admissions

My last final exam is Monday morning at 9 a.m. and I couldn't be more nervous than I am right now. I'm on the verge of a migraine. It wouldn't be so bad if I wasn't so close to the edge. This is why I don't go to the edges of cliffs. Even thinking about doing that makes me dizzy. But, alas, here I am with an 81% in my med/surg class. We still have four items to be submitted for a grade; one of our clinical rotation grades is pending, our preceptorship packet, our preceptorship/clinical grade and the final exam. It's a mere 25% of our total grade. I haven't done the math, but figure anything less than 78 and I fail.

These last few months have been extremely trying, even more than anyone will ever know. We've continued to have problems with AW and his academic standing, as well as his behaviors. Some of it's normal teenage rebellion, some of it has gone to extremes. I shoulder a lot of it, since I feel that I'm to blame for it all since I took time away from him to go to nursing school.

I think what makes me most nervous about failing is that it will quash everything we've been through the past two years.

Stronger, Mary J. Blige

We've been through the storm, we've been through it all
We had some close calls but never would fall
We climbed all the mountains, walked through all the valleys but you never left me behind

I found my way through the clouds
No more runnin, scared, closing my eyes
I will be true this love from my heart
I'm laying my life on the line

I will survive, as long as it's you by my side
I will survive, as long as it's you by my side
I'm stronger
I'm stronger
I'm stronger
I'm stronger
I'm stronger
I'm stronger

They said we wouldn't make it but guess what we made it
And we got them wondering how
You were always for me, never been the one t'hurt me
You gave me peace of mine

I found my way through the clouds
No more runnin, scared, closing my eyes
I will be true this love from my heart
I'm laying my life on the line

I will survive, as long as it's you by my side
I will survive, as long as it's you by my side
I'm stronger
I'm stronger
I'm stronger
I'm stronger
I'm stronger
I'm stronger

Sometimes I can't believe that you are with me..
There's nobody lucky as me
So I get on my kness to make sure that he knows that I'm grateful for what he gave me

I will survive
I will survive, as long as it's you by my side
I will survive, as long as it's you by my side
I'm stronger
I'm stronger
I'm stronger
I'm stronger
I'm stronger
I'm stronger

the end of mental health

Today I take my Mental Health exam and therefore I am thrilled to say that the class will be over. Big grins! I did pretty well on the final yesterday in Nur108 Nursing Principles and Concepts, coming away with a 93. The MH exam will most certainly give me a bigger run for my money. I may be crazy toward the end of it. With all the studying I did for ATIs it's been hard to not be burned out for finals. Sad, sad, sad...

The celebrations are plentiful today, not just being Cinco de Mayo, it's Big B's 40th birthday. We're supposed to have LB's double-header this afternoon, but the weather hasn't been very cooperative as of late. Go figure. It seems to be the norm this Spring. Winter in April, April showers in May. If the weather doesn't hold up I'm grabbing LB from practice (they have practice when games are cancelled) and he, AW and I are going to head up to Northern VA to take Daddy out to dinner. I suggested Cheesecake Factory, as I've never been, but of course it's up to the old guy!

Tomorrow's the big day of freedom and the day I, and many others, get to wake up and say we're second year nursing students. One down, one to go! I have a follow-up appointment with my FNP, and will take advantage of the location and go for a mani/pedi. I also need to get my hair's trimmed, but that'll wait for some other day. I haven't been to the commissary in eons and we're way overdue for some serious grocery shopping. That'll take up part of my day on Thursday. We also have landscaping to finish up, so I'm hoping the weather will give way to some sunshine....or at least dryness, for the weekend.

Next week I get to make the horrid trip to Maryland to pick up my cap and gown. I walk at commencement for my university degree on the 16th. They don't mail our regalia to us, so it's up to me to make two trips to the other side of the area, one for the pick up and one for the walk. It's no fun! I still have announcements sitting on my dining room table to be addressed and sent out. I'm not expecting anyone to be there except for my guys, so they truly are just announcements, not invites anyway.

