Care for an update?

It's been so long since I posted!

Since my last post (forever ago), I started nursing school, endured nursing school, and completed nursing school. I was pinned and I walked (with honors) in graduation. I received my degree certificate. I made Dean's List my final semester (didn't qualify previous semesters).

Hurdle #1: Nursing school -- DONE!

I studied and stressed and studied and stressed and then I took my state board licensing exam. I walked out to my car after completing the exam absolutely certain I had failed.

I hadn't. In fact, I passed the exam with the minimum number of questions.

Hurdle #2: NCLEX -- PASSED!

Over the course of my final semester of school, our assignments included putting a resume together, assembling a nursing portfolio, and writing the essay one local hospital required for new graduate applications. I applied to two local new graduate residency programs, was called in to interview for both, and then sometimes between the jumps over hurdles #1 and #2, I received a call from one of those hospitals with a job offer.


Hurdle #3: Employment -- SECURED!


Not bad for an old chick, right?

This week was the start of my employment. Days 1 and 2 were hospital orientation. Today was Day 3 -- the true beginning of the residency program. My hope (if I keep up with it) is to repurpose this blog (and maybe even rename it -- I'll have to think about that) as a journal to chronicle my journey from a baby new graduate residency nurse all the way to Operating Room Circulating Nurse.

Day One Journal

Lynn Wood, Nursing Student

It's down to the wire. In less than a week, I will be starting nursing school. Less than a week ago, I attended an all day orientation and bought my books. I'm excited. I'm nervous. I'm terrified. I'm overwhelmed.

I'm ready to go.

#!@&%*#

What's an approaching college semester without a good ol' financial aid rant, right? The two go hand-in-hand.

I'm not going to name any schools, or any people, but I'm so frustrated! Frustrated for myself, for my friends, and for a number of young people I'm acquainted with. And yes, it's all because of financial aid.

First, you fill out the FAFSA. You attach your tax information to it or you fill the info in, and you have it all sent to the school. Then you have to wait eons to get any words from the school, and most often, you're ordered to jump through hoops with little to no time given to do your jumping.

For the past two years, I've been "chosen" for verification, which means I've had to fill out extra forms, provide tax transcripts, etc. At first, I though it was because I manually filled in the tax information on my FAFSA, but I've since learned of others who did theirs manually instead of using the retrieval tool and have never been "chosen."

My financial aid came through this year, and I'm comfortable to start the semester. Many other people I know are not so lucky. I know one person who has been given a large number of hoops to jump through, completed them all (and can prove it), and yet here they sit, on the day their bill is due, with still no word on financial aid. That person is currently preparing to forget college for the fall and get a job instead.

Many others I know are in similar situations. They've done all they need to do. Yet the week their bills are due, no word. My daughter even got an email 10 days ago from the person reviewing her application requesting additional information because, as it turns out, she MISREAD the FAFSA. My daughter immediately responded to the email, and because it was past closing time when she received the email, called the next morning and explained the error. Ten days later, the week the bill is due -- nothing.

And what if it finally comes through this week? What if it finally comes through the day before the due date? Then there's the additional fear that the financial aid offered won't cover the bill, and we have a mere 24 hours to find that extra money. We're not wealthy. The economy of the past 5 years has killed us. Nearly ruined us. We have absolutely no wiggle room in our budget. What do we do next?

These kids, these students, they've done everything right. They worked hard in school. They were accepted into college. They did all that was asked, and now may see their college dreams dashed. In a society where even menial jobs are starting to require college degrees, it's something worth ranting about.

Two months?

Has it really been two--almost three--months since I last posted? Wow!

It's been a busy summer, although not as busy as it might have been. As I mentioned in my long ago previous post, I took the summer off from school. Part of me regrets that. Part of me thinks I should have taken classes over the summer to keep the brain juices flowing and the financial aid funds coming.  But I didn't.

I didn't because I knew that with nursing school imminent, leisure time would be precious. Time spent with my family would be sparse. Bleary-eyed mornings would be abundant and sleeping in would be a rarity.

I did it because my husband asked me to. Actually, he demanded it. Yup, I'm a good wife that way.

But now the summer is nearing its end. My children start school in a couple weeks. My nursing school orientation (yay!) is the same week my children start school. My first day of the semester comes less than two weeks after that, and by September, I'll be well-entrenched.

Probably a little tired.

Maybe a little short-tempered.

And I predict my house will be a mess.

But I will be a NURSING STUDENT!

