Fightsports while in school

Murse-Man · Dec 11, 2009

I appreciate all the advice, it's helpful to hear different perspectives (and helpful to hear about how time-consuming clinicals will be, yikes).

I read/absorb stuff unusually quickly, so I expect that studying outside of class won't be as difficult for me (this has been the case all through high school and through my bachelor's degree), but I feel that the stakes will be a little higher with this stuff (don't want to make a medication error, lol) and I don't want to risk anything. I want to graduate on top of my class, in any case.

I'm not too worried about finding the time to workout, but I usually do better when I have a bit of time each day with no allotted activities (studying, exercise, work, etc etc). I can usually get an excellent workout done in just 20 or 30 minutes at home, where as a solid training session will take an hour or 2 (with driving time factored in).

I usually workout with my kettlebells while I study, anyway (as in I'll read a page or two, then stand up and knock out some clean & presses or snatches, then sit back down and study a little more, etc). It's a great way to fit some lifting in without having to dedicate any time to it and surprisingly seems to make my study time more effective.

I'll only have class or clinical stuff 4 days a week, but i'll be working each of the other days. On paper, it looks easy, but I'm trying to anticipate a need for a lot work at home. I also find training like this to be much more draining than other types of exercise, it usually impacts me (as far as how much rest I need to recover adequately between workouts and how much food I need to eat) more so than just working out seems to demand from me.

My other main concern is finances, as I'm already borrowing money to get through school/pay living expenses. If i'm kicking in training expenses too, it will be an additional 5 or 6 hundred (at a minimum) I'll need to come up with each year. It'd be worth it if I could be sure I can make it in frequently enough, but I'm not sure. I figure I'll see how much free time I have once my program starts and decide then.

Thanks again for all the advice.

nursenow · Dec 11, 2009

Brother you have to be kidding me. If you are unable to figure this one out on your own maybe you are going into the wrong field. A huge part of nursing is prioritizing.

At this point if you don't know which is more important to you or which one you are willing to sacrifice temporarily if it comes down to it, you may have a problem.

Sometimes I read a post and wonder if someone put it up just to get a response.

(i have come back to edit this and say: ok, i know some people just like to think aloud and maybe that is what you are doing. i dont suggest anyone start nursing school unless they KNOW that is their priority. make school your priority now and you can $afford$ to have MUCH better workouts in the future)

Murse-Man · Dec 16, 2009

^^^I appreciate you response, thank you.

I'm making school my first priority, to be sure, and sacrifices will be (and already have been) made; the question, however, is whether or not something is a requisite sacrifice.

It's extremely easy to pick one or the other, I am in the process of gauging whether or not this is a necessary choice. These being activities I am passionate about that also provide a great deal of benefit to the rest of my life, I am naturally trying to figure out whether or not this will be one of the things I need to sacrifice.

Everything you do has an opportunity cost, and I am trying to decide how pricey it will be to keep this sort of thing in my life.

I hear a lot about how stressful school will be; regular training is a complete enough outlet (for me) that I usually am unable to get worked up about things. This (along with the obvious health benefits from regular intense exercise) make this a valuable and worthwhile hobby.

I also think that there is a certain amount of innate aggression in most people (males at least), and the lack of an appropriate outlet (physically striving against other males) is detrimental in a large number of very small ways. I think certain things are hard-wired into us (throwbacks to evolved behavioral traits), and the denial of these traits (which is often required to fully acquiesce to our dominant social mores) leads to a less healthy and less well-adjusted human being.

I also hear about how much time and energy school will take, so it (in this respect) could be detrimental towards my overall goal.

It seems (to me) to be rational to seek as much info as possible when weighing a decision that has both positive and negative consequences, what about this seems strange to you?

Ultimately the only way to know for sure about whether or not I can handle it is to see how things go when I am actually in the program, but I like to plan ahead as much as possible.

You make an excellent point, though, and I am almost certainly going to be quitting for the duration of my program (financial reasons as much as anything else).

K.P.A. · Dec 17, 2009

^^^I appreciate you response, thank you.
I'm making school my first priority, to be sure, and sacrifices will be (and already have been) made; the question, however, is whether or not something is a requisite sacrifice.

Next semester is medsurg with two pts so I suspect it will be more work. Personal health is my top priority. I'm not fanatical but aim for five and settle for no less than three x 60 min aerobic workouts/week. Sleep doesn't get cut either. If grades suffer, so be it. I can't nurse if I'm croaked. Well maybe coming back as a zombie and getting hired....but I'm not counting on it.

If you're not in an accelerated program you should have plenty of time for sports.

Study24/7 · Dec 18, 2009

You will find you need the release from school. I'm 45 going to an ADN program. I kayak 5 days a week for my workout and run the other two days. One of the biggest mistakes I've seen alot of classmates make is they stop exercising and other interests while attending class. I find I am not stressed out like some of the others and I've managed to lose weight while in the program while others have gained 20+ pounds. Its not as stressful as some would have you think. The key - be organized, be disciplined and follow a schedule.

Good luck