Or one hopes, at any rate. We're scrappy, we're tired, but we're still flying.
The end of fourth term is basically an exercise in stamina. Everyone's left, the island kind of forgets about us, places are closed early or have limited selections, our friends regale us with tales of their summers, and all the while, we go "Just four more exams. Just three more exams. Just 9 more days. Just x more hours." Most people have forgone the thought of an "A" for a hope of getting out alive; everyone has a grim look about them, and this term has explained to me just why, in first term, all the upper termers always looked so much older. Not by way of wrinkles or physical age, but just kind of a weariness that doesn't necessarily bely unhappiness (though sometimes it does), but utter exhaustion.
In the meantime, I'm trying to maintain the impetus to study, while what I *really* want to do varies back and forth between wanting to lie on my bed tucked under the comforter with the A/C on and the lights off and plan for the fact that I'm going to be in Berlin in less than two weeks, focus on hostels, plan my day trips, and pretty much do everything *except* study path and physical diagnosis. I'm in that period where I want an extra week to offset my laziness, but know I wouldn't do anything with it anyway, while at the same time, want it all to be over now, hell to the consequences so I can go get my Boston and Europe on.
The list of things I have to do before leaving grows longer as well. Clean, empty the fridge, pack, arrange my rent and stuff for while I'm gone, get the taxi, order the Eurail pass, clean more of my clothes, wonder if I've got enough and the right kind of food to make it until the end game. Tip my housekeeper. Plan plan plan. But that gets in the way of study study.
Yesterday, after determining yet again, that I don't have TB (woo hoo! They got the tests in!), I managed to rebirth the renal packet so that I feel pretty confident in it. Today's task is endocrine. Tomorrow and Sunday will be male, bone, and CNS, and forensics will be part 'attended lecture' and part 'spent four years in a morgue'.
It's been raining since last night, so the sky is gray, which I love. It's kind of a hard mix between wet and dry season. During dry season, it's hot all the time, the weather never changes, everything gets dusty, and all that lush jungle foliage surrounding you dies. There's no crabs around, the lizard populations wane, and it's just not as fun. On the other hand, during wet season, you can easily get drenched by unpredictable torrential downpours and while you get the crabs and lizards back, they bring with them the roaches and ants. What to do; what to do? But I welcome back wet season so long as it doesn't delay my plane.
Hang in there comrades; we're almost out.
3 comments:
Hang tough, Ishie!
I enjoyed visiting with you third term (and shaming you into attending a lecture) and wish you well in Prague. I'll be back on de ilon in six weeks for four lectures. Keep the faith...and your refreshing perspective.
drbob
Hey there! I enjoyed meeting you too, and you'll be proud; I even attended four lectures in the last week, which I think may be a personal best.
Looks like I'm going to just miss you while I'm doing the Prague-through Euro trip, but hope all goes well and I hope I'll catch up with you soon. Tell Telfor I said "on on!"
Thank you! Only a little longer now.
Third-Fourth term is a long combo. I still remember how hard it was to go through. If it helps which it surely won't at the momment. 5/6 term has a different feel about it, when it starts they are telling you about the wards and you still think of them as being a long way off. But soon you are applying for step 1 and getting ready to leave the island!
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