Nursing School RECAP - Semester One

One semester down, six to go.

Here are my top 5 takeaways from this first semester of nursing school in French.

1. I LOVE sociology. Like...LOVE sociology.

   Up to this point, I have a 100% in the class. I cannot believe it. I am so proud of myself.

2. I also love psychology, and I'm surprised that my school teaches and models guided meditation for stress management.

   Like, what? Where were these tools when I was going to high school in the late 90s, early 2000? Oh yeah. Nevermind.

3. French is hard, but...

   I love it, and that surprises me because I never really wanted to learn it before now. I also created some cheatsheets for myself, which I'll post below.

4. Life experience absolutely counts for something when you're an older student.

   I don't know why I thought it might not have much to contribute to my learning experience - but as it turns out, my views and experience really helped me this semester. It made learning so much easier.

5. Organization is absolutely necessary for surviving school.

   So many of my colleagues are disorganized, papers everywhere, broken pens and pencils, etc. It shows when it comes time to exam day. I'm so happy I spent time learning organizational systems for myself. My simple folder method came in super handy, as did my 6-month perpetual planner. Made my life so much easier!!

As I finish my first semester of nursing school in french, I am so grateful.

Grateful for all the challenges that forced me to study harder. 

Grateful for the bilingual burnout, which seemed to happen every few days, because it forced me to listen to my body and set boundaries with myself. 

Grateful for the acceptance of my much younger peers. 

Grateful for the professors who were patient as I tried to explain myself in a language I’m not fully fluent in.

Grateful for everything I learned.

Grateful for all the expansion that comes with being afraid to try new things and then realizing there’s nothing to be afraid of - that it’s all figure-outable. Somehow.

Grateful for the different perspectives I encountered during class discussions.

Grateful for the support of my school when I needed help with my ADHD.

Grateful for the fact that my school teaches meditation as part of their nursing program.

Grateful for the school lunch ladies who are so joyous and fun to talk to during breaks.

Grateful for this amazing library where I get to study peacefully every single day.

Grateful for my ability to adapt. Being a chameleon has its perks.

Grateful for all the help I received from friends and family.

Grateful for my boyfriend who is french-speaking and lets me practice with him everyday.

Grateful for the chance to model change with acceptance for my teenagers. 

Grateful also for the opportunity to show them how hard I work to earn the grades I get. If you want something, you have to work for it, period. They see it. I live it everyday.

I’m so thankful this school accepted me as a student. I will show them through hard work just how appreciative I am.

For anyone who is learning french while they are attending school, here are some cheatsheets I made for myself to remember basic rules of grammar. If they help, awesome!

Feel free to screenshot. If you find it helpful, share it. If you want to donate a coffee, you can do so, here: