Got Accepted :)

Grats! Hoping I get in too!

Congratulations! First and foremost, get ready to be overwhelmed and stressed at the beginning. When you first start class, you will start going over the syllabus and it will seem impossible to do all the work that is asked of you. You will be handed forms to sign, calendars with dates you have to remember, papers you need to store in a safe place, clinical schedules, etc. You will feel like this mountain of paperwork and responsibility has fallen on you, and that you are being buried alive. Take a deep breath and remember these words: you are going to make it through this semester.

During our orientation day, one of the nursing instructors summed up nursing school in a few sentences. This is what she said: Did you know that if you throw a whole apple to a horse the horse will attempt to eat the entire apple at once, and will choke to death? That's why it is necessary to cut an apple up before you feed it to a horse. As nursing students, you are just like the horse. If you try to take nursing school as one giant apple, you will "choke" to death under the stress, worry, and emotions. As nursing students, you have to do just as horses have to do when eating apples. In order to survive, and make it through with your sanity in tact, you have to take nursing school, your personal apple, one day, one piece at a time. Get through each day, and thank God that you got through that day. Go home and do what you have to do in order to feel better. Pray, cry, laugh, see your family, take a hot bath, or have a drink. Take it a day at a time, and keep your sanity. You will make it through this, just remain calm. After delivering her speech, the instructor threw an apple out into the auditorium and said, "remember this, you'll need it one day."

She was right, and, when I'm stressed out, these words remain with me. Take one day at a time, and be thankful that you got through that day. Remain calm, study as hard as you can, take great notes, pay attention in class, ask questions if you don't understand something (I can't stress that enough), do well in clinical, and don't be too hard on yourself when something doesn't go the way you wanted it to. Also, don't listen when people tell you it's impossible to make an A in nursing school. I just finished my first semester with a 96 A. If your goal is to make an A then try as hard as you can and fight for it. Also, if nursing really is your dream and calling, don't get discouraged and give up. There will be hard times just as surely as there will be fun, easy, times. No matter how things are going for you, just remember to take it a day at a time, eat a bite of the, "apple" at a time, and focus on getting through the current day. Don't worry about the future, the next class, the next test, or the next unit. Don't worry about the next clinical day, the next evaluation, or the next grade report. Just worry about today, the single slice of apple that comprises the whole of nursing school.

Most importantly, have fun and learn all you can. Nursing is such a great field, and I am so glad that I am a nursing student. There are hard days, but the good outweighs the bad no matter what is happening to me. Good luck and welcome to the nursing family!

After delivering her speech, the instructor threw an apple out into the auditorium and said, "remember this, you'll need it one day."

Loved this. Really helpful post, Matt. I will definitely remember this when I attend RN school next Fall.

Well said.

Congrats! TnMtnRose :) I start RN school too in Fall 2012.

Congrats!!! Ii got accepted too. I'll start next Tuesday. I'm sooooo nervousss . I wish you all the best. Good luck!!!!

Congratulations! First and foremost, get ready to be overwhelmed and stressed at the beginning. When you first start class, you will start going over the syllabus and it will seem impossible to do all the work that is asked of you. You will be handed forms to sign, calendars with dates you have to remember, papers you need to store in a safe place, clinical schedules, etc. You will feel like this mountain of paperwork and responsibility has fallen on you, and that you are being buried alive. Take a deep breath and remember these words: you are going to make it through this semester.

During our orientation day, one of the nursing instructors summed up nursing school in a few sentences. This is what she said: Did you know that if you throw a whole apple to a horse the horse will attempt to eat the entire apple at once, and will choke to death? That's why it is necessary to cut an apple up before you feed it to a horse. As nursing students, you are just like the horse. If you try to take nursing school as one giant apple, you will "choke" to death under the stress, worry, and emotions. As nursing students, you have to do just as horses have to do when eating apples. In order to survive, and make it through with your sanity in tact, you have to take nursing school, your personal apple, one day, one piece at a time. Get through each day, and thank God that you got through that day. Go home and do what you have to do in order to feel better. Pray, cry, laugh, see your family, take a hot bath, or have a drink. Take it a day at a time, and keep your sanity. You will make it through this, just remain calm. After delivering her speech, the instructor threw an apple out into the auditorium and said, "remember this, you'll need it one day."