*not actually me

Step One Achieved

My past two years have been dedicated to getting into nursing school. I had that terrifying first day of college. I studied my butt off. I spent an entire summer threatening to hide a sleeping bag in the back of the Health Sciences building so I wouldn't have to waste study time commuting to and from school. I finished my pre-requisites with a 4.0 GPA. I agonized over my entrance exam. I ROCKED my entrance exam. And then finally, on April 10th, five semesters after I started, I received (drumroll, anybody?)

THE LETTER.

(I really wish I could make those two words flash and maybe play a fanfare. That would be so cool. And add little fireworks. Fireworks would make it even cooler.)

 I'm in!

Yes, ladies and gentleman, I was officially accepted into the Associate's Degree Nursing Program starting fall 2013.  Class of 2015, baby!

I can now call myself a Nursing Student.

Of course the hardest part, surviving nursing school, is yet to come.

But, you know what? In my book, my acceptance alone is quite an accomplishment. So I'm going to bask. I'm basking in my accomplishment. Watch me bask. Bask and engage in many happy butt wiggles.

*not actually me

And I'm taking the summer off from school.

I'm taking the summer off to recharge my nearly burnt-out batteries and complete all the tasks required of me in order to retain my spot in the program. I ordered my background check yesterday and today I peed in a cup.

That was loads of fun.

Friday I get to be poked with needles. Maybe this weekend I'll go check some shoes out at the local
healthcare professional supply store. I'll check shoes out and stethoscopes, too. Stethoscopes! I need my very own stethoscope! How cool is that?

How ever am I going to avoid playing with all my nursing school toys until August?

I should enjoy this excitement while I can. I have a sneaking suspicion that it won't be long before the idea of a stethoscope will no long elicit such giddiness.

----------------------------

As I work my way through the process of nursing school prep, nursing school, graduation, passing the NCLEX, and employment, I'll try to blog my journey. Feel free to enjoy it with me!

Spring Has Sprung

image from http://tinyurl.com/a2utwa2

Don't be mislead by my post title; I'm not referring to the weather. Instead, I'm talking about the same thing I always seem to talk about: school. Today was the first day of the Spring 2013 semester.

Today was the official first day of Spring 2013 semester. The first day of my Spring 2013 semester is tomorrow. Tomorrow will be my first day back in classes since early December. I've been on my semester break long enough to get used to sleeping late. Urg.

In fact, my children returned to school today, as well. And when my alarm clock went off at 5:45 this morning, I honestly thought it was a mistake. I thought I was dreaming. My first instinct was to grab the television remote because I thought the volume was too loud. Unfortunately, it wasn't long before I realized the ugly truth. It wasn't a mistake. I wasn't dreaming. And it wasn't the television.

image from http://tinyurl.com/bbrpkwl

I'm taking a light class load this semester, as I'm preparing to take my nursing school entrance exam in a couple months. In addition to studying for my classes, I'll also be studying for a huge standardized test that will either make or break my mood for the rest of the year. I'm confident enough for the reading/writing portion of that big exam. I'm even running a low panic level for the math portion. But the science portion? That one has me scared. Result: for the next 2-1/2 months, I'll be reviewing all the physiology I learned over the past year.

Double urg.

Two classes. One is a class I need for my degree. The last one outside of the nursing classes I'll be taking. The other is a class of my choosing. One that I hope will help prepare me for nursing school. I'm really looking forward to one of them. Can you guess which?

Intro to Humanities

Human Pathophysiology

And here's where my geek shines through. I didn't have classes today. I didn't have to do anything school-related today. Yet, first thing this morning, I still logged into ANGEL, my school's "web-based course management and collaboration portal." In other words, it's the place where I do all my homework, contact my instructors, get notes and assignments, and often take my quizzes or tests. And I logged on this morning. Just to see what was there.

No, my post title isn't talking about the weather, despite the fact the weatherman predicts a high of 73 this Saturday (wowzers!). It is talking about the school semester, and thus, the conditions and atmosphere in my home.

Hm. Now that I think about it, maybe I was talking about the weather.

Best Wishes for the New Year

Unsolicited Advice Makes Me Think

After my classes today, I stopped at my school's library to print the PowerPoint slides for my next Micro unit. There was another woman in there, also printing. I happened to catch a glimpse of text on one of her printouts. Nursing Diagnosis, it read. She caught me reading her PowerPoint as it sat on the printer, and she smiled.

"What's your major?" she asked.

"I'm in my last pre-nursing semester," I told her. "Once I finish Micro, I'm applying to the program."

She nodded. "I'm at the end of the journey and you're just starting out."

Then she looked me dead in the eye, her expression serious. "If you don't cry at least once, you won't become a nurse."