Eh well...I better go grab a bite to eat and skim over the MH material once more. Wish me luck! I need it!

first semester of nursing school=O-V-E-R!

Ok, so maybe the sun didn't literally come out today, more like drizzly, cold rain.

And maybe I didn't get to revel in my accomplishment of finishing my first semester of nursing school, right after finals were finished, because maybe I was suffering from yet another migraine.

We even went out to lunch after the finals, but by the time we finished I felt like an ice pick was twisting into my brain above my left eye. It was all I could do to arrive home safe and climb into my bed with a cold, damp washcloth on my forehead, after taking my pain reliever.

Now I am feeling much more like celebrating, but am opting for a more sedate type of celebration.

The rest of the evening will be spent relaxing with my family and then tomorrow I will set off my plans in motion...cleaning, shopping, baking, organizing, etc.

Never thought I'd be so happy to be able to clean with no other worries!

in need of total down time

And it won't come soon enough.

My nursing class finals are both this coming Tuesday.

Here I am awake at 2 something a.m. My head hurts, my tummy aches, whine, whine, whine...

My ultimate Christmas gift would be some pampering...like the spa type...even just a massage. The ole salivary glands go into excessive salivating mode just thinking about it!

7 days and a wake up

I probably wont be posting much, other than to complain about studying, because finals for nursing classes are next week.

In the meantime I am also supposed to decorate the house for Christmas...because I had the hubby bring down the stuff from the attic and out from the shed, wrap presents for nieces and nephews and mail off their packages, take care of the normal family schtuff, go see about transferring to a different program (yes, that saga continues-more on it later, possibly), and stay sane? HA!

I'm going to need to drink some hot toddies with Santa by the time Christmas day rolls around!
Some recipes call for Brandy, but since I'm a Whiskey Sour kinda girl (when I choose to have a cocktail), I thought this one sounded yummy!

simple saturday

Not much to report.

One of my study buddies and I got together today and did the pratice ATI Fundamentals test online. We didn't do that great, but in actuality not so bad when you consider the information on it that we have not had this semester, such as pharm and fluids & electrolytes. It was a helpful study aid nonetheless.

Our finals are scheduled for the 16th, so the next week will be spent breathing, eating and sleeping nursing-which is fine with me considering it is all I have to study for now!



It snowed a little bit today, not enough to stick though. It's supposed to snow a little bit more tonight. Hmmm...Not that crazy about the white stuff, except I do like it on Christmas day.

OK, so now I'm talking about the weather and that is my cue to go spend some time with AW.

movies and popcorn it is...

until tomorrow when the studying resumes it's normal hold on my life!

100th post and a reason to celebrate!!!!!!!

Drum roll please!

I did it! My FINAL final exam with UMUC is over and done with. Sadly, I didn't do as well on it as I would have liked, but I just couldn't focus!

pissin' in my britches!

Tonight at 7 p.m. I take my last final exam with my university for my B.S. in Psychology! That's all I can say for now...too excited for anything else!

what now?

Wow, I'm sort of speechless.

I was just on my psychology classroom website, going over what's expected of us from here on out. I finished all of my assignments, so really all that is left is my final exam. That's it.

I've been going to this school for oh, about 7 years now. Graduation is something I have yearned for and never thought would happen. In 29 days I will officially graduate and be finished. I will walk at commencement in May, because our school only holds one commencement ceremony.

What next? That's actually a pretty dumb question considering nursing school and all! But that's how I felt after looking over my grades. Three things still need to be graded, two of which are solely for extra credit.

I have an A in the class, and have contemplated not taking the final. Of course, that is totally out of my character-but it's tempting to go out with a bang! No, I will take it because in some sort of weird way it will provide closure.

The real test will be containing my excitement long enough to walk out of the room, so as not to disturb the other test takers!