Dear Nursing School...

Dear Nursing School,

You weren’t quite what I expected you to be.  I had heard many friends and other saying that you would be hard, but I’m not sure “hard” is the appropriate description.  I have never felt so stressed, worn down, or exhausted in my life.  I guess I didn’t quite expect all the studying that you demanded, and how much time you would consume, especially coming from homeschooling!  And you know how people seem to “self diagnose” when they Google different symptoms?  Yeah, I’m pretty sure I diagnosed myself with heart problems, cancer, thyroid problems, and many other disorders.  You should come with a “hypochondriacs do not enter” sign.

But you know what else I didn’t expect?  I didn’t expect to be in a class with such an awesome group of people.  Through middle and high school, I had the chance to interact with huge groups of people, but mostly in passing and we all went our own different ways.  But nursing school?  We were all fighting through this craziness together and had to keep each other sane.  The number of times it was encouragement from classmates that kept me moving are countless, and I can honestly say they helped make nursing school fun. 

So Nursing School, today I officially say goodbye to you.  While you were a challenging companion for the last two years, you have helped to teach me what I need to know to be a strong, influential nurse.  I can’t say I’ll miss the studying that you brought into our “relationship,” but I undoubtedly will miss my fellow nurses and awesome professors that have helped to shape who I am today.

I guess this is goodbye, and a victory cry on my part,

Maredith