Heads up to all new nursing students:

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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I remember being new to nursing school and I remember freaking out about how difficult nursing school was going to be for me, especially after reading many posts on here. I was stressing out the entire summer before my first fall semester and I kept doubting that I would be able to get through these classes.

A lot of people on here say that nursing school will suck up all of your time and you will be studying 24/7 and left with no social life. Now, I understand that everyone is a different type of student, but DON'T go into nursing school thinking that it will be pure hell to get through. EVERYONE is different. What may be difficult for some may be easy for others. Don't stress about it so much ahead of time. It may be easier than you think. You won't know until you experience these classes on your own. This website is GREAT for advice, but I just wanted to advise you not to stress out over what people say about how hard nursing school is. Not saying it is a walk in the park but I don't find it too bad so maybe you may not too!

Good luck!

Like most of the posters here, I am excited and terrified at the same time. I have purchased most of the required books already, and the classes start on 8/26. Of course, the med-calc book isn't in stock yet, so I am trying the med-calc for dummies as a refresher. As the oldest student in the class (I'm 50), a lot of the students say that I am an inspiration.....yeah, right. I just waited a lot longer than they did! But, I will try my best, use what I have learned as a CNA and study like crazy. We should all be OK; heck, we got accepted into the program(s), and that alone is saying a lot!

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Last year at this time, I was just starting nursing school and I have to say the "horror stories" really were just that.....stories!! Like a giant whisper down the lane that at the end has no truth whatsoever.

As a second year ADN student, my best advice to new students is to believe in yourself, that is how you got into nursing school in the first place and always do a little bit ALL the time....eventually that little bit amounts to a passing semester.

One other tidbit I discovered, determine early if you are truly committed to a career in nursing. If you find out a couple of weeks or months into your first semester that nursing just might not be for you.....get out while minimal torture has occurred, it is not torture if you love what you are doing. Most of our 1st semester non-returns were for exactly this reason, people realize that nursing was a bad choice, for them.

Good Luck, and if you are doing what you love, you are loving your life.

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Thanks you for this post. It made me realize that I already have a certain expectation of nursing school being the most difficult task I've ever completed because of what I hear others say. I think you're right. We should go in it prepared, know that we have to put in the work and effort, but the level of "stress" will be different for all of us.

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I played a lot of World of Warcraft through my two years of nursing school. And the month leading up to me taking the NCLEX. :cheeky:

That's awesome! That's how I got through some of my previous schooling, and I already have my account set up for the next two years! I played because I was so stressed in the past. Did you play for the same reason, or because you were actually kind of bored?

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Specializes in Emergency/Cath Lab.
I played a lot of World of Warcraft through my two years of nursing school. And the month leading up to me taking the NCLEX. :cheeky:

I played a LOT of Call of Duty, to the point I was nationally ranked pretty high.

People are all doom and gloom about school. I had a great time and met a lot of great friends.

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Specializes in trauma and neuro.

I am about to start my last 8 weeks of nursing school. It was not anywhere close to what these forums can make it out to be. Nursing school is what you make it. Making a bunch of A's and B's, broke up with my ex, got a new bf (which is going amazing), have a ton of free time, working part-time, currently working on creating some cosplay stuff, and I play a lot of video games (just quit WoW, but playing a lot of DOTA 2). I am not at some 'easy' school either, have to get an 80% to pass, I have not failed a class yet or even gotten a C, and my school has +90% NCLEX pass rates and a good rep in the area.

Relaxing matters just as much as studying does, because how well can a person do when they are burned out? Prioritization!

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I am about to start my last 8 weeks of nursing school. It was not anywhere close to what these forums can make it out to be. Nursing school is what you make it. Making a bunch of A's and B's, broke up with my ex, got a new bf (which is going amazing), have a ton of free time, working part-time, currently working on creating some cosplay stuff, and I play a lot of video games (just quit WoW, but playing a lot of DOTA 2). I am not at some 'easy' school either, have to get an 80% to pass, I have not failed a class yet or even gotten a C, and my school has +90% NCLEX pass rates and a good rep in the area.

Relaxing matters just as much as studying does, because how well can a person do when they are burned out? Prioritization!

Video games and cosplay? What about comic con? [unrelated topic]

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Specializes in Trauma.

Too many people enter nursing school thinking since they breezed through English, Speech, and Anatomy they will breeze through Nursing School. Most of those people breeze their way right into the parking lot as they fail. Every program in my area has close to a 70% attrition rate. My class started last Fall with 150ish people. Over the past three semesters we have lost some, picked up some that failed last time around, and picked up some LPN bridge students. There is currently 53 registered to enter 4th semester on the 19th.

It is better for people to go in thinking it is much worse than it is rather than to go in thinking it is easier than it is. There are a lot of rude awakenings after that first test in nursing school, and it just gets harder from there.

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I love this post, and I am just so happy to say that my health insurance through my school pays for massages, acupuncture, and stress therapy...and I think that I will definitely be using these to at least keep some stress at bay. I have talked to a few people who have said that nursing school is a lot easier than they thought, but I know that most of us will be going in on the first day saying "what the hell have I signed up for?". Then the next day, we will be in the "I can do this" frame of mind. I'm like a little kid at Christmas every night before the first day, so I know I'm probably going to be up at 3 am next Wednesday, ready to go (and class doesn't even start until 10)! Thankfully, our nursing building is right in front of one of the food buildings, and they have a very nutritious buffet. I plan to get there around 7 and eat a nice breakfast and (hopefully) chill out. We can do this, you guys!

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Specializes in orthopedic/trauma, Informatics, diabetes.

My nursing degree was my 4th degree, one of them being a Masters. I had never gotten anything below a B in anything but a second semester inorganic chemistry class. In our program, we had to have an 80 to pass. Never had test anxiety;always been a good test taker.

Nursing school was the hardest thing I ever went through. It took me to the last semester to "critically think" through the questions. There were issues not related to our curriculum that did not help the situation, but it was horrid. I ended up having to take anxiety medication to take the tests and I barely made it through. I am an older student and not much rattles me. I almost threw up when after taking the NCLEX. It IS difficult. Don't let anyone tell you anything different.

It is all worth it. :yes:

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It's true... don't start to worry about things you don't know. Keep an open mind, as well as a calm mind.

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Love this post! very encouraging! From what I read and hear about nursing school seems to me it equals stress, depression, anxiety etc. not a lot of great things. It makes me doubt myself a little bit. I wish I can be just a student, but I have a family and a full time night shift job which makes me doubt myself even more.

But I always have to remember that I love learning and it comes very easy for me. I love Science, I love nursing. I have to remind myself I'm not forcing myself to do this like for some students who chose nursing thinking they will make money or it's a guaranteed job. I can't imagine doing anything else for a career than nursing. Hopefully my passion and drive will be enough to get me through it.

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