How smart are you?

[psycteach]

I have read so many threads here that go back and forth about how easy or hard nursing school is. I hope that you can tell me more...are the people that say that nursing school isn't so bad genuises? :wink2: Are the people that really struggle coming from less than average backgrounds in high school? I have a degree in psychology and secondary education from a good university but I worked hard for my B average... does that mean nursing school is out of my league... and please don't sugar-coat it by saying that if my dream really is to be a nurse then I will do fine, etc.... Please be honest: are all you successful nurses out there "super smart"? :)

[chichimitchi]

i didnt do good in high school not coz i wasnt smart but very lazy. And when i started nursing school, i became more focused and in my honest opinion, nursing really isnt that hard, u just have to at least read and understand the concepts and ur set.. but, on the other hand, ive also seen some people that really worked hard but still failed, so maybe bein smart has really something to do with it.. right? lolz..

[erichRN]

The most helpful thing I did (besides change schools) is to find out why nursing questions are asked. The last I looked, Kaplan had the best discussion on that. I wish I had read it at the beginning of school instead of in preparation for the NCLEX.

[PrincessAnnie]

I don't think it really that hard,but you have to have an interest in some of this stuff or it would be boring.

[MB37]

I'm about to start my second semester of NS, and had a 4.0 in prereqs and in my first ABSN semester. I was also high school valedictorian, 90+ percentile on standardized tests, and earned a full scholarship to a upper tier university. Problem was, despite all the "book smarts," I had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up. I still made good grades my first 2 years, and then my little brother started college and I had to start working closer to full time to pay my own rent and bills. I also had to maintain a 3.5 to keep my scholarship, which I did. However, I started getting more and more burnt out. While my cumulative GPA stayed decent, my per semester GPA kept dropping, and I kept taking fewer and fewer credits even though up to 18 were free. I graduated with 2 useless majors and a minor, and became an extremely overeducated bartender. All the book smarts in the world don't make much of a difference unless you really want something. I worked like crazy for my 4.0 last semester - but it wasn't torture because the material is interesting. I had 2 full weeks off before I was able to buy books for next semester yesterday - and last night I started reading again already. While intelligence and more importantly good study skills come in handy, they'll be no good to you unless you really want this for yourself.

[Jo Dirt]

Making good grades in nursing school (as well as most other disciplines) is about knowing how to study rather than being smart. Being "smart" helps, I'm sure, but I've seen some awfully flaky people who slipped through the cracks of nursing school. I'm likely one of them. B average student here. Sorry to sound cliche, but it is the truth: you get out of it what you put in it. I worked hard for what I got but I feel I could have done better, though considering I was working and raising a family I can't complain.

And a B will pass you the same as an A will. Don't try to be too philosophical and start second guessing yourself, just plow in and do it. Jump in with all fours, which is what I did. You have to become somewhat obsessed with nursing school to get through and do well, because you will devote a big part of your life to it.