adelaidemedblog

Today marks the first day of swotvac. There is so much that I have to learn and so little that I have already learnt. It means that for one week, meeting friends at uni is no longer a regular event, that going out must not occur unless it is linked with either necessity or study (in fact that has already happened) and that every day from awakening to morning light leaking through my window to the momentary silence just before deep slumber shall be spent on three main activities:

1. Study
2. Eating
3. Preparing for either study or eating

Of course it has been a while since my study has been this intense. Actually, I take that back right away. To be honest I did more study in the first term of uni than I did in any given term in high school (of course HSC wasn’t even during a term so it doesn’t count.) It’s surprising actually how much easier the practice exams are compared to practice HSC exams. But apparently last year’s exam was much much easier than it usually is. Ah well. Currently what I need to study is anatomy (from the resource lab), while trying not to be distracted by playing DOTA at college (which I have succeeded in doing for about 2 weeks now) and also holding off on installing starcraft.  Slight problem is that I have no histology book… though that should not be too difficult to pass in the exam. The bits I really need to learn are the nervous system stuff. Which organs are supplied by the phrenic nerve? Describe the structure of the coeliac trunk and its major branches…

I find it easier to study when there are other people around me studying. Therefore, for the rest of swotvac, I shall hang around people who are doing study, preferably helpful second or third year students who are also studying and are available for distraction by questions that may or may not help me, and show my gratitude at the end by giving a packet of mi goreng.

ah, mi goreng. I would say it is the elixir of life but I know that many readers would claim that the elixir of life is actually coffee, or coke, or red bull and that mi goreng isn’t actually of an elixir consistency. But it’s so versatile and easy to prepare. and cheap. and is available at 4am in the morning unlike, say, pizza, or AB, which is not only 40 times more expensive (1 AB = box of 40 mi goreng) but requires a trip down to O’Connell street in the dark and cold. All you need for a good night of study:

2 pk mi goreng
1 pk Wonka Longlasting Gobstoppers
1 receptacle of filtered or spring water/ice tea/hot chocolate
1 friend in second or third year medicine who is also studying like crazy
1 book of past exam papers
1 computer with access to wikipedia

If mi goreng is the elixir of life, then Wonka Longlasting Gobstoppers are the shards of momentary pleasure (and a motivator of the other person to study concurrently, as they get a nice sugary treat). a drink of some sort goes without saying (dehydration = bad, because it -> decreased blood volume -> decreased blood pressure -> decreased blood perfusion -> decreased O2 saturation of Hb in lungs and decreased bloodflow to the brain -> decreased O2 in cerebrospinal fluid -> sleepiness -> bad study -> failing exams). Of course that mechanism is completely wrong, i just made it up just then to illustrate a point that many of you current mbbs/allied health students will have to do those mechanism things to show how something causes something else causes something else eventually leading to presentation of some symptom or other leading to passing exams leading to passing the year leading to admission into second year leading to happiness or at least avoidance of pain. And isn’t that what we all aim for?

and then there is the preparing for eating/study. Actually between this paragraph and the last I made myself a mi goreng. well, kind of concurrently actually, just heating the water up and sticking it in the bowl with mi goreng in it, putting a lid on and leaving it. However preparation for eating/study plays more part in eating and study than you would think. For instance, two of my friends have recently written up a contract (you know who you are) of declaration that they will be immersed up to the neck in study - and even though you two are bright enough to pass the exams in a cinch, your study habits put me to shame. even taking down the amount of time used on study and sleep on a daily basis. in addition “preparation” has quite a wide meaning - it really could mean doing anything at all (playing the piano or DOTA or some other non-study, non-eating activity) to “prepare” oneself for the study. or it could mean sleeping. which is really what i put it in there for. yes i take naps in the day and it helps so much.

I shall finish with a small anecdote that is not really so funny as it shows the way that some can be friends with others without knowing their name. in this case the two people involved are tpaitpai and rei.

rei was trying to figure out who the new female blogger on here was. after telling her, she still really had no idea. after uni today, all three of us congregated outside the med building and eventually rei said “you still have to show me who the new blogger is…” - when she was standing right next to her. okay so you had to be there…

it really goes to show that friendship is not dependent on knowing someone’s name but feeling a connection with them in some way shape or form. it is ethereal and goes beyond the explanations of this world.

is it possible that the meaning of life is to make friends? And finding it hard to start off initially with no friends you have a family which kind of starts you off on that journey to make more and closer friends. and everything you do from there on in always has to do with building friendships. even study. for what use is it if a person should gain the world but have no-one to share it with?