"Really?"

She nodded again. "It's hard," she said. "Very hard. You'll be overwhelmed and you'll cry. But you'll get through it."

Some days, I'm certain I'm ready for it. I'm positive I'm on the right path. Right where I need to be. It's going to be hard. I know it's going to be hard. It should be hard. Nothing worth achieving is easy. But then there are the other days. On the other days, I'm just not sure. Can I do it? Can I handle it? I guess time will tell.

Farewell, sweet Prince

R.I.P., Prince

Beloved friend and family member

Sad, sad weekend in my household. On Sunday, we said goodbye to a dear, dear friend and family member.

Prince showed up in our neighborhood about 10 years ago. He was a sweet, sweet dog who seemed to take a liking to my front porch. Back when I still smoked, I would go out onto the porch for my before-bed cigarette and there he'd be, sleeping in the corner.

I didn't realize it at the time, but he kept coming back to my front porch because my kids were putting food out for him.

This went on for a couple weeks, maybe a little longer. He was just the cute, sweet, stray dog who showed up on my porch every night. Then came the December day when the weatherman forecast the nighttime low to drop below 30 degrees. I couldn't bear the idea of the sweet little dog left out in the cold, so I brought him into my house.

He promptly wedged himself beneath our Christmas tree, knocking ornaments this way and that.

A couple days later, Animal Control knocked on my door. Apparently, another neighbor had called them to pick up the dog, and had told them he was last seen at my house. By then, Prince was living in my backyard with our other dog, so I sent Animal Control away, telling them to contact me if anybody came looking for their lost dog. The officer took my number, thanked me profusely (Animal Control was pretty full), and left. That was the last we heard from them.

When we took Prince to the vet, we were told the sweet dog had probably been abandoned, since he tested positive for heartworms. Of course the vet recommended we have him treated, as he probably wouldn't live very long otherwise. Sadly, we didn't have a spare $700 laying around, so we figured we'd keep him comfortable and happy. At least now he'd have available food, fresh water, and a warm place to sleep to live out his days.

That was around ten years ago.

I guess the heartworms finally got him. And old age--our best guess is he lived to be about 12-14 years old. Arthritis made it hard for him to get around. We found him on the back patio. Maybe he'd been sunning himself. That's what I'm trying to convince myself. He knew his time was upon him, and he wanted to enjoy the warmth of the sun one last time.

Now he's in doggie heaven. He's pain-free and able to run like he used to. He has all the toys he wants. There are no more heartworms making breathing and life in general difficult. That's my dream. That sweet Prince is pain-free and happy and barking at the sky like he used to.

Goodbye sweet Prince. We weren't your first family, but I hope you knew how much we loved you. How much we still love you. Rest in peace.

Nature, Nurture, and Bacteria

Today. Monday. Today is Monday. The third Monday in August. First day of Fall Semester. First day of my last semester of pre-requisites. I'll be testing for and applying to my program in January.

Yikes!

Today is the first day of Fall Semester and I'm sitting in my living room in my pajamas at 7:43 am. I like first days like this. I would say my real first day is tomorrow, but that wouldn't be entirely true. I'm braving another foray into the world of online learning despite my previous experience, so technically, my first day really is today.

Fall Semester 2012 will be another three class, seven credit hour semester. That might seem like a light load to some, but since two of those three classes are science, it feels like a smart decision.

"Take your sciences by themselves," they said. They being advisement, and anybody -- students and instructors alike -- who has an opinion about the Health Science programs. Gotta keep that 4.0 GPA to help make myself a more attractive candidate for my program. The higher my GPA, the better my shot at acceptance.

Besides, after my ultra-busy summer semester, I needed more time wearing my mom hat again.

 

My first class is the online class. PSYC 2103 Human Development. I've heard good things about this class, although the reports I've heard were for the on-campus class. That's what I would have preferred, but there wasn't an on-campus class available that worked with my schedule.

The instructor has a great reputation and ratings, so that will help. She was one of the teachers I thought about taking for PSYC 1101. After re-reading what some of her former students say about her, I kind of wish I could have found a suitable on-campus time to take her. I think I would have enjoyed her lectures.

Classes two and three are my sciences and they're linked. Introductory Microbiology and its accompanying lab. I think at one time, even though lecture and lab were offered at different times, they were billed as one class. No more. Lecture is a 3 credit course and lab is worth 1 credit. You register for them separately, they're graded separately, and you can have different instructors for each.

