Keep your head up

Whoaaa! Two exams in one week was cray. Now that I have taken my first Health Assessment exam and first two Patho/Pharm. exams I think I get the hang of how the instructors test, which includes some pretty tricky questions. Word of advice to self; read carefully, and slowly. I have made so many mistakes just jumping the gun when I see the first word in the answer choice being correct but neglecting to read the rest! Ugh! I am trying to keep my head up though because my grades are not as great as I'd like but one of the instructors flat out said "I don't give A's" so I am trying to take that into account. But it's frustrating when you are used to getting really good grades when you actually try and study hard to getting mediocre grades, definitely a change. :/ But enough ranting. It's Friday, I made it through two exams this wee,k and I am going out tonight with some people from the program to bar hop! Cannot wait for a little fun :)

TGIF!

Well I did not do bad on the first Pharm. exam but not as good as I would have liked. Now that the first test is over I have a feel for how the instructor's tests are. But apparently that first one was the easiest one so I am a little worried about the remaining exams! I finally feel "comfortable" doing vitals (I hwas having a hard time with taking a blood pressure at first). With a little practice it is not as scary as it seems! I am working on getting a neuro exam down (which is easy since I have them done on myself kind of frequently). And now for the fun part, cranial nerves (you can't hear my sarcasm but it's there). So I found a funny menumonic on Wiki that I think I am going to use because the other's I have been taught are pretty boring and they just don't stick (for me personally anyways). So I like "Oprah Ought Order Tasty Treats And Finally Value Growing Voluptuous And Happy" (Olfactory, optic, occulomotor, trochlear, trigeminal, abducens, facial, vestibulocochlear, glossopharyngeal, vagus, accessory, hypoglossal). Now I just need to remember what each nerve controls, and relate that to the each part of the neuro exam (ugh!) Well I am already feeling a little stressed/overwhelmed and it's only the second week. I have a habbit of overthinking and this leads to even more stress. So, I am trying to meditate twice a day to see if this relieves any stress and clears my mind! Once in the morning and once before bed. We will see if meditation really works or if it's BS! Going to study cranial nerves now, then meet some of the girls from the program for dinner and drink. Can't wait to try some Thai food, and I am so ready for a drink!

Survived the first week

Well I survived the first week of the accelerated nursing program. We really are moving at a fast pace but I think it'll be manageable. First exam is already on Tuesday (pharmacology/pathophysiology). I've been recording the lectures and playing them back whenever I can (when doing the dishes, laundry, driving, showering, etc.) It's really helpful to hear the lectures more than once because the professors have so much material to cover that they tend to talk fast. I am taking the advice of our cohort coordinator and making sure to leave a little down time for myself and trying to avoid stressing. A little stress can be motivating but too much can hinder performance. Another tip, sit in the front. I usually sit in the middle or back of the class but since this program started I have been sitting in the front. Why? Well first of all I am looking directly at the speaker so there are no distractions (wondering where student two rows in front of you bought those cute boots, the clock etc) and being in the front the teacher sounds louder which not only is good for recording but also I am more likely to pay attention when the voice is louder and right in my face. As far as lab we practiced vitals and I (along with the majority) am struggling with taking a blood pressure. But luckily our school lets you sign out BP cuffs so I did that and plan on practicing this weekend. Key words: practice, practice, PRACTICE! On a side note, I've never been a breakfast eater but I can definitely tell a difference in cognitive functioning when I eat well and that also means eating breakfast. So don't skip breakfast! Also stay hydrated. I'm horrible with this one but working on it (I've even been to ED before for blacking out because I was dehydrated!) I've also found some great apps for my iPhone that really have helped me out this week. Audio Memos is the first. I record my lectures using this app and I love it, not to mention its free. Also another good one I use most nights is Sleep Cycle. A friend had told me about this one and you set about how many minutes it takes you to sleep in the app, then you can find out which 3 times are the best times to go to sleep and wake up feeling refreshed even if you're sleeping less than 8 hours (I'm guessing they calculate it based in REM sleep?) But it's definitely great if you're studying or whatever is going on where you can't get a full 7-8 hours sleep that night. I swear it works! In lab Tuesday we will be doing HEENT (head, ears, eyes, nose, throat) exams on each other so in addition to studying, practicing BP, and class reading, I will need to prep for that lab. Thank God we have Monday off. Today I'm going to catch up on some cleaning (while listening to lecture of course) then meet a few of the girls at a coffee shop to study. Ta-ta for now!

First day!

 I started my first day of the program on my grandmother's birthday who passed in 2010. I hope she was watching over me today and proud. Not only was she a beautiful person on the outside, but she was also beautiful inside. She was the one who encouraged me to further my education and go to college in the first place. Rest in peace grandma. I miss and love you.


