LAST SEMESTER EVER....or at least for now ;)

Spring 2010

to my surprise...the last semester at csuf wasn't as hectic as the others...

507 - don't remember much...only thought is that i bought a book and didn't even use it once....

507L - dealt with a lot of drama in my group...worked with people that are not part of my cohort...so it was challenging...

lame group work - legislative visit

595 - so i finally finished my STD curriculum....got it reviewed by school nurses in the OC....it was about 100 slides long...very time consuming...but in the end...i was proud of the end product....

poster gluing day - we met at ash's house to put our posters together....i seriously didn't think it would take ALL hands to put together one poster....kat was the aligner...mel was the measurement girl....ash was the cutter....dee was the spray glue girl...and i took the role of drawing the straight lines to be cut...haha! it seriously took about 7 hours to get all posters together....it was a good bonding experience....

stti induction - got inducted into Sigma Theta Tau International, a nursing honors society. We also presented our projects there. it was crazy to see all the other posters...some people spent a lot of money on their posters...i was a little intimidated by some of the posters i saw....but dr. weismuller told me later that i was one of the semi-finalist for the poster contest. i was shocked...





514
my leadership rotation was at st. jude's. i worked with the educator from the critical care unit. she was really cool...very passionate about being active outside of the hospital...she encouraged me to join other nursing associations and network...i'm still thinking of what organization i want to be a part of.


externship
i'm so happy i continued my externship...i loved working with my preceptor...gained a lot more confidence on the floor in this 2nd semester...i'm sure it'll help me out when i start officially working.

interviews
oh my...let's just say...it was more challenging getting my portfolio ready...scrambling for letters of rec was the worst...

GOT HIRED!
Praise God for a job in the OC...i'm so thankful that i don't have to drive thru crazy traffic in LA...i much rather drive in traffic in the OC...and the hospital that i will be working at is BEAUTIFUL!...right near the harbor...and the best part of it all is that 4 of my friends are working there as well! :)

Graduation - MAY 23, 2010!
I never thought I'd get to this day...our program went from 65 students to 16 students graduating...i seriously could not have made it through the program without the love and support from my classmates, family, and friends...i will definitely miss being a "student"....but now it's time to join the workforce ;)

THE LAST 16 standing :)

THE BACKROW ASIAN CREW....my girls!

dec 2009- jan 2010

yay!!!!!! this was the first break i had where i didn't really have to worry about school....(at the end of the winter break i did work on my non-thesis project...but i was able to take my time)..

christmas day

it was a busy one....spent christmas morning with chi's family...chi's younger brother made gourmet hamburgers....they were good...and we opened gifts....

then...we headed to my house..there was soooooo much food...we weren't even hungry...but of course we had to eat again :) pretty much the whole day was spent eating




jan 2010

NYE - stayed low key...didn't feel like being out and about with the rest of the world....

jan 18-20 - VEGAS with NURSING GALS

despite all the rain....the back row asians went to vegas...it was a really fun trip...

highlights - 1st night - gift exchange and XS
2nd night - chippendales for kat's birthday
3rd day - before heading home....we did a little gambling at the new hotel ARIA...it was a beautiful hotel...since we're unemployed we went to the 5 cent slot machines...i sat down...and pulled the lever 5 times and won $165!...right away i cashed out...haha! so that was a very short gambling adventure...we finally decided to drive back home....and got stuck in victorville due to road conditions....but made it home in 6 hours

we made a pact that we'd have an annual nursing friends trip once a year...and since we had a penthouse...we promised to not downgrade since we should be working nurses the next time we go on a trip ;)







my 28th birthday - chi took me to flemmings in newport...it was our first steak house...man...we felt out of place....good thing we dressed a little nicer than we normally do...we ordered raymo's favorite lobster tempura and bone-in rib eye...it was awesome!...oh man...i'm salivating just thinking of that night...haha!

NOW.......

it's the start of my last semester in grad school....

and i'm already feeling overwhelmed....

the asians are trying to meet at least once a week to do hw together to cherish every moment....

i'm already starting to miss them....but i know that i made sisters for life :)

a little look at the past....

Fall 2009

This semester has been a whirlwind of school stuff that it’s so hard for me to look back and remember the things that happened….so this entry might not make any sense because it’s going to be random thoughts about the semester….

508 – vulnerable populations….never had sooooo many people dislike a teacher so much. She really made people feel uncomfortable about assignments and fear plagiarism…oh! And I hated doing discussion boards for this class….it’s like we had one EVERY week….and she expected so much….it felt like writing a paper every week for that class…gahhh!!! So glad it’s over

508L – the only thing good about this class was that it my group members and I a reason to get together and visit agencies and go to ROSCOE’s! haha! It was fun ray and kat J

511 – all I have to say is….that SYNTHESIS paper was a waste of time!

551 – the semester started off rough with almost half of the class dropping to go into another pharm class….there was only 12 of us left in that class…thankfully our professor lightened up and it wasn’t a horrible class after all…yay!

595/597 – don’t really have much to say except that I didn’t do anything for my project during the semester….but now that I am not in school and clinicals…I need to really step it up and finish up my project during this break….

Externship – I was very blessed to have an awesome preceptor….MS. AMY A….i learned a lot from this externship….i can’t imagine not practicing my skills for a year and trying to get a job….even with a week off…coming back to work was hard…I’m praying that the next semester isn’t TOO crazy that I’ll be able to juggle all the classes, leadership preceptorship….and externing….LORD! BE MY STRENGTH!

I have to say it again…I really don’t think I could have finished the semester without my friends…in this program…you really need a good support system…and I am so blessed to have my nursing friends….and all the people around me praying and loving me…THANK YOU!

