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Clemson University

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Female
Quite Bright
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Date: Jun 05 2012
Major: Nursing (This Major's Salary over time)
Let me start by saying that I love my life outside of Clemson. I'm an Army nurse at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on a wounded warrior floor and it's probably the most rewarding/ exhausting experience (because you give your heart and soul to these families and patients) I will ever have. I'm also back in Maryland where people are a bit on the rude side, but at least there is diversity and tons to do. Also, I fully consider south of Annapolis and the Eastern shore to be "southern," no matter what small minded South Carolinians think. Clemson made my dream job possible. I was a busy ROTC cadet on top of being in a challenging nursing program. Constant stress and worry were part of my everyday life because there was so much pressure from both programs and not enough communication between the two. ROTC was demanding, but in the end I am grateful for the challenge because it molded me to be a fit (early morning Physical training, ruck marches…) confident, and knowledgeable Officer. At the time I had little family support, so I depended on my ROTC scholarship to fund my education. The nursing school, was informative and challenging academically wise, but clinicals were HORRIBLE. The school taught me nothing about functioning as an actual RN, and it wasn't until my preceptorship at Walter Reed when I learned what it takes to be a good nurse and all that entails. Most clinicals we sat around with nothing to do and I was definitely behind my peers at clinical skills when I first started my job. I even graduated with a 3.8… There was one nursing professor who stands out to me as brilliant and memorable…that was our psych nursing professor…all the others I've allowed to become a distant memory. One clinical instructor in particular was just plain nasty and unprofessional. At one point she told me I was so anxious and such a bad nurse I should change majors or get counseling. Didn't bother asking me why I may appear anxious minus my dissatisfaction with Clemson as a whole, or how stressed out I was balancing the hardest year of military training and nursing at the same time, or the fact that the love of my life was deployed. I was on the phone sobbing to my mom after every encounter with this Clemson professor. Later I met a nurse in the ER during one of my clinicals that told me she had the same experience as me with this dreadful lady…and she's an excellent ER nurse! Also I've gotten good reviews so far and attribute all of them to my fantastic preceptorship at Walter Reed as I've said before. At least half of my nursing classes were repeats of previous ones or an utter waste of time.

I truly believe a combination of lack of family support and being at a college that was so not right for me completely ruined my self esteem. Freshman year I was accepted into the "popular pretty girl" group on my floor (lived in Johnstone) who were not interested in joining a sorority. I'm blessed with a naturally fit body and pretty face, but was never "popular" in high school mainly because I moved around so much. Anyway, these girls all ended up being calculating and mean, not to mention one of them; my roommate had already slept with over 60 people at the ripe old age of 18 and was a complete racist and homophobe. I felt like a sheltered virgin in comparison. They pushed me out of their group for whatever reason and I took it pretty hard. Not to mention, I still had to live across the hall from them and felt constantly left out 24/7. On my quest to find new friends at a church group, all I ended up making were surface friends that quickly faded when I left the group because nursing/rotc got too busy. My best friend from Clemson ended up being a guy that grew up 30 minutes away from my house in Maryland which is a testament to how homesick I was. I shiver to think what I would have done without this particular friend and some of his friends who more or less adopted me into their group. That's how it is at Clemson though, if your not in a frat or sorority it's all based on who you were lucky enough to live near your freshman year, and if you choose the wrong group as I did; you ay be socially doomed the rest of your time there. The random parties I went to or invites down town when I became of age (where hardly anyone dances or does anything but drink and shout at each other) I felt so disillusioned and bored which no amount of alcohol could fix and would almost always end the night early. I felt so ALONE thinking I was the only one who really couldn't stand the school and got pretty depressed. It was so bad, I ended up having to go to counseling most my years of school and it got to the point I needed to take medicine. Funny, because my husband is deployed again and my job is 3 times more stressful then school and I've never been more happier or confident and am medication free now.

The happiest memories I had at Clemson were when friends from home came to visit me or when my Naval Academy boyfriend at the time now husband came to visit or when I went to visit him. Also the surrounding area of Clemson: Greenville and the blue ridge mountains are a lot of fun to visit and hike…and with my limited free time all I wanted to do was escape there! Also, my ROTC experiences were bright spots for the most part. With a highlight of having the Army pay my way for a month spent in Germany.

Senior year, I really started to pick the pieces up and become the woman I am now. I stayed away from campus and escaped to Charleston where my bf was stationed most of the time, I was in a leadership roll in ROTC, and even started getting along with some of my peers. My relationship with my parents improved two fold. I think it was because I knew I was on the countdown until my prison term at Clesmson ended. NO more ignorant drunk people, loud football games where we mostly lost, un needed stress from a bad nursing school, mean superficial MRS degree girls… the list goes on and on.

I had two months of of army training in San Antonio, Texas last year after graduation and I had the TIME OF MY LIFE. It was like college should of been. I realized I am capable of having a bizzilion friends and staying out until 4 am dancing the night away, and meeting people I can actually have a conversation with and relate to. I LOVE country music now not because of 4 years in Clemson, but because of two fun loving months in Texas. So now I finally know I'm not crazy or a lame person. It still haunts me that my college experience wasn't the greatest and I can't get those years back. However, I remind myself if your best years of life are in college; then that is a very very SAD life to lead. Not only that, but I'm living a life full of so much purpose now I almost thank Clemson for the comparison because I'm a very grateful woman to be where I am. I also thank my amazing counselor at Clemson who helped me deal with all the anxiety and self esteem Clemson took away.

My best friend at Clemson LOVED it, my best friend from home's little brother LOVES it. However, your not alone if you don't love it. And life does get better I promise! If your stuck there like me; hang on, escape to the mountains and surrounding cities as much you can. If your not stuck; get out. This is your college experience and in my case time did not make it better. Good luck!

   
Responses
commentCongrats on making such a fulfilling career for yourself. I'm not sure when this was posted or if anyone still reads these..
If you do read this, I would love to hear your opinion on alternate schools with ROTC programs.
commentBest wishes to you, ma'am…
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