Reconsideration

Tonight I was at the first Rho Tau meeting of the year. Rho Tau is the pre-physical therapy club at school. Today, we had a representative from Armstrong Atlantic State University there. In case you don't remember, I was thinking of AASU as my top choice for PT school, and then I wasn't sure if it was a smart choice for me. Well, after the meeting, I'm thinking of reconsidering going there. What I have learned in that meeting was incredible. They really do have a good program. They way they go about the first year is very different from other PT schools. Instead of doing a complete review of gross anatomy, they take it in chunks, starting from cardiovascular and going to neurological, muscular and skeletal systems, and you learn everything about that part in that time. Then, you get into smaller groups in the first year and do mock clinical sessions. Then, you are put into an actual clinical setting. Apparently, Armstrong is better with application in clinicals compared to other schools. With the clinical settings, you actually get a say in where you want to be, and you don't have to stay in Savannah. If I want to, I could go to a clinic back at home, and stay with my parents (if I really wanted to). For some fun, some of the professors will actually have classes on the beach! And since there are only 20 people in the program, it is like a very tight knit family. You're with them constantly, which can be a good thing. Since the physical therapy program is the only doctorate program on campus, it is a highly respected program in the community. Yes it may be a small school, but it does seem to have a lot to offer. I think I may keep AASU as a possibility of PT school. So you really can't judge a book by its cover. So, once again, I will have to put up the information for the school, as well as some others that I'm thinking about. I am looking at Miami as well, although I have no idea how I am going to be able to pay to live there, but I will figure it out. Hopefully I can get a fellowship and an assistantship. It may take awhile to get a job, especially seeing that the first two semesters are going to the craziest, but I will try to make things work.
As a side note, I have sent in my application for my major. I won't know for sure until early October, but realizing that they take 70% of applicants, I think I may have a good chance. I hope I get in.

Busy Schedule

So far it has been quite the semester, and I've only had three days of classes. I figured 19 hours of work a week is good enough. I have a chance to get three more, but I'm already busy with other things that it wouldn't make sense. Plus, I don't want to wake up early EVERY morning.
I love my classes. Physics and Chem will be difficult, but I know I can make it work. I know my Kinesiology (study of movement) and Food and Nutrition classes will be interesting. I do enjoy my professors. I have the same chem professor from the summer so I know what I'm in for. My physics professor is this old, Asian man, but he is absolutely hysterical. Food and Nutrition seems like she's a good teacher. It's too soon to tell, but it's a perk to have been in class only 20 minutes the first day. Kinesiology is a completely different story. He's very monotone, so I have to make sure not to fall asleep in his class. However, since he is in the Kinesiology Department (where my intended major is), I realized that it's going to be important to be close to the professors in this department. Staying on their good sides will help me be able to get recommendation letters for grad school. I know I'll need them, and many look at letters from professors and actual physical therapists. In the summer I plan on taking practicums (volunteering somewhere for school credit). If I got the information correctly, one credit equals 40 hours of volunteering. That is so easy for me, especially if I don't go anywhere for the summer and I can start in May. With the rehab center, I earned 73 hours, and I was volunteering about 5 hours a day. With it, I want to try different places, so I get a mix of different things. I actually found a pediatric one near my home. I'm excited to try there. I think it will be nice to work with kids, but I know I have to look at different places. I think I'll do one clinic per hour, and do the Fitness and Conditioning one in the spring semester and continue later on.
Back to this semester, I got into the leadership program and I have my first meeting with it soon so I better wrap this up. I am staying with Rho Tau, and I plan on joining something else. Hopefully I'll find something good. Now I must depart and get ready to go.

Fall Semester

So I begin classes on Monday. It's going to be quite the semester. As of right now, I am just enjoying my time of just hanging out. I moved into my new dorm at school. It's a traditional dorm with sharing the room with a roommate. Luckily though I have a bathroom in the dorm. I can't stand the thought of having to do the communal bathroom thing ever again. Not happening. Looking into finances, I decided not to buy my parent's car. Even though they were giving me a really good price for it, the payments for the car, insurance, and parking will be about half of my paycheck. That's not even including gas. I can use that money to help save for grad school. More than likely I'll move out of state for it and I want to establish residency. In order to do that, I'll need to live off campus, so I'll need money for an apartment as well and able to pay rent until I can get a job. I can always get one on campus if I need to. The good thing about living near a big city is that there will always be a job opening somewhere. I'm not too worried about not finding one. I know I will figure everything out and I'll make it all work.

Another Semester Completed and UCF

Although I'm not technically completed. I still have to take my finals for it, which will happen Thursday and Friday, but I am done with going to classes. I'm glad to being almost done with this semester. It has been difficult and I'm looking forward to moving on. I can't wait for clubs to start up and begin taking Zumba, kickboxing, and yoga at the gym. I'm ready to start work at the dining hall again and make some money. The upcoming semester I have 4 classes and 2 labs I'm taking. I'm taking Chem II + lab, Physics I + Lab, Food and Nutrition, and Intro to Kinesiology. And if I get into the leadership program, I will be taking a leadership course. It is a lot to take on, but at least I'll be busy. I need to keep myself occupied. And if I do have extra time, perhaps I'll try to find somewhere to do some volunteering. I know I need some more volunteer hours. I'm debating whether to do some this semester or if I should wait until I start taking practicums and then getting course credit for it. Sounds like an easy A if you ask me. I already have enough on my plate for this semester, including applying for my major, so I don't think I need to push myself even more right now.
This week I've been looking at the University of Central Florida more closely. After seeing the AASU campus, I realized that this isn't where I want to go. So looking at UCF, I started to really enjoy it. It's a big campus, just like UGA, and it looks like it's a lot of fun. It has a lot of good food places, and it's north of Orlando, so there's at least somewhere fun to go on the weekends. I began to fall in love with the campus, and I really want to visit the campus. Hopefully I will be able to before I start applying to schools. I want to know for sure that this is the place I want to be and not be deceived again.