The Heat is On

This past week was our first real taste of what SEP is all about- when they told us it was intense, they weren’t lying.

We were all happy at the beginning of the week since it was a four day week due to Memorial Day. Our excitement quickly disappeared, however, when the sad reality of two exams (Organic Chemistry and Human Physiology) on Friday hit us. After a long weekend I don’t think any of us were ready to face the full ten hours of classes on Tuesday.

After Tuesday the week started to run like clockwork- wake up early, go to reading skills, and catch a bus early to ensure front row VIP seats in Bondurant Hall. Also during the week, we were given the opportunity to take a tour of UNC School of Pharmacy for all of those interested in Pharmacy. Although I am not interested in Pharmacy, I gained a wealth of information from the tour. In addition to presenting information, the presenters gave us interactive tours of the different fields a Pharmacist can pursue. After our tour, we headed back to the dorms and continued our preparations for the two exams on Friday. I believe everyone was worried since these would be our first exams.
A routine one of my suitemates, Eric, and I have developed is just walking around the halls every night and conversing with people about their days. It has always been a great stress-reliever and with the heat of two exams approaching, some time to just sit back and talk about anything and everything was just what everyone needed. Eric and I walked through the halls and eventually made our way to all of the study rooms talking and studying with everyone we saw. On Thursday night, it seemed as if everyone was studying hard for both exams- even when I went to sleep sometime after midnight, many scholars were still busy studying.
Friday came and went faster than I thought it would. Two exams were over before I knew it- the exams themselves weren’t bad at all and there weren’t that many trick questions, which I liked. Organic Chemistry and Human Physiology exams were finally over and I headed back to rest up for Saturday, which was promising to be an adventurous day.
Saturday afternoon, all 50 scholars and the program assistants left UNC to head to East Carolina University for NC-HCAP’s Inspirational Speakers in Science lecture. After arriving in Pirate territory, we heard a motivational speech by Mr. Clyde Johnson Jr.; this speech reinforced my decision to enter into the medical field.
This coming week there are two more exams in Biostatistics and Physics- both of which will probably be pretty difficult. In addition to just exams, I have some shadowing Monday morning, which should be very exciting. As one intense week comes to a closure, another begins and the SEP program has shifted into high gear.