I'm pleased with the instructor I have for both lecture and lab. He's the head of the department, and all my resources (including my A&P II teacher) say he's the one to take. They say he "knows his stuff." I had to work hard to get him, though. His lab and lecture classes filled before I was even allowed to register. A couple weeks after registration, perseverance (and extended time mumbling and staring at the registration screen) finally paid off. I managed to snag one of the very few slots that came available during drop/add. 

I've heard mixed reviews on the class -- I guess it depends where your interests reside. Some people love it and call it easy, others hate it. One they thing all agree on is it's a lot of work. I'm not afraid of work. I proved that in Summer Semester.

I'm hoping for a little more breathing room than I had last semester. I'm praying for more time to spend with my kids. Especially since my mother, who was here to help during my summer semester, has gone back home (sniff!). That means I'll be taking the kids to Tae Kwon Do, Hap Ki Do, and marching band practice. That means I'll be doing the shopping and cleaning and cooking and laundry. That means I'll have nobody home with me to make faces at when my kids are arguing with each other or with me and are on my last nerve.

I really really really miss my mom.

And thus ends my long, boring, humor-free post. My public statement of my whereabouts for the next 16 weeks. I've been invited to the lifespan while buried in micro. See you in December. Maybe earlier if I'm able to come up for breath.

Change, it is a-comin'

Summer semester is complete (finally), and I'm proud to say it was successful although quite taxing. I'm slowly recovering, and can even form coherent sentences again. Shocking, I know. Before I get into the reason for this post, I suppose I should post a quick brag:

Yup, that's an excerpt from my college transcript, and yes, that is a 4.0 GPA. Go, me.

Anyway, the reason for my post is the fact that I'm following in the footsteps of John Cougar/John Cougar Mellencamp/John Mellencamp and trying to confuse everybody these days. I recently changed by Facebook username and Twitter profile name to be closer to my real name, and now I've done the same with my Twitter username and the address for this blog. So...I ask you to note the address for this blog (that isn't updated nearly enough) is now http://lynndwood.blogspot.com.

For now, I'm going to download more free crochet patterns that I'll convince myself I'll have the time to make someday and enjoy NOT studying for the next two weeks.

Sad, Sad Story

I stopped by Unnamed Store tonight to pick up some coffee creamer. Coffee creamer is infinitely important to me, and I was certain I didn't have enough left at home to doctor tomorrow morning's coffee properly. This warranted a trip to the store. Unnamed Store has creamer for $1, so I ran in after picking MiniMe up from her friend's birthday party.

I found my creamer and brought it to the register. The young man behind the counter rang it up. Total was $2.06. After a little digging in my handy-dandy little all-in-one wallet thingy, I handed him $5.06 -- the last thing I needed was more change rattling around in my wallet. The clerk punched a couple buttons on the register and the cash drawer sprang open with a resounding ding. As I stood there, the young clerk looked at the register display, looked down at the money in his hand, and his face fell. "Oh, no," he said. He closed the cash drawer, punched a few more buttons, and looked at me apologetically. "I did it wrong," he said.

Color me confused at this point. Two items at $1 each, $2.06 total... No, it looked perfectly fine to me. I said as much to the clerk. He didn't respond, instead restarting from the beginning. Beep went the first item across the scanner. Beep went the second item. Again, the clerk totaled my purchases. Again, he punched a couple more buttons. Again, the cash drawer sprang open with a resounding ding. But this time was different. This time, the clerk smiled as he counted my change out of the drawer.

"I punched in the wrong amount," he explained as he handed me $3. "I entered $2.06 as the amount you gave me, and it said you didn't get change. But that wasn't right because you gave me more money." He pushed the cash drawer closed. "Now it's right." The young clerk smiled, extremely proud of himself.

MiniMe and I bade the store employees goodbye as we gathered our purchases stepped out of the store into early evening twilight. Once we were out of earshot, I looked at her. I know my eyes must have been the size of large dinner plates. I couldn't believe what I had just seen."Did he really just void that first transaction because he punched in the wrong amount tendered?" I asked.

"I don't think he could figure out the change without the computer," she replied.

I think she was right.

It's a sad story. It's a scary story. And the worst part: it's a true story.

One Ends, Another Begins

I always seem to start new posts with an excuse and an explanation, these days. This post will be no different, since I haven't posted since February. February? Has it really been that long? Wow.

Spring Semester 2012 has finally come to a close. Classes are over, finals complete, and as of this morning all my grades are posted. So....yes, you guessed it. This is another brag about my grades post. And why shouldn't I? I'm proud of my grades. I'm proud of the fact that even after being out of school 25 years I can still pull it off. I'm just plain proud.

