What do most people consider to be the hardest part in nursing school?

A paradigm shift in thought process, which leads to development of critical thinking. Once you begin to learn/study/experience through critical thinking eyes, nursing school becomes much easier.

Learning when I need to think things through a little further and when I need to stop thinking. That's still a work in progress.

For me, it is the amount of time it takes to be study. Mainly because of the switch from memorizing to critical thinking. I think I have it down though. I finished my first semester with all B's. It was so hard to switch to critical thinking though.

Time management to handle the study time required. I wouldn't spend 30-40 hours pre exam studying like a maniac if I had been more diligent about studying for a few hours every day. Work in progress, for sure. But second year will be different and maybe my respectable B grades in all my courses can become A's. Or maybe not because the material just gets more difficult.

Nursing school tests are a completely different animal, and learning how to take them is definitely difficult.

However, I think the hardest thing for me has been having to miss out on time and events with my friends and family. I appreciate time with them so much more now because I don't get the opportunity to see them nearly as much as I would like.

HESI: My school requires it at the end of each semester. I do well, but I abhor that test.

Care plans! They leave me with little time to study. Our school care plans are a hog.

Thanks to all who responded to my inquiry. I'm getting ready to start the second half of pharmacology. Previous students have reported it being extremely hard. I'm just trying to stay positive. I still have a long way to go. I graduate January 2016, with an associate. I will then transfer & take 1 more year to get my BSN...good luck to all of you in your nursing career!

Learning when I need to think things through a little further and when I need to stop thinking. That's still a work in progress.

This!

When I took Med/Surg the first half of the semester, I had that problem- with questions on exams, I had the problem of thinking too far into the question, so your comment hits the nail right on the head. I can't tell you the amount of times I've been told to just look at the problem presented in the question, don't look further- but the problem with that is that the "further" problem is always listed as an answer selection, lol.

This!

When I took Med/Surg the first half of the semester, I had that problem- with questions on exams, I had the problem of thinking too far into the question, so your comment hits the nail right on the head. I can't tell you the amount of times I've been told to just look at the problem presented in the question, don't look further- but the problem with that is that the "further" problem is always listed as an answer selection, lol.

Exactly. My instructors said, "If you have to ask 'But what if....?' then you are reading too much into the question."

That is so true about the test! At first it was really hard not to read more into it, then I learned to read the whole question at least twice and pay attention to the second half of the question. My test scores have changed dramatically. Remember don't change answers, unless you are sure it's wrong....what a difference it makes!

Exactly. My instructors said, "If you have to ask 'But what if....?' then you are reading too much into the question."

I like this! Now if I could figure out a way to not miss the "easy" questions sometimes also . . .