Do your classmates really care?

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Hi all - I was just wondering if anyone else is experiencing the same thing I am with classmates who really don't seem to be making much of an effort. I'm stunned that we are only 4 weeks into our 18 month program and so many people are blowing off classes, refusing to do homework, and not taking advantage of the additional low-cost mini-courses that my school offers. It simply doesn't make any sense to me.

Maybe it's because I'm a little older than most of them or because this is my second career so I'm most accustomed to the "you don't have to like it, you just have to DO it" aspect of things. I don't know. I'm just disappointed that so few people are taking this endeavor seriously. I thought, with as competitive as this program allegedly is, there would be more enthusiasm & drive within the group.

Is this just a common thing for LPN programs (i.e. a few high achievers & everyone else is either mediocre or fails out) or just mine?

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Specializes in LTC.

Most of my classmates care a lot and work hard.

Some have dropped out but I don't consider that mediocre.

In any case, whether they care or not makes no difference to me. I'm there for myself alone, to study and pass my classes and become a licensed LPN.

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I think for someone in my position, where there is no plan B, I care and I want and need this badly. People in the position of this is something to try may not care as much. I really don't have time to worry about that though because there is no plan B, I have to worry about my own self.

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In my class it depends. I know quite a few who blow off school and skip classes and go out a lot but I also know of quite a few who really do study hard. I'd say it's about half and half in my class.

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Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.

The only part of your experience that is uncommon is that the instructors would allow homework and class attendance to be optional. A school that operates that way would have a hard time meeting minimum standards for accreditation, which is based on hours of instruction and NCLEX-PN pass rates among other things. Having fewer people in your group is not a bad thing if they fail out, though!

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In my program, if you miss 3 classes you drop a letter grade and if you miss 4 classes you fail out of the class so there are consequences for absences. Homework (so far) is expected to be done but other than not getting credit (which affects the overall class grade), there doesn't seem to be much by way of repercussions for not doing it. Mostly I just think it's sad because if this is the way these people approach learning, I can only imagine the poor quality of care they'll provide as nurses. It's too bad they don't have more pride in themselves than that.

I guess I'm just surprised & disappointed by what I'm seeing. I was really looking forward to learning WITH people instead of having to take on the "whatever - I'm here for me" viewpoint.

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Yeah I feel the same in my program. About half the class really cares and tries hard and shows up on time and turn in their homework on time. The rest just don't do their homework and call in sick all the time while posting pictures of themselves at the beach or checked into a bar on Facebook. It is frustrating because the school is supposed to give consequences for those people but they don't. They're supposed to drop a grade level if they miss more than 15% of classes and even if they don't turn in homework in time, they still have to turn it in by the end of the quarter or they fail it.

It's frustrating to see people who don't care just sliding through, but I just remind myself that this is about me and making sure I get through school and become a nurse. So I need to forget about them and focus on my own schooling and my own attitude. It's easier said than done though. :)

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Advice: don't waste time worrying about people in your class who don't seem to appreciate the fact that they're in those seats. Only worry about yourself. Unless you're doing a group project....then raise hell if someone slacks.

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i try to view this program as my job, I want to be a great nurse and so do my friends in the program. There are many students that don't have this attitude and slack off big time. I found that attendance dropped by about half mid-way through the semester.

It's hard for me to avoid some of the things the other students say and do - I shake my head in disbelief and ask myself how they got in to this extremely competitive program with seemingly little intelligence or ethics...obviously they don't care, so I focus on what I'm doing and being there for my friends who actually care.

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Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.

It's amazing the dumb stuff people will do, I find that as you are with the same people for a while people who are like-minded in that regard tend to gravitate toward each other. Sometimes it's the person or people you thought you had nothing in common with at the beginning! You'll never regret going the extra mile in nursing school, that is for sure!

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There are some people in my classes like that,but they will learn.Sometimes it's just hard to get back into the whole school thing.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Alzheimer's & Dementia.

Your numbers will dwindle its to be expected in any nursing program you have all kinds of people coming together hard workers, procrastinators, strugglers and people with natural abilities who rest on their laurels. Nursing school had a way of weeding out the people who shouldn't be there. And you just started wait till you get halfway through the program you'll probably be able to look around and see the people who actually want to be there.

The most important thing is to not worry too much about what other people are doing. It's an easy way to get distracted trust me I know from personal experience.

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