Catching Up: Did I Blow the Interview?!

I start my nursing program in TWO days, but I feel like the beginning of my adventure started a while back.  I probably should have started this blog a few months ago but better late than never. No?  The first few posts will be recaps on how I got here...

I remember checking my email while working as a nanny and the overwhelming excitement when I read that I was given an interview from Rush University.  Rush was my number one choice for a MS nursing program.  Okay, so maybe it was my only choice at the time, since I only applied to one school.  I had my back up, DePaul University, and the application was ready to be submitted if I didn't get into Rush, but I didn't want to pay two admission fees if I didn't have to.

On my interview day, I was lead to a room with four-five other interviewees for a Q and A session with the admissions counselor.  All I really remember was that the admissions counselor seemed like an idiot, there was a guy there so I figured he was a shoe in and there was a girl there who was trying way too hard even in the pre-interview.  I just remember thinking, "Really?  The important question that you had to write down to remember to ask was whether or not Rush was a mac or a pc school?!"  Give me a break.  The other person that was with us must have been lackluster since I fail to remember anything about them.

I was up to interview with Susan B. first.  Her departmental focus was community systems and mental health nursing.  Coming from a short lived career in education, I wasn't sure if having so much in common was going to be an asset or not.  There was never an awkward moment and she hardly looked at the interview questions she was suppose to ask.  We just had a comfortable and natural conversation about Chicago's education system, the future of nursing and what direction I wanted to take this new career.  Then all of a sudden she looked at her watch and said we needed to wrap up.  I'm thinking a longer interview is better than a shorter one so point for me.

Of course I replay the interview in my head and think of a few things I should have said differently or elaborated on and slowly all those points I gave myself during the interview became questionable.  I was really worried that my short lived career teaching 8th grade would come off as a weakness as oppose to being proactive and knowing the direction you want your life to go.  I sent out my thank yous and crossed my fingers that I left a better impression than 40 or the 120 selected to interview.