sophomore year
Putting all of the stressful nights of studying and sleepless days aside, I would have to admit that sophomore year was a success! After finishing two semesters of hopefully the hardest information I’ll have to retain and know, I can finally say I think my life is starting to come together. At the end of last year, I had numerous goals going into sophomore year, most of them I accomplished and a few I fell a little short. I am proud to say that as of this past December I received a job offer at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center as a Patient Care Assistant (PCA) on the Neuroscience/Neurosurgery floor. Becoming a PCA at Cincinnati Children’s had been a high priority goal of mine since I began nursing school. I know that in the future I want to work in pediatrics and working at Cincinnati Children’s is one step in working towards my future goals and also a great learning experience. I also had a goal of branching out and meeting new people outside of my roommates, even though I must say I thoroughly enjoy living under the same roof as them. I have become friends with multiple coworkers of mine at the hospital and have also became really close to many girls from my clinical spring semester. One goal that remained a challenge for me throughout the entire year was maintaining a 4.0 GPA. Although I did not achieve a 4.0 GPA fall or spring semester I am currently maintaining a 3.5 cumulative GPA, and I plan to continue to raise that. After fall semester, I was disappointed in myself for not achieving a 4.0 GPA, but looking back the coursework was very difficult and everything was new to me. I told myself during winter break that I would work harder spring semester in hopes of earning a higher GPA. Spring semester I also fell a little short, but I was also managing many things at once. I worked at least 24 hours a week at Children’s, babysat, had clinical and clinical paperwork, and volunteered all on top of my normal coursework. It wasn’t easy to manage by any means, but with dedication and a little will power I pushed through and stayed organized. I am proud of what I accomplished in a year’s time and I look forward to building on what I have already made for myself. One thing that I would change about this past year would be to free up just a little more time to volunteer. Unfortunately with my busy schedule spring semester, I had to give up my spot volunteering at Cincinnati Children’s and I hope to retain it again this upcoming fall. But although I could not volunteer on a consistent basis last semester, I had the opportunity to volunteer at other places and events that were offered only one or two days. I volunteered at the Price Hill Health Center helping renovate and paint rooms and I also volunteered at Relay for Life, which was so much fun and I met a ton of new people! My one other challenge I had to face and get used to this year was being completely financially dependent on myself. I didn’t have the chance to go grab a bite to eat at the dining hall; I had to pay for my groceries. I couldn’t just watch TV in my dorm room or connect to UC’s Wi-Fi; I had to pay for it. With that being said, I am very happy to say that I paid for everything myself this year and learned many ways to save money and the difference between good and bad financial decisions. It feels great to be independent!
So far besides raising my GPA I have set one major goal for myself for next year, and that is…TO GO ON A TRIP ABROAD! I am looking into many different opportunities through honors, the nursing program, and outside groups that have different trips to travel to other countries. I want to look back on college and be able to talk about all my great experiences, and I think adventuring to another country and exploring other cultures would be a phenomenal opportunity. A piece of advice that I would like to give myself for the next school year is to ensure that I am always staying on task and dedicated to everything that I do. I strive to be the best as I can in everything that I do and I will continue to do so throughout the future. I also know that it is necessary with all of my involvements and responsibilities. Time management was my best friend last year and will continue to be in these upcoming semesters.
Overall I believe this past year has taught me a lot about myself and what I am capable of doing. Last year I was uncertain if I wanted to further my education after undergrad, and become a Nurse Practitioner, but now I KNOW that I want to. I have even considered becoming a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. With either path I take, I know that my education now is very important; therefore, I am going to continue to strive for excellent grades and work very hard to be able to achieve my future goals. I am also going to try my best to make connections with individuals in these professions so that I am able to have a better grasp of their job and hopefully have a better insight on what my future holds. I am beyond excited to continue my journey through nursing school and all of the new challenges that lie ahead!
So far besides raising my GPA I have set one major goal for myself for next year, and that is…TO GO ON A TRIP ABROAD! I am looking into many different opportunities through honors, the nursing program, and outside groups that have different trips to travel to other countries. I want to look back on college and be able to talk about all my great experiences, and I think adventuring to another country and exploring other cultures would be a phenomenal opportunity. A piece of advice that I would like to give myself for the next school year is to ensure that I am always staying on task and dedicated to everything that I do. I strive to be the best as I can in everything that I do and I will continue to do so throughout the future. I also know that it is necessary with all of my involvements and responsibilities. Time management was my best friend last year and will continue to be in these upcoming semesters.
Overall I believe this past year has taught me a lot about myself and what I am capable of doing. Last year I was uncertain if I wanted to further my education after undergrad, and become a Nurse Practitioner, but now I KNOW that I want to. I have even considered becoming a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. With either path I take, I know that my education now is very important; therefore, I am going to continue to strive for excellent grades and work very hard to be able to achieve my future goals. I am also going to try my best to make connections with individuals in these professions so that I am able to have a better grasp of their job and hopefully have a better insight on what my future holds. I am beyond excited to continue my journey through nursing school and all of the new challenges that lie ahead!