Dear First Semester Student,

Welcome to the roller coaster ride that I like to call nursing school! You must be feeling so
many emotions right now. Excited and thankful, while simultaneously being really nervous
about the unknowns of nursing school. All of these emotions are completely normal and
exactly how I felt at first too. I remember being in the same position as you right now and not
knowing what the next 2 years would bring. Nursing school is tough but you wouldn’t be
here today if you couldn’t handle it. You’ve already worked so hard to get into the program
and now is your time to take it all in and learn how to be the best possible nurse you can be.
There will be days where you are completely overwhelmed, but just remember to take it one
day at a time and soon enough you’ll be where I am, just weeks away from graduation.

If there’s any piece of advice I could give you as you start this journey it’s that you need to
remember to take care of yourself. You’ll have countless lectures about “self-care” and
you’ll probably just brush it off like most people do, but really take the time out of your busy
schedule to do the things that make you happy. As someone who suffers from anxiety,
nursing school has a way of taking over every waking minute of your life. The past 2 years
have taught me to be gentle with myself and to remind myself daily that I’m doing the best
that I can. You may find it frustrating that you have to give up so much time for school,
clinicals, studying and assignments compared to the people around you. Just remember to
take the time out to say yes to having dinner with one of your best friends, taking a night off
each week to watch a movie you’ve been dying to see or to spend time with your family, or
even going to bed an hour earlier because that’s what your body needs. You might look
around at your cohort today and see a bunch of strangers, but these are the people you are
really going to lean on these next 2 years. These are the people who truly understand what
you are going through when you feel like no one else in the world does. My nursing school
journey would not be the same without the genuine, kind, and hardworking girls I’ve met in
this program that I will call some of my closest friends for life. Lastly, I encourage you to
keep an open mind throughout this journey. I came into this program hoping to become a
pediatric nurse one day, but I ended up falling in love with the obstetrics world. Each clinical
rotation will teach you something new and exciting, so keep an open mind on where you
might want to end up after graduation. You never know where this journey will take you!

I wish you all the best with the next 2 years of nursing school and I hope you have as great of
an experience as I did (even with all the ups and downs). If you ever have any questions or
need any advice, don’t hesitate to reach out!

Sincerely,
Himani Sullhan
hsullhan@email.arizona.edu