And of course…thank you LORD for being my strength and continuing to bless me with these life challenges that make me stronger…

Some pics from the semester...

minority conference at UCLA

and this is how we ended the semester...

this is how we studied for pharm.... :)

summer session 2009

summer session was 11 weeks....

i was not looking forward to having a class on a friday...but having class on thursday and friday actually worked out...

i took nursing research, advanced pathophysiology, and nursing economics

nursing research was cool....dr. vaughn was really nice...this class was mainly focused on beginning our thesis or non-thesis project...so of course....everyone chooses to do the non-thesis project because nobody in their right mind should write a thesis ;)

so my project is designing a STD module to be implemented into a high school....we'll see how the end product comes out later in the upcoming months....

advanced pathophysiology i thought was going to be a good class to learn things...BUT...it ended up being crap....why? because our professor didn't really teach....she expected us to read at least 12 chapters in one week....she couldn't even lecture on ALL the material because there was so much....so she would just give us diseases to know...which is soooo vague...because there's so much you can leran about each disease....so each lecture we sat around...played on facebook...finished homework for other classes...we did everything but listen to prof. jordan.....

nursing econ SUCKED!...that's the class i hated the most...i don't even want to write about it because it brings back memories...and it really raises my blood pressure...haha!

after the final day of class...a group of us went to cantina to relax....i really have grown to love these people...i love how we are all in this together...supporting each other through this grueling program...i seriously couldn't imagine myself finishing this program without these people...WE WILL GET THROUGH THIS!...

R&R in VEGAS

saturday, july 18, 2009

i went to vegas with chi and his family....

we stayed at the monte carlo...pretty decent...
it was 115 degrees in vegas that weekend....and it rained and there was sooo much lightening...it was scary because on the way to the strip...we saw lightening every 30 seconds...it was really scary because the lightening was so close...we even saw one almost hit a car...

after this trip..i never want to eat at a buffet again...lol...i felt like we ate a buffet for every meal...it was gross...but i had to suck it up because chi's brother just came back from iraq so he wanted to eat well this weekend...

on sunday...we got tickets to ZUMANITY...oh man!...i felt a little uncomfortable at the beginning because of the "adult content"....but some parts were beautiful... :)
on monday....we ate lunch at SERENDIPITY 3 at Caesar's palace...man...that place was delish! at first i was kind of hesistant to go there because i wasn't sure if their food was good...but it was awesome! chi's steak sandwich was the bomb!...i'd go back there just for that sandwich...the hot dogs were gigantic too!

we then headed to mandalay bay to watch THE LION KING!

it was really good!...music was awesome...and the costumes were amazing! i loved it!
i didn't get home til 4 a.m. on tuesday....the drive home was hard...it was sooo hard to stay awake....but we made it home safely! :)

thank you chi for the best weekend ever! <3

A reminder to myself (and others)...that life is short...

May 9, 2009

i get a text from paul and he says that his dad, brother, and stepmom died from a car accident....

i was in shock because i can't imagine losing my whole family in one day...

that morning was mother's day...and i went to church...looking around hoping to see the romey family sitting on the left side of the church as i did before...but they weren't there...

my heart breaks for paul and the family and friends they left behind....

to paul...i know it's cliche to say...but...continue to be strong...and know we love you...we will all reunite one day in God's kingdom of heaven...

Patrick was going to graduate in a few weeks....he died the morning he was suppose to attend prom...He had attended the private Catholic high school, St. John Bosco, since freshman year, and was popular and well-liked. Patrick played basketball and volleyball, and had plans to attend college.

R.I.P....Maynardo, Lucy, & Patrick Romey

here's a youtube video from HIGH SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5v44BGETkM

My 2 weeks of summer vacation - 2009

after the most grueling semester by far...i couldn't be more excited for a little rest & relaxation...

i told myself i was not going to read any kind of book or write any papers...(even writing this journal is demanding on my brain...)...but i thought i'd write in my journal because i doubt i'll be able to write anything else in the summer....

so what did i do during my vacation.....

1) I SLEPT!!!!!!! i would wake up around 9....fall asleep again and officially get up at 11....

2) I NAPPED!!!!! i took naps around 2:30 (even after i woke up at 11)

3) I CAUGHT UP ON ALL MY TV SHOWS...and watched korean drama...haha! yes! i watch asian dramas now... :)

4) Cleaned my room....threw away a lot of papers...study guides...etc...i'm sure my parents are happy about that....

so that's what i did in a nutshell....

but here are some highlights with photos :)

May 30,2009 - ACS reunion at JUMPA THAI in garden grove

ACS (my old work place at csulb) had a little gathering...it was more of the newer generation there...i was considered the oldest since i graduated in 2004...our boss lady wanted us to invite more of the older peeps...so hopefully they'll come out even though they don't know the newer generation....

funny story - not everybody knows that Chi and I are together....so we were placed on different tables...the boss lady is pretty close to Chi so she wanted him to sit near her, of course...lol...so later during the meal, CHI and the BOSS LADY have this conversation...

boss lady: so chi...are you dating anyone?
chi: yes....
boss lady: oh really? why didn't you bring her?
chi: uhhhh....she is here...
john kim: oh yea...she's here with you in spirit?
boss lady: really?!?!?! where?
chi: there...(and points behind to where i'm sitting)
boss lady: where?!

lol...i think it was hard for her to believe that we got together...i'm still in shock myself :)

May 31, 2009

we went to the SAN DIEGO ZOO!!!!!!!

i haven't been to the zoo since the 1st or 2nd grade...i didn't know how much fun the zoo was... :) i felt like a kid again