So here you go, my grades for Spring Semester 2012 including my final exam score and my overall grade for the semester:

ENGL1101	Literature & Composition	Final: 100%	Overall: 99.7% / A
BIOL2113	Anatomy & Physiology I	Final: 99.5%	Overall: 100.2% / A
BIOL2113L	Anatomy & Physiology I Lab	Final: 99%	Overall: 100.75% / A

My overall GPA continues to be a 4.0, which is where I want it to be -- particularly going in to apply for the extremely competitive nursing program at my school.

Yes, I'm bragging. It was a really tough semester. A&P I is well-known as a weed out course with a 50% drop rate, and I not only survived it, but I survived it with an A. Yes, I'm proud. No, I won't apologize. But I will smile sweetly. :-)

Summer Semester begins in a couple weeks, and I'll be tackling A&P II with its accompanying lab and Healthcare Communications. Another tough semester. Two more months of intense studying. Immersion in A&P. Two more months of remembering details of the digestive or endocrine systems, but inability to remember to plug my phone in to charge at night. Two more months that will leave me feeling accomplished at the end.

I just hope my family will be able to put up with me.

I Worked Hard!

I just opened my school e-mail and found this note from the registrar:

Dear Lynn,

In honor of your superior academic record attained in the fall semester 2012, I am pleased to include your name in the dean’s list for the term. The catalog states that students who have achieved a quarterly grade point average (GPA) of 3.69 or higher while carrying a minimum of 12 credit hours will be placed on the dean’s list. Your transcript will reflect this accomplishment.

You have demonstrated a strong determination to succeed and a commendable work ethic; the college wishes to recognize your success. You are encouraged to continue your hard work and challenged to inspire your student colleagues to demonstrate excellence, so that they, too, may join you on the dean’s list in the future.

The French statesman, Charles de Gaulle said, “Nothing great will ever be achieved without great men, and men are great only if they are determined to be so.” Let your determination continue to drive you to your success. This accomplishment is a result of that determination which you possess.

Congratulations on your outstanding achievement!

Am I giddy? Yup.

Am I happy? Absolutely. I'm grinning from ear to ear.

Am I proud? HELL, YES!  I worked damn hard for this. I earned it.

Overwhelmed, Terrified, and Excited

Week one of semester two is now complete, and I left campus yesterday feeling overwhelmed, terrified, and excited. It was the oddest way to be. The sheer amount of material I know I will have to master in order to maintain my 4.0 (which is still my intention) is overwhelming. The amount of work I'll be doing and time I'll be spending doing it -- terrifying. The material? Utterly exciting.

Last semester, my first week of class was all about class syllabi and expectations.  Here's what we're doing, here's how we're doing it, this is what you'll need, this is when it'll be due. I remember being a bit overwhelmed with the brand new experience. I also remember stumbling initially and fearing I'd be unable to do any of it. Yet, I overcame. I succeeded. I'm trying to keep that in mind.

This semester started completely differently. Yes, there were syllabi. Yes, there was the presentations of expectations, supplies, and due dates. What changed is in all my classes, we jumped right into the material on the first day. In a couple cases, that was what made it overwhelming.

My very first class on my first first day was ENGL 1102: Literature and Composition. Lots of reading -- mostly short stories and poems with a couple plays. Lots of writing -- four essays total, plus the final. After going over the syllabus, Mrs. H had us write a story about ourselves in the story arc with introduction, conflict, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. Luckily, she gave us questions to answer that guided us. After that, it was class introductions -- name, rank, serial number -- and literature definitions. All in all, not too bad, although our instructor has promised us it will be a tough class. I have a reading assignment due Tuesday.

Day two was BIOL 2113:  Anatomy & Physiology I. At 64 students, this class is huge. Especially when you consider my English class had 15 students. In fact, I don't think any class I've taken so far has had more than 30 students. Until now. So...big class. I made sure to get a seat up front where I knew I'd be able to see and hear the professor.

Class started as usual with syllabus and expectations. Dr. S told us we'd need the textbook package available at the bookstore. I had picked mine up last week, before the lines became ridiculous. The package contained lecture notes, a lab manual, a body atlas, a computer code for online access, a body systems DVD, a lecture DVD, and of course, the textbook, which is huge.  Huge! At seven pounds (yes, I weighed it), it reminds me of an oddly-shaped bowling ball.

As class went on, I quickly recognized that this class (and the co-requisite lab) would be taking over my life. Dr. S made it clear that this course would not be like high school anatomy. Rote memorization will not get us through. Learning and repeating the information from the book word-for-word will not work. We're expected to recognize and understand the material. Test questions won't come directly from the book. When completing our homework, we won't find answers word-for-word in the textbook. Understanding. Comprehending. It's actually a whole new way of learning.

