Welcoming the new MDE students! Orientation week is over!
Can you believe that it's been a year since I've moved to NYC?! I became a Peer Mentor for the upcoming school year and was matched with three wonderful Master's Direct Entry (MDE) mentees. A part of Peer Mentor duties so far is to help out with orientation events.
Orientation started on a Wednesday where I was able to meet the newbies at the social hour. After their long day sitting and listening to various talks and lectures, they finally got to grab a drink and casually talk with other peer mentors. And I got to meet all three of my mentees! :D Thursday, I helped guide and tour a group of students through campus, showing them around as they picked up their Columbia Nursing scrubs, STUDENT IDs!!, name tags, get fit tested for N95 masks, etc. It's great that they are excited, but also understandable how nervous it is to be starting the program soon. And of course, Friday was the boat ride!
I remember when I first moved out here to NYC. Making new friends again, being home sick, adjusting to a new time zone and a brand new environment, getting used to the subway system. And on top of that, the current students low key freaking you out about how intense the first summer semester is... It was kind of nice seeing the new faces, passing down some knowledge, and just being there as a support system for them as they prepare for this part of their journey.
I also met a bunch of students who emailed me through my blog and have been following along my journey so far! And I met probably about 6 UCSD alumni! HOW AWESOME IS THAT! :) It's a really nice feeling knowing that my blog came of use to those applying. It was a big part of why I started this blog in the first place! I am just so excited to share this wonderful profession to the world. Today at the alumni brunch, Dean Berkowitz mentioned how nurses are underestimated. Yes, we see nurses as caring health professionals. But there is so much to what they do. They are innovators, creators, healers, thinkers. I think it pretty much took me till now to really figure that out and see the true value of nurses.
Wishing all the new students here at Columbia and elsewhere luck in their schooling! Remember, work/life balance is important. Be proactive instead of reactive. Stay organized, and enjoy the trek!
Sincerely,
Meagan