Kristen's Blog at JHUSON

July 31, 2009...You know what???? We have made it!!!!

2009-08-01T00:28:00Z

Upon starting this Accelerated program, I was repeatedly told, "Just make it through the summer, and you will be fine!" Well, I am holding all of those people who have told me this to it!!! They never could explain exactly what makes other semesters better, so I will be sure to take notes and let you all know if this statement is true, and if so, why.

Today was our official last day of classes, what an adventure! I felt as if I were on a roller coaster ride all summer! On June 1, I climbed on, buckled up, and tackled the ups and downs of the Accelerated program day by day, with twists, loops and turns unexpectedly occurring. When classes were over each day, I wasn't able to exit the ride, it only slowed down a bit because at home, I still had to figure out what I was going to do to prepare for the next day, complete papers/assignments, or prepare for an upcoming exam. I also had to fit in things that kept me sane such as working out, watching my favorite TV shows, and squeezing in social time. I can admit, even though there were some challenges, I enjoyed all of the twists, loops, and turns that made me have to bear down, let the wind hit me in my face, scream once in a while, and take it like the student I have been trained to be. Now as I am exiting the ride, I am walking away with a smile, and even contemplating getting back in line for the rush again! Yes, I would do it again, just like a real roller coaster ride, the first time always makes you anxious, increases your heart rate a bit, and makes you wonder how exactly the ride will make you feel. When you get off, you realize, you took the ride to the bare minimum by holding on tightly to the hand grips, strapping yourself in extra tight, and that picture of you that was snapped in the middle of the ride, right after a big loop or during a big drop was horrific! When you get off, you want to do it again to figure out how you can make the ride even more exciting, how to take advantage of what you learned from the first ride, and how to perfect that mid ride picture. This is what I mean when I say I would do it again, except the second time, I would learn from the first, relax and let go of those grips, throw my hands in the air, smile, and just go with the flow.

Here are my tips on how you can make your first ride exciting:

1. Just go with the flow (day by day), there is really no way in the summer to "plan ahead." There is so much to do each day and each week, you have to keep tabs on what is going on currently and not worry about that paper that is due in two weeks. If you try to work like that, you are bound to forget something.

2. Make sure at the beginning of the summer, you go through all of your syllabi and write down all due dates and exam dates in your own personal planner. I suggest color coding, or anyway that it good for you to keep track of what is going on in which class. I found it quite challenging to know which assignment, reading, or even book went with which class because many of the books and readings will go with multiple classes.

3. Make sure you allot "you time." There is no way you will get through the summer and the program if you dedicate all time to studying and practicing course material. Take advantage of all the free concerts, movies, and events going on in Baltimore. Dedicate a day each week to lock up the books and explore.

4 Learn to multi-task early on! Most of the material on exams in our classes pretty much overlap, so if you are studying things that have to do with the cardiovascular system in P&A, pull out your Health Assessment book, open to the cardio chapter and study the them both! (that way you study for 2 tests at once!)

5 Don't give up, if you feel as if you are on the verge of quitting, put everything down, take a deep breath, and treat yourself to your favorite dessert or meal, there is always time to get the work done, hey, we are Hopkins students, it WILL get done either in advance or in the hour it is due.

6 Oh, and most importantly, don't get caught up in grades! Focus on learning the material and skills to make yourself confident in what you know and can do. Don't let how the person next to you is doing affect your performance and confidence. Everyone has different backgrounds, learning styles, and strengths. Peoples' performances will vary, don't base how you are doing off of how others are doing (I witnessed many who fell for this, and it just caused unnecessary stress).

I tried to keep these tips as general as I could based off of everyone's reported experiences. If I think of any other tips, I will let the blog world know! Now I am about to relax on this Friday night before finals! It is time to release! I am so happy :-) !!!!!!!!!!!

7 days and it will be Vacation time!!!!!

Signs and Symptoms of an Accelerated student at JHUSON...

2009-07-01T18:50:00Z

Being a nursing student, you find yourself trying to diagnose every person you come into contact with and sadly, everything about yourself. Just about every night, I find myself in the mirror assessing various parts of my body and its functions. I started to experience symptoms this week (midterms) that after trying to apply the MANY things I have learned, I just could not pinpoint what was going on. These symptoms had me wondering if I was the only person going through this, so I decided to sit back and assess the Accelerated 2010 class. I began by observing students on my trek to the shuttle stop, on the shuttle, before and during classes, during lunch (as I hid in secluded areas and watched their demeanor in their actions), and after classes are dismissed. After accumulating all of my observations, I think I have come up with a list of signs and symptoms of a JHUSON student!!

Usual signs witnessed are:

1. More and more people running down the street trying to catch the shuttle due to gradually running more and more late.

2. Falling asleep on the shuttle.

3. Getting to school and wondering why everyone is sitting at computers typing away and finding out that you, and they majority of them have just found out that something is due, or a certain skill is required of you in less than 30 minutes.

4. Hearing the same questions asked as you walk down the hall such as "are you ready for the quiz?" "how do you think it was" "quickly, tell me what the scientific word for a freckle is again."

5. People sleeping on the benches in the courtyard on their TEN minute breaks.

6. Less and less enthusiasm and willingness to participate in classes (esp. this week)...sorry professors, it is not you, it is us...we are just a little tired.

7. Longer and longer lines in the cafe of people getting coffee "just to make it through the day."

8. A decrease in chats about what is going on over the weekend and what a person did over the weekend.

9. A decrease in lingering around after the last class of the day...people are quickly "gone in 60 seconds."

10. More and more sighs of relief every time something major is accomplished (sign offs, quizzes, exams, and papers).

I can sit here and name many more, but as I sit here typing, I am demonstrating another MAJOR symptom, trying to procrastinate and find something else other than something related to nursing!

Even though we start to develop these signs and symptoms of a nursing student, I also notice that EVERYBODY is enjoying this challenge and each other, and keep looking forward to what is next and how we will tackle it.

Why am I here again?!?!?!

2009-06-19T02:02:00Z

Week 3!!! I have just had my first exam...whew, what a weight off of my shoulders!! So far, I am making it...I am actually having fun in school and in Baltimore! I am a very chill, go with the flow person, so not the one to stress on basic life situations, including assignments, quizzes, and exams, and so far, it has worked for me, I mean, I am at Hopkins!! Now don't get me wrong, this is not "a piece of cake." The first few days, I felt as if I were in a whirlwind of information, things I needed to buy (if you choose Hopkins, I suggest you get uniforms, equipment, etc in advance), figuring out which books go to which classes, and grappling over the the fact that I sit in class in about 10 hours a day!! I think the amount of time I sit in class in this Accelerated Program was my biggest adjustment, but after a week or two, I was officially programmed!

Ok, so back to "why am I here again?" I chose Hopkins because it is simply that, The Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing! Nationally ranked as one of the best nursing school in the country! EVERYONE has heard of Hopkins! So why not come to the best? I am able to take advantage of its many programs, have access to the famous Johns Hopkins Hospital, the Baltimore community, and a great faculty. I have no regrets. Around my sophomore year at Spelman, I realized I wanted to be a nurse from the positive experiences I have had with them and my career goals, but I decided to continue at Spelman to obtain my Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and then search for somewhere to get a nursing degree. My interests are Women's Health and I aspire to become a Certified Nurse Midwife, possibly doing a lot of international work. But who knows, I may run into a clinical situation that I fall in love with outside of that realm. I will handle those things when I get there. No point in stressing about that now.

Ok, well I need to stop now. I have a musculoskeletal quiz tomorrow!

Bye, for now!