"The Hardest Part Is Over... And Yet To Come" by Elena Goodrow

In the Fall of 2024 I began the journey of pursuing a degree in nursing. The long list of pre-requisite classes was daunting. The competitive nature of getting into the nursing program was terrifying. From an ever changing number of applicants, only the top 30 students would get accepted into the program. You had to get the best grades in difficult classes such as Anatomy and Physiology or Microbiology. This was a lot to digest for a girl that was homeschooled and had never taken a test at a school before! As if that wasn't enough, you also have to study for the TEAS (Test of Essential Academic Skills). Your grade on that test also determined whether or not your name would survive the selection process.

Now it is the Summer of 2026, a year and a half later. I've finished all my pre-requisite classes and taken the TEAS. I've heard many opinions about nursing school. Some people say the pre-reqs are the hardest part, the competition is too overwhelming. Once you get to the nursing program, you just have to focus on passing. I've also heard the complete opposite, that the nursing program makes the pre-reqs look like a piece of cake. Perhaps I'll be able to form an opinion of my own eventually. I found the pre-reqs to be very difficult, and the competition certainly created a stressful environment. If I'm trying to be hopeful, I might say the hardest part is over. 

After this semester ended, my girlfriend and I took a trip to Universal Studios in Orlando! It was the perfect way to celebrate not only finishing my pre-reqs, but also her graduating with her masters degree! I couldn't be more proud!

A fantastic vacation was just what we needed. Once we got back home, it was back to real life. Between long shifts at work, I barely found time to get nervous about nursing school.

Then I got the email I had been waiting for...

I have been accepted into the nursing program! A wave of excitement and relief washed over me. All the hard work thus far has paid off, and I feel ready for all the hard work that will come. I can barely contain my excitement for orientation over the summer!

I have no idea how difficult the path ahead will be, but I do know that I feel ready for it!