2nd week and cliques already?

[Scorpio8932]

Hey everyone,a little about me:

I have been rummaging this site for a few months now and am finally in nursing school. We just hit the 2nd week mark and needless to say, I am feeling disillusioned. I am 25 and consider myself a quiet, intellectual and interesting person. I come from a background in EMS and was taught from the medical model.

The girls in my class are VERY loud, talk over the instructors (who have infinitely more experience), and have righteously joined little "cliques". I am starting to feel isolated because i dont have one. I just feel that I am different from everyone else. Everybody complains about how "hard" the readings are and how so and so teacher got an attitude with them. I, on the other hand find the workload rudimentary in nature and not difficult at all. I don't throw this in people's faces and stay quiet most of the time. I also try to help some people who are struggling.

So my question is:

Should I try to fit in or not?

Thanks for all your replies :)

[Prettybrowngirl]

There's much good advice here--I especially loved the quote up top that you're not there to make friends but need to be friendly. Your description of yourself sounds so much like me! When I did my LPN there were 60 or more that started. Our class finished with around 11 people, and a few of those were transfer in!

Don't worry about the cliques--focus on your personal reason for being there and surround yourself with others in lecture and study groups, that are serious too. Trust me: The instructors/professors do watch and know exactly what's going on! When they see that you are very interested in what you're learning by your grades and demeanor, they will take a vested interest in you--I know this from experience. Those that are just there for a social club and who complain a lot will often start failing or dropping out.

Keep your focus and you'll do great!!

[Still Standing]

Why would you want to fit in with disruption and mess? Don't worry about them, you are there to learn not to fit in. It's good that you get along with others and assist those who need it. If I were you I wouldn't even sit anywhere near them so I wouldn't be considered one of the distructive ones. Instructors see everything that's going on and they are only hurting themselves stay true to yourself and worry about you!

[DoeRN]

You aren't there to fit in or make friends. You are there to get an education. Don't worry about what those girls think about you. Worry about yourself and your education.

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

[Beautiful Mind RN]

Thanks for the replies!

It's interesting because even the instructors felt the need to point out that it's rather

premature for cliques to be forming. Even more interesting is that the "women" who act like

this are the older ones with kids and have been cna's forever. I think that as a whole

my class is very immature. I do talk here and there with a couple people who are quiet

and serious about their education. The problem is, their not in my cohort! So I'm stuck

in labs with big mouths. So when we have a ten or fifteen minute break, I use that to

read!

My peers in EMT school were very different than my nursing school counterparts. Most

of them were laid back, serious about medicine and we all got along swimmingly. By the end

we were all soo close. It's funny because I do end up sitting by myself in lab because they

just talk TOO MUCH. I know I come off as anti social but I'm planning to go to the bsn level

and don't have time for high school dalliances.

My cohort is like that as well, where there is a few people who complain about the amount of work they have to do or that the material is in and of itself, too hard for them to understand or the teacher is not teaching properly...trust me, you will see it everywhere you go.

I do not believe you are antisocial at all. Actually, you sound like me. I am very serious and dedicated to my school work, plus I have a background as a pharmacy tech, so I kind of had the gist of what to expect when entering nursing school. I find my classes to be challenging and I tend to study with people who I know are on the same level as I am. Every now and again, I will branch out to those 'complainers' just out of courtesy, but if you don't want to waste your time with it, then just don't. You're there to get an education, not play high school all over again. Just ignore them if you can and keep on doing what you're doing!

However, if you do feel the need to create a study group or be social, reach out to the other cohorts, trust me, you'll find a lot of people that are on par with you. That's what I did.

Good luck with nursing school. :)

[Red35]

You are there to study and pass...

I'm in an RN program and let me tell you it is like Survivor. This is a second career and my second degree...I've never been in a place where so many people want others to fail. Gossiping, cliques, and backstabbing...I'm older (late 30's) and I am depressed that this is what nursing school is....

I'm hoping now that we have started Fundamentals and will be in the lab, people will start getting along.

My advice to you is the same as my advice to myself...I want to pass more then I want to be with the "cool" kids. Keep your head up and don't worry about the b.s. of nursing school.

[blauren91]

I'm seeing a lot of responses saying to just keep to yourself, but my first day of nursing school the instructors told us that we needed to get to know each other other. One of them said that we wouldn't all get along and there might be some of us who just want nothing to do with each other, but ultimately we are a team. She said that when we go out into the field, we are going to have to work with people we don't like all the time, but that helping to ensure the safety of a patient or even saving their life is a team effort. You don't have to necessarily be friends with these people, but don't always isolate yourself as I have said before. Take care of yourself first to make sure that you are getting done what you need to get done, but interact with others at times. The ones who complain all the time and act immature won't last long in the program with that kind of attitude. The ones who are still around come graduation will be the ones you'll probably want to be around.

[student forever]

Wow, so sorry about the bad classes! I am very fortunate we have a wonderful class. Only 2 weeks into the program and it is very pleasant, no one is disruptive or rude. Everyone is trying very hard to get the best grades. I am 60 and the oldest in my class. Others range from 50's, 40's... well I am not sure who is the youngest, I guess in their teens, not sure, really.

Our instructor has us double up with a new person every several days or so, so we get to know different people, and in lab we work with 4 persons, different ones every few days. It has really helped and made a difference I believe.

I hope it gets better for you. One lady missed one day and people were really concerned about her absence and many of us have exchanged phone numbers in case we have questions about the material.

Do whatever is in your best interest and the rest will follow.

[Bouncyball]

I wouldn't bother trying to fit in with them. Be nice and make small talk occasionally. You dont have to be best friends with them, but You never know if you will need them to take notes if you miss class something. My class is the same exact way, it's like high school all over again!

I