Consider this the first class of your program would be a phrase I would hear repeatedly over the next couple of days.

My A&P textbook package from the bookstore

Last week, the Biology Department sent all new students an e-mail warning of the amount of commitment the class requires, advising us to re-evaluate our schedules and make sure we could devote the necessary study time. Included were the first three chapters of lecture notes and a suggestion to fill in as much of the notes as necessary. Dr. S also stressed that people who earn A's in A&P are those who come to class prepared. In the world of A&P, this doesn't just mean with notebooks and textbooks and writing instruments. In the world of A&P, preparing means checking the schedule to see what chapter the next lecture will be covering, pre-reading the material, and filling in the lecture notes. In other words, self-study. Lecture should be treated as review, not the introduction of new material.

This became evident when Dr. S jumped right into the first chapter of material. She didn't fill in all the blanks from the lecture notes; we're expected to do that on our own. If it's in the lecture notes, we're expected to know it. If it's not in the lecture notes, we won't see it on a test. The department has posted study aids including flash cards and games, and it's strongly suggested we form study groups. ::gulp::

Day three was BIOL 2113L: Anatomy & Physiology I Lab, the co-requisite for A&P I.  The lab coordinator came in and gave our orientation talk. We got the rules of the lab, the dress code, and the expectations. No pictures allowed. The other school I had originally considered suggested photographing the models for self-study, the school I've chosen forbids it for copyright reasons. If I hadn't already been terrified and overwhelmed after yesterday's class, the lab orientation would have done it. As it was, I was doubly overwhelmed, terrified, and excited when all was said and done.

The lab coordinator showed us the models that were available to us, talked to us about Open Lab, and then told us that when she went through her program, she treated school like a job. She got up, got her kids off to school, then went to "work" and stayed there until it was time to meet her children's bus after school. While she was at "work," if she wasn't in class, she was in Open Lab or otherwise studying.  Once she went home, though, work was done. I can definitely see the logic there, and I already anticipate spending a lot of time in Open Lab. Gotta learn those bones! And organ systems! And cell parts! Gotta learn it all!

After orientation in Lab, we sat at our lab tables and filled in the first chapter of our lab manual. Since the information coincided with the material from class that I had already prepared and been studying earnestly (like a good little girl!), I completed that without issue. I also managed to find a study group, get my first homework finished, and schedule group study time.

This weekend, I'll be reading for English; studying anatomical terms, organ systems, directional terms; and preparing for Monday's A&P chemistry lecture.  Overwhelmed by the amount of material, terrified by the amount of work, and excited subject matter. And ready to go back on Monday.

I Did it!

Wow, has it really been six weeks since I last posted?

In my last post, I was preparing to start this year's NaNoWriMo. I'm sorry to say I did not win this year. Didn't even come close. But I'm not mad -- I had great reasons for my failure.I finished my first semester of college this week, and all during NaNoWriMo I was dealing with tests and research papers and homework... I was feeling a bit harried and overwhelmed, and honestly, school was infinitely more important to me than NaNo.

Officially, classes ended last week, but I had final exams this week. Just moments ago, my last grade posted, and I'm really really really excited. These grades aren't official, and they won't be until they're posted in the school system. Official grades are scheduled to post on December 23. Unofficially, though, I ROCKED this semester!

I think back to this summer, and my anticipation for starting school. When I say anticipation, what I really mean is abject terror. I was so scared! Scared of trying to tackle schooling again after being out for so long. Scared of being so old -- a combination of fear of the old dog/new tricks adage and of being the crusty old oddity in classes that garners attention for all the wrong reasons. Mostly, though, I was scared of failure.

My reality was so different. So much better. My terror forced me to work harder. I busted my but to avoid that failure. And I found that after the first week or so, I really didn't much care if I was the oldest in class. Once I got into the school groove, I was too busy with assignments to worry about what others thought of me. It didn't matter. I also discovered that as long as I applied myself, as long as I studied and worked hard, I didn't need to worry about being out of school for so long. I was able to do the work. I was able to take the tests. My result was the polar opposite of failure.

Now for my grades. I had two classes that graded on the regular 100 point scale, and two classes that graded on a 1000 point scale. My goal was straight A's, which means a 90-100 on the 100 point scale and 900-1000 points on the 1000 point scale.  Here are my results with the 1000 point grades in blue, and the  100 point grades in green:

Introductory Psychology (PSYC 1101):  1010 points

Composition & Rhetoric (ENGL 1101): 99.76 

College Algebra (MATH 1111):  99.3

Introduction to Computers (COMP 1000): 1120 points

You see that?  ALL A'S! Yes, I'm proud of myself. And now that the semester's over, I'm taking this time to lay back and rest before the next semester starts on January 17th.

