what was your hardest semester?

RegisteredNurse06 · Aug 25, 2006

Congrats to all the grads:mortarboard:
which semester was your hardest??
and do you have any tips that you can share that enabled you to succeed to graduation?

I think the hardest semester for me was the last one. It wasn't the difficulty level of the material. It was just that I was so burnt out and at our school, they put a lot more on you in that last semester so time management is more of an issue. The thing that helped me get through it was the fact that I was so close to graduation. I just kept reminding myself "This is it. This is the LAST semester. I CAN do this."

gauge14iv, MSN, APRN, NP · Aug 25, 2006

I think the hardest semester for me was the last one. It wasn't the difficulty level of the material. It was just that I was so burnt out and at our school, they put a lot more on you in that last semester so time management is more of an issue. The thing that helped me get through it was the fact that I was so close to graduation. I just kept reminding myself "This is it. This is the LAST semester. I CAN do this."

I absolutely agree with that!!! That last semester, it wouldn't matter if there was LESS work - it would still be the hardest because you are just soooooooo tired of school!

willdgate · Aug 25, 2006

I break down my semesters like this:

1st sem- It was physically the hardest for me, because I did not know anything about hospitals, and I had all them classes, pharm, patho, assessment, etc

2nd sem- It was the mentally hardest b/c the class adult the teacher was trying to fail everyone that she could fail, it was sooooooo tough, i liked psych but disliked my psych clinical instructor.

3rd sem- this semester didn't have to be hard, but the Peds teacher made it, we continued to take tests on computers, but we could not go back to the questions, therefore, that was new and tough, OB instructor was cool, but people were mean to her, so she was fired for that sem.

4th sem- It was my favorite semester at first, until my clinical instructor kept messing with me, and trying to fail me at clincials, I was doing great in the classroom part.

5th sem- I hated my last sem at first, but after about 2 1/2 months I really liked it, It was my last and ultimately my fav.

truern · Aug 26, 2006

the next semester

Nurseismade RN · Aug 26, 2006

thanks you all for the responses, esp willdgate

maolin · Aug 26, 2006

First semester was hardest for me because it was complete culture shock. Unlike anything I had experience before - far different than "regular" college classes. After I got the hang of how nursing school works and the routine, the rest was just a matter of getting the work done.

MIA-RN1, RN · Aug 26, 2006

second semester for me. First semester was LTC and learning the absolute basics and it was okay. Second was med surg and I hated it. It was hard and they did not give us much time to absorb anything. The first three weeks of clinical were in the lab and we just went over thing after thing after thing. Bladder irrigation, IV pumps, stopcocks, drains, stomach tubes, etc etc. It was like a big blur and I don't know what if anything I learned.

Third semester was the easiest because it was half OB and half psych--my two favorite subjects in nursing school. Psych exams were brutal but I got my highest exam scores in it.

Final semester was not bad at all. It was more critical care but we'd had such a base during the previous three semesters, I felt like I absorbed most everything I was taught.

But second semester....blecch.

cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN · Aug 26, 2006

Last semester. But it's nothing like your first month out on the floor!

CarlieChicRN · Jan 11, 2011

I break down my semesters like this:
1st sem- It was physically the hardest for me, because I did not know anything about hospitals, and I had all them classes, pharm, patho, assessment, etc
2nd sem- It was the mentally hardest b/c the class adult the teacher was trying to fail everyone that she could fail, it was sooooooo tough, i liked psych but disliked my psych clinical instructor.
3rd sem- this semester didn't have to be hard, but the Peds teacher made it, we continued to take tests on computers, but we could not go back to the questions, therefore, that was new and tough, OB instructor was cool, but people were mean to her, so she was fired for that sem.
4th sem- It was my favorite semester at first, until my clinical instructor kept messing with me, and trying to fail me at clincials, I was doing great in the classroom part.
5th sem- I hated my last sem at first, but after about 2 1/2 months I really liked it, It was my last and ultimately my fav.

This sounds exactly like my nursing program! Lol :) I just started my 4th.