I just want to let it out....

[xxbeatrix]

Hello everyone,

I am sure there are many posts about nursing school or nursing students and all and how hard it is. So forgive me if this isn't something new.. I just need someone to help me out.

I haven't started nursing school yet but I got accepted and will be starting this fall. Since high school, I always busy working toward my goal to become a nurse. I went to college during my junior year of high school so I could get a step ahead. I was really ambitious and motivated. I even finished CNA program while I was doing running start. I started working as a CNA after I graduated from high school. Everything was going well, I was getting closer to my goal...got accepted into nursing school, had a job which pays well, and have support from family.

After high school, I went to my grandparents house for summer and one day I was just talking with my grandpa about life, goals and etc. He asked me what I do in my free time? What are my hobbies? I don't know why but I just couldn't think of anything at that time... I still can't. I told him that I can't think of any. After around 5 minutes of silence, my grand pa told me that "it's nice you are getting ahead in life and thinking about future but don't forget to enjoy the present. When you try to control everything, you enjoy nothing." I didn't get what he was trying to say at that time but now that I think of it, I was missing out on lot of things. I realized that I was living up to my parent's expectations. My siblings all went to medical field and I thought if I didn't do the same then I won't be their favorite.

I now know for sure that I don't want to do nursing because past two months.. I slowed down in life. I quit my job and went traveling by myself with the money I saved. I am currently learning different things and I am loving it. I don't know if I will dropout from nursing school or not because I am still trying to find what I love doing. I just wanted to let this out. Thank you for reading! have a good one!

[saltyninja]

I'm glad that you're listening to your heart and not entering into a career that you do not like based on the pressure from the expectations of others. Traveling is cathartic in that way... it allows you to feel "free," even if you really aren't. I wish you all the best in your future pursuits, OP!!!

[EDNURSE20, BSN]

Drop out and continue travelling. Live overseas, there's lots of ways to do.

Do what makes you happy, no point in wasting all this money to go to school if nursing isn't for you.

[araew2129, ADN]

Don't start if you aren't sure you want to enter nursing. Dropping out may effect you later if you do decide to pursue nursing. It's great to spend time really getting to know yourself and develop your goals for your future independently. With that being said, be aware that the real world does await... Wishing you all the best!

[Wlaurie, RN]

Gotta have a balanced life no matter what you do. Your grandpa is older, and therefore wiser. I think that was what he was trying to get across to you. Don't sacrifice so much of the present for the future cause you're still gonna get there. You're proably a type a all or nothing like myself. I've had to learn to stop and smell the roses cause they smell pretty sweet.

[bgxyrnf, MSN, RN]

I