Hard work pays off.

So my first round of exams didn't go so well. I was in a really funky headspace at the beginning of the semester with absolutely no motivation to study whatsoever. I phoned in my exams and it reflected in my scores. I failed two of them and passed the rest with Cs, except for Parasitology where I got a B+ and an A on the first two midterms. In Physiology II I failed the first exam but passed the second and third midterms and the professor curves quite a bit, so I am still passing that class with a C+. Immunology hit me the hardest with a 64 on the first exam (remember that below a 70 is failing) and only two midterms before the final, so up until yesterday afternoon when we got our scores on the second midterm, I was officially failing that class. I studied my ass off for the second midterm, making myself nauseous and exhausted in the process. The night before the exam I got about 3 1/2 hours sleep and took two caffeine and B vitamin pills to give me a boost before the exam.

It paid off. I got a 94 on the exam. I missed two questions out of forty. I now have a 79 in the class, which I'm just gonna go ahead and call a B because I can (and because I only need an 81 on the final to have a B and if I study half as hard for it as this exam it's in the bag).

I'm back! No more fear of failing out and having to repeat. Second semester claims a lot of souls. I'm gonna pull myself together and make damned sure mine won't be one of them. My grades this semester won't be anything remotely resembling last semester's, but it'll be a kick in the ass to do better in 3rd.

Any firsties or future Ross students reading this, here is your advice for surviving second semester: if you're a Reich person, great. I am not. With Reich it's pretty much an either/or thing. For his exams you can understand the material perfectly but if you don't understand him or how he thinks, don't expect to do well. You pretty much just have to know the material inside and out and pass each exam with a C and then he'll curve the class so that hopefully you'll have a B. With Gyimah it's the exact opposite. If you know the material, you WILL get an A. But knowing the material doesn't mean reading through it once or twice. He is incredibly detail oriented and expects you to know every teeny tiny thing in the notes. So read through them at least three times, study the TA notes and make yourself some flash cards. If you do that, you'll ace his class.