Surviving Nursing School

At the beginning of the semester I was really motivated and excited, but as the semester carried on I started losing that spark of newness. This is the point in the semester when you really just have to keep pushing because we are almost there. Only 4 more weeks and then we are one semester closer to graduating and being nurses. Time is really going by quickly. It feels like the program just started, but we have only three semesters left. 

I cannot believe we have passed the halfway point in the semester. It feels like just last week we were coming back from winter break and starting to get in the routine of things again. The past 3.5 weeks have been absolutely crazy between the amount of school work I had, 3 exams, and starting a new job. Finally, this coming week should be much more laid back and a lot less stressful. I am sure the rest of semester will go by even faster than the first half of the semester did. 

The past 10 days have definitely been the hardest of the semester so far. On top of all the regular weekly assignments and readings, I had to study for 2 exams that were one day apart. Last semester, we never had more than one exam in a week so this was definitely a challenge. I started studying way in advance so I would not have to cram for each exam. Overall, I think my study plan was pretty successful because I got grades that I am satisfied with. 

I cannot believe COVID-19 has been affecting our lives for almost a year now. It feels like time has stopped, yet it has gone by extremely quickly. Using COVID feels like such a weird way to count time. “We’ve been in quarantine for ___ months now.” feels like the way everything is measured these days. When this all started, I never would have imagined that we would be where we are today. So many lives have been lost, yet we all find a way to carry on and adjust our daily routines to our “new normal.” I feel privileged to have been able to receive the vaccine so early on in its distribution compared to the “average Joe.” I read the science and statistics behind the vaccines, but it still does not feel like I am safer now. I still have to take all the precautions what I was taking before the vaccine. I am excited for the day when as many people who wanted to receive the vaccine have received it. I am waiting for that huge sigh of relief when COVID is “over.” 

Well, the newness of the semester has almost completely worn off and now the hard work begins. The first week of the semester feels like a total blur. There was a large learning curve as I was trying to establish a new routine that will help lead me to success with the current semester’s tasks. I reworked my organizational tools that I used during the first semester so they will be helpful with the current semester’s classes. Once that was established, the second week of the semester was spent really solidifying and fine tuning the tools I put in place. Now that the second week has ended, I feel as if I have my routine down and I can keep moving forward with school work. I am excited to continue my clinical experience at CHOP and practice my skills with Vsim. 

I have been anticipating the first day that I would be in the hospital for the past couple of years, but as the months turned into weeks and the weeks into days and the days into hours my excitement grew. Although today was really just an orientation, I felt like I really am where I’m supposed to be. I know that the experience I am going to have will pose many challenges, I will take each one as a learning opportunity and grow from it. I am excited to see what this semester will bring for me and my fellow nursing students.