Did I REALLY sign up for this??

Tomorrow is my first patho test. I'm not really nervous I'm just not prepared. I definitely didn't study as much as I should have but I think it's because I was mentally unprepared and didn't know how to study. So instead of trying to get through it, I just avoided it until like the last 2 days and now the test is tomorrow and I've probably studied about 4 out of 10 chapters.  And to top it all off I am so tired and so just want to go to bed and I should be staying up and studying but I just want to go to bed at 8:00. I'm debating going to bed now and then just getting up early and studying, but I think I've said on here plenty of times how I feel about getting up early. But still an hour earlier to study with a fresh mind may be better than staying up late and trying to power through it with a dead mind. I've done pretty good on most of my quizzes I've gotten mostly 80's and 90's. And now that I know how to study for the test I'll be...

So today was our first unofficial study group. Basically it was just me & another student. Our morning class was cancelled so we went early before our 2 nd class & studied patho for 2 hours. I feel a teeny bit better after studying with him. As I said before, I ALWAYS do better when I group study. So we're planning on doing this every Tuesday. I also sent out an email to everyone else in the class to see who else would want to meet. What I do find fun though is meeting new students every day. I love the way we're all going to stay together through the whole 5 semesters, I think that will create some great camaraderie . It'll will be interesting to see how many of the 65 of us actually make it to graduation. We actually already lost one. A girl whose husband was transferred. One down....

Ok how are you supposed to prepare for NCLEX type of questions when you aren't even sure what you're supposed to be studying? Also, how can you study every night for Patho & still get all your other classes attended to? One of the 5th semester's told me yesterday that Patho is a weed out course, um yeah, I feel like I'm definitely being pruned :(

Why do I feel like I'm the only one that doesn't know what the hell I'm doing?? I mean I have no CLUE what this stuff in my Patho book is talking about and short of reading EVERYTHING, how am I supposed to know it? Then I feel like even if I "learn" it, meaning I learn what she has on the power points, I really am not getting it. When she asks the NCLEX style questions, I am hard pressed to know what in the world she's talking about, this does NOT bode well for my first exam. I am COMPLETELY freaking out. Like seriously, I'm wondering what other careers I can entertain and what the hell did I do taking out a $10K student loan. I am losing it!!!! I am seriously thinking 5 classes plus a lab is just too much! Am I just being a wuss???

Yep that's me. Sitting at my computer, browsing through my dashboard reading through blogs, when in actuality what SHOULD I be doing?? STUDYING!! I made sure to clean my house (well most of it) yesterday so I could purposely devote all of today to studying, but instead I am at the computer procrastinating. Oh & I can't remember if I mentioned it in my last blog post, but I just realized yesterday that I MISSED my first Professionalism in Nursing class!! I was looking over my schedule yesterday & I saw it said the first class was January 18th & I thought "Wait I don't remember going to that class on the 18th" & then I realized it's because I DIDN'T!!! I totally blanked on my first class. I'm not used to taking so many classes at once & I just didn't even realize it. In fact on the front of all my notebooks I've actually written the day, time and room number of my classes to remind myself. Guess I must have overlooked t...

So things have been so hectic, I really haven't had the time to blog like I've wanted to about school. As I said before I was a little concerned about Patho, but I was just overwhelmed with the amount of stuff I needed to do with having 4 classes. Well actually 4 classes & a lab (I'm pretty sure the most I've ever taken). BUT so far I'm pretty much on track (I hope). I even got a praise from my online teacher for "encouraging" people to stay on deadline, lol. Uh yeah, I can't depend on them, either they get it turned in or they get left out! No, just kidding, I don't want anyone to get behind or to get a bad grade, so I'm glad everyone got their posts in. With Patho I was a little concerned b/c basically all the teacher has done is give us some power points, read over them and that's it. No teaching really. But I talked to my friend who is in the semester ahead of me & she said she just thinks that the teacher just really do...

Ok so I know everyone has said it before but DANG am I skerred !! Today was my first Patho class & to say it was overwhelming is probably accurate. It wasn't so much with the amount of content, but with the WAY you're supposed to learn it. I am MUCH better at memorization, but this actually applying it, I don't think I've got that yet. Of course at this point, ON THE FIRST DAY, I don't even have anything memorized & I probably should have. But I went ahead & printed off all the power points, so now I can go ahead & go through the chapters & do some outlines & make some flashcard, which I've never used before but I think will greatly help me. I'm thinking flashcards with the definition on the front & an application of it's use on the back will probably benefit me the most. Another thing I'm not used to is the lack of information on the power points. They're more like outlines themselves. I guess they're l...

Although school technically starts Tuesday, thanks to the internet we're supposed to already have 7 chapters read & 7 quizzes taken. Thankfully she extended having the quizzes done until Friday but I am already sweating this. I've taken three of the quizzes (which are open book by the way), which are only 10 questions each & let me just say, they are so hard! I mean even with the answers in the book I'm having a hard time figuring them out. On my quizzes so far it went like this - 90, 80, 70. I figured at that point I'd better just give up for the moment & go to bed!! Now luckily she has given us 2 hours to take these quizzes, so that we have time to look up the answers, but I swear the answers are NOT in the book. I know she asks the questions in the same format as most nursing classes, you know the "What answer is the MOST correct" format, but I swear even with the book open in front of me I CANNOT figure out what the freaking answer is!!!...

OH MY GOODNESS!! Guess who has SEVEN chapters to read in Pathophysiology and who has SEVEN freaking quizzes to take, ALL before next Tuesday?????????? Seriously? Lady I haven't even stepped foot in your classroom. Are you kidding? Am I being punked? No, seriously, did I mention I don't even have the book yet?? Oh and this online class, although you are a bit tedious, I think I'm going to love you. Or maybe it's just love at first site but the real you will come out later & I'll end up hating you as well. As for health assessment, I'm still trying to figure out exactly what you are. I mean you're obviously important, you even have a lab that comes with you, but still, I'm trying to figure you out. And guess what? Today was only orientation!! Lord help me!

Guess what?? TOMORROW IS ORIENTATION!!!!!!! Woohoo. And I got the text today saying my student loan refund is on it's way. So now I can get my books, my nursing kit, my adorable school supplies, my clicker & my raspberry stethoscope. Yeay!! I'm so excited woowee & I just can't hide it no, no, no no, I'm about to lose control & I think I like it....ok I've got a grip now. Seriously though I am super excited!!! :) **Edit - Ok, so I picked out my outfit, lol. I'm going with a little bit dressy, just for tomorrow of course. Maybe I'll take a picture & post it :)**

One more day & then orientation. I have been debating what to wear. Do I dress up? Do I go casual with jeans & my Blarvard shirt that I got for Christmas? What did you wear for your orientation? Speaking of things to wear, I am so glad that we don't have to wear our hideous scrubs this semester, that gives me like 6 months to lose some weight before I have to don the all white ensemble. UGH!!! I can do it, I NEED to do it. I cannot wear that outfit at the weight I am, I will look like the Stay Puff Marshmallow Woman!!! Gross!! I mean seriously, white? I don't understand, our school colors aren't white, why not the school colors? Whatever. Anyhoo, ONE MORE DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wooooooooohooooooooooo

So it's official, we got the approval today for my son's hardship license. Woohoo!! Now he can drive him & his sister to school!! Yeay!! Of course school starts the 17th & wouldn't you know it there wasn't an opening for the stupid driving test until the 18th :(. Luckily though I have some really great friends that will help me out until then & of course Eugene works 2 days on 2 days off, so it'll work out. Hopefully there won't be a problem with him passing the test, I'd hate to have to kill him! There shouldn't be a problem though, he's a really great driver. I ordered one of my books for school :) Can't wait to get it. It's just Nursing Trends, but I am looking forward to even that. I mean what do I know about nursing trends? So that should be pretty interesting. It's an online class, the only one I have. I'm not really big on online classes. I had a math class online but it was pretty straightforward, th...

Ok so I am totally working on trying to get this stupid video that I did forever ago uploaded. I want to get this working before school actually starts b/c I want to start doing more vlogging & less blogging. Well about nursing school anyway. It's getting close. I have orientation on Wednesday & I can't wait. I am kind of worried though b/c I am waiting on my student loan to come through before I buy the bulk of my stuff, but some of these things I'm supposed to have like by the end of the month (stethoscope being one) & I haven't even ordered it yet. Hopefully I can just order expedited shipping & it will be here on time. Oh yeah & that clicker too. I'm supposed to have it purchased & registered by the 28th. But luckily they sell those at the school bookstore, so hopefully that won't be a problem. I like this idea of renting books. I found a really great site & have rented one of my books for $22.00! That's a big savi...

When it comes to my acceptance into nursing school I am NOT a procrastinator as with everything else in my life, so today I have to fax off all my stuff (driver's license, Life Support Card, labs etc.) off to someplace in order to cement my acceptance. When might you ask is the deadline for this? The 6th. This is the ONLY thing I've cut so close, whew. Also, I was looking at my list of things I need to get as far as books & stuff are concerned & I have to get a clicker??? What the heck is a clicker & why do I need one. Are we going to be taking our tests in game show style? Apparently is it supposed to help keep our attention during lecture by "polling" us? Weird, but this is what it looks like: Does anyone else use these? I am excited to find out exactly how they work. Can't wait!!

January 1, 2012 THIS IS THE YEAR I BEGIN THE REST OF MY LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh my excitement is just off the charts, I'm sure you haven't noticed. Today I was thinking just how truly blessed I am. For Christmas my thoughtful husband bought me the BEST gift ever. What is it? A new laptop to use for school? Nope. The raspberry stethoscope I am drooling over? Nope. A new heavy duty backpack? Nope. The best thing my husband got me for Christmas was this: My first official school shirt!!!   How sweet & thoughtful was that? I know to other people it may not seem like a lot but to me school means everything. I posted a picture of it on my FB & my nephew said "I saw your new school shirt, are you actually having to go to campus?" And I said "Yep" & he said "Aw it's like your a college student" haha, which of course I AM!! And that reality really sunk in today. I am going to be a full fledged University student...