As I write this post I am in the middle of my last full week of college classes, and by the time you read it, I’ll be done! Ahhh!! So crazy! In case you guys didn’t know before, I am a nursing major and will be graduating in May with my Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing. 

Just like anything else, as I look back on my college experience, I remember many highs and lows. Nursing school is certainly the hardest experience I have ever gone through. I could probably type a long post full of the whining and complaining that I have done throughout these past four years, but I will spare you! Although college was a challenge in many ways, I do feel like I have grown so much as a person. Not only have I learned how to be a good nurse, through my liberal arts education, I also feel like my mind has been expanded in so many ways, which is great. 

Here are five things that I know I will take away from my college experience: 

 

1. Be a Life Long Learner.

One thing that my university specifically required us to do is earn hours in many disciplines like culture and arts, religion, and personal growth. Even though I thought it was a pain while I was going through it, I realize now that it truly made me a more well rounded person. Also, I think my nursing experience specifically has helped me realize how vital it is to always be open to learning advancing technology. Even if it is something small, learning something new really makes life more interesting!! Things on my learning to do list are how to play an instrument, sew, and write calligraphy.

2. Find Healthy Ways to Cope With Stress.

Wow, is nursing school stressful. I really do think if you looked up stress in the dictionary, nursing school should be the example! I’ve had so many sleepless nights, freakout sessions with friends, and breakouts within the last four years, I can’t even count!! I can totally see how some college students can fall into unhealthy coping strategies like drugs and alcohol because it really is hard to deal with! Not that I haven’t had a few margaritas after a stressful exam, trust me, I have! But, there are two healthier things that really got me through the stress: my friend group and my faith. Having friends that were going through the exact same program that I was in made everything so much easier. We not only helped each other study for exams and be on time for class, but we also learned how to forget about school and have time to just have fun. My faith was also something that really got me through. I’ll be honest, I haven’t always been one to attend church every Sunday and listen to Christian music on the radio, but I am now. Going to a Christian university truly helped me grow my faith. Listening to podcasts, attending church services with my best friends, and listening to Christian music really does center my mind (I do one of the 3 every morning).

3. Be Willing to Ask the Hard Questions.

I grew up in a fairly conservative Southern family, and before I attended college, I was so used to sweeping the controversial topics like politics and religion under the rug. While I still believe that there is a time and a place for every discussion, I have grown in my ability and confidence to speak up and ask the hard questions about life. If you don’t ask, you never know. Plus, each time my friends and I talked about the hard stuff, I leave the conversation feeling like I know them so much better. I also think hearing other people’s perspectives on things makes you even more confident in your own stance, which is super important. 

4. Don’t Jump on the Bandwagon.

One huge difference between high school and college is the peer pressure. High schoolers spend so much of their time wishing, hoping, trying to blend in with their peers, and while peer pressure doesn’t completely disappear in college, I do think that the college community celebrates diversity so much more. I have realized that it is so much better to be yourself and attract the people that mesh with you than to try to be something else hoping to get into a specific group. Even if you only make one true friendship, it will be stronger and more meaningful than having twenty “cool” acquaintances. 

5. Be Present.

In the beginning of each phase of life, there always seems to be someone ahead of you that says, “Just you wait, it will go by so fast.” You’re thinking, I have four years to go, there’s no way that it will go by fast, but you know what? It totally does. It’s pretty ironic that throughout my first three years in college I felt very trapped and like time was going by so slow, but as soon as I hit senior year, I became so sentimental and wished that I would have appreciated each and every day more. It’s so easy to say that in hindsight, but I hope this post will remind me to continue to be present in each phase of my life, and stop wishing that the future was now. YOLO, y’all. 

I hope you enjoyed this post. I know it was a lot of text, but honestly, it was more of a journal entry for me at this big transition point in my life. If any of you are going through a major transition as well, stop, take a deep breath, and take it all in. It will be over before we know it! 

xoxo. Chelsea, RN- BSN (almost!)