I Passed!!!

I found out this afternoon that I passed my third and final written exit exam!!! Yay!!! All I have left is the oral which should not be anywhere near as tough as the written exams were. For the oral, my committee and I will sit around the "round table"; they will ask me questions and I will hopefully be able to answer them. Then I will be done! I am so ready to be done.

I'm Still Here

I took my 3rd exit exam last Tuesday and I am waiting to hear the results. All I know so far is that I did very well on the plant disease diagnostics portion. There were 5 other parts to the exam and so there are 5 more professors that have to grade their part. As usual the exam was hard and it lasted for 9 hours. It covered pretty much every area of plant pathology.

My oral is in 2 weeks and I am now studying for that even though I am so sick of studying that I don't want to read anything. I think that is why I am not blogging very much. I don't even feel like reading what I write, so I don't write.

But soon I'll be finished, I hope...

Studying For Finals

I'm sorry that I haven't been posting on my blog very often. But, my 3rd final and oral are coming up very soon and I have been studying. I found out that it's impossible for me to work 32 hours a week while studying as I had planned. So for the last couple of weeks I worked 25 hrs a week and this coming week, I will work only 12 hours. At this point, I hardly care about the lack of money; I just have to pass my remaining finals.

My husband took this picture of me today and I thought I would share it with you. This is what I spent my weekend doing.



I fell asleep while studying yesterday, but I think I'm awake here.

Good News

I did a partial re-take of the disastrous exam and I passed!!! So I now have to take only one more written exam and the oral. I am happy, but mostly feel relieved. I am very grateful that the test coordinator and other professors realized that the testing conditions were unacceptable and therefore allowed me to re-do the part of the final that I tried to do near the end of the day but could not do because of the distracting noise level.

So now I can move forward and prepare for my last semester in this program. I have a lot of studying to do. The written final will be on plant pathology including some history, but mainly diagnosis and management of viral, bacterial and fungal plant diseases. The oral will be on plant pathology, sustainable agriculture, pesticides and herbicides, and integrated pest management.

I've already incorporated yoga and working out at the gym into my life and the studying starts this weekend.

Moving Forward

It sure doesn’t feel like it has been a little over a month since I have posted here. I have been both working and relaxing. The spring semester has started and I am moving forward and preparing to have a successful outcome this time.

A few days after I got the test results, I met with the exam coordinator of the disastrous exam. I requested and was allowed to re-take a small portion of his section of the final. That brought my score up to 79%. The coordinator suggested that I request to re-take a small portion of another section given by another professor. I have requested a meeting with this other professor, but have not heard back. This is something that I have to pursue this week.

I feel justified in making requests to re-take portions of the final that I tried to do at the end of the day when my brain was too fried from all of the noise in the adjoining rooms. However I have no excuse for the failure of the other exam. I just wasn’t ready for it. I was working so much that I did not have time to study for both exams. So I chose to put more emphasis on studying for the harder exam and spent very little time studying for the so-called easier one, which I then failed. Hopefully, I will have only one written exam and the oral to study for this semester.

What am I doing to ensure success this time? I have a list; it is as follows:

1. I quit my nematology job, so I am working only one job. This will eliminate the running back and forth between jobs.

2. I will not work full-time. I will not work more than 32 hours per week.

3. I have made out a study schedule and I will stick to it.

4. I have started doing yoga to reduce stress and improve my mental clarity.

5. I have made out a schedule to work out at the gym and I will stick to it.

6. I have reduced the amount of time I spend on Facebook by eliminating some of the games that I was playing.

So the semester has started and I am off and running. Will do my best to keep you posted.

Failed

I finally got my scores today and I did not pass either exam. I knew I was taking a risk. I've been working full-time, taking a 4 credit course, and trying to study for the blasted finals. It was too much. Sorry, but I'm too disappointed to post more tonight.

Still Waiting

It's been almost 3 weeks since I took that disastrous exam and 2.5 weeks since I took the exam that wasn't too bad. I still have not heard what my results are. My oral is next Wednesday and is not supposed to take place until all of the written exams have been passed. Since I haven't heard whether I passed or not, how can I know whether to take the oral or not?

I've done what I could to find out the results. I sent emails, made phone calls, and knocked on doors. I think the most reasonable way to handle this is to proceed with studying and preparing for the oral. So that is what I will be doing during this holiday weekend.

I hope that you have a good Thanksgiving!

Three Down (Maybe) and One to Go

I hope it's three down. I had a final today and one last Friday. The one today wasn't bad. I think it was a very fair exam. It took me about 8.5 hours to complete it.

The final on Friday was a disaster. That one has a reputation for being the most difficult final for our program. Usually the exam is held in a building up near the center of campus in a quiet classroom. This time it was held in a conference room that is close to our program study room. For those of you who know where this is, we were in the center conference room. The whole conference room area can be one big room or divided up into three rooms with dividers separating each room. I don't know what those dividers are made out of, but they are not soundproof.

