What now?

I had my first week of Spring semester last week. I am taking Human Physiology, and Psychology. I am not sure quite how it worked out but in my first B.S., I think it was my microbiology class that ended up fulfilling whatever requirement it was that people usually take Psych for in undergrad.

It turns out that the lecturer I am going to have this term for Physiology is the same one I had last term for Anatomy. However, she is using all of the same materials for the class from the woman who usually teaches it, and that teacher, I can tell is ultra organized. So that will help. I wasn't able to get back into the Psychology section I dropped for the new job that didn't work out (see last post) but I was able to add a different section for Thursday nights, 7-10pm. It uses the same book, which is a relief, and seems like it will be extremely, extremely easy.

I got my job back at the campus tutoring center, and adjusted my schedule so that I will only be working on Tuesday through Thursday, the same days I am on campus anyway for class. I am hoping because I will be starting at the beginning of the semester this time instead of part way through, and I know more what to expect, I can really get a good group of students established right off who will be consistent. 20 hours per week x 9 dollars an hour = 180 per week, or 720 minus taxes per month, but that is only if everyone shows up and my schedule is full.

My confidence in myself kind of took a hit with the whole fiasco at my last job. I know I need to get a second job but now I am not sure what to do. It would be nice to get something in health care... two possibilities there would be:

(a) work in a nursing home doing elder care
(b) finish my cardiac arrhythmia training and try for a tele monitor job at a local hospital

And another possibility I am considering now, mostly because they have medical benefits for part-timers is:

(a) Starbucks barista

I have to say that the Starbucks thing is kind of appealing. I could work my 3 days at the tutoring center, 3 days at the coffee shop, and end up with enough income to not be going in the hole every month and also be able to stop paying COBRA health insurance after 3 months. It might be kind of tiring to work 6 days per week but maybe this would be the best solution.

If I was able to get a tele monitor job, their shifts are 12 hours, and 3 shifts is considered full time. I don't know how flexible they might be about scheduling around a school schedule, or that might be a good possibility. The main thing holding me back from that is my confidence level. What if I'm not good at it, and what if I make a bad impression at one of the two local hospitals, and then once I'm done with nursing school and looking for jobs I won't feel comfortable going back? Maybe that's being ridiculous.

If I went for the tutoring + starbucks option, I doubt I would be able to fit in 200 hours of health care work experience before I turn in my nursing school application. I don't know.

Elder care could also be fine, it's just a matter of finding a job, as none are posted right now. Plus, I'm pretty sure they wouldn't throw in medical benefits for a part-timer so that would mean quitting my tutoring job and stuff or just doing part time and continuing on cobra still.

Lots to think about.

One bright ray of hope in all the gray: I ended up with an A (not even a minus) in Anatomy for last semester. I found out earlier this week but forgot to post it in all the chaos. That will help my application. I was right on the border at the end of the term, so I must have done pretty well on the final.

Anatomy: Results In, Money Stress

So, the letter grades haven't been posted yet, but our teacher posted our points for the term online, and as it stands, my overall percent for anatomy is 89.3. Gosh, it would be nice if my teacher considered that an A-. I won't know until mid-January what she decides...unless I were to write her a pesky email, which probably wouldn't be a smart move.

I am stressed about money right now. I am single, childless... my part time job, since it's affiliated with the community college I'm going to, is "on break" until the 3rd week of Spring Semester, which means no income for me. In the mean time it's the holidays, and while I don't need to travel anywhere for Xmas, getting a few presents for family, stocking my new kitchen (I've been living for almost 5 months without one), etc adds up. I've got a *very* part time gig lined up to do some babysitting until my school job is back in play, but jeez, money is tight.

I think this is probably an issue for many second-career nurses going back to school. Per the rules of the California community college system, I am not allowed to get any scholarships or federal aid there considering I already have a bachelor's degree. I can petition to have the privilege to take out loans. Which I'm in the process of doing.

