As I look at my schedule for next semester, I have the ridiculous urge to go do something destructive. Frustration, yes, that's what I feel. I am, yet again, reminded that I am in school with a bunch of 20-somethings that have an "It's ALLLLL About ME" attitude. Let me explain ...
At the Nursing Program that I am currently a slave to, one might think that they pay to be a student, so they have a say in what happens in their schedule. Um, NO. We are given the illusion of choice when we give our preferences to our advisors each semester, but our schedules are ultimately drawn out of a hat. "Oh, ok, we've drawn JSchmoe. Their choices are :: ruffling through the sheets :: A, B, C, D. They get their choices. Next! Ok, we have JBlow, their choices are :: ruffling through the sheets :: B, C, E, F. Ok, that's good, but B and C are now full. Next!" Get the picture? There are definitely more slots than just two, but to illustrate my point ... when it gets beyond the maximum amount of slots, the next student drawn no longer gets their choice(s), they get what they're assigned. Now to the frustrating part ...
I have only ever received one schedule that was what I had preferred. In case anyone didn't know, prior to being a nursing student, I am a mother, wife, ER Tech, and EMT ... so I'm a little busy. My life is a balancing act that takes a lot of planning (a written day planner and a smartphone) to successfully make it to family gatherings, karate nights, school concerts, and orthodontist/dental appointments while also maintaining a decent GPA with exams and class work. The first time that I was forcibly placed into a bad clinical schedule (kiddo got the short end), I pleaded with classmates to switch ... and they ignored me. The second time I was forcibly, last-minute placed (I was scheduled to WORK on certain days), I begged, pleaded, and practically groveled ... oh, and I was ignored. This third time, I appealed to the faculty in charge to NOT put the clinical night (that I was, yet again, forcibly placed into) on Thursday (karate night). I'd rather lose every Friday night (and get about 4 hours sleep before work on Saturday), than mess with karate night. Oh, wait ... I'm the minority, Thursday won. So now, here I wait to begin this dreadful semester. I've talked to classmates about schedules, and have received, "I'm so excited to have both day clinicals on T/Th [or whatever days, daytime]. It's so much easier to relax in the evenings knowing I have clinical done. Not like losing my morning to prepping for evening clinical. I feel bad for people who have to do evenings." At that point, I just walked away. I've begged and pleaded for daytime every semester due to family/work commitments, yet I'm ignored. I'm sick of sounding like a broken record. I feel bad for my classmates, and pray not to become their co-workers after graduation. They have no sense of teamwork or give/take. To them, it's all take ... and it's not gonna get them very far in the real world.
At the Nursing Program that I am currently a slave to, one might think that they pay to be a student, so they have a say in what happens in their schedule. Um, NO. We are given the illusion of choice when we give our preferences to our advisors each semester, but our schedules are ultimately drawn out of a hat. "Oh, ok, we've drawn JSchmoe. Their choices are :: ruffling through the sheets :: A, B, C, D. They get their choices. Next! Ok, we have JBlow, their choices are :: ruffling through the sheets :: B, C, E, F. Ok, that's good, but B and C are now full. Next!" Get the picture? There are definitely more slots than just two, but to illustrate my point ... when it gets beyond the maximum amount of slots, the next student drawn no longer gets their choice(s), they get what they're assigned. Now to the frustrating part ...
I have only ever received one schedule that was what I had preferred. In case anyone didn't know, prior to being a nursing student, I am a mother, wife, ER Tech, and EMT ... so I'm a little busy. My life is a balancing act that takes a lot of planning (a written day planner and a smartphone) to successfully make it to family gatherings, karate nights, school concerts, and orthodontist/dental appointments while also maintaining a decent GPA with exams and class work. The first time that I was forcibly placed into a bad clinical schedule (kiddo got the short end), I pleaded with classmates to switch ... and they ignored me. The second time I was forcibly, last-minute placed (I was scheduled to WORK on certain days), I begged, pleaded, and practically groveled ... oh, and I was ignored. This third time, I appealed to the faculty in charge to NOT put the clinical night (that I was, yet again, forcibly placed into) on Thursday (karate night). I'd rather lose every Friday night (and get about 4 hours sleep before work on Saturday), than mess with karate night. Oh, wait ... I'm the minority, Thursday won. So now, here I wait to begin this dreadful semester. I've talked to classmates about schedules, and have received, "I'm so excited to have both day clinicals on T/Th [or whatever days, daytime]. It's so much easier to relax in the evenings knowing I have clinical done. Not like losing my morning to prepping for evening clinical. I feel bad for people who have to do evenings." At that point, I just walked away. I've begged and pleaded for daytime every semester due to family/work commitments, yet I'm ignored. I'm sick of sounding like a broken record. I feel bad for my classmates, and pray not to become their co-workers after graduation. They have no sense of teamwork or give/take. To them, it's all take ... and it's not gonna get them very far in the real world.
Thanks for the link! It's interesting, I work for a grad program where we have a lot of students in your situation (have full time jobs/families). My office does the internship part of the program, so we're often challenged with placing students who can only work evenings, or only work weekends. I think it takes a certain amount of flexibility on both parts to make it work, but I can say those graduates who do certainly have a wealth of experience for future employers in juggling workload. So keep at it! You'll be rewarded...someday...
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