Couple weeks late but Happy 2017 Everyone!!

I’d say for the most part 2017 has already shown that it has a great deal of potential to be a much better year than 2016. For most of us at least, and if you don’t think so just yet don’t give up hope.

On January 20th I officially became a registered nurse. My great start to 2017 didn’t come easy, however. In fact, it came after not one, not two but on the three tries. Going into this exam a third time I felt so hopeless and became wary of studying the same material over and over again. So this time, I found a smarter way of studying and instead I walked into the exam saying, “I know what I know, I don’t know what I don’t know so those questions are yours God, we got this”.

With each post, especially this one, I struggle with deciding what parts of my life I should and should not share with you guys. But I’ve decided to share my previous failures only to show that giving up is never an option for us international students or any student actually. For me, my ability to stay in America for school would eventually require me passing that test. Plus it’s about time I started to look for work which again I could only do that if I passed this test. But beyond those motivational factors, I needed to pass for my own sanity. I didn’t just struggle emotionally, financially and sometimes academically for two years working my hardest on that degree to never pass NCLEX. I started to look at all my other classmates who one after the other started to pass and move on to the other chapters of their lives and wondered why was I stuck in the same cycle. Why couldn’t I just move on already?

My hurdle was the NCLEX but for you guys it maybe something else. All I want my experience to show you guys is never to give up. It’s always nice when your dreams are achieved but it feels so different when you know you had to go through hell on earth to get it. That feeling you get then is not just happiness or pride but APPRECIATION. I’m not taking anything away from those who may achieve their goals on the first try and I am definitely not saying you may not have been facing hardships either. What I’m trying to say is for us who had to work a little harder we really have a deep sense of gratitude when we do get to the end. Apply this same mentality not only to your academic endeavors but with everyday lives and relationships. At some point, things will get tough but just remember the bigger the test the better the testimony.

Note: Hopefully I will be launching a new website for this blog soon. I will also be posting a lot more than I have been since I will now have more time. It’s time to get things going.