Time to study for the NPTE

Well, now that graduation day is over, it's time to seriously start planning how I'm going to study for the NPTE. I have the TherapyEd course books and plan on using them as my main means to study. I have a classmate that I am planning on studying with from now until test date; hoping we can keep each other motivated.

My rough draft plan is to start with my weakest subject, which is neuro, then move into cardiopulmonary and finish up with musculoskeletal. Although musculoskeletal is the largest section I hope that studying it closer to the test date will help me remember more.

I feel like I didn't really get to celebrate graduation all that much because this test is looming over me. But, I'm also ready to buckle down and get this very last thing done and over with!

I Did It: Week One

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! ;)

The countdown is becoming much more real...

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!

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):

1. FBI fingerprint check
2. Criminal Background check
3. Child Abuse check
4. Current CPR training
5. TB test
6. Blood titers for a slew of things (hepatitis, measles, mumps, chicken pox, etc)
7. 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!)