Learning the Hard Way

Trypanosoma Levisi. These two words have been haunting me since I first heard them. Science is my first love; more specifically, Biology. So going to Biology class for me was supposed to be fun and exciting and I anticipated going to my early morning sessions of Biology… that is, until this happened:

 

I have always prided myself on getting very high grades, whether I study or not. For one thing, I listen keenly and remember everything I listen to; secondly, I was blessed with a photographic memory, so once I see it, I’ll remember it. Our first class then was on the parasite Trypanosoma Levisi, and there were two major problems with the parasite. First one, is that no matter how hard I listened, I couldn’t get past what I thought was “Trip on the sofa” and two, I have never seen the creature, so I was doomed, as we had a quiz coming up.

I went home and tried hard to piece together what the professor tried to tell me about a sofa. Did a parasite live there? Are all people doomed because this parasite might infest the sofa and ultimately give us germs? I was in a quandary, and I was at a loss as well, because the day for the quiz was here.

There were two questions posed for the quiz, each worth 5 marks. The first question was “What is the Trypanosoma Levisi?” followed by: ”List two major characteristics of the Trypanosoma Levisi.” We had 20 minutes to complete the quiz, and friends, I can tell you that I pre-accepted my first zero within the first 10 seconds of receiving the paper. And so it was: I decided to close my brain to the idea of prior knowledge, and start accepting new knowledge as it came to me. If I wasn’t clear on something, I quickly raised my hand to ask for clarification, and I became very much acquainted with my new love: Google. That zero put things into perspective for me. I am still haunted, however, by the trauma that I was forced to go through because of “Trip on the sofa Levisi.”

 

As a mature student, I thought I knew all the basics of being successful in university. Sometimes, it’s best to just sit back, watch and learn. I was surprised at how much new information I gathered from this one class, even though I did this very same course previously for my first degree.

It was Henry Ford who said “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.”  

I plan to stay young.

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Jodi-Ann is an Environmental Studies major in Nova Scotia, Canada.

One Stop, Driver!

 I arrived in Canada with the expectation of seeing snow and ice painting the landscape. Much to my disappointment, the landscape was decorated with green and a splattering of colour reflecting the different types of vegetation that exist here. The air was cold, and I felt the exhilaration that a new experience brings (or perhaps it was just shivers from the cold air).

The first thing I noticed was my extreme hunger. Having traveled for hours and waiting for a time that felt like eternity in the airport for my flight, I was ravenous and even my purse was beginning to look delectable. So what could I do? It was 11 pm on my very first day in a new country, so I was left to do what anyone else would… I got under my covers and slept.

That night I had dreams of jerk chicken and a hot cup of Manish Water. Mouthwatering, delectable chunks of oxtail floated dreamily in my subconscious. Rice and peas cooked with delicious coconut cream and ackee and saltfish whispered my name so sweetly. A large escoveitched snapper smiled broadly at me, inviting me to take a taste. Just as I got ready to move towards the dishes before me, I was made aware of a recurring "buzz" (my alarm)and it was then that I woke up to the realization that it was only a dream and all those wonderful items were simply not here. My next goal, then, was to find the store.

I dressed warm and headed to the bus stop to get to the closest store. Sure enough the bus was on time and I followed the advice of the registration clerk who told me the store is 15 minutes away by bus. After riding the bus for over 20 minutes, I began to feel that maybe I was lost (ok, I knew I was lost). I felt the urge to bellow “One Stop, Driver!” but remembered that bus stop buttons were conveniently located all over the vehicle. So to avoid looking like an idiot, I approached the driver and politely asked him to indicate to me whenever we got the store. Much to my amazement, the driver created a facial expression that was akin to comic book drawings and said: “Um, you’re on the wrong bus darlin’; you should have gone in the other direction!” I almost lost it! Not only was I now more than half an hour away in the opposite direction, it was also cold, and my stomach was now singing to the tune of an orchestra!

 

I hung my head in embarrassment then crossed the street to catch the bus in the other direction and finally made my way to the store. As hard as that experience was, I felt a sense of achievement after all was said and done. Not only did I learn about that route, I managed to locate the store; I got a student discount; and that afternoon, it snowed.

The following day would be my first day of classes for the winter, and even though my hands were freezing and I slipped on the pathways several times (didn’t fall though), I was ready for the new challenge.

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Jodi-Ann is an Environmental Studies major in Nova Scotia, Canada.

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