I realized something as I approached finals recently. Nursing school was easier...and harder.
What I mean is this:
Last semester was “kick your butt” difficult. I was struggling to just keep my head above water. I loved what I was learning, but everything was so new. My first goal for every test was to simply learn how to pronounce the words. Of course, that was quickly followed by “what does that even mean?” I had to look up 3 words in every sentence just to try and understand. (Trust me. I did. It was pathetic.)
Fast forward to now. Words like dyspnea, polyuria, alopecia, and diaphoresis are making sense. (Shortness of breath, having to use the bathroom a lot, hair loss/balding, and sweating on the forehead and upper lip. Impressed yet?)
However, the subject material got A LOT harder. A LOT. No more fun introductory “this is what hypertrophy is...” It was more like... “The heart produces a hormone that helps regulate blood volume. What is it, and what part of the heart produces it? (It’s ANP and BNP, FYI, and it’s produced by the left and right atrium to help the body excrete excess liquid. While we’re on the topic of random facts you can impress your friends with, did you know that the heart drains to lymph nodes by your elbow? That’s right. If you have an infection in your heart, there will most likely be lumps by your funny bone. Throw that bad boy fact out during your next dinner party.)
So, finals came and went. They mostly went well, but the inevitable happened. I got a “B.” It’s nice that I passed, but I would like it better if I got an “A.” Then again, somewhere during the semester I decided that I was going to learn, but I wasn’t going to go crazy studying because I have such a busy summer ahead of me. Just goes to show that choices have consequences.
Comprehensive finals were significantly less intimidating this semester then last semester. I would like to think it’s because I’m so much smarter. The truth is, I was in the groove learned to study better. I also, might have learned a little about test taking strategies. I’m sure it also helped that I had 2 classes with the same professor. (She’s also teaching summer school, which is a bonus because I love her, and she’s a fantastic professor.)
You might have noticed that I did not have a single freak out about finals...at least not on the blog. There “might” have been a mild “I AM GOING TO FAIL THIS” 24-hours before the first test... “maybe.” (wink, wink, nudge, nudge)
I am now 2 days into summer school, and my first day in the hospital is Thursday. I have a test Monday and I must get the notes together to begin the study process.
It is going to be hectic, so I’m just going to apologize now if the posting is less frequent. Of course, I do have more tests, and I am always looking for ways to procrastinate..........
