The week before exams, by blogger of the month Jixi He

Luisa's birthday

We like to say time flies when you’re having fun. Well, time flies no matter what you do especially when the exam period is coming up. I can’t believe I’ve already been in Israel for almost half a year now. I know my way around Beer Sheva. I can ask for directions in Hebrew and actually understand the answers. I refer to Soroka as “our hospital”. But I don’t think I’m ready for the exams, even if you give me another 6 months for it. I’ve learned quite a lot this semester but there’s always much more that I don’t know. So this is what we’ve been doing to prepare for the exam…


Luisa’s birthday is coming up. Don’t you dare forget about it! She is teaching the whole class about the biochemical pathways of her existence: You start with 2 substrates-papi and mami, and the enzyme-Luisasynthase, and you get an irreversible conformational change that results in our lovely product-Luisa, who is responsible for making birthday cards, giving our classmates lots of hugs, and keeping everyone happy. This metabolic pathway is positively regulated by love and negatively regulated by sickness on a gloomy day. And there you go; I should pass my biochemistry final after this review session?

Sleepy chaverim (friends)

Sleepy Sam!

How to prevent yourself from falling asleep in class? Fall asleep between classes! Just like how my dear chaverim (“friends” in Hebrew) have demonstrated: a short power nap during the break can improve attention in class and retain 50% more knowledge because you’re not constantly dozing off. Phase II clinical trial pending.

Food before

Food after!

It is absolutely essential to have good energy for better and more efficient studies. The brain takes up only 2% of the body weight but uses more than 20% of our daily energy intake. Let’s take care of that little commander on top with some delicious cafeteria food from the hospital. Beef, carrots, and chicken soup; tastes just like the food I had in China. “It tastes like Chinese” is the best compliment I can give to food. We all might have noticed that we get a little grumpier when we’re hungry. That’s because when we’re hungry the serotonin level drops and this is an important hormone that helps regulate behaviors like anger and aggression. I can definitely tell you that I feel like the happiest person on earth whenever I finish a good meal after a state of starvation. My almost empty plate can tell you that too.

Rainy B7

When you’re busy preparing for exams don’t forget about the little things that can make life beautiful. It’s been pretty rainy and cold in Beer Sheva this past week. Even in this gloomy weather, I still spotted the most beautiful scene at the hospital helicopter field yesterday: a golden sunset against the backdrop of the heavy grey clouds. It brightened up my evening as I walked back home, tired from a whole day of study.

Falafel for Thanksgiving

It’s the 4th Thursday of November. What’s Thanksgiving in Israel like? Falafels! In this cold winter night at the Black Falafel stand, we gathered our friends and family and took turns saying what we were thankful for this past year. I am thankful for my mom, all my friends, this falafel and the fact that I’m in Israel. - blogger of the month, Jixi He