30 Days of Insanity

It's that time of year again. It comes 'round every November. For a month, I'm either buried in my laptop or huddled in a corner with a spiral notebook and pen. It's NaNoWriMo time, ladies and gentlemen!

I've really been looking forward to this year. I can't say why; I really don't know why. But I've been counting the days and making my plans. Maybe it's because my first essay in school was about NaNoWriMo, and how it helped me rediscover my joy for writing. Maybe it's because school is taking all my waking hours, and I'm looking at writing for NaNoWriMo as a little bit of downtime.

Then again, I could just be weird. One way or the other, the reason behind my excitement doesn't really matter. All that matters is the fact that I am excited. I've got my vague story plot. I've got my main character. And today, after I got home from school, I designed my cover and signature banner.

If you're not the least bit interested in my story, you may as well stop reading. Oh, wait. I took an algebra test today and grades are already posted. I got a 105%. Okay. Now you can stop reading. :)

Now, for my story, and the history behind it. Last year, you may or may not remember I wrote a story with the working title Blur.  I hate that title. It's not particularly representative of the story. But until I finish it and come up with a better one, that's what I'm stuck with.

Anyway, last NaNo I wrote Blur, which was about a woman who discovered the power of daydreams and indulged until they took over, blurring the lines between her fantasies and reality. My conundrum as I wrote was whether to write it so the fantasies were reality and she just thought they were daydreams, or to write it so she ended up in a mental hospital. As time went on, the story ended up with my main character institutionalized, and I actually had a lot of fun with her descent into madness. But I still wanted to write a story where the daydreams were real.

Lead Glass, my NaNo project this year, was borne of that desire. It's not quite a daydreams are real scenario, but it does promise to be fun to write.  Here's the synopsis I posted at the NaNoWriMo website:

Nadine Thomas is a woman in her 40's, and what those of yesteryear would have termed an Old Maid. While browsing a rundown, musty antique shop two towns away from her home, she finds and purchases an old lead glass window that captured her attention and refused to leave her alone. When she finally gets it home, she discovers the window isn't just a window, but a portal through time and space. Using that window, she travels to exotic times and places, discovers the true origins of her window.  She becomes deeply embroiled in the mystery and theft that surround her portal, and works with a temporal detective to apprehend the thief, find the other missing windows identical to her own, and restore them to their rightful home.

So, the synopsis needs a little tweaking, but you get the gist. Nadine is going to travel to different times, places, and even planets and experience all kinds of exciting adventures.  See? Fun!

It remains to be seen if I'll be able to finish this year because of my school commitment (I also have a research paper due the first week of December), but I'm going to have lots of fun giving it the ol' college try.  (Sorry.  I couldn't help myself.)

Updates are Scarce

It's not that I don't have much to talk about, it's that I don't have the time to talk. School is taking a tremendous toll on my time, but it's worth it. I'm past the midway point of the semester and still pulling A's in all my classes.  Two of my four classes gave midterms, and I got A's on both of those. I've turned in another essay since my last update and just found out last week I earned another A on that one.

I had a meeting last week with my ENGL 1101 instructor to go over my grades and submit my preliminary research paper topic idea for approval. All went as expected until she went over what was coming up. I have an essay due Tuesday that will count for 10% of my grade. The research paper, which is due at the beginning of December will be 20% of my grade. For the final exam, we will be expected to write an essay in class from pre-writing through final draft -- 20% of my grade. I've got three papers to write during the remainder of my semester, and they will count for a total of 50% of my grade! No pressure there at all.

Yikes.

Gulp.

Urg...

nothinkingaboutthatnotthinkingaboutthatnotthinkingaboutthatnothinkingaboutthatnotthinkingaboutthat

I spend so much time doing algebra work, studying psychology, and writing my essays, that I spend very little time online these days. For the most part, I throw up Facebook and Twitter statuses with my phone (by throw up, I mean post as opposed to vomit -- but you knew that) and haven't read a photography forum in months. If I'm not doing algebra or English comp lab work, I really prefer to not look at a computer.  In fact, I just completed that 10% of my grade essay and studied for algebra, and am now on computer overload. Sooooooo...I'll post this, check tomorrow's weather, and then shut this baby off. Time to rest the ol' brain before tomorrow's test.

