Aaaaaand we're back!

I've been completely MIA. I can even hear Mrs. Weasley's voice screeching, "Where have you been?!" The truth is I've been incredibly busy with school (vet school is no joke!) in addition to partaking in Scottish shenanigans with shocking regularity.


So where did I leave off... ah yes. Animal Body 1 (AB1) is now finished! After 4 weeks of anatomy lectures, and cadaver filled practicals I was feeling very knowledgable but horribly animal deprived. I just want to pet something alive and formalin free! Is that too much to ask?! Seriously. It's gotten pretty bad as I've never been without a pet of some kind.
I was reduced to chasing stray cats...

And staring like a creeper at dogs in the park.

Anyways, moving on to school! I first had an oral exam where I had to showcase my knowledge to the best of my abilities within 10 minutes. Though it was only worth 5% of my grade, it was extremely nerve wracking. I'm pretty sure I was talking incoherently fast at times since my examiner was very intimidating. She had a stony poker face that left me doubting myself.
Her: Which nerve innervates these muscles?
Me: The radial nerve.
Her: Are you sure? *Unyielding poker face
Me: Yes? Um.. wait. No. Wait. *F!*&t9$#
Harumph. Let's just say that oral exam format is not my favourite.

Two days later I took the written portion of my exam worth 95% of my grade. Realising that my exams could leave me weeping in despair, I proactively planned a post-exam trip to Ireland with my friend Dale. More on this later! Fortunately, the written exam wasn't as bad as I expected! There were 9 short answer questions and 30 MCQs. I should mention that grades are completely different in the UK than they are the US. To "pass" you need a 50+, for a "credit" you need a 60+, and for a "distinction" (the best rating possible) you need a 70+, and no one can ever really score 90+. It's a very challenging system and takes some getting used to.

I ended up receiving a distinction and as you could imagine, I was absolutely thrilled.

Sadly, it's back to work for me. AB2 is here, bringing the pleasures of immunology, inflammation, parasitology, bacteriology, and virology. So many -ologies, so little time!

And So It Begins.

Yesterday and today were my first two days of school. As much as I'd like to rave about how exciting everything was, I have to admit that at times it was downright boring. We have been filling out forms and listening to mundane lecture topics such as fire safety or protective gear explanations.
For example, if the building catches fire, please leave; crispy vet students are not happy vet students. Also, wear the required steel-toed boots so an ornery horse doesn't get the best of your toes. The whole thing reeks of common sense.

On the bright side, my classmates seem like a genuinely friendly group. Meeting people has been exciting especially with all of the different nationalities, academic backgrounds, and professional interests. Of course, the class is undeniably female dominated. Believe it or not, there are only 6 guys in the entire GEP class! I can't decide if this is good or bad for them. For the time being, I would guess it's a bit overwhelming since three of them hide together in the back of the classroom...

Bit of a recap: we all met last Sunday at a school event. It was surprising to see how quickly people fell into groups/cliques. I have not met everyone yet but that won't last; with only 56 people in a class, you can't hide for long.

Yesterday, some 4th and 5th year students invited us to meet them at a place called, "The Ale House." Encouraged to work hard and play hard by the faculty, we took over the entire pub, drinking and socialising (on a school night? *gasp). I could get used to this...

<=Typical UK vet student*


Tonight, I decided to go all out and study my first lectures ahead of time. I want to be extra prepared for my first real classes tomorrow: Animal Body 1, Animal Health, Welfare and Food Safety (AHWAFS), and Terminology. Yup. I'm nerdy and I know it.

Random bit: The head of our school asked if we knew what Chariots of Fire was and without thinking, I found myself humming the song to a room of silent students. Ya. First impressions anyone?

A Knight Always Helps!

I've been enjoying a place in Edinburgh called The Meadows. A beautiful area with a phenomenal park and fields lined with trees. Students play sports where great intellectuals once enjoyed their leisurely walks, hundreds of years ago. Of all these wonderful things, nothing beats a little knight "C" and I met this week.

