In hindsight, what would have prepped you better for the U.S.?

[Lone Stranger]

You're there and settled in. But since hindsight's 20-20, what things would you have done or paid more attention to in the Philippines to prepare you better for the U.S. experience?

[asianrn]

read more nursing books, the basics of anatomy and physiology, pathophysiology, peds book if you're interested going to NICU..., critical care nursing books, practice on drug calculations, conversions...just hit the basic nursing books and you will be fine..

[nrswnabee]

this is my personal list. i should've...

1. traveled through the philippine countryside more....visited more beaches, hiked more mountains, basked in the sun.... people usually think fiji or phuket or the caribbean for vacation but i believe the phils. could equal (or even exceed) these places' awe-inspiring beauty.

2. learned the spanish language beyond "adios patria adorada...." i never thought that my 12 spanish units in college would be of some use here. had i known, i would have taken some effort to learn speaking the language fluidly. there are career advantages for being conversant in spanish.

3. learned sooner how to be more discerning than only helpful; more assertive than only polite-- it's wonderful to have a mind to help but you should also know when to put your foot down and say "no". if you allow people to walk all over you, then you aren't helping but only feeding people's bad bad habits.

4. been familiar with phraseal verbs (? how are these called...i don't know) sooner---e.g. turn in (submit), drop in (visit), ring up (call by phone or total), walk up (approach) etc. i noticed how americans are more relaxed using these words in conversation. it's no big deal, really, but it feels less "uptight".

5. brought along more favorite brand clothing from the philippines (even undergarments!). i could've saved a fortune on summer clothes. they're of comparable quality anyway and less expensive, too.

oh well...just to keep the ball rolling.