Because I'm Still So Excited

Grades from Wednesday morning's Algebra test were already posted by Wednesday afternoon. I'm now proudly sporting my second algebra test A. But that's not what had me actually squeeing out loud in my car on the way home today.

When I walked into Composition today, the instructor stood behind her podium at the front of the classroom. "I've only got two essays left to grade," she told us.  "After I do that, I'm giving them back to you."

About ten minutes later, Mrs. D was walking around the classroom, setting an essay packet in front of each student. When she reached me me, I closed my eyes a second and took a deep breath. I heard the papers hit the table. Felt a slight rush of air as she moved away and on to the next student. Then I opened one eye -- just a teensy weensy bit -- and peeked. I saw my grade. Both my eyes popped open wide in shock and happy disbelief.

Next to the words Essay Grade was 100/A written in bright purple pen.  100?  She gave me a 100! I worked hard to contain myself. I looked further down the paper until I found the comments section.  Lynn, it said:

This is fun.  This is witty.  This is inspiring!  I really enjoyed the humor.  It's always enjoyable to read when you feel like the writer is having fun, too.  Plus -- you can write!  May I keep a cc for use in classes?

Whoa. Wow. Wow. 

WOW!

I wanted to bounce in my seat. I wanted to clap my hands. I wanted to spring from my chair and happy butt wiggle all over the classroom. 

I didn't do any of those things.  I just sat there.  And while the rest of the class worked on filling in their error logs, I continued to sit there, as there were no errors marked on my paper.  I shifted in my seat and set my essay aside. It was easier to resist clutching that paper to my chest and tangoing around the room with it that way.

When class ended, I very calmly packed my things into my bookbag.  Without dancing.  Or giggling.  I'm pretty sure I managed to avoid grinning.  I made it out of the building. Across the parking lot to my truck. And about a mile down the road.  Then, as I hit the onramp for the highway, I let loose.

"SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Photo by http://www.sxc.hu/profile/sinoreport

Sailing Along

I just realized I haven't updated the blog in a while -- bad Lynn! Here ya go....updates: I'm sticking with the program and keeping my head above water. In other words, still in school. Haven't yanked every last hair from my head. Haven't dissolved into a screaming, crying puddle of goo. And I've yet to huddle soundlessly in the corner, eating my hair.

I'm kidding, of course. Kind of. Because things have actually gone well thus far. My first Algebra test came back with  the teacher's note Perfect! scrawled across the top next to a 105. I rocked my Psychology test; a 100 on that one. My Psychology teacher also e-mailed me a congrats for the A she gave me on my first assignment, which carries as much weight as a test.

That narrative essay I was freaking out over has been turned in, but wasn't graded as of today's class. It's probably too much to hope for a grade by my next Composition class on Thursday, so we'll cross our fingers for Tuesday, instead.

My second Algebra test is tomorrow, so I'll be studying for that tonight. My second Psychology test is Tuesday; I'll be studying for that one this weekend. Our second Psychology assignment was posted last week, and I'm about 3/4 finished with that. In composition, we're preparing for another essay.  Yay -- another paper for me to stress over.

My daughter assures me those essays get easier as you go.  I sure hope she wasn't lying.

In other news, I visited the advisement and financial aid offices last week to try and start planning for my next semester, since registration for Spring semester classes is a mere month away. After talking it over with the advisor and more than a little soul searching on my own, I've decided to drop back to half-time for at least the next three semesters. Why, you ask?  Well, I'll you.

My goal is to apply for the Fall 2013 nursing program. To do that, my pre-requisites must be finished by January 2013. That gives me three semesters -- Spring 2012, Summer 2012, Fall 2012 -- to finish my six remaining pre-requisistes:  Anatomy & Physiology I & II and Labs, Microbiology & Lab, ENGL 1102, a Fine Arts/Humanities course, and Human Development. Most people recommend taking the sciences -- A&P I, A&P II, and Microbiology -- alone, if possible.  Since it's not possible, I'll pair each up with one of the other three pre-reqs.  That puts me right on schedule.

Half-time, which is six credit hours, keeps my financial aid in place.  A science, a lab, and another course will put me at seven credit hours per semester.  So there you have it.  Half-time for the next three semesters before the nursing program starts Fall 2013 and everything goes insane.

Notice how I added no qualifiers there regarding the nursing program?  No hopefully? No if I'm accepted? No if I get in? It's the power of positive thinking, baby! If I operate like I know my GPA will stay high enough, like I know I'll be invited to take the entrance exam, like I know I'll be offered one of those sixty program seats, it'll all happen for me, right?  Right!