Did you hate your life in nursing school??

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I'm in a BSN program. I was on the wait list for a year (with about 60 other transfer students), where we took basic nursing courses, nursing theory, research, pathophysiology and pharmacology. I'm starting clinicals in the fall, but I am DREADING going back!! Did anyone hate their life like I do when you were/are in nursing school? It's the stress and pressure that I am dreading. :uhoh3: Maybe it's living in NYC and nursing school (both combined). I know I will be a good nurse because I really do care about the well being of patients. I am grateful for being in the opportunity to be in the program I'm in, but I feel OVERWHELMED just thinking of the workload! I get straight A's, maybe I shouldn't strive for such high grades and that would take the pressure off?

Any advice please...

Thanks,

Lauren :o

I enjoyed nursing school for the most part BUT because of the class schedules, class work and clinicals I very little, if any, social life. I worked weekends and all my breaks. Like you, many of the people I went to school with did not have the responsibility of class and clinicals because they were other majors - they were able to join clubs, go out on weekends, stay up late, sleep in or go to a movie most anytime..not me. Several people in the program quit because of this..there wasn't a balance. And the expectation from our professors - though they were supportive and kind - was our life would be school. Am I glad I have a degree that even in this economy helps some? Yes. Would I do it over again..I honestly, 21+ plus years down the road, don't know. I missed a lot of college things that you can't get back - going part time wasn't an option where I went to school and now, with the way the hospitals and all have changed...I don't know..but, my unsolicited advice is, if you have any way to go part time so you can balance things - even if it takes you a little longer - do that. You can't get this time back and while college is about getting an education, there are alos life experiences that need to be gained as well that a class can't offer. Good luck

Hi, I don't think it's changed. I don't have the option to go part-time. I have NO social life, maybe I'm missing out, but I am in my mid-twenties, so I already have some experience under my belt and I know there isn't anything more important than chasing my dream. I live in NYC too (but from California), that's an experience in itself!!:)

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Specializes in Acute Care Psych, DNP Student.

I hated every minute of nursing school. My stress level was extreme. It was almost all self-imposed. I had this severe anxiety due to my mental fixation that I would not actually graduate and become an RN. So I tended to that severe anxiety by graduating with a 4.0 GPA, almost self-destructing during my final preceptorship, and being a miserable, unpleasant student.

Being a nurse is so much better. Of course we will all have different dynamics and coping mechanisms going on, but that was mine. It's so different being out of school, and I only think of it when I read about nursing school experiences on this website. It's like it's ancient history, even though it was less than 2 years ago for me.

Just get through it, and then the memories will fade.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.

I liked it for the most part, except for the never-ending paper-writing. I had a very supportive home environment (husband and kids who were old enough to not need me 24/7), though, and I always studied at home. If my study needs required me to be away from home, I would have not enjoyed it as much. But I do I LOVE learning.

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I hated every minute of nursing school. My stress level was extreme. It was almost all self-imposed. I had this severe anxiety due to my mental fixation that I would not actually graduate and become an RN. So I tended to that severe anxiety by graduating with a 4.0 GPA, almost self-destructing during my final preceptorship, and being a miserable, unpleasant student.

Being a nurse is so much better. Of course we will all have different dynamics and coping mechanisms going on, but that was mine. It's so different being out of school, and I only think of it when I read about nursing school experiences on this website. It's like it's ancient history, even though it was less than 2 years ago for me.

Just get through it, and then the memories will fade.

Wow, that's really crazy cause that's exactly what I DO. I have a 3.9 GPA now. I put a lot of pressure on myself, before and even after exams. I don't know how to be any other way though. I almost forgot about school this summer, but now only 3 weeks away from starting back, I am sooo stressed. It's really good to hear that you can recover and that it's better to be a nurse because I just can't wait to forget about school like it never happened or existed! Thank you :)

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Ok this is not going to garner me lots of admirers:), but to be totally honest, I thought nursing school was an exciting time. I worked well under the pressure- it spurred me on, plus I still did the things that I wanted to do.( again it was me)

Granted, there are those panic filled moments when you second guess yourself...a lot!

I think one of the keys is goal setting and challenging yourself, if the passing grade is 85%, aim to exceed it abundantly and so you have a cushion. Master the material as much as you can. Sometimes it's not about who studies the longest but rather, who studies the smartest.

News flash, the true skill acquiring starts when you get a job and start on-hand training. Until you do it yourself or critical think your way out of it, you haven't given yourself a chance to grow.

Stand strong OP, you've got this:)

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I liked it for the most part, except for the never-ending paper-writing. I had a very supportive home environment (husband and kids who were old enough to not need me 24/7), though, and I always studied at home. If my study needs required me to be away from home, I would have not enjoyed it as much. But I do I LOVE learning.

