Once again I think time flies. It really does.
I must admit that I was a good and structured student until middle March. The second half of the month was more of a struggle to keep the studying pace. My studying routine went so wrong that I haven’t been able to read properly for a long time.
Reasons for that:
- Working many nights (and not always in a row).
- Working some extra evenings.
- Travelling to Gdansk (Poland).
- Job contract renewal: only 2 months.
Especially the last one caught me unprepared. For some days I could not accept the fact that they had just offered me 2 more months to work with Steinar. My new leader told me that I don’t have any kind of education in healthcare and therefore I would only be able to sign a 2 months contract. She will make a plan for 2015 including (and recruiting new) employees who are somewhat educated in healthcare. When she figures everything out, she’ll know how many guys will be needed to cover the gaps. That’s where I and some of my colleagues come into the picture. We are supposed to take whatever is left available for us. If we’re lucky, nothing will change. But I’d not count on that.
I have been working with Steinar for 1,5 years. Surprisingly that doesn’t matter, according to my new boss. The situation pisses me off. Nothing seems to help. Doing a good job, having a good relationship with the patient and his family, helping out and working extra when they are running short on people. All for nothing. But I’ve come to peace with myself. All in all, it’s not up to me. If needed I’ll find another job. All that matters, for now, is that I have a job until the 31st of May.
The highlights of March.
- Spring has finally come!
- A trip to Gdansk with my friend Adelaide.
- Meeting Agnieszka in Gdansk.
- Improving my consistency with meditation practice.
Between the 22nd and 25th of March, I was in Gdansk (Poland). It was good to do a city break in order to break the routine. I was in Gdansk (travelling alone) twice in 2014 (March and September). There I got to know Agnieszka, the receptionist and manager of the Happy 7 Hostel in Gdansk. She’s the kind of person who can add extremely value to your trip. Why? Because she knows Gdansk inside out and you just gotta tell her what you’d like to do or see. She’ll take you there in one way or another.
The second time I visited Gdansk I stayed at the same hostel (Happy 7). It was my best hostel experience ever. The environment is so relaxed and everyone is so welcoming. I really felt at home. Who was still working there? Agnieszka! Yaaaay! Those 5 days there was a lot of fun. We became friends effortlessly.
This time (March 2015) I wanted to go so that I could have a break from Oslo and visit Agnieszka at the same time. It was awesome! She was so nice. Can’t thank you enough girl!
When I booked my flight I called one of my friends in Oslo (Adelaide) and asked her if she would like to join. She did! Therefore I was surrounded by friends the whole time. Lucky me!
During my trip, I got an email from the examination office with official examination dates.
Here we go.
- Chemistry I = 13th April.
- Chemistry II (practice part) = 24th April.
- Chemistry II (written part) = 26th May.
- Physics I = 13th June.
These dates disturbed me quite a bit. I was counting on all the exams to be in May. No, not smart to expect such thing.
The good news: I have read the material covered in both chemistry exams (even though I still need to get the hang of some problems in Chemistry II).
The bad news: I haven’t really read it in Norwegian and the whole examination is going to be done in Norwegian.
Fortunately, I have learned how to keep the future in the future and that email didn’t really ruin the mood in Gdansk. I got a little worried for a while but I was able to push the pressure away.
Coming back to Oslo was bittersweet. During the trip back I couldn’t get my head off the first examination. Since the 25th of March, I have been working a lot more than predicted (Easter time means holidays for many). Up until now all I could do regarding Chemistry I was to go through half of the book in Norwegian and take note of all the terms that I must know.
There is no time to make long notes and drawings. I should get through the whole book as soon as I can and do as many problems as possible until next Monday.
Right now I am aware that I have less than a week to make it work out for me. However, I don’t feel anxious or desperate at all. It is what it is. Stressing myself up won’t help anyway. I must do my best to manage my time well during this week and go for it.
What do I have to lose, right? (At least this is the feeling now. Let’s see how this will sound when I wake up tomorrow).
Last but not least. The highlights of the Gdansk trip.
- Quality time with friends.
- Playing bowling like never before.
- Very good meals at different restaurants.
- Many many many jokes and funny moments.
Easter time is over and Oslo is about to come back to its best (people, traffic, movement, noise, etc.). Although it was nice to go on the streets and see almost nobody for some days. But it gets a little creepy at night, even though safe.
I hope you guys have had a good time.
