, and maybe there is a reason I've gone through everything I have to get to this point.

So here's a couple small, but important things that have happened thus far:

1. I got my Spinning certification.
- This may seem unimportant but the truth is, I had been wanting to get certified for over 2 years and NO certification workshops have come closer than a 4 hour drive, that is until March 2008. I was blessed with the opportunity to get certified and the workshop was only 15 minutes from my house! After all I've seen since then, I truly believe that this class happened for a reason. I was meant to be there.

2. I applied for, and got accepted to graduate school to pursue my Master's in Exercise Science.
- Again, you may be thinking, yeah woo, everyone goes to grad school... BUT, I have no official schooling in Exercise Science, so the fact that they believed I can do it, is a big deal. I'm excited.

3. I've been self-teaching myself exercise physiology and retaining about 60-70% of what I read.
- This may seem like a "bad grade" when you think percentage wise, but you know what? I am reading a text book, and taking notes. That is it. No lectures, no real world examples, nada. Just myself and a book. And for that, 60-70% is pretty damn good.

4. I got my own Spinning classes. (Yes plural!)
- The local university has a spinning studio (that's where I first fell in love) and they hire certified students to teach. Since I'm no longer a student I shouldn't be able to teach-- but I am. I am teaching 4 classes a week and I absolutely wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. I am so lucky to be able to do something I love and get paid for it.

5. Lastly, my big news is the YMCA.
- Very soon I will be also teaching some classes at the YMCA. I am so excited. When you teach 2 classes a week you get a free membership, woohoo! I will have a lot of opportunities for work this summer with summer camps, boot camps, "The Y Way" (Weightloss program like Biggest Loser only it's safe and effective. I HATE the BL, but that's another rant on it's on.) and other things.

I am so excited. The best part is this. After 6 months of employment the YMCA will pay for me to get ANY certification I want. (They will pay for half of a personal trainer cert) That means I can go to any Y Certification program (or really anything!!) and they will pay for it. They will pay for me to be a yoga teacher, a pilates teacher, resistence bands, cardio, step, etc, Silver Sneakers, etc, etc, etc. This is amazing. This is... this is exactly what I needed.

I closed one door, and so many small and great things are happening so far.

I am really glad I decided to follow my heart.

Welcome!

2009-03-01T16:02:00.000-05:00

Welcome to onefitlife. This blog has been a thought in process for quite some time, and I am finally bringing it to reality.

When I decided that I wanted to change my entire life and become a physical therapist it was a really scary, although exciting, thing. I spent hours on the internet looking up all the information I could about physical therapy and the schooling that you go through. Although I found some great information sources (I personally recommend the forums over at www.studentdoctor.net - they are great!) I was surprised that there wasn't really that much out there.

So, with that in mind I decided that I wanted to document my entire experience of physical therapy schooling from the moment I decided I was going to change my life (before I knew PT was the answer) all the way through to my graduation day (I hope!)

I only hope to shed some light on the wonderful world of physical therapy through this and document my own struggles and victories as I go through this amazing learning experience.

Come, join me!