So on Friday, a colleague and I had been taking the exam for about 1.5 hours when we heard preparations starting in one of the rooms for the monthly Friday morning coffee break. They had a new coffee pot and for about 20 minutes were talking loudly about their new toy. Then people starting showing up for the break and it really got noisy. My colleague and I could not work on the exam. So I went in to join the coffee break. It only lasts for about 30 minutes, so after it was over, we got back to work on the exam.

We had only 30 minutes of peace. Someone in the other conference starting setting up for a seminar. The seminar lasted from 11:00 - 12:15. Again, we had peace. It only lasted until 1:00. A lady came into our room even though there was a sign on the door that said "Exam in Progress Do Not Enter". She took chairs out of the room and into the room where the coffee break had been. That room started filling with people and it got noisy. I think they were having a combination lab party and lab meeting. Then we could hear preparations starting in the other room for something. So from 1:00 until 5:00, we had loud talking, laughter and clapping going on from both adjoining rooms.

The test was scheduled to end at 5:00, but I wasn't finished. Because of the extenuating circumstances, our proctor let us go longer. By 7:00, I was not done, but I was so done. I did not finish the herbicide calibration calculations; I forgot that photosynthesis has a Photosystem II and Photosystem I; I forgot how many feet are in 1 mile and who knows how many other things I blanked on.

The noise level had a serious impact on my ability to concentrate and to take my exit exam. I don't know what my score is yet, but I know that I did not make it to 80%. There was no way I could have. The question is, will they pass me anyway because of the extenuating circumstances or will I have to take that final again next semester. I guess I'll find out in a few days.

Three More Days

This Friday, I will take my second final and next Monday, I will take the third one. I am not ready. There is so much material to cover; it's impossible for me to get through all of it. I hope that by the time I get to each final, the amount that I have studied will be enough to get me to 80%, which is the minimum for a passing grade.

I'm taking this week off from work; I should have taken last week off as well. But it's too late for the should haves, or the could haves. It is what it is and I will do the best that I can. It's not the end of the world if I have to stay in school another semester.

I probably will not do another post until after Monday's final. Wish me luck. I need it.

One Final Down and Three To Go

I took a really big final today. It lasted for 9 hours and 35 minutes straight. There was no time out for lunch. I snacked as I wrote. I did sight ID of nematodes and arthropods and provided their common names and scientific names. I provided pest management recommendations, drew graphs, provided field distributions of symptom patterns, and made insect and mite pest sampling plans and designs. I produced 21 full pages of handwritten answers.

I don't know how I survived it, but since I am sitting at my computer doing this post, I must still be alive. It will take about 2 weeks to find out whether I passed. I sure hope so, because I never want to go through this particular exam again. To pass, we have to score at least 80%. A point off here and a point off there...the points off add up and for some students add up to less than 80%. Even if I don't pass, I do feel a sense of accomplishment for taking it (especially considering how my life has been) and providing an answer for every question. Hopefully, I will pass.

Studying in Progress

I decided that I am going to continue moving forward and take the First Competency Final next Tuesday. I finished the paper today that is due on Friday. So that's one thing done. Now I am back to studying for the final. I'm taking time off from work to study even though I can't afford it. The financial pressures have felt like a 60 ton weight on my shoulders. I have chosen to throw the weight off and deal with it after the final.

Is the Financial Aid Saga Over?

I went to the Financial Aid Office on Thursday and told them that I needed my student loan and that I could not wait any longer for it. I reminded them that Semester 1 was almost over and that if someone in their office had not screwed up I would have received my loan money 2.5 weeks ago. I told them that I was going to have to pay a late fee for my rent and that I was not happy about having to pay for their mistake. I told them that I had to the money and that I would stay right there until I got it. I can hardly believe I said these things, but it worked. I got the money right then and there! It is in the bank...what's left of it anyway...after having paid the rent.

I have spent a lot of time over the last few months dealing with financial issues related to being able to continue my education. I have lost a lot of study time over the last semester and now I haven't studied in two days. I hope that tomorrow will be better.

More Studying

I did some more studying today, although not as much as I had hoped. Today I studied the following:

1. Differences between parthenogenesis, thelytoky, and arrhenotoky
2. Life history, biology, pest status, host plants, damage caused by 17 plant pests
3. Studied cultural, biological, and chemical methods that can be used to control or manage the 17 pests.

Even though this doesn't look like much, studying about 17 insect pests feels like a lot to me. I now have only 3 weekends remaining to study for the final. It will be hard to study Monday through Friday because I'm taking 3 internships. However I am going to try for at least 1 hour a day.

Studying for the Final

I managed to get some studying done today. I think that blogging about my progress will help.

Today I did the following:

1. Reviewed sight ID of 38 plant pests
2. Studied sight ID of 24 additional plant pests
3. Prepared some practice questions on root knot nematodes, nematodes that transmit viruses, nema lab techniques, diagnostic characteristics for some major insects, Phytoseid predator mites and the mites they prey on, how to solve a spider mite problem in a chosen crop, and many more things.
4. Studied the differences between insects and mites
5. Studied how mites compensate for their small size
6. Studied arrhenotoky genetic system in mites and its relevance to pest control
7. Studied Integrated Mite Management
8. Studied definition of biological control terms: classical biological control, augmentation, inundation, inoculation
9. Studied how to conserve natural enemies in a cropping system
10. Compared the effectiveness, advantages and disadvantages of phytoseiids vs insects as natural enemies

I studied 7.5 hours today. It's not enough. I will have to crank it up some more.