I love learning too, but I hate stress. I fell like it's more stress than learning in nursing school.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.
I love learning too, but I hate stress. I fell like it's more stress than learning in nursing school.

Oh, I was definitely under a lot of stress. There's a post around here somewhere about how at the end of my first semester I just hit a wall. Hard. I didn't experience that again, though, and I learned to enjoy the other three semesters. The last semester was full of excitement. I think the first semester Wall was due to going from 0 to 60 in a short, jam-packed 16 weeks.

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Specializes in Acute Care Psych, DNP Student.
Wow, that's really crazy cause that's exactly what I DO. I have a 3.9 GPA now. I put a lot of pressure on myself, before and even after exams. I don't know how to be any other way though. I almost forgot about school this summer, but now only 3 weeks away from starting back, I am sooo stressed. It's really good to hear that you can recover and that it's better to be a nurse because I just can't wait to forget about school like it never happened or existed! Thank you :)

I was not well-adjusted during nursing school, to say the least. My way of responding to my fear was to enforce a standard of perfection. Truly, had it not been for the relationships I developed here on Allnurses, I would not have made it through nursing school. My fear-level was that high.

As soon as I graduated, though, things totally changed. I have run codes. I have saved lives. And none of it has been as stressful as nursing school was for me. This is bizarre sounding, I know. It just goes to show that our perception does shape our reality. I've heard the opposite from others...saying working as a nurse presents stress that eclipses anything you experience in nursing school. I'd say that depends on one's coping style and sources of stress.

My advice to you would be to strive for the highest grades you can, but don't fixate on them. Give yourself some mental space and don't fixate on perfection. I can tell you that the 4.0 GPA I earned in nursing school means almost nothing now. It will matter for grad school, but it really wouldn't matter if I had gotten some B's here and there, for sanity.

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As a 1L (a first year law student) I got the best advice from a professor EVER. "be careful who you compare yourself with" His point was that we all had different strengths and outside responsibilities.

I understand that nursing school is a stressful environment but at least you are not in direct competition with your class mates. My law school grades were determined by the final exam alone and if everyone wrote the same exam someone would have to fail because of the forced curve!! The day grades came out was a social experiment like I had never seen. People were crushed by their B's while I was dancing in the street that I would never have to take property law again!! Prospective is vital.

While attending law school full time I made sure to have a life outside the building. I volunteered in the family court across the street and worked at a science camp on the weekends. I have faith that my best will be good enough, and if it isn't then it wasn't ment to be.

I am going back to nursing school, but this time I have 2 kids and a whole different perspective. I'm not sure that it is going to work but the best I can do is still all I've got, so time will tell.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Actually nursing school was a very peaceful time in my life. The courses were structured and the school I went to was geared toward working adults so homework was streamlined. That said, clinicals were difficult for me due to my high level of performance anxiety. I worked as a CNA a couple times thru an agency at a bad nursing home and that was pure hell. I could not keep up the pace and the regulars there did short cuts like cleaning people only once a shift and putting powder down to hide the smell.

While clinicals were scary for me due to my anxiety, the instructor I had was wonderful, kind, patient and supportive.

The hard part was working on the floor as an RN without any real beside experience. I was great with book smarts, learned easy, on deans list; but felt so over my head at work. Also didn't have supportive coworkers or preceptors and felt very alone. There were several new GN's and we just tried our best to help each other. My preceptor told me I was doing well, but then overhead her telling the nursing supervisor the exact opposite, that I didn't know anything, and this within the first week on the job. I was afraid of being fired, didn't trust this preceptor anymore and was quite dejected. Somehow I survived and eventually got over my anxiety, but it has never been easy!

If you can get some bedside experience as a CNA and then even better as an intern/extern you will be so much ahead of the game in knowledge, confidence, speed and skill. Nowadays at least they have "residency" programs and most hospitals try to support and teach new grads. It's a lot better since I was a new grad. So many more resources, including (mrt) medical response team, dedicated preceptors, stat nurse, and admit/discharge nurse.

When I studied for my nursing exams I used the (Nyclex?) state board review books and just reviewed the section pertinent to my nursing exam. The school based the exams on state boards to prepare us and help us pass. The review books available definitely helped with all my nursing exams!

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Not nearly as much as after I got out and started the wonderful world of nursing.:smokin:

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Specializes in Ortho and Tele med/surg.

I used to say that no one knows what nursing school is like until they have gone through the process. Yes, it's tough and sometimes overwhelming. I used to say in college that no matter what, I will get it done. Just take a deep breath. I didn't hate my life. I couldn't think about my life at the moment. What kept me going is that I knew that my life would better after all of the sacrifices. It was hard. I had to deal with stress from school and home. Just know that it can be done. It was the strength of God that got me through it. I pray that he will do the same for you.

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