I am getting discouraged, please help!

allthingsbright · Feb 23, 2006

Well, what are your study habits like? Are you studying every day, taking good notes, recording lectures, reading your chapters? I find that I have to work on school everyday. Yeah, it causes burn-out but it has to be done. If your study skills are good, then maybe you should go ask your instructors for some pointers? GL!

David's Harp · Feb 23, 2006

Okay, here's my second attempt at replying; I hit something and two big paragraphs got sucked up by the Great Internet Phagocyte or something...

The gist of what I was saying is along the lines of what allthings said - to work on school every day. The way I do it is by typing out all my lecture notes in Word and syncing them to my palm, but even just the rewriting helps to cement some things in my brain, because when I do it I go back to our MedSurg text and fill in the details the prof left out. Those are always the ones that show up on the test and *zing* me....

Also, when doing something like listing pathologies that might cause, say, metabolic acidosis, lately I've been trying to put brief descriptions of why they'd lead to that condition, which sometimes i have to figure out for myself or do extra (brief!) research on. Here it also helps to study w/ someone else, because they'll always think of something I wouldn't.

Generally, I'm trying to study with more of a mind towards case-studies and care-plans (even if I'm not presently doing one), and less of a "straightforward Bio class" mindset. I tried doing the latter all last term and got _rocked_ on the exams, never getting above a "C".

Anyway, I hope you found something helpful in here, hopefully it's not all just obvious stuff you've tried already. Don't give up!!!

StudentC · Feb 24, 2006

I am in my second semester ADN nursing school, and I could scream every day . It is getting harder and harder, no matter how much I study, I am making only OK grades (low Bs and Cs). I even failed my OB exam ! I could not believe that. I have never failed an exam before. I am really dedicated and love the profession, but I am thinking somedays, can I do this? How did everybody else pull through? People tell me that the 3rd semester is the hardest. If I am making those low grades now, will I even pass in the 3rd semester? I am sorry, I am just so discouraged. I don't want this to be a wasted time. I had to give up so much in order to go to school. I need some input, or personal experiences. Thank you.

Being in an ASN program myself where many people in my class just failed our first med-surg test and I barely managed to get a C, I can relate to how you're feeling. I also gave up a lot to go to nursing school and I have days where I just want to curl up in the fetal position and cry because I feel as though I'm wasting my time on something I'm not doing well at and will have to drop-out of anyway. (Today is one of those days!)

Nursing school isn't supposed to be easy, but I don't think anyone realizes just how hard it will be until they're there. I have personally lowered my expectations about the grades I recieve - kissed my 4.0 goodbye, and will be quite happy to graduate as a low B or C student. Even if you fail one test a semester, there's a chance to do well on the others and keep your GPA high enough. It's not necessarily encouraging to think of stuff like that - but there it is.

My only advice for you is something I'm still trying to convince myself of: Think of why you chose nursing in the first place. Think of why you want to get through school. Think of why you want to be a nurse. Solidify those ideas in your mind, and chug through the terrors of nursing school! And if you're in an ADN program just remember there's only one year and the rest of this semester to go! Good luck.

JR816, BSN, RN · Feb 24, 2006

I feel your pain. I am in semester 2/4. My philiosophy is to take one semeter at a time. My biggest fear is NCLEX. What if I get through all of this and don't pass. I plan on taking the Kaplan with my classmates and becoming a great nnurse. Good Luck to you and remember it is over-whelming for all of us.

BRemus · Feb 24, 2006

Don't be to hard on yourself the instructors in most nursing programs do not expect you to be an A student all the time. Perfection is not a trait that goes with nursing you are expected to do your best job possible and be able to continue to strive to better yourself. The sooner that you see this the better the rest of nursing school will go for you. Believe me I have been there and done that

Brenda:)

elizabells, BSN, RN · Feb 24, 2006

Words of wisdom from my daddy:

Millions of people have survived nursing school. You don't think they're better than you, do you?

Speaks to my competitive streak...

mariedoreen · Feb 25, 2006

My biggest piece of advice is to literally take it one day at a time. What do you need to accomplish today to meet the goal of being prepared for lab, prepared for clinical, prepared for class, prepared for the next exam... ?? That's your focus. The simulation you have to do 3 weeks from now is not. The clinical shift you have to pull in ICU in 6 weeks is not. What 3rd semester is going to be like is not. How hard NCLEX is going to be is not.

Take it one day at a time. You can survive one day right? One day turns into a week, then a month, then a semester, then a year, then two, then before you know it you're walking out of the NCLEX exam and thinking, "I can't believe I'm done..." You can do it. Look at what elizabells said again. Really. Look. And remember it. Millions of others have done it and you can too sweetie.

NurseLatteDNP, MSN, DNP, RN · Feb 25, 2006

I want to thank everyone for such sweet words. You guys are wonderfull.:thankya:

Today was a better day. I made a 85 on my last oncology exam (They omited a few questions), but I found some new hope. The nursing school is the most stressfull thing I had to do in my life. I feel sorry for my family. They have to put up with my mood swings. :no: