Why, lo and behold, my study partner and I have been joined by this interloper. We now make up a proper study GROUP!

experts say, in a group environment, students are less likely to procrastinate

experts say, in a group environment, students are less likely to procrastinate


Students who study with others are also forced to become more organized.

Students who study with others are also forced to become more organized.

You may be wondering what I have been working on this past week. Good question! The short answer: cramming!! Why’s that? I am starting an EMT class this Sunday, and having only received the book three days ago, I have six chapters (175 pages) to learn & prep before the first day of school! Ack! So I’ve been doing enough notetaking, margin notes, and general highlighting to cause my writing fingers to develop some impressive and painful calluses.

I’m really excited to get my EMT Certification. Although just going through the book now, I am a bit appalled at the amount of content they have us cramming into this intensive course. The class itself is only 14 days long! It is 12 hours a day, every single day, for 14 days. Afterwards we have clinicals and ride-alongs, and then finally the NREMT Certification Test. So please pardon my brief absence for the next two weeks while I am trying not to die of exhaustion during this course. :)

Apparently the class is so intense that many of the students chose to stay in a hotel on campus. However, because it was $900 cheaper, and my aunt and uncle only live 20 minutes away (two towns over), I will be staying with them during the duration of the course. And, so in fact, will Linus! This is mainly because my aunt and uncle LOVE Linus (and spoil him rotten), but also so he’ll have some people to hang out with and walk him during the afternoons. Earl has been working 13-hour days lately, so I didn’t want the dog to be left alone for so long each day.

So, Linus and I shall dearly miss Earl, although Earl did promise to take BART out and visit us on the weekend. Even then, I’m going to be pretty busy! This is what I’m thinking my schedule is going to look like for the next two weeks:

5am: wake up
6-7am: run
7am-8am: shower, eat breakfast
8am: leave for school
8am-8pm: classes (the schedule is actually 12 hours a day of class)
8pm-9pm: drive home, eat dinner
9pm-11pm: study
11pm: bed

As far as running goes, I’ve made the decision to put it on the back-burner for these next couple of weeks. Basically, I’ll just try to get in an hour a day or sprints, easy run, tempo, FARTLEKs, whatever. Just to get out there and maintain some semblance of fitness, kinda. But, the second I get too overwhelmed with school or am not getting enough sleep, that’s going to be the first thing dropped. The course is the primary objective; fitness can always come back with a little hard work when I have the time.

Other than the 6 chapters of “homework” before school even starts, we also have the oddball assignments of procuring “three polo shirts- 1 white, 1 navy and 1 black,” “two pairs of cargo pants- 1 navy and 1 black” and “black soled, black tennis sneakers.” Does that strike you as a bit odd? I didn’t even know people made navy cargo pants. I think we’re going to go look for some Dickies at a Sears on Saturday. (????) The back up plan is Walmart or Old Navy. Hopefully we’ll find some… and knowing me, they’ll need to be hemmed, so that’s going to be a rush-job on Saturday, too. Ack! Lots of rushing the next two days, including a large amount of “getting my affairs in order”- ordering contacts, paying bills, packing, shopping for supplies- as I will basically be indisposed for the entire next 14 days.

Regardless, I am nervous/happy/excited for the class to begin. Even though this is just a small step, in my eyes it is rather sensational that one more measure of the Great Career Change shall soon be complete!