We stopped to watch some men's football (a.k.a. soccer, not American football) when I noticed a little boy walking with his father. This adorable 6 year old was wearing a full on knight's suit: helmet, shield, breastplate, you name it. Right then, the game ball shot out of bounds and past the little knight. His face lit up with a smile and he cried, "A knight always helps!" Then he took off to retrieve the ball as quick as his little legs could carry him. The player sent to retrieve the ball blew past the knight, grabbed the ball and started jogging back. The whole field froze in horror at the sight of the knight's crestfallen face. His heroic efforts had been thwarted.

As he slowly shuffled back, his father (noticing our dismay) quickly told us, "He is always trying to help people. With anything! He loves returning things that people drop, for example. So if you want..."

I looked down at my house keys and then back at the knight who was now near tears. I "sneakily" (ha.) tossed my keys onto the path. With the straightest face I could muster (haha.) I asked, "C, where could my keys have gone? I just had them! I must have dropped them somewhere!" The little knight's face broke into an excited grin. He ran over and proudly handed me my keys.

C and I trilled his praises, "Oh my goodness! Thank you so much for finding my keys! You are such a wonderfully helpful knight! Thank you thank you thank you!" We were instantly rewarded with his proud little grin, "A knight always helps."

Did I mention that I love this place?

Week 1: Bipolar Weather, Crazed Landlords, and Dramatic Gophers!

So I've been here in Edinburgh for a week now and truth be told, I'm in love. Arthur's Seat is every bit as glorious as I remembered it.






The city itself is spectacular, rain or shine (yes yes, it's more rain than shine) and I still can't quite believe that this is now my home. My city. The place where the next 4 years of my life will unfold.

Ahem. Now that I got that off my chest, we can move on to the other humorous/sordid details of my week. 

The Weather: In Scotland, the weather is actually an interesting topic due to its wildly unpredictable nature. A common saying here is, "If you don't like the weather, wait 20 minutes. You might like it then." 

Hmm. Well of course the summer I move to Edinburgh happens to have the worst summer weather that any of the locals can remember; it doesn't seem to faze the locals one bit though. Hidden beneath unflattering layers, I couldn't help but glower a bit at the girls are running about in tank tops and shorts regardless of the rain and wind. Ugh. 

Slowly but surely, I have been shedding layers but... I have a sneaking suspicion that by the time I'm adjusted to the summer weather, winter will simply step up and slap me across the face. Harumph.

The Flat Situation: Ah yes. Where to start? I had this brilliant idea to sublet a room from a current vet student for July through August. We arrive on the 12th of July, scruffy and exhausted, only to step into a sublet nightmare. In addition to the flat being dirty/unfinished halfway through the first month of the lease (What the what?!) we find that the landlord is a crooked, grumpy, little troll. For example, when my flatmate and I politely notify the landlord that the washer/dryer combo machine does not dry (as advertised) he angrily snaps, "Well I never specified that it would work! You'll have to find an alternative yourself." Click. 

Oh no he didn't!

I must admit, that we as Americans have come to take our dryers for granted. This is sadly an unusual luxury in the UK, especially with sketchy landlords like this one. First world problems anyone? ;)

Sadly, it gets worse. Window locks on a ground floor flat? Psh. Why would we need that? 

Flat key exclusivity? But sharing is caring (in this case only it seems)! Three "plumbers" (who needs three?) walked into my room without permission to enter the flat, much less my room. "Oh hi... didn't know you'd be here." My thoughts exactly. "We're here to do erm, the plumbing for the upstairs flat." Then why are you rummaging through my downstairs flat, hm? Can't forget the painter in our hallway at 8 in the morning. Exactly how many strangers have keys to my flat Mr. Sketchy Landlord?! And the final straw: The gas leak that all of the building's occupants can smell? "Erm. That's just incense." Yes of course! Gas scented incense that no one in the building is burning... 

