We aren't freshmen anymore, but we still don't really know what we are doing. We are like babies walking for the first time, but instead of actually walking, we are thinking about walking and are about to walk but aren't actually doing anything. That is basically what being a sophomore nursing student at UNE is like. We are so close to starting our hands on experience in our nursing education but still so far away from being a registered nurse. We are also so close to being in Portland, we just have to get over the hump that is sophomore year. And with that being said let's recap sophomore so far in GIFs...
First Semester
1. 1st day of class 1st semester: What a wonderful, delusional time. You start off the semester with so much hope and good intentions like you are going to study every single day, and you are definitely not going to go take that nap and watch Grey's Anatomy on Netflix for the millionth time. So you take out that crisp new notebook and you have your pencils out and are all ready to go.
2. 1st Hell Week of the semester: The first couple of weeks have gone by, you're doing fine and then...1st exam week. Now you have 3 exams a paper and a project that are all due within a 3 day period. Which will either cripple you with stress...
-Or you somehow get a bolt of energy and feel the need to do everything...
Now it's time to get your grades back...you're either like
or you're like
3. The weekend after the first Hell Week:Everything is done and over with and now it’s time to go out with your friends and have a good time. You are either celebrating your good grades, or trying to forget the fact you got a 68 percent on your Microbiology exam.
4. Now it’s back to reality and studying:
5. Anatomy and Physiology II: No matter who you have for A & P II it will be hard, but at least you are learning the more interesting body systems like the cardiovascular system, instead of having to memorize the muscular, skeletal and nervous systems.
6. Microbiology: Oh how I do not miss Microbio, this is definitely the type of class where you get it or you don't, and I was one who just didn't get it. If you got it, great, but if you were like me...Microbiology = death.
7. Methods: Methods of Scholarly Inquiry or as everyone else calls it, “Methods” is your first research class where you will learn about evidence based practice, and other research methods. This class is the worst if you have it in the morning because you will fall asleep no matter how hard you try and stay awake.
8. Ethics: This is one of the IHS classes I really enjoyed, it can be boring but you learn a lot and if you have a good professor it can be a really chill class.
9. House-hunting and finding housemates: This can either be really stressful if most of your friends on campus are not Nursing or Dental Hygiene majors or it can be an easy, exciting time. You have the freedom to choose where you want to live for the first time since coming to UNE, you don’t have to stay on campus if you don’t want to. You can venture out into the world that is southern Maine, and if you are like me that means living in Old Orchard Beach for junior year.
10. Signing the lease and paying security deposit: House, check. Roommates, check. Now the exciting part where you feel like an actual adult and sign your first lease. The only downside is that you will be broke for the foreseeable future (well at least more broke than you already were before signing). After you sign the lease you probably have created a countdown for move in day and get sad that it is pretty much a little less than a year away.
11. Finals: This is the true hell week, where other majors may only have two or three finals, us nursing majors will typically have at least three to five finals. Coffee will become your best friend and your best friend(s) will become your study partners and studying will consume your life. So grab a blanket and maybe your coffee maker and set up shop in the library, or as I like to call it my new home during finals week
12. Winter break: The wonderful time where you can go home and get a home cooked meal and relax while you wait to get back your final grades of the first semester. While being home is great, you are counting down the days until you will be back at UNE to see all your college friends, and then complain on how short (or long) break was.
Second semester (so far)
13. Move in day: You get to see all your friends again, and even though it was only a month or so, it felt like an eternity.
14. Pathophysiology: The study of diseases. This is where many of you will be introduced to clickers (I don’t mean TV ones, but the annoying school ones) and they will help your grade so much, just as long as you pay attention. Between clicker questions and exams and case studies, patho will be either the death of you or you will do fine.
15. Principles of Chemistry: At UNE nursing students and dental hygiene have the pleasure of taking only one chemistry class, but they put all the chemistry classes that one would take over 5 semesters in one. Gen Chem, O-Chem and Biochem all smushed together in a MWF 8am class.
16. Intro to Nursing: Where all the answers are correct, but that’s doesn’t matter because only one is the MOST correct. (And you honestly cannot figure out which one that is)
17. Nutrition: Where you are reminded on a daily basis how terrible your eating habits are. You will either freak out and try to make an effort to eat nutritiously, or you are like me and are just too tired to try and change your ways.
18. First exams of the semester: Of course your patho, nursing and nutrition exams are all in a span of three days and you have to pick and choose which classes mean the most to you. Like finals week coffee will be your saving grace.
19. After the first exams of the semester: Like the first semester it’s time to go out and let loose before you get back on the studying grind, or just to go sleep for the entire weekend. Whichever sounds better to you.
20. Wishing you were on the Portland campus pretty much on a daily basis: If you are like me you want second semester to be over with so you will be on the Portland campus where we will finally start with our actual nursing education, no more semesters with a heavy focus on the gen eds, but nursing classes with clinicals!
21. But you know in your heart that you will probably miss the Biddeford campus at some point:
22. Reminding yourself that this will all be worth it in the end when you become an Registered Nurse and you will know what you are doing:
