It’s Week 7 here at NUHS and midterms have been coming in for a few weeks now. It’s been a cycle of exams and review after exams, but on the whole, this trimester hasn’t been so stressful for me. We are halfway through, and I feel successful with the current workload being manageable. The way this trimester is going is much steadier than in previous trimesters, and I like it!
The Pursuit of Trivia…and Preparing for NPLEX.
One of the biggest updates I have is my joining the CUP team that will represent the school at a conference in a trivia-style question contest. I’ll be alongside some of the people who have been with me from Trimester One and a fabulous friend who pointed me in this direction. It feels meaningful to take this step in something like this.
On the other hand, I don’t always feel like I’m the best under pressure. Quick recall in front of a crowd is definitely not my strong suit. But this is another reason I look forward to studying well in advance of the NPLEX Part I. If anything, it’s motivating me to make a habit of reviewing material earlier and with purpose. However, preparing for this itself is a success, even if I feel nervous while giving an answer.
The World of Botanical Medicine.
I’ve also been feeling especially grateful for this school because of the relationships I’ve built with its professors, especially with Dr. Sorensen. She helped start and create the Garden Club and this past weekend she invited me to an heirloom seed swap at the Wheaton County Library. I hadn’t expected much prior to attending, but in the end, there were lots of tables filled with seeds, gardeners swapping stories and people enthusiastic about what they had planted.
We were able to get seeds for plants we’re currently covering in Botanical Medicine: Thymus vulgaris (thyme) and Eupatorium perfoliatum (boneset). Thyme is commonly used for respiratory support in coughs and upper respiratory congestion by acting as an antimicrobial and expectorant (facilitating the removal of phlegm). Boneset is traditionally recommended for flu-like illnesses, especially if fever and achy muscles are present. It was nice to get a sense of something we learn in lecture that is physically tangible and can be held in one’s hand.
The flow of this trimester, I feel, can be attributed to the long winter in which we’ve been contained. It has invited me to be more present in each moment, which has strengthened my retention, my presence in the community and my focus on what’s before me, so that when I sit to reflect in writing, only then do I realize how far along I’ve come. I’m looking forward to what this second half brings!
Photo: Blog author Quijai Johnson and NUHS faculty member Dr. Lorinda Sorensen