So my first day was great. I had an AWESOME day! I actually was intimidated and scared out of my mind about this program at first, but after today I feel a lot more at ease. The faculty were extremely helpful in laying out what we can expect during the year, and made it clear that they are there to support us and offer us any resources they can to make sure we succeed and become RNs! Students from the cohort a few semesters ahead of ours came in and spoke to our cohort. It was so helpful to hear there advice and insight. The key to success so to speak across the board was TIME MANAGEMENT! So I have already started to mark down the due dates that I know on my calendar and I am planning out my days so that I have plenty of study time. Another thing I like about this program is how they stressed that although this is a rigorous program (as are most nursing programs let alone an accelerated one) to make sure to take the time out for YOURSELF to keep yourself whole, and as hard as it will be not to since we will have our hands full with school, not to neglect family and relationships during the program. The faculty seemed to genuinely care about the students and take an interest in us and they were so encouraging. Tomorrow is the second part of the orientation and then we actually have lecture. Ahh that's when things will get real! Well I had a great first day today, met a lot of great people and I am looking forward to tomorrow. Trying to stay positive!

Books=bought

So today I went to visit some of the guys I used to work with when I was in the developmentally disabled field, and I was so happy that they remembered me. My favorite individual was there and I was so glad I got to talk to him for a minute and see how he is doing.  After, I went to finally meet the girl I have been talking to from all nurses.com who moved out from Cali for the program. She is awesome and made me a Vietnamese lunch, yum! Then we went to get our ID, books, and parking passes for school. The parking was kind of expensive (300 something for one year) which I am used to paying state school/community college parking so I was like whooaaa! But, I was so surprised and excited that the University had new books for rent, and this option was even cheaper than buying used books. So what I ended up doing was buying 2 books (one I knew I would keep and need later down the road and the other did not have the option to rent) and rented the other 3. You have 2 weeks to decide if you are going to need the book longer than the semester is for and if you decide to keep it you just bring it back within those 2 weeks, and pay the difference and it's yours (sweet deal). So in total I only spent $260 on my books this semester (5 books) which to me was amazing! I remember my psychology books when I went to school in the past at another college (a state school at that) being more than I paid today! Anywho, I am trying to finish up this book I have been reading before the program starts because once I start Monday I know there will be no more leisure reading! It's called the Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath and it is quite depressing but of course being in the field I am it's right up my alley. My honey and I are squeezing in a movie date tonight because I don't think I will have time for any dates after Monday :/. Toodaloo!

I'm Back

So I am back from my Vegas trip and I miss it there already :(. I had the best time ever and Vegas is even more awesome than I had expected it to be. I am actually Yelping about it right now. Something I didn't know before going to Vegas, which I should have known is that their are a TON of swindlers there. My friend and I got "got" so many times. So now that I have been broken in and hip to the swindlage (not a word lol) next time I go to vegas I will not be taken advantage of! Other than that though, like I said I had the time of my life and it was the best trip I have been on yet. Anywho, I am so glad I went right before the program because I was able to relax and have fun one last time before I start "bootcamp"! I am already planning a cruise hopefully for my 25th b-day during our May break so I have something to look forward to. Vacations aside, A few of us from the program are planning a brunch for this weekend so we can finally meet! I am so excited but also nervous to start this program, but it's good to know that I am not the only one who feels that way. I am getting our spare room ready to be my little 'office' where I can close the door and study without distractions. I recommend if you have an extra room doing this, or if not and you do not live alone go to the library or a coffee shop. I am still waiting on my Target curtains to come in the mail ( I am trying to make it as cute and comfy as possible in there since I will be spending a lot of time there). Now I just need to put some more candles in there and my little water fountain thingy, and set up my desk (it's a mess) and it will be perfect for studying. The room is at the other end of the apartment which is good because I won't be able to hear the TV right outside the door if the BF is watching it or if he has his friends over. I have the worst attention span I will focus on everything I am not supposed to!

Encouraging..

Happy New Year! It is now 2013, and I think a lot of great things are going to happen this year! My mom and I went to go see my dad yesterday, and it was nice to talk with them both together. They are so insightful and made me realize that I can come off sort of well stuck up sometimes (haha) and that I need to stay humble. Love them for being honest, I needed to hear it! So I plan on making some changes within myself this new year, and my main resolution is going to be working on staying humble and understanding where other's are coming from more, even if they don't see or do things the way I do. Can't forget where I came from, and the older I get I see that all of my good qualities come straight from them(the rents). As dysfunctional as my home was coming up I think that they did a pretty good job when it came to raising my brother and I. Anywho, was completing and entrance counseling on the dept. of education's website and just had to post this link below. Public service employees who work full time and make 120 ontime payments (10 years) to their goverment student loans may be forgiven! Nurses are on the list :) (thank you Jeeeesusss!) https://studentaid.ed.gov/sites/default/files/public-service-loan-forgiveness.pdf