Too much on my plate?

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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I want to achieve straight A's this semester. I'm taking A&P 1, intro to sociology, and english comp 2.

I was just offered another job which only requires two hours, one day a week. I also work Friday and Saturday nights as a waitress.

My schedule roughly looks like this:

Sunday: free during the day. Teach dance at night.

Monday: classes 1-8pm.

Tuesday: dance class 7:30-8:30pm.

Wednesday: classes 1-8pm.

Thursday: free all day/night.

Friday: class 1-1:50pm. Work 4:30-10pm.

Saturday: free during day. Work 4-10pm.

I also want to volunteer at a hospital which my dream nursing school is attached too. I thought volunteering would help me get my name out there and look good on my application. Am I putting too much on my plate? Is it do-able to volunteer, study, teach dance, and possibly shadow a nurse as well?

Yes. I really think that's too much

I am not sure of your family situation but if you have no children it seems very possible. Before you start shadowing maybe try the first few weeks and see how well you feel. It think anything is possible when you really want something. Stay on top of your studies though cause that holds the key to your future.

I don't think that's bad at all. I'm going to school Monday-Friday from 7:30-4:30 plus my school is an hour away, so add 2 hours to that. I also work Saturday 3-11pm and Sunday 7-3pm. I have no children though so I believe that helps a lot.

Specializes in Psych/Mental Health.

I don't think that's too much. It looks like you should have breaks in between classes on Mondays/Wednesdays during which you could study.

Thanks for replying. I'm 20 years old, live with my parents still, and have no children. I've danced my whole life and I really do not want to give that up. I have a lot of determination. Maybe I could volunteer a couple hours once a week and study for te remaining hours. I just wasn't exactly sure if I was putting too much on my plate so I wanted some other opinions. Thank you!!

It seems very doable IMHO. It all comes down to how much you want it to work. Plus dancing will be a great way to include some time for you AND exercise. definitely a plus!! If it doesn't work out you will quickly find out where your true priorities lie though. Good luck!

I think you will be able to get straight A's, especially because you have one completely free day & 2 days that you are free during the day. I suggest getting good time management skills and investing in a planner that you can schedule your study time and other activities.

I think that's doable, but you will be busy! I work full time, have two kids, 4 and 7, and am going to school part-time, taking Chemistry and Sociology. Oh and work and school are an hour from home, so my only free days are the weekends. I'm definitely freaking out a little....lol But I just keep reminding myself that if I really want it then I can do it!!

Specializes in Emergency, Neuro Med-Surg, Home health.

This may not be the answer you wanted, but....

Only you can decide how much is too much for you. Each person is unique, and has different requirements for study time, sleep, family responsibilities, work, etc. For example, some people do great studying in the morning while they are fresh, and some people don't feel alert in the morning. It might be helpful if you were to estimate all the hours you will need to study for each class, total it up with the hours required for your other responsibilities, and see what is left over. Will it leave enough time to sleep, eat, commute, shower, and still have time every once in a while to just relax or do something fun? It might also help to do the two jobs for a little while and see what that is like before you add something else. And remember, if you accidentally take too much on, and have to scale back, you are not a failure! No one can do it all. Learning to prioritize and recognize your limitations is part of learning to be a good nurse! Good luck. :)

Specializes in HIV, Psych, GI, Hepatology, Research.

You could definitely volunteer if they let you do it on a more flexible basis or at least not too many hours in one week. See about even just doing one shift per month to start out if possible. Or volunteer a half shift to cover lunches/break maybe once a week or every two weeks. Talk to the person who oversees volunteers and see what opportunities are available. Be honest about your student status and that you are unsure how much time you will have and do not want your studies to fall behind but that this is something you want to do and maybe they will be willing to work about what is flexible for you. You never know until you try.

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