As an ADN, it was all about grades: I finished with 3.923. I had one B--I missed the A and thus the 4.0 by 2 mere points...and I know what question I stupidly answered wrong too. Yeah, it burned for a while. But on the other hand, it taught me an important lesson: the world didn't end when I didn't get the A. People didn't think me any less smart. People thought no less of me...hell, my classmates were still proud of me for what I achieved--and what I did to help them--that they let everyone know it at pinning.
Getting that 3.923 was exhausting work--I went above and beyond in studying for those two years. My health suffered, my social life suffered, my family actually didn't suffer because my better half was/is a champ at picking up the slack when it comes to the preschooler. My mind suffered though. It was emotionally draining. Everyone said I made it look easy; I tell them they should see the ulcer it gave me.
Now that I'm a BSN student...I still want to do well. I don't know if my future includes a masters degree so I don't want to become an entire slacker. But I'm not as stressed anymore over the grades I'm going to get. If I get an A, yay. If I get a B, yay. If I get a C...ok, I have to put my foot down there--I will not willingly be a C student. I already was once in my life, thank you. Point being: I'm going to focus less on getting the GPA and more on the class itself. Slow down and smell the care plans and concept maps. Look at the whole picture and not just the tests. Enjoy more of what I'm doing. Not let it consume as much of my life...and it being a part-time program, that should be easier for me to do.
Speaking of which, I better get cracking: my homework is due this evening but I still want to go out with my friends tonight.
