The Beginning and the End as a Nursing Student

Guest blog post by Jae Kook Lim

HELLO! My name is Jae Kook Lim and am currently attending the University of Central Florida College of Nursing. I began my college career in the summer of 2012 and I'm now in my third year of college. I am also the Student Senator, representing the College of Nursing to the Student Government Association and other Colleges. Since I started school, I have been remained active in the school life. In the past, I was an Orientation Team Leader 2013, Volunteer Teacher Assistant for Human Anatomy, dancers for Rukus Entertainment and Fresh off the Beat, student secretary for School of Social Work undergraduate and graduate, and peer adviser! The list goes on and on but from this, you can say that I am very active and enjoy being involve.

As for my first blog, I decided to start with this title because it reflects the journey I am on. It truly is the beginning and the end. I began nursing school, which I had been aiming for two years, starting this past August, and it’s the end because the finish line gets closer every day.

I cannot express how thoroughly I enjoy being in nursing school. The schoolwork and the exams have been very demoralizing but I still push myself because I have made it this far. So why not finish strong? Maybe stronger than when I began? The faculty are very helpful because they all want my peers and I to succeed. They see us as baby nurses that will eventually work in the healthcare system that they will need! My classmates are just as great as the faculty because each one of us is determined and motivated.

Each step in nursing school has built me who I am. My first huge step was when I became the Student Senator for the College of Nursing. For the past couple months, I have arduously worked with various faculty members, notably the Dean and the former Associate Dean, as well as other nursing-related organizations officers to benefit the college. In the last three weeks, I have been working with the sponsor, Student Nurse Association’s president and Break-Through Nursing, and the president of Association of Pre-Nursing Student.

One piece of advice

Study the contents not because you are striving for the A's but more so that you are doing it for the patients.

​This advise is really crucial, in my opinion, because everything I have learned and going to learn are put to use in an actual clinical setting. Who knows? One day, I might save someone's life. Yes, it is true that getting the A's is a great feeling but that's a poor motive to go by. All incoming nursing students should have a mindset of studying extensively to save peoples' lives, not for grades! 
That is all I have what to say but more things are to come and thank you for reading this!!

To connect with Jae:  Jaekook.lim@knights.ucf.edu
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I met Jae during the National Nurses in Business Conference in Orlando Florida. Jae and some of his student colleagues volunteered to support this event and I was fortunate to spend some time with them. What an amazing group of future nurses! They were excited, energetic and dedicated to learning everything they could about becoming successful nurses. I walked away from them feeling a sense of hopefulness about the future of nursing.

Air hugs to you all!
Renee

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