“Talk to a not-so-complete stranger”

Today I talked with JoJo McKibben. JoJo is a junior nursing major and is on the track and cross-country team at Morningside. JoJo and I went to high school together, so we definitely know each other but we have fell out of touch. I talked to JoJo about how school is going, and she is definitely struggling this semester. The nursing program is difficult as is, let alone in the middle of a global pandemic. She said they’ve been trying to cram in all their clinical hours the first half of the semester just in case we had to go remote again. On top of numerous clinical hours, they also have tests, homework, readings, and simulations. JoJo is stressed and overwhelmed and honestly, questioning her career path. She said she has talked to her professors about being stressed and overwhelmed and they basically told her that they agree. Even her professors are feeling burnt out, which she didn’t find much comfort in. On top of all her schoolwork JoJo has to practice daily because it is cross-country season. She also tries to balance her social life and boyfriend. I’ve always known JoJo to be a very stressed out person but talking her today it was more apparent than ever. This is the general consensus I’ve been getting from people these days. School has never been harder. With hybrid learning, online classes, and no breaks, we are getting our butts kicked and it sucks. Although I hate to hear that JoJo is stressed it’s nice to know I’m not the only one feeling this way.