Alyssa
Dear 18 year old Alyssa,
Congratulations! You’re finally in college. I know you’re scared, unsure of how your next 4 years will unfold. Not to spoil the story you have ahead of you, but you will turn out absolutely fine. Writing this as a senior about to go into my last semester of college, I have a few tokens of knowledge to share, and I hope someone reading this can take it in. Even though it’s easy to get caught up in things I could have done differently, I wouldn’t change a single thing. Everything you ever experience is meant to happen for a reason, and in a way, builds you into who you are!
Academically, my Google Calendar eventually turned into my lifeline. Organization is key in nursing school. Every assignment, meeting, exam, and errand goes into my Google Calendar. I also discovered cramming is not a good move, and studying 2 weeks in advance for exams by myself is the only thing that works for me. Group studying is not for me, unless it's after I already know everything by myself first. Understanding content and making it your own is much more important than memorizing, so find study tactics that will help you synthesize information for your own understanding.
Come into nursing school with an open mind! I lived my entire life in a small town surrounded by the same people. College is this huge melting pot of new people with different life experiences and full of opportunities to take in. Don’t judge people too quickly, whether that be people you meet freshman year, or patients who may live differently than you do. Be understanding and compassionate with everyone you come across!
Don’t be married to a single type of nursing speciality until you experience other things in clinical. I always knew I wanted to be a pediatric nurse, and although I still love pediatrics a lot, I also found that I enjoy the emergency department too! Keep your mind open, and be flexible! Things can always be subject to change, so being ready to adapt to any situation with grace can be very helpful.
My most important piece of advice is: Say yes. I know that it can be so easy to get caught up in getting the best grades and doing everything you can to secure the best future for yourself. College is only four years. Have fun. Go to the social gathering that you don’t feel like going to (within reason). Go on the road trip with your friends. I know that you have the test coming up, but study and be prepared earlier, so you don’t miss these fun moments. Remember that your happiness is everything, and should come second to none. I spent my first few years of school thinking “I’ll have fun once the work slows down, so probably senior year”. Well, guess what? You’re living your senior year, this one year you’ve been waiting to live and have classic college fun, in a global pandemic. Nobody could have predicted that. One takeaway from this is: Tomorrow is not promised. Take in the moments that you have in the present, because you can’t change the past, and the future doesn’t exist yet! Live for this moment that you have now so you can go forward with no regrets.
Best of luck for your next 4 years of school. Make your relationships with others priority, because at the end of the day, that’s what matters! You’re going to remember times you had with your friends. Your patients are going to remember how you cared and made them feel. You’re going to make so many lifelong friends, learn from so many wonderful faculty, have so many opportunities to shine as a future nurse, and eventually love it here at Binghamton.
Sending love,
21 year old Alyssa
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