First term RN school

Hi there!

I hope I can help! I did the ABSN program, well, I attempted. It was a 12-month program at Lehman College in the Bronx, NYC. I had two prior degrees so I thought ABSN was the way to go! 

It was extremely fast paced and a "trial by fire" program. In my cohort we had 20 students. After the first semester we had 16. By the Spring semester I began feeling the mental and physical exhaustion. I was so tired that I began questioning the career choice and if I could get through the rest of the program. I was doing really well, mostly As, and I think one B. 

When I decided to leave the program, everyone, my fellow classmates and the professors, were shocked. They tried to persuade me to stay, but I was adamant. I am not sure, now almost 4.5 years later, why I quit. I do regret the decision to do so.

However, there was no room to work, even part time. A lot of classmates managed to do so, but I just could not. There was so much to read and learn - I felt the pressure. I failed my med/surg mid-term. I did pass the final, but that failure was very painful to experience. 

Now onto the advice...if you realize that you do not have enough time to study, you will need to make some hard decisions - transition to part-time work, or quit altogether for the time being. If you have a someone that can support you during this time, that will be amazing! I did not have anyone, so I had to save up some money two years before beginning the program.

You will feel a lot of physical and mental stress! Surround yourself with people you love at home, and your classmates - you need that emotional support.

If you are struggling, do let the professors know as soon as you can so they can support you! Do not hesitate to ask questions, no matter how stupid you think they are!

Do not simply cram, but actually understand the material. Nursing school is all about critical thinking. Learn the material and then try to apply it during your clinical rotations. Do not shy away from doing anything and everything you can when you are in your clinical. Always volunteer to assist, no matter the task! 

Even though the program will be very fast-paced, please try to get enough sleep as you can. Eat as healthy as you can and do not forget to hydrate yourself. 

Finally, do not worry about getting all As. Be comfortable with the idea of getting a C, as long as it is a passing grade. I am not saying you should do bare minimum to just get by. Yes, study your behind off to get that A; however, if you do not, but do get a C, that is fine, too! Do not become entangled with the drama.  Do not compare yourself to other students, especially the ones that always do well, and just want to show off. 

Finally, accept the idea that even when you study for days, you will feel like you did not learn anything. That was the biggest mistake I made. I felt depressed. I felt like I was not learning, even though I did well on my exams. I began to self-doubt myself, which lead me to quitting the program. I worked so hard and paid so much money to get in. 

I hope this helps! Good luck!

I myself greatly appreciate reading this! I begin first semester RN program Spring 2024 and will definitely feel I will need to return to this response for comfort and advice! So thank you very much for the advice that will help me in the future and others! 

I started nursing school at age 53, after having been a high tech business executive.  I was in a 16 month ABSN.  I strongly advise against a 12 month program - it is just too fast and you are not used to being a student at this point in your life.

My advice:

1.  You will not be able to work more than 10 hours per week.  I strongly advise against working at all.

2.  Organization is key.  Establish a structured routine for study.  We were told plan on 2-4 hours of study for every hour of class.  School and studying will be a full-time job, at least.  Do not procrastinate or think you can cram for exams.  

3.  You are not going to have much time for a personal life.  You will have to just get through this period and focus on school.

4.  A good study group can be very helpful for some people.  Personally, I do better on my own, but most people swear by a good study group.

5.  Make sure you get enough sleep.  Students need more sleep, as the brain need this time.

6.  Buy a couple of NCLEX review books and go through these at the same time as you cover the corresponding material in school.  It is extra review and will help when it is time to take the NCLEX.

This was the hardest thing I ever did.  While I was always a top student, I was not used to being a full-time student and it took me awhile to adjust to that.

I went straight through to the NP Program, which was a lot easier.  I am now a PMHNP and am very happy, no regrets.  I just wish I had done this when I was younger, so I could have gone to medical school.

Good luck!

The accelerated program is very challenging as you have to do the regular amount of work in a shorter amount of time.  And a lot of times, students that also have jobs are taking the accelerated program.  This becomes very stressful, and time management can be difficult, because you have to juggle your job responsibilities with classwork.  And some people don't have the desire to come home from work and sit in front of a computer doing classwork until bed.  You lose a lot of your free time, and you don't have the time to enjoy the things you are used to doing.  That is why more people drop out of the accelerated program.   There may also be a financial reason to do the accelerated program.  And there are a few benefits - you get your degree faster and you can start applying for jobs sooner.  Financially, you still have to purchase school related items such as textbooks.  For me, I was able to get money back by selling my nursing textbooks to buyback websites like Mybookcart.com.  Any side money you can make during your nursing program definitely helps.

I agree with what the previous posters have said. My program was 15 months long. It felt like being on a treadmill at a full sprint for 15 months. You need to get your life in order before you start. You and your wife/husband/GF/BF need to fully understand that for the length of the program, school takes priority and relationship/family is going to be in second place. Before I started my ABSN program, my GF said "I'll see you in 15 months". It was her way of saying "You focus on school and I will do whatever is needed to support you, otherwise don't worry about me and our relationship".