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

As crazy as nursing school was (we had to attend 2 different colleges, sometimes on the same day! They were in different cities, a ton of traffic and tunnel that was always packed), I'd rather be in school than dealing with all the craziness of the continuing search to get an RN position in acute care during these difficult times.

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Heck yeah I hated it... I went to school full time, worked full time, chores at home (hobby farm) and forget about a social life.

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As crazy as nursing school was (we had to attend 2 different colleges, sometimes on the same day! They were in different cities, a ton of traffic and tunnel that was always packed), I'd rather be in school than dealing with all the craziness of the continuing search to get an RN position in acute care during these difficult times.

Crazy, sounds like my school! We have 2 different campuses (one in the Bronx and the other in mid-Manhattan), which I attend both. The subway is packed 24/7 with over 2 million people taking it a day. Your school experience sounds similiar to mine! They say the job market will get better, I hope so. Good luck! ;)

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I didn't hate my life, I just missed having a social life. I was MIA for 2 years, but it was so worth it.

Hang in there, because soon you will see the light at the end of the tunnel. I thought the torture of reading a million chapters and everything else was never going to end, but it does. What kept me going was my daughter and knowing that our lives would be better sooner than later. I remember a co-worker telling me to take it day by day and that each day I was one day closer to reaching my goal. She was right. There is nothing more rewarding than reaching your goal.

Keep studying hard and keep your grades up, just don't go crazy. Pray to God for strength and guidance each day and he will give it to you.

Best of luck!!

Thank you, it's nice to hear encouragement like that!! And that the reading ends! ;) I know it will be worth it, I have a picture in my head of my life as a nurse, it just seems sooo far away! I have faith though. :nurse:

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I hated it while I was there, but looking back it was one of the best times of my life. I made great friends, and learned so much. Those few years SUCKED. I had no life, I didn't get to read anything but text books, and I barely saw my wife. But now it's done, and I'm working and it has been so worth it.

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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.

Same for me, I think I will do better as a nurse. I can handle very stressful situations, it comes natural for me, but I hate school!! I think I'm going to become a B student next semester because striving for A's is really driving me insane! For what? Im not pompous, so I don't like to brag, but I strive for perfection for the same reason you did: I'm SCARED of getting anything less!! Thanks for the advice, it helps. :nurse:

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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.

Thank you, that's very nice :redpinkhe I know it will be worth it, ALL the sacrifices!! It's my dream, and it's actually coming true! :) it's so true that you can't explain nursing school unless your in it either. God bless :nurse:

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Specializes in Peds Medical Floor.

I hated my life. I lost bf's, friends, had no social life. I also had to work FT while going to school FT. I'm so glad to be done. IDK what to do with all my free time since I *only* work 40 hours a week lol.

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Specializes in FNP.

No. I made a lot of friends. I went to a nsg school near the beach, and went to the beach after class/clinical every day for margaritas. It was a lot of fun. I enjoyed it.

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Specializes in Critical Care.
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

Dear Lauren:

I feel your pain. Relax!! Take a deep breath!! Easy for me to say. LOL Nursing school is very stressfull, and I hated every moment of it. Support from others who are in nursing school with you is key, but you will also need a support system during your career, which you will find. And, you will look back on nursing school with a major sense of accomplishment. Go Nurses!!! That said, the fact that you truly care for the well being of your patients will drive you to fulfill your dreams. Also, the straight A's. I have an ADN and I am currently taking classes for an RN to BSN. I have taken 5 classes (5 more to go) all with A's and plans to pursue a dual masters in health administration and NP. The other night, I decided to quit school, why continue?, I'm already an RN. Then, I thought about the almighty A and the toll it has taken. Granted, I do have to have a 3.0 GPA to get into the master's program, but I can afford a B or C now and then.

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I didn't find nursing school to be that overwhelmingly stressful...i worked full time and lived on my own as well...but it's all a part of life...you know whats more stressful than school...working as an RN. Clinicals are nothing compared to the real thing. I will never forget my first day as an RN...I went home cried and dreaded the next day...unfortunately some older nurses, eat new nurses for breakfast. Anyhow...i think if you find school way too stressful, you better find ways to destress before entering into the field.

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I did but I kinda miss having that schedule because it kept me on my toes and it definitely made time go by really fast.

I went to school from 7am-3pm mon-fri and I worked graveyard at the casino from 10pm-3am Fri-Tue. I usually would stay at school till 3:30 - 4pm whenever I felt I needed help in any areas because I was so anal about my grades. I'd go home, eat, sleep wake up at 8:30pm get ready for work. When I got off work at 3am I'd stay at the casino and do my homework/study change my clothes and go back to school at 7am.

I did my homework on poker tables while my favorite customers played. They bought me breakfast, coffee and gave me money for gas! Sometimes they would even read my drug cards off to me to help me study when the game was slow or if they were winning ;)

I really missed my family and I felt like I barely had time to Pee lol!! However, I gotta say its all worth it in the end. Good luck to you :)

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