She was right, and, when I'm stressed out, these words remain with me. Take one day at a time, and be thankful that you got through that day. Remain calm, study as hard as you can, take great notes, pay attention in class, ask questions if you don't understand something (I can't stress that enough), do well in clinical, and don't be too hard on yourself when something doesn't go the way you wanted it to. Also, don't listen when people tell you it's impossible to make an A in nursing school. I just finished my first semester with a 96 A. If your goal is to make an A then try as hard as you can and fight for it. Also, if nursing really is your dream and calling, don't get discouraged and give up. There will be hard times just as surely as there will be fun, easy, times. No matter how things are going for you, just remember to take it a day at a time, eat a bite of the, "apple" at a time, and focus on getting through the current day. Don't worry about the future, the next class, the next test, or the next unit. Don't worry about the next clinical day, the next evaluation, or the next grade report. Just worry about today, the single slice of apple that comprises the whole of nursing school.

Most importantly, have fun and learn all you can. Nursing is such a great field, and I am so glad that I am a nursing student. There are hard days, but the good outweighs the bad no matter what is happening to me. Good luck and welcome to the nursing family!

Love your post. Thank you very much for the advice. we as new nursing students need those advices

During our orientation day, one of the nursing instructors summed up nursing school in a few sentences. This is what she said: Did you know that if you throw a whole apple to a horse the horse will attempt to eat the entire apple at once, and will choke to death? That's why it is necessary to cut an apple up before you feed it to a horse. As nursing students, you are just like the horse. If you try to take nursing school as one giant apple, you will "choke" to death under the stress, worry, and emotions. As nursing students, you have to do just as horses have to do when eating apples. In order to survive, and make it through with your sanity in tact, you have to take nursing school, your personal apple, one day, one piece at a time. Get through each day, and thank God that you got through that day. Go home and do what you have to do in order to feel better. Pray, cry, laugh, see your family, take a hot bath, or have a drink. Take it a day at a time, and keep your sanity. You will make it through this, just remain calm. After delivering her speech, the instructor threw an apple out into the auditorium and said, "remember this, you'll need it one day."

I start my 1st year in Feb and the advice you have given is so useful. Thanks :)

quote from mattrnstudent23

Thanks everyone and congrats to you all also! Love the apple thing, definitely gonna share that one, it is GREAT advice lol Now a new question, how often do you have clinicals? Are they scheduled for days when you would regularly have classes ? I know our "book work" will be finished around March 1 and clinicals will begin.

We start our clinicals on 1/19 so around 2 weeks after school starts. I have it around the same time my class would be but on a different day. So I have lecture on Monday, lab Wednesday and Friday and my Clinicals on Thursday. I'm in the E/W program so my classes are from 4-7 and clinicals are 3-9. Hope this helps.

Lydia

Now a new question, how often do you have clinicals? Are they scheduled for days when you would regularly have classes ? I know our "book work" will be finished around March 1 and clinicals will begin.

I think every nursing school is different as far as the scheduled clinical days and hours are concerned. This will be something you'll need to ask your school about. But, to just give you an example of what my school does may help you. At my school, during the first semester, we go to school full-time only Monday-Friday from about 8-4:30 pm. Three of the days are lecture days spent in classroom, one day will be spent in lab, and one day spent in clinicals. That is just for the Fundamentals or Intro to Nursing class. Not sure how helpful this is since every school is different, but I guess it could give you an idea of what my first semester will be like. When I get to Med-Surg I, the semester after Fundamentals of Nursing, I will have school Mon.-Fri. 8-4:30 pm again. But, instead of a lab day I'll have an extra clinical day. So, 3 lecture days and 2 clinical days for Med-Surg I.