Last semester I took Medical Terminology online to ease back into the college lifestyle that I have been out of since 2001. I got an A in that class and felt like I was on my way to acceptance into nursing school.
Now, because my sciences are all too old, I have to re-take each of them, in order, one per semester, before I can apply to nursing school. What at first, I thought was a ridiculous inconvenience, I now realize is absolutely necessary.
This was my first week officially back in college...on campus, in a class, with a lab. Oh my goodness. OH MY GOODNESS!
I signed up for Anatomy and Physiology 1 on Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:00-12:15 and AP Lab on Wednesday mornings from 8-10:50. So I thought, I have taken this before, and I can do it again. Let's just say, no. At least I came prepared with all my materials, and tons of nervousness.
First, there is the social aspect of school that I have just not been in for a while. I met the girl who sat next to me. Carly, an 18 year old recent high school grad looking to go to dental hygiene school. By Friday, I had met and conversed with several people and had exchanged phone numbers with many of the ladies in my SI group.
So now the educational aspect..um...yeah....I got the toughest professor! This wasn't really a choice, rather a necessity since this was the only time class was offered during school hours for my children. But she enjoys the trickery of test questions that no one would know. She will test over lecture, lab, text, pictures, internet sites, diagrams, you name it. You must know every detail through memorization and through function. At the end of the first class I was so overwhelmed.
When the SI instructor came up to discuss Supplemental Instruction classes, I thought, "Who can make time for SI sessions with all this work? There are 3 sessions for lecture and 5 for lab!" So I went home Monday, cranky and overwhelmed and spent the day organizing a study system, note taking system, and a paper system for the loads of handouts and lecture notes coming my way.
I decided to go to the second SI class, which is basically a free study session in small groups with a leader who has taken the course with the same professor and has gotten an A. Boy am I glad I went. My SI leader for the lecture offers 3 classes a week, right after our lecture on Monday and Wednesday and bright and early Friday morning. It was so helpful though. She was able to give us extra information on how the professor likes to test, extra handouts and games to help with memory, and advice on how to complete the test, starting with essays and skipping over the questions that you don't immediately know since you have roughly 30 seconds a question. YIKES!
So I have basically reworked my schedule to make sure that I am able to go to each SI for the lecture, and 2 of the 5 SI's for the lab a week. I need all the help I can get. I must get an A, and I must understand how everything functionally works. The more I know now, the easier it will be later. And if I can be a really good student, I can hopefully get a really good recommendation from my two professors. Those are requirements to get into the nursing program....and they look at your grades first. I could possibly get early admission based on excellent grades and recommendations.
My head hurts from all this swirling around in my head. I will definitely be spending this entire semester submerged in A&P. Add to it my last semester as the PTO President. Add to it my children, husband, and home. Add to it my part time job. I may be sacrificing my sanity a bit over the next few years to make this happen...but I am in it to win it. Pray for me..... :)
No comments:
Post a Comment