I'm going to keep going on my cardiac arrhythmia course (which costs about $120 to get the certificate for), and see if that can get me a monitor tech job. I'm taking phlebotomy this spring semester, so in another 6 months or so I could start applying for phlebotomy jobs, and I won't be taking any classes at that point, presumably for the next year, so I could easily work full time again. Somewhere over the next 6 months, I need to start earning enough money that I can start not only covering my monthly expenses again (instead of further diminishing my dwindling "emergency" fund), but start saving up for needing to cut back on hours again once I'm in the nursing program.

It has been about a week since the blood bank job closed, and I haven't heard anything. So that might mean I am out of luck. Or maybe (hopefully?) they just aren't interviewing until after the holidays. Please, please, please. I also saw that they are advertising for a lab tech type job at the same location, but I'm not sure I'm qualified, even with my extensive biology background. There are certifications that you need. More hoops to jump through.

Maybe people will give me gift cards for groceries, etc this year for Xmas.

Winding down Semester 1

The other night I was doing some calculations. For the ASN program I'm planning to apply for, they give you a certain # of points if you already have a degree, a certain # if you have career or volunteer experience in the health professions, a certain # depending on your score on the TEAS test, etc. And different categories of points based on your grades in pre-nursing science classes. These classes are Microbiology, Human Anatomy and Human Physiology.

I took micro about 10 years ago and got a B at the time. In Anatomy I'm right on the edge of an A/B right now, so that will hopefully be an A-. The way they set it up, if you had a 4.0 overall from these classes you would get 40 points, a 3.5-4.0 35 points, a 3.0-3.5 30 points... something like that. The way it works out, given I got a B in micro, if I get a B in Anatomy, there is really no point in me striving for the A in Phys (in terms of the application!) because I would already be doomed to the 3.0-3.5 bracket. Yes, I may be over thinking this a bit.

I took my last lab oral at the end of last week and got a 33/35. It was on the urogenital system. One of the points I missed was for not recognizing podocytes and slits on a model of the glomerulus of the kidney; I would have recognized them in a different context but oh well; that's still a 94%.

For the final, we are going to have 50 projection slides to look at and identify structures from the cumulative material this semester, and the remaining 100 multiple choice questions are going to be from the last segment of material: digestive, urinary and reproductive systems. I think I have a pretty good chance of bumping it up to the A with that final.

A job I applied for to work at the local blood bank as a donor care specialist closed 2 days go, so I'm hoping they will contact me for an interview next week. It would be full time work, which could be hectic with my schedule next semester, but really the only class I *have* to take next semester is the physiology, so I think it would be doable. Here's hoping.

I'm going to spend this afternoon studying for my anatomy final. I need to review the labs from this section, scan through the book for terms and diseases, work on the cumulative slide section, and review the lecture slides. I am kind of glad that my anatomy lecturer is not going to be my physiology lecturer.

Motivation Dip

It's Sunday night. Next week is the last instructional week of the semester and then there will be finals week. This Wednesday I'm scheduled to take my last lab exam, on the urinary and reproductive systems, and the following Wednesday night I'll be taking the final.

I haven't *really* started studying the urinary and reproductive systems yet. I need to put in some time on that tonight. For the last couple lab exams I have been trying a new technique: making myself some self-quizzing power points that go through step by step each structure/function/whatever I need to know. I've gotten really good grades on the last two exams this way but it is kind of tedious. Knowing it's a sure-fire method though, I want to stick with it, and I'd better get started.

So I'm trying to get myself re-motivated to buckle down and study.

I suppose there are the negative motivations:
-If I get a B rather than an A (both realistic options at this point), that might lessen my chances of being accepted into nursing school.
-It would be a bummer to not get the highest grade possible after all the other work I've put into this class this semester.
-Do first jobs in the nursing field ask for transcripts? Would they hire someone with more A's over someone with more B's?

Positive motivations to finish up with a bang this semester:
-picturing myself helping a patient down the road
-I am lucky to be capable of an A, so I should really do my best to get there
-bragging rights
-The more I can incorporate into my memory this semester during Anatomy, the easier Physiology should be next semester, right?
-If I do really well on this next lab exam, that material is only going to show up again on the final, so I might as well learn it well now.