Dear First Semester Student,

First off, I want to congratulate you for getting into this program. It’s a huge deal and something

that deserves to be recognized. The next few semesters are really going to challenge your faith in

your intelligence and abilities and it's important to celebrate and acknowledge your wins. You

should always remember that you were chosen out of the hundreds of applicants not for grades or

extracurriculars, but because the faculty saw the future of nursing in you.

Now that you are in the program, you deserve honesty and transparency: the next few semesters

are going to be physically, psychologically, and emotionally draining. There will be countless

late nights in HSIB cramming for exams, practicing physical assessments on friends, pets, and

family, and timing your IV push skills until your thumbs are sore. However, with that there will

be countless caffeine runs with friends, post-clinical debriefs that will have you laughing to the

point of tears, and patient interactions that will shape you not only as a nurse but also as a

person.

My primary piece of advice would be to find your village. Find the people who will help lift you

up at your lowest and celebrate you at your highest. Sit next to the people you don’t know on the

first day, organize those study sessions, find that core group of people who know how tough it is

and root for each other every single day. The rigors of this process can be isolating if you let it

so you have to fortify yourself through these relationships that you cultivate.
With all of that being said, remember you deserve to be here. However that doesn’t mean that

there aren’t going to be days where you are overworked and pushed to your absolute limit.

Honor those thoughts and that part of this experience and find the time to care for yourself first.

Advocacy starts with you. After all, if you are not safe and healthy you won’t be in a position to

help others heal.

Good luck and see you out there,

Emily Hall