To the struggling nursing student,

As first semester begins to draw closer to the finish line, it is often the time when struggling students, particularly freshman, realize just how deep in a hole they are really in. As the assignments, papers, and dreaded exams keep piling up, it can seem as though the hole has turned into a never ending pit leading students to question there choice in major, if they even belong in college, and mainly themselves.

Of these struggling science majors, specifically nurses often stick out among the crowd. It is these students who don't necessarily get the advantage of starting their college careers off in the "gen-ed" classes, as they are thrown into the world of anatomy and chemistry from the start and told to sink or swim. Nursing is one of the most competitive majors to be accepted to, and even students who were near the top of their high school class can find themselves being the runt of the litter in a class full of future RNs.

Coming to college I was concerned about how I would adjust living two and a half hours away from my friends and family, but I was not overly concerned about how I would do academically. I always excelled in the classroom in high school, and was expecting that same success to follow me into my college career. However, as my first semester trudged on, I began to realize that the academic world of college was unlike anything I had been prepared for, as I was barely treading water in my "major" courses of biology, lab, and the dreaded chemistry. I had dug myself into such a hole that a fellow peer actually came out and told me she didn't think I should continue in the nursing program. I returned home from college with my tail between my legs, unsure if I even had enough fight in me to come back for second semester, let alone as a nursing major.

As the weeks of winter break turned to months, the time to return to my life away from my hometown was rapidly approaching. Over winter break I had looked into many different possibilities of what to do about my future career, Through all my research I came to the conclusion that there was only one job for me: a nurse.

To me, nursing is about so much more than simply being able to understand how to balance chemical equations. Nurses have the unique privilege of being a beacon of light for people during the worst times of their life, as it is often the nurse who gets to develop a personal and emotional relationship with patients. The field of nursing is always evolving, as you never know what challenges you may face when going into work in the morning, but it is also for this reason that I believe it can be one of the most rewarding fields.

From the day I made the decision to give myself a second chance as a nursing major, I have not regretted it once. Although I often feel I end up spending an equal amount of time in the library as I do in my own room, I wouldn't change it for the world as those hours spent in the library will eventually lead to hours in the hospital. Through my hard work, I began to see improvements in my grades, as I began to claw myself out of a pit that had once seemed hopeless. That work ethic has only continued to pay off this year, from the girl who was once told she shouldn't be a nurse scored to a 47/50 on her most recent nursing exam.

There is no doubt that the life of a college freshman is not an easy one. When struggling to deal with grades, social situations, and living on your own for what many college freshman is the first time. It is easy to listen to the voices of those who say you are not good enough, and simply give up. However, if you decide to stay the course and fight for your dream, you may come to shock not only the naysayers but even yourself.

Sincerely,

A Former First Semester Failure