Crunch Time

I have 4 weekends left to study for my First Comprehensive Final and I am having a hard time concentrating. I feel so burned out. Last semester just did me in. Somehow I have to find the strength and concentration to keep studying. Because I'm feeling so burned out, I am planning to take only one final this summer. I will have to take 3 finals during the fall semester. So the final that I need to prepare for now is on June 23; I have to be ready for it and I have to pass it.

I have been trying to figure out a way to make progress with the studying in spite of how I feel. I have come up with a plan. Tonight I am posting here a brief general outline of the topics that that will be on the final. At the end of every day, I will post the topics I have completed studying that day. Monday through Friday, I will not be able to study very much because I am juggling 3 internships and 1 part-time job. But I will study something, even if it is not much. During the 4 weekends that I have left, I will have to study a lot. I will have to push myself to the max and then push some more.

General Topics for the Comprehensive Final

Part 1. Diagnostics
1. Nematode identification, quantification, and management recommendations for each nematode id'd
2. Insect and mite identification (98 of them) - know life history, life stages, pest status, host plant (including part of plant), types of cultural, biological, chemical control

Part 2. Concepts and Principles (7-10 questions)
1. Nematology - races, resistance, extraction techniques, lab techniques, major diseases, virus vectors
2. Mites - differences between insects and mites, the different mites, life stages, host plants, damage, predator mites, mite reproduction, management and control strategies
3. Integrated Pest Management - definition of IPM, economic injury level, economic threshold level, sampling methods, trapping methods
4. Biological Control - definition, terminology, important uses of biological control in the past
5. Insect Toxicology - insect nervous system, resistance
6. Pesticides - nematicides, acaricides, insecticides, major resistance issues in this state.

Part 3. Broad-scope integrative questions (3-4 questions, 2-3 page answers for each question is required)
1. Acarology - steps and procedures involved in finding a natural enemy in another country for an invasive mite pest in the U.S., then bringing the natural enemy to the U.S., rearing it, and releasing it.
2. Entomology - design a study to determine the efficacy of 3 insecticides. Defend the experimental design.
3. Nematology


Later tonight I will post what topics I studied today. I hope this helps me.

A New Allergy

A few weeks ago, I fell while carrying out my mission to get more studying done. I blogged about that totally embarrassing incident in my post When Will I Study Now?. I scraped my hands a bit and so a couple of days after that happened I finally decided I better go to the doctor. They looked at my abrasions and said two of them were deep, but did not require stitches. They recommended that I put Bacitracin on them and keep them bandaged when I was not at home.

For 6 weeks, I have been been faithfully applying Bacitracin and bandages on both of my hands. But last week, it dawned on me that the abrasions were not healing. In fact, they were getting more and more red and they were starting to hurt and itch. I stuck it out for a few more days and finally gave in and went to the Student Health Center yesterday. The doctor took one look and said "this is an allergic reaction to the Bacitracin". Soon all of the nurses and doctors in that part of the Center were in that little exam room looking at my hands. I felt like an experimental subject with them all gawking at me. They all took their look and then left the room. The nurse came in and told me that for 3 decades they have been recommending that students use Bacitracin for their scrapes, cuts, and abrasions. Prior to 3 decades ago, they recommended Polysporin, but a lot of students developed allergic reactions to the Polysporin so they started recommending Bacitracin. In the last few weeks, a good number of students have been going into the Student Health Center with allergic reactions to Bacitracin. Lucky me...I can now include myself in that growing number. So that's why everyone wanted to have a look at my hands.

I am now applying something else that they gave me to keep the abrasions from drying out and already they are not as red as they were yesterday.

So, now I'm wondering what has changed to cause the Bactracin allergy outbreak among students on our campus. Is it a regional thing? I used a generic from a local store, but this store has a presence throughout most of the southeastern U.S. I'm just curious and I suppose I can find out more when I go back for a check-up next week. This is all just a little something to occupy my brain while I avoid studying.

Life is great when you can keep the bandages off.

When Will I Study Now?

I decided a couple of weeks ago that I needed to find more time to study. So I decided that I would start studying on the bus and when I walk from class to class or to work.

A few days ago, I was carrying out my mission of trying to study while walking from a class to my car. I was walking along the side of one of the campus roads. I had my backpack on and was carrying a 2 inch binder full of lecture notes and articles, some of which were loose in the binder. I had one article out in front of me as I was reading it.

So, I was walking along reading and I tripped. Down I went, flat on the pavement. My binder went down, papers went flying, my backpack came off, the water bottle came out and rolled away. My first thought as I lay on the ground was..."oh shit, how embarrassing". I quickly got up, collected my stuff, and acted as if nothing had happened.

So, I have several lacerations on my hands, two of them are deep, but fortunately did not require any stitches. I guess I'm going to have to find another way to maximize my study time.

Life is great when one can laugh at the stupid things one does.