ADN People - what was your hardest semester?

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Specializes in Neurosurgical ICU.

I am in my third semester, and so far I am so stressed out I have actually been considering dropping out of the program, even though my grades are fine.

I did not feel like this in any of the first two semesters. This semester just seems like an ungodly amount of work in comparison. I was curious if this was a common experience.

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My worst semester was our first. They threw soooo much on us all at once. It was crazy! I came home almost in tears every day. It got better once we started the winter semester. There was less stress, less assignments, more "real" nursing responsibilities. I'm not sure why, but our instructors were nicer to us, too, after we made it through that first hurdle. Looking back on it, I still think it's unfair how they treated us freshman. It was too much, too fast. Seriously, I would never repeat that Fall semester. Not even if you paid me. I am not the only one in my class who feels that way.

You are not alone in this. We all have bad semesters. It helps to keep looking forward to the ultimate goal: graduation. There is an end in sight. You can do it!

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For me it was the second/third semester classes that are the hardest. From all the people I have talked to they agree that our med surg-2 classes were by far the worst (granted, I'm still only in my third semester and still in the midst of all these "hard" classes so I can't say for sure). I guess because initially in our basics class the tests were all based on facts that were either right or wrong whereas now we're getting more into the NCLEX type questions where all the answers are right, but there is one that is MORE right, if you know what I mean. The previous year I think we had 12 or 13/ 60 people fail the second semester class for one reason or another and we lost 4 in our class of 40. From what I've heard once we get to OB/peds it gets a lot easier and hopefully it's the same for you.

In the long run I think it'll be a better thing for you seeing as how you'll be more prepared for the NCLEX when you do end up taking it. If you're thinking about dropping out of school soley based on the amount of school work, don't. I'm sure you'll regret it in the long run.

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The hardest semester for me was- all of them.

Seriously, the last semester was hardest because I was just so sick of school by then.

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Specializes in med surg home care PEDS.

I am in my third semester and am totally stressed, the amount of work is overwhelming, the clincicals are a nightmare, we read about this and that but never performed most of these procedures, and now we are supposed to be proficient in all things. You can be failed out of clincicals for any reason, and then you have to take the course over, if you are eligible, I can't believe I came this far just to face failure every week because i don't know how to say aspirate an NG tube, I dread clinicals every week, I already lost 2 classmates over the pharm test, and I am going to do my best but I am scared

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Specializes in Neurosurgical ICU.

I think I am just so overwhelmed because I work 30 hours a week and have 2 kids in addition to school. I haven't had a problem with it yet in other semesters, but I have just been so stressed I've been fighting all the time with my husband, yelling at my kids, and it's really been so hard on all of us. That's really the part making me want to quit - the work is really not that big of a deal because I still have a good grade. It's how much it cuts into my sleep, my work, and all the other stuff I have to deal with.

I have also started to wonder if I am clinically depressed, but that could be because we're taking psych right now and they've told us you will see yourself in some of the disorders. LOL.

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My third semester was by far the hardest. I had 2 med surg classes and they were wow. I don't have any words. I am in my capstone and I can't say that it is hard but I have a ton of busy work and trying to get all of my precepting hours in. Plus I am starting to study for NCLEX and my brain is in a fog right now.

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Specializes in DOU.

I'm in 4th right now. Everyone told us this was supposed to be the best semester, and so much fun! Meh, they were lying. It all depends on your instructor. Ours is a nurse practitioner who insists on teaching (and testing) at a higher level than the book goes because she wants us all to go on to advanced practice. We just had our first exam, and 25% of the class failed.

ANyway, I think the semester with Psych and OB/Peds was the easist.

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