I'm a first year as well. The first summer is heavy in class time, you are in class from 8 to 4 pm most days, normally one of your days will be empty or you might just have 1 class. You get a few weekends that are relatively free if you don't have an anatomy or physiology test the following Monday. Fall doesn't get any easier, but when talking about class time I will disagree with the myth that you are in class from 8AM TO 5PM. I have only one day where I have to be in class before noon. I'm looking at my schedule right now and including lab I am in class 17 hours per week. About 3.5 hours per day...not bad at all. The amount of information thrown at you and the amount of reading you have can be over-welming, but you will have plenty of time outside of class to learn, enjoy Florida, and even spend time in the mock OR preparing for lab exams. The program is set up for an independent learning style, they don't hold your hand through the entire process, if you need extra help the second year students and professors are always willing to meet up with you. If you come with an ambition to succeed, you have all the resources to do so. For example, they might assign you some reading for a class that discusses hypertension...well you will have 5 + books to learn about HTN and anesthesia. You might like another authors style, whether its more condensed or more detailed....as long as your able to be a self motivated and learn as much about HTN as you can, that's the goal. As long as you enjoy anesthesia, can tolerate some stress, be flexible, and have the capability of learning independently you will do well at Nova and as a future AA.
Honestly, I had more fun this summer in grad school than I did compared to most summers as an undergrad. I learned a lot and my grades are among the top in the class. We study hard here, but don't be surprised to see us playing just as hard in Miami or down town Ft. Lauderdale after a test. So far my experience has been the best of my life, both academically and socially. Take care.
