Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Whew! One Month Down...

Fourteen to go!

My thoughts on Nursing School so far:

fun.
nerve-wracking.
studying.
busy.
easy.
hard.
studying.
tiring.
exhilarating.
exhausting.
studying.
natural.
Oh, I study a lot!


Things I've learned about Nursing School so far:

the grading system is whack!
recording your lectures helps.
colored pens make taking notes more fun.
read and reread questions on the tests.
people of all ages/backgrounds/ethnicities/walks of life are going to nursing school.
buy lots of ink cartridges and paper.
people drop out... we're down to 35 of the 40.
ebooks suck! are not as user-friendly as they claim to be.
volunteering for things (like performing a skill first) is scary and you will make mistakes, but you'll never make that same mistake again!
cgcc block 1 instructors are wicked awesome.
making time for other things (family, husband, relaxing... napping) is important.
scrubs are comfy.


I'm really loving it so far! I feel like I've been anticipating it so long that I am just soaking everything in (well trying anyway!) and really enjoying it. Most of it actually feels pretty normal and, in an odd way, familiar.
I study a lot, because there is just so much to learn. Not only for the the upcoming exam, but to actually KNOW and understand to be a great nurse... oh and to pass the NCLEX. Its not the type of studying where you cram the night before and memorize terms for a test, but commit it to memory in a way that you can just know it and utilize it moving forward.
So about the grading system being whack... I got an 83% on my first exam annnnd that means I got a C. What's that about? For our exams, the only way to get an A is to miss one- yes only ONE- question! It's slightly disappointing, and somewhat defeating, to only miss a few questions and you are already at a C, but I've been putting in the work and trying hard so I can't be too hard on myself. I've only missed a few questions that I knew, read too fast, and should have gotten right, but I learned quickly to relax and make sure to read and reread the questions and I was able to pull out a B for exams numbers 2 and 3! Woop woop!
I've gotten 100% on my practicum skills so far, and I've done half of them.
We start clinicals in a few weeks and I'm excited and nervous. It will be fun to actually go out and be in the field but I just don't know what to expect until I go. Buuuut I can't wait!

...I need to remember to take some pictures in school so I can have them to remember (and so you all can see, of course!) I guess for now this is just a boring ol' post with no pictures!

Next time. :)