Carol Anne Clanton began at Cumberland in the fall of 2020 as a Tennessee Promise Student. She is now a first-semester nursing student and one of the first students to live in 4SOUTH’s on-campus residential community dedicated to the Nursing program.
4SOUTH is located on the 4th floor of South Hall and has customized study spaces equipped with all the tools necessary for academic success. With computer study stations, comfortable lounge seating, a TV, printer, whiteboards, and a community kitchenette, students can have a space to study and relax.
How has the Nursing LLC provided you with a sense of community?
Starting nursing school has definitely been one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. But living with other people who have been through the same thing that I’m going through is really encouraging; I know that if they got through it, then I can too! Our shared experience really bonds us and helps bring us together as a community.
In what ways has the LLC provided opportunities for academic assistance?
Here in the LLC, we have our very own tutor that comes to us every single week. The tutor for the semester is selected based on which classes most of us are currently taking. This resource is especially helpful for pre-nursing students who are taking difficult science classes such as microbiology. I love how the LLC provides resources for success even before we start nursing school!
What have you enjoyed most about the LLC and what are you looking forward to in semesters to come?
My favorite part about the LLC is the study room. I never have to worry about it being too crowded or too noisy while I’m trying to do homework. I’m often up at late hours studying or working on assignments, so the fact that it never closes is a huge perk.
I’m most looking forward to seeing how the LLC improves in the semesters to come. It’s already so amazing, and we’ve only just begun. I’m especially excited for when we get our own printer right here in the LLC. I’ll take walking down the hall to print out an assignment over walking all the way across campus any day!
What resources has the LLC provided to help you succeed?
The LLC has hosted several different sessions centered around student success, both during nursing school and after graduation. These sessions have had various educational topics, such as the different types of careers you can have as a nurse. In the future, some of these sessions may include preparing to take the ATI TEAS as a pre-nursing student, and preparing to take the NCLEX when you graduate. I have found this resource to be extremely helpful in preparing me to succeed, in my classes and beyond.
How has the LLC helped you feel prepared for nursing school?
One of the ways that the LLC helped me prepare for nursing school was by hosting a Nursing Social the semester before I started the program. This gave me a chance to meet several of my future professors in a low-stress environment. Breaking the ice before the first day really helped relieve a lot of the anxiety I was feeling about starting something new.
How has the LLC helped you form relationships within the Nursing program?
The LLC has helped me form relationships within the nursing program by placing me in an environment where I share common interests and goals with the people that I live with. These people are the same ones that I’ll be sharing classes with for the next couple of years. Knowing that they’re going through the same thing that I am has really helped to strengthen my relationships with these individuals.