First Year Grades

The academic year is over and most grades are posted:

4 Passes (Biomed, Pharmacology, Medical Surgical Nursing, Maternal Newborn)

6 High Passes (Pathophysiology, Nutrition, Pediatrics, Psych-Mental Health, Anatomy & Community Health - which is actually not posted yet, but I just got a 95 on the final, so I will earn a HP in the course)

& 1 Honors (Issues in Nursing)

I am surprised by these stats. In the moment of it all, it seemed to me I was only passing everything, so I didn't realize that I had gathered so many HPs along the way. It is not shocking to me that my only Honor's grade would be in Issues of Nursing. It was the only class that focused purely on writings about nursing and class discussions. There were no facts to memorize, and the majority of our grade (70%) was based on a final paper we had to write.

As I look at these grades, I am amazed and I am proud. I always feel like I am catching up to everyone else, especially those who spent all their lives in day schools, boarding schools, ivies, and the like, and those who majored in biological sciences and other health care related fields.

I am debating whether I will work one or two days at the library next year, or none at all. We had our pre-first year meeting at the end of the semester and were told we have 8 classes for fall semester. I am trying to imagine this. 8 classes, including: Research, Statistics, Advanced Pharm, Antepartum, Gynecology, Advanced Pathophys, Avanced Physical Assessment, & Professional Issues and Leadership. When I looked at the class line up from last year I noticed that last year the midwifery specialty's heaviest semester was the spring semester. They have pulled two classes from the spring and moved them up to the fall, so that the fall semester will be heaviest (credit-wise). That's a lot of classes. I really hope they are looking at the structure again over this summer and maybe will make some changes (ie: move a class back) because 8 grad level courses is really A LOT to have at one time. They are also adding a course onto the program that would allow us to graduate with both the CNM and the WHNP. More about why a CNM would want to do that later.

So, anyway, thinking about my course load next year, and my grades this year, it occurs to me that I can do this, which, no matter how many times I tell myself this, or how many times I do it, is always news to me.