*Cue Angry Badger Face. 

That's it. Time to move. Like now. Despite our lack of credit in the UK (American credit means nothing here) and the dwindling vacant flats (thanks to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival) we were still very motivated. If all goes well, my flatmate and I are signing a lease this Monday to our very own 2 bedroom flat. *fingers crossed! :D

Edinburgh University and the National Museum of Scotland: For all of Scotland's recent weather/landlord shenanigans, I am still thrilled to be here. My flatmate, "C" and I spent a couple of days exploring the museum (which is free like all museums and art galleries in Scotland) and we still haven't seen all of two floors yet (there are 4 or 5 in total!). I'll post more on that later.

On the way home, we stopped and took pictures of an Edinburgh University building. It's absolutely beautiful. 

                                            "C" caught me napping in the sun.

   

                                      So who's a happy camper? This girl. <3

                                                             Cheers!

And we're off!

Today is the big day! I am finally moving!

As I am writing this post, my little sister is driving my friend and me (as well as an army of baggage) to the San Francisco airport.
Beforehand, my family and I ate our "goodbye" lunch together at my favorite place in Santa Cruz: Cafe Brasil. I needed my Brazilian food fix to hold me over during times of haggis, blood pudding, and the like. *shudders.

In addition to dietary adjustments, I will also need to prepare for Scottish weather: rain, rain, and you guessed it, more rain! Hopefully we will get a few sunny days before school starts. My very tan sister kindly noted that my already "pasty"complexion will be translucent by Christmas break. Hoebag. Sadly, she is probably right. So if you you see a glowing vet student in Edinburgh, say hi. It's probably me. ;)

Anyways, thank you to everyone sending me supportive messages. I'll miss you all so very much. I'll update as soon as I eat a pound of Scottish shortbread cookies and wade through the rain to my flat. Wish me luck! 

Access Granted!

Whose visa was approved? This girl's!

Once the consulate opened my app (about a week long wait), it took one business day to approve and one day to ship back to me. Well done British Consulate. Your efficiency pleases me...

All that remains is:
1) Buy some extreme luggage.
2) Fill them. Fill them to the brim!

Countdown: 12 days left! How did this happen?!

Applying for a UK Visa? Oh the horrors!

I finally sent out (wait for it... it's quite a mouthful): my UK Tier 4 general student visa application. Phew. For any curious pre-vet students, here are the details. Truth be told, it was an extremely stressful and expensive process (about $500!).

There were three main parts.
Part 1: the Personal Details section which is submitted online and again on paper. This section was extremely long and tedious.
Part 2: Appendix 8 was a lengthy selection of questions that I used a school guide to complete. This part was submitted on paper only. It was also tedious but had highly specific questions you had to pay close attention to. If I understand correctly, coming from the USA, I don't need to submit certain documents (a CAS, receipts, and loan letters from the school specifically). I hope I'm right on this...
Part 3: Biometrics was a painless 5 minute appointment for fingerprint scans and a quick picture. The easiest part by far.

I sent my app out using "USPS next day shipping" along with my driver's record and passport. The sooner I get my visa (hopefully approved) and passport back the better. Try as I might, I can't help but worry that I might have misread something or that it was sent out too late. Hopefully not, right?! Well I'll post the verdict as soon as it comes. Wish me luck!

P.S. Only 3 weeks left! 3 weeks!!!

Graduation and Beyond!

While this is somewhat unrelated to vet school, I feel this is worth raving about. Last Sunday night, after 5 years of hard work and one last stressful week of finals, I finally graduated! I have been awarded my Bachelors degree in Animal Science with honors. 

I must say I did not think I would enjoy the graduation ceremony. A couple of hours sitting around listening to teachers, administration, and students giving cliched speeches, cameras capturing your most awkward moments (thanks again dad), magnificently corny music, you get the idea. I am happy to admit that I was wrong. I was selected to lead the student procession while carrying the school banner. I also presented the class gift to the school president and gave a little speech myself. I worried that I would trip and skewer some poor parent with the huge pointy banner, or that I would somehow mess up my speech in front of everyone I knew. Well? I did not trip and I managed to "speak with conviction" according to a beloved professor. My classmates, friends, and family cheered me on, and in my siblings' case, shot me funny looks hoping I would break character on stage (you monsters!!!). I am v. proud and excited to be moving forward towards the next big step in my life! Congrats to all of my classmates and thank you to everyone that supported us every step of the way.

 *That's me in the middle!

So what does this all mean? I am now only 4 weeks away from living in Scotland! I just need to finish up my Visa and pack. I got this.

A quick side note: my little sister also graduated last week as her High School's Salutatorian. In addition to being gorgeous, mischievous, and brilliant, my little partner in crime has blown us all away by earning a full ride scholarship to a phenomenal private school in Northern California. Congratulations to my wonderful sister. I love you and could not be more proud.  

Insert yet another victory dance for my sister and I:  

 

Plane ticket? Check!

As the title says, I have bought my plane ticket to Edinburgh! Better yet, my friend/classmate will be flying with me! This is definitely a plus since the flight will be 14+ hours and good company is always appreciated. 

I must note that this seemingly simple task took hours and had me ready to pitch a fit. But there it is. I am one step closer to Edinburgh and I could not be more thrilled! 

*insert well deserved victory dance...

And now, I am off to count sheep. Scottish ones. 

And the countdown begins!

After years of chugging away at farms, hospitals, shelters, and dealing with grumpy organic chemistry teachers, I am finally going to vet school! So it's not a Hogwarts letter (yes. I am a Harry Potter geek to the max) but it's pretty damn close if you ask me. Think of it as care of magical creatures, ya? I may have scared my housemates with a bit strangled squealing upon receiving my acceptance letter. I'm also pretty sure I frolicked (yes. Frolicked) to class for about a week.

Here's a bit of a recap for those of you who don't know me: I had two dreams growing up: to become a vet and to travel. So as soon as I was ready, I applied to vet schools abroad; two birds one stone. After applying to vet schools in England, New Zealand, Scotland, and Davis (as per my Dad's request...) I was fortunate enough to have my pick! My dad paid for me to go visit the schools in the UK (Love you Dad!) and I couldn't have had a more wonderful trip. Though I loved Glasgow (looks like Hogwarts and James Herriot's alma mater!) and RVC (London... need I say more?), Edinburgh was the clear winner.

The school facilities and equipment were breathtaking. Millions upon millions of pounds were put into building a new teaching building and filling it with top-notch equipment. The large animal facilities as well as the small animal hospital (with its own cancer center!) are also exceptional. Edinburgh University has had some spectacular alumni (Darwin?! Hell. Yes.) and has made countless contributions to the modern world of science. Ever heard of Dolly the sheep? Yup. That's where she's from. In addition to having a prestigious vet school, Edinburgh is such a beautiful city. It has the culture and entertainment of a much bigger city but is still small enough to feel personal and intimate. I will be surrounded by mountains, castles, lochs, the ocean, Highland greenery, and most importantly Arthur's Seat, my favorite spot thus far. Needless to say, I was instantly smitten.

So now my deposit has been paid (ouch) and now begins the steps towards financial aid/ruin and acquiring a Tier 4 Visa. V. stressful business but absolutely worth it! Thanks to some current students I met on the Student Doctor Network (a pre-vet student's bff), I have found temporary housing for myself and my friend/classmate from undergrad (we're crossing the pond together, YAY!). Now I just have to graduate (*le sigh), spend time with family/friends/pets (so much love so little time), and figure out a way to stop staring at my calendar (less than 8 weeks until I am living in Scotland!).

Here are a few quick pictures of the new teaching building:

And a few of Arthur's Seat:

And the view from Arthur's Seat: