Does Nursing School=No Life Literally?

Dranger · Sep 19, 2013

Wow Schookimz,
Literally first time I hear someone who thinks one can have the same life as pre-nursing. Its a very refreshing thing to hear since everybody talks about how nursing equals having a life that involves nursing and that's it.
Thanks

Pre-nursing is nothing compared to pre-med. That program is truly no life where every class was harder than any class I had in nursing school...

ukjenn231 · Sep 19, 2013

I think it depends on you personally. I studied but not excessively, did pretty much whatever social events I wanted, worked some, had a good balance in life. I did not go to study groups for hours or read my textbooks for hours. I had passed NCLEX before all my classmates had even started their KAPLAN course.

But of course, that's what worked for me. I was comfortable with a "B" average and did not feel like I was going to kill all my patients if I didn't know every tiny detail. I knew other people who took note cards with them to the grocery store because they lived and breathed nursing school.

Elizabeth Renee · Sep 19, 2013

I think it depends on you personally. I studied but not excessively, did pretty much whatever social events I wanted, worked some, had a good balance in life. I did not go to study groups for hours or read my textbooks for hours. I had passed NCLEX before all my classmates had even started their KAPLAN course.
But of course, that's what worked for me. I was comfortable with a "B" average and did not feel like I was going to kill all my patients if I didn't know every tiny detail. I knew other people who took note cards with them to the grocery store because they lived and breathed nursing school.

Oh my. o_o That's really intense!

JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN · Sep 19, 2013

I did a full-time 18 month BSN (BS in something else) and I was stressed out a lot, but I still did theater on the side (was in 3 shows, stage managed another, not at all the same time, though), maintained a very-part time job, and planned my wedding during it. Then I got married three weeks after finishing my pre-licensure coursework and took and passed the NCLEX two and half weeks after getting married. Didn't have a perfect 4.0 in nursing school, but I maintained a 3.5 and I'm proud of it!

I was told by most of my friends that I was crazy, of course. I'm a planner, though, and I work well with limited time crunches. My then fiance, now-husband, will tell you there were days I came home, poured myself a glass of wine, and vented/cried. We argued during the home stretch of coursework, especially when we were stressed and tired and the wedding was getting closer and closer. But as I look back, I think the stress of the wedding was much greater than the stress of studying for and taking the NCLEX!

But I did have some classmates that ate and slept nursing school. One girl I know talked about how guilty she felt when she took any time to do anything but be in class, study, or go to clinical! Not me. I need a hobby that has nothing to do with nursing to survive nursing .

RNperdiem, RN · Sep 19, 2013

I found that school is nothing compared to working full-time. School has all those holidays and weekends off. Snow day meant no school today. At school there was never any staying late to finish charting. At work there are those mandatory meetings and classes in addition to your regular working hours.

Full time employment takes up way more time than school. People who work still manage to have a life outside of work, except for the people out there who work crazy amounts of overtime.

Guests · Sep 19, 2013

Does Nursing School=No Life Literally?

Well, literally, no... otherwise everybody in nursing school would be dead... literally, without life.

Figuratively? Sure, that does seem to be the experience of some people and, as with anything, there are only 168 hours in each week and the more hours that are consumed by one activity are then unavailable for another.

Personally, I probably invested an average of 2-3 hours per day on studying, writing papers, etc. However, that's an average... and there were some days that I did little or nothing related to school (not many, though, because my goal in school is always to *master* the information and never miss a single available point and I'm willing to invest the time in that pursuit).

I found nursing school to be fairly easy as regards the subject matter and the testing; I was more challenged by the unrelenting pace (20 months to a DEMSN) and rather high stakes of the exams (a C+ or less in a class led to disenrollment from the program... with only one cohort starting every two years...). As compared to my prior courses of study, engineering and chemistry, nursing was pretty mild.

To me, I consider myself to be "having a life" if I'm able to attend family gatherings such as weddings, funerals, etc, have an hour or two of unstructured personal time most days of the week, and get to see the people I care about on some regular basis. For the most part, nursing school permitted this (though of course the days preceding exams and finals tended to be pretty restricted to school activities.)

I think nursing school has a far worse reputation than it deserves.

crazytonurse · Sep 19, 2013

Most certainly not. I had a life outside of nursing school. Don't get me wrong, I did study but not the 4 hours a day that most claim. I put my duties as a wife & mother before anything else. When everyone was settled in for the night and snuggled up in bed, I would use that time to review lectures, and prep for the next day, and honestly that was an hour a night max. I did study more a few days before an exam but not so much that my family noticed. I graduated with a B+ average and passed Nclex the 1st time. Nursing school is hard and can be demanding, but as long as you are organized and plan accordingly you can still have a life outside of school. Good luck!

proud nurse, BSN, RN · Sep 19, 2013

I only studied 3-4 hours for exams. I was just an average test taker so I had to study hard to get good grades on exams. My strength has always been in my written work, so papers, projects and care plans I could do effortlessly. I think you can have a life while in nursing school. It might not be an exciting and carefree one, but I'd say yes.

LoriRNCM, ADN, ASN, RN · Sep 19, 2013

All I have is five weeks of NS to base my opinion on, but judging from that, I would have to say that yes, life as you know it is over.

SoldierNurse22, BSN, RN · Sep 19, 2013

Well literally, no... otherwise everybody in nursing school would be dead... literally, without life.[/quote']
Man, you beat me to it.
The title of this thread made me think of a commercial I saw recently. It opens with a wave of water, and a deadpan male announcer says, "You're drowning. You are literally drowning in a figurative sea of busyness."
OP, that's how it is in nursing school. Sometimes, it can feel like you're "literally drowning in a figurative sea of busyness". But it's not really that bad. Most of the time, it's just a little annoying.

beckster_01, BSN, RN · Sep 19, 2013

I easily studied or was writing papers for 3-4 hours a day, but that still leaves time for a social life. Nursing school is hard, but not as bad as it often sounds here. I worked 30 hours a week, commuted an hour to school, was in the honors program, and still had a 3.7ish gpa, without totally sacrificing my social life. Granted I don't have kids and had a job with down time where it is acceptable to study. I did have to pass up a lot of social activities that my friends did, but now they either aren't working in their field or they hate their jobs. So I think it is worth it.

sbaker935 · Sep 19, 2013

I am also in nursing school at my 5th wk, and let me tell you it sure is hard to find time to hang with friends or family, or even to do chores around the house. I'm sure as time gets farther in, time management will be better and it won't be as bad as it has been. Live and learn :) it's all worth it though!