Depressing school news (and how I'm managing it)
I think I mentioned recently that I had a meeting scheduled with my BSN program advisor. Well...the outcome of the meeting was a slightly gloomy Kristen.
I had dearly hoped I could finish my program by December (oh, how I want to be done!!!), but sadly, it's not really possible without jam-packing my summer with multiple classes (instead of the one-at-a-time I'm doing right now).
I really don't want to load up on more classes; I'm already on the verge of drowning!
So, I reluctantly opted to push my graduation date forward to May of 2027. WOMP-WOMP.
In other bad news, my school no longer offers the CLEP-like option to test out of ethics (a required credit), so I have to go back to the community college and take an ethics class.
Annnnnd in other dumb news, I will still be one credit short overall to graduate, so I will need to take a tiny one-credit class at the community college (I found one on something like...metabolic health.)
Or I suppose I could take some random CLEP test? I haven't decided yet what I will do.
(I'm opting for the community college for these four credits because it will be cheaper than at my four-year university.)
Anyway, the summary is that I am a little displeased at how my next year is shaping up. I have a whole 'nother 365 days of being in this BSN program, and that sucks.
Soooo, here's my plan for reframing and surviving.
First, some reframing:
I am grateful I have this opportunity
I didn't think I was going to be able to get a college degree at all! So, I am thankful to be here, even though I am learning very little in these BSN classes.
I am grateful that most of my school bills will be paid for by my hospital
At least I'm not paying for my suffering. 😉
This is longer than I want, but it IS temporary
It's not like I have four more years of this to get through. In the grand scheme of things, one more year is not a lot.
I don't like the program, but I am doing fine in it
I may not be learning much, and I may be complaining (a lot), but at least I am not struggling to pass! The work is annoying and tedious and takes many hours, but it is not particularly hard.
I will just keep reminding myself of all these reframes when I feel blue.
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Surviving (and maybe thriving?) plans
I have been managing my work and school load since August, but I have had very little free time. I work my shifts, and then when I'm home, I grocery shop, do laundry, cook, do homework, write blog posts, exercise, and sleep.
I am being very responsible, and I am doing a good job of taking care of my body, but I have not been doing much of anything fun.
And I think I need to switch things up if I'm gonna be living this school life for another year.
I am going to go down to two shifts a week in August
That means I only need to get through one more semester (this summer) of balancing my current workload (three 12's a week) with my school load.
Also, in August, my nurse residency program will be over, and that will take one more thing off my plate.
I am going to go on some local adventures
I had hoped to visit some more states this year and cross them off on my map, but I think that's going to have to wait for now.
However, I think I could manage some short 1-2 night trips to semi-local places, and that might help my life feel less like it's 100% work, work, work.
I am going to do some schoolwork at other places
My schoolwork is all online, so I'm going to make a point of visiting some coffee shops to do some of my work. That way, I will not be spending so many hours just sitting at my desk here at home.
I'm hoping a change of scenery will help my life feel slightly more interesting.
I am going to schedule some time to watch a show or read a book
Even if it's just one hour a week, I would like to consume something that is...just for fun! And to that end, I'm going to write it into my weekly plan, like an appointment.
Otherwise, it's not going to happen.
Hopefully these self-interventions will keep me from getting too far down into the depths of despair. Wish me luck!
I applaud your reframing and yes it'll take longer than expected, but it's worth it!
That 1 credit- can it be something fun or have to meet a specific requirements? I once took a random hula hoop class for such a requirement.
This news was heavy-hitter on the midst of a busy season! Sending hugs.
Thank you for sharing your reframe and action plan because I think a lot of us can relate to major disappointment or unexpected news, and how we absorb and then pivot is everything!
I’m sorry that this update wasn’t what you had hoped. I do think going down to 2 shifts a week is an excellent idea. For sone reason I thought you had to work full time for another calendar year, but I guess that year flew by!! 😂
You will notice two shifts a week is very different! I am not a nurse, but I do remember nurses at my hospital who needed to decrease hours, and 2 versus 3 shifts is huge! I think this alone will be a big help!
This may or may not be helpful, but consider one day a week as your “life catch up”.
Grocery shop, crank out laundry, bills, errands as much as you can do in one day- but then schedule something fun for that day, too. Even if it’s meeting up with a friend or going to a movie.
Try not to do schoolwork during your immersive life productivity day. I have done this in the past when I worked 4 days a week, and on my Wednesdays off I did it ALL.