Baby steps - called Admissions at the Community College

Irene joy · Mar 19, 2007

Congratulations on making the first step in a new direction for you. I promise all the anxiety will be worth it. After your first class, it will ease your anxiety and it just gets easier from then on.You will be surrounded with people that are in the same life "place" as you, and I guarantee you will not feel alone.Pat your self on the back, the first steps are always the hardest!

chubbi · Mar 19, 2007

Thanks Irene Joy:lol2: !! I feel totally out of my league, out of my comfort zone:o . Thanks for the support!! It helps enormously..

chubbi

Multicollinearity, BSN, RN · Mar 19, 2007

I understand what you are saying. Over a year ago when I quit my former life and became a student, I was terrified of the community college I was to start at full-time. I sat in my car before that first class shaking and heart racing. I felt like such an idiot and mental case.

I knew it was irrational since I had done so many things...owned my own business, successful career, etc. All of my successes meant nothing to my fear of college. I wanted to go so badly for so many years that I had amplified the fear of college in my mind.

Now three semesters later I am convinced that the secret of college success for me is simply doing what I term 'sitting with it'. By that I mean the key is staying with whatever you don't understand or remember until you do understand and/or remember it. Otherwise known as studying, LOL. This may sound utterly simplistic, but I didn't have this knowledge when I tried college at age 18 many years ago, and I didn't have a family environment that was familiar with or encouraged college.

Anyway - I was a total nutjob and nervous when I started this college thing a little while ago. Now I have the routine down and a 4.0 to boot. My point in sharing this is - you can go from fear to success and thriving.

Make sure you don't overload your first semester and you'll do great!

caliotter3 · Mar 19, 2007

Hey, that's great! Now, why not take a drive over to the school and find the building where the nursing dept. is and go in? You can go to the office and ask for the info sheets or brochures detailing the program requirements, etc. Usually, these will be in prominent displays outside in the hallway so you may not even have to talk to someone in the office the first time, if you don't want to. Then, once you have your info sheets in hand, you can walk around the campus a little and go to the bookstore. There you can buy a copy of the catalog. Maybe get a sandwich at one of the student eating areas in the student commons. It might be more pleasant than you expect. The more trial runs you make, the easier it will be. Good luck.

LMRN10 · Mar 19, 2007

I had thought about going back to college for a long time, but never did anything about it. I so badly wanted to begin on that path, but not knowing where to start scared me. Had I known how easy it really was, I probably would have gone back quite a while ago! But I did finally start...just as you are...looking into what I needed to do to get where I wanted to be.

You will get there - the whole process is step by step!! Good luck and let us know how it turns out!

By the way, I was 27 when I went back to school!

Bella Donna · Mar 20, 2007

I am 35 and going back to school Today I went to orientation and I was the oldest one in the advisment session. I felt like a total freaking idiot. I almost got up and walked out, that is how humiliated I felt. But I didnt. But I am seriously having thoughts that this is not what I should be doing and I am too old to do this. I have had a dream to be a nurse for my whole life, but I feel like a total idiot being the oldest one in there and hearing all the young ones in there whispering and snickering at me. But I am DETERMINED to do this, I am doing this for me not for the other people in the class with me. So good luck and kepp your head high.

starbabyfive · Mar 20, 2007

good for you chubbi!!! keep taking those baby steps & soon you'll be running!!!

bella: keep up the good work. stay determined!! you can do it!! you've come this far.

RN BSN 2009 · Mar 20, 2007

school can be nerve wracking, hang in there :)

carolinapooh, BSN, RN · Mar 20, 2007

Sorry - somehow my post got submitted twice!

carolinapooh, BSN, RN · Mar 20, 2007

I am 35 and going back to school Today I went to orientation and I was the oldest one in the advisment session. I felt like a total freaking idiot. I almost got up and walked out, that is how humiliated I felt. But I didnt. But I am seriously having thoughts that this is not what I should be doing and I am too old to do this. I have had a dream to be a nurse for my whole life, but I feel like a total idiot being the oldest one in there and hearing all the young ones in there whispering and snickering at me. But I am DETERMINED to do this, I am doing this for me not for the other people in the class with me. So good luck and kepp your head high.

I'm 33; I'll be 34 in less than two months. The only disadvantage I have in comparison to the 20-somethings in my class is that my ability to stay up late and cram is impaired by my overwhelming need for eight hours of sleep.

Chances are extremely good that the snickering twerps you encountered didn't even notice you, because they are too caught up in their own insecurities and were giggling at each other.

My father went back to college in 1979, way before going back to school was the "in" thing to do like it is now. He said that the first day he walked into class, he was afraid of not being able to keep up with the kids. By the first exam, he said he realized THEY would have trouble keeping up with THEM.

You're right, it's not for them - it's for YOU. YOU. And you will be FINE; don't quit and don't give up! :balloons: :balloons:

Bella Donna · Mar 21, 2007

Thank you very much for the encouragement.