Do you ever find yourself comparing where you are to where other people are?

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HI ALL,

I have a question for you... Do you ever find yourself comparing yourself to others and where they are in their schooling or their nursing career? I find myself doing that constantly and then telling myself I should have not taken as long as I did to finish my pre-reqs for example. When I graduated high school I began my nursing pre-reqs, mid-way I switched to early childhood and took those classes because I did not think I was smart enough to be a nurse. I always has this burning sensation within me to continue nursing so I switched back and I just found out after taking about 3 years to do pre-reqs I got into my nursing program for Fall 2014. Although I know this is a great thing sometimes I just see where others are and I compare myself to them. Does anyone else ever deal with this issue? I hate that I do this and I should not com are myself but be happy for where I am within my journey.

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Yes, I think about how far others are in their programs all of the time, and it gets you sad sometimes, but you just have to focus on yourself. Focus on how far you've gotten and how much you still have to do in order to graduate, because the only person that really matters is you. If you want it bad enough, no matter how long it takes you'll eventually become a licensed nurse and get that job you want.

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Easy to compare to others, I do it all the time. Habit I need to break since the one I need to worry about in this sense is me and to do the best I can do. But, remember, for each person that's ahead of you in progress, there's still a boatload behind you. Each step is only forward! :yes:

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Just in your school? Or everyone in the world?

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Thank so much @daetor2012, It really does help to know that others do the same things that I do! I just get so discouraged sometimes but it's my journey with many imperfections and i just need to keep looking forward. I guess because I am the class of 09(high school) I look on social media and see a lot of my peers done with school and I am still nowhere close.

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just in school @dt70

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thanks so much @Folkeye! I love what you said about "there's still a boatload behind you" I never really thought about it like that!

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Specializes in Hospice, Palliative Care.

Good day, kdpatula:

No; I've found comparing oneself to another is comparing apples to oranges with nothing to really learn. My race is against myself; not my classmates.

Thank you.

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

All the time. I frequently beat myself up that it took 8 years to complete an ASN.

However, I would often look at how much money I was making as an LPN during my last 4 years of ASN completion and try to take comfort in knowing I was making significantly more than many new 4 year college graduates my own age.

Sadly, I worked mostly with RNs and found I was alway their grunt to be pushed around.

Either way I'm finally at the RN half way point (BSN being the other half) just months b4 I turn 30 and I've got the job of my dreams making insane buku money working my mere 3 day a week schedule. Heck, I just turned down another hospital's job offer today.... I'll never be broke again!!!!!!

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Specializes in ED, Medicine, Case Management.

Everyone has their own journey. Rather than lament how long it has taken you to get to this point, you should value what you have learned along the way. I am 36 and on my second career and have a prior degree. I started my prerequisites 4 years ago but changed my mind a couple of times and went down a completely different path. Although I could have been done with nursing school a couple of years ago had I stuck with my original plan, I learned that I have a passion for population based public health and will be finished with my MPH before I start nursing school in January. I never would have known this about myself had I not taken my meandering way to this point. What have you learned about yourself in the last few years that will make you a stronger student and a better nurse? That is what is important - not what everyone else is doing.

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I used to do this at work, being a competitive person. It's self destructive.

I'm a career switcher, so almost everyone in my class is 20 years ahead of me for nursing classes. Sigh..

I'm intentionally taking my time because I'm doing what's best for me.

“People have one thing in common; they are all different.” ~ Robert Zend

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It took me five years to finally get a degree in something I knew halfway through I really didn't want to do, and I was always comparing myself to others I know who were getting their english and history degrees in four years... it was very frustrating. I also struggled with knowing that I wanted to become a nurse but thinking that I wouldn't be able to. I think graduating last month from the program I didn't like finally gave me that boost in confidence that makes me believe that I can get what I want in life, if I give it my all.

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