1 year down....



1 1/2 more to go....

So, 2nd semester is IN THE BOOKS!  Here's the damage. 



Pharm - A, Research - A, Intro to Nursing Practice - B. 

All in all, I have to say, pretty good for someone that hardly ever went to class.  Seriously, although I love my program I will have to admit that some of these teachers need to invest in a class on "how to teach".  For our Pharm midterm & final, the professor gave us a list of questions that were in the data bank (277 for the midterm & 355 for the final) & said "Here's the questions, happy studying."  I promise you, I learned more from researching those questions than I learned in the whole class.  Since when did teaching become posting a ppt & then reading it in class??  How are you actually TEACHING me anything?  No need to go to class, I mean dang I can read a ppt for myself....BUT, it's done & over with now & I am finally on to 3rd semester!!! Well, not tomorrow or anything, we go back on January 21 I believe.  (Of course that's if we're still here with the world ending on 12/21/12 that is). 

Looking back on 2nd semester I am trying to think of some things I have learned.  Maybe a bit of information that I gleaned that I can pass along.  Ok here goes:

1. Pharm - There is NO WAY that you can learn all of the medications in that book.  BUT what you can learn is what certain types of drugs do.  What does a beta blocker do?  A calcium channel blocker?  An ACE inhibitor?  These are definitely things you should learn in Pharm.  And, if like me, your teacher doesn't teach you those things, then definitely make sure you look them up on your own. 

2. Research - Supposedly this is a necessary evil in nursing school but for me it was a slow, dull torture.  Kind of like a cut that's healing, it just throbs but doesn't really sting anymore.  It was painful in that boring, who gives a crap kind of way.  I suppose maybe I learned something?  I learned the difference between a qualitative and a quantitative article. My real thought is that this should be an online class.  I shouldn't have to drive an hour to hear about this stuff, and usually I didn't.

3. Fundamentals - Hmmm, fundamentals.  I don't really know what to say about this class.  It was ok? I learned how to put in a catheter and actually got to do one on a poor guy in the long term facility where I was. I mean I guess to me Fundamentals was a lot of common sense with a little bit of medicine mixed in.  It was pretty easy, I can't really say that I studied much in that class.  I liked the clinical part much better than the lecture part.  Everyone ahead of us says that we just don't realize how much we're actually learning until we get to next semester & then we have to put it all together, so we'll see. 

I have to say also that I am really liking my class mates.  Of course there are a few that I still haven't really ever talked to, but for the majority I really like them all pretty well.  We started a tradition where after each semester ends we go to this Mexican restaurant close to school to celebrate.  We had a great time & I'm really glad that I went.  I am totally looking forward to next semester, getting to have a REAL clinical in a REAL hospital and getting to know more of my classmates even better. 




For now though, I am going to try & relax and enjoy my Christmas break. 

I hope everyone else is having a great Christmas holiday as well!!

Blessings,