1. Reflect on your academic experience this semester, what personal factors and barriers
contributed to your inability to be successful?
The passing of my mother in-law really had a huge toll on me this semester. I was the caretaker of my motherin-law she has many complications she joined us in January last year. She was diagnosed with kidney failure so
she had to move from New Jersey to stay with us in Minnesota so we can help her along the journey of her
health she was also diagnosed with colon cancer and the same time she was a diabetic.
According to my culture, the woman has to step in to take care of the mother-in-law. There were many times I
had to be the only one helping her with all her cares and appointments. The stress of combining her health
problems with caring for my child and concentrating on school drowned me because my husband could not
help most of the time.
The worst happened in February when she fell down the stairs and hit her head as she tumbled down the
stairs. She was in the hospital for more than three weeks at North Memorial Hospital where I work. I had to
visit her at the hospital for those weeks back and forth from class to hospital. This was a very challenging time
in my life.
She stayed with me for one year, none of her diagnoses killed her except her fall. At the end she was
pronounced brain dead. I was devastated.
I was the one who was in that room till she was taken off the ventilator.
We buried her in new jersey March 12 the weather was not favorable because my husband, my daughter and I
got sick because of the stress and the weather when we came back to Minnesota, we got sick.
2. Describe the resources you used to study for your courses, how you studied, and when you
studied for the nursing course(s). Indicate how many total hours per day/week you studied.
Most of the time I studied when my daughter and mother in-law are sleeping by 9pm. Since she could not do
most of the things by herself, I was always distracted because my mother-in-law’s constant request when am
home because she expects me to give her anything she needs.
When I was studying, I used mostly my PowerPoint and practice prep u. I studied 4-6 hours a day when I was
not at work or helping with my mother in-law’s appointment.
3. Outline your plan for achieving success; include resources and support systems available toyou.
I plan to utilize the utilize the tutors in the school
Form a study group with people who can guide me in understanding what I thick am difficult.
Utilize online resources such as RN Sara’s videos.
Cut my hours at work to 40 hrs. to get more study time. Enroll my daughter in adventure plus program so that
when she is done with school she can stay there until I’m done studying at the library.
I also have support from some nurses at work who can help me with tutorials when I’m on break.
I will also schedule few minutes after class to connect with the instructor to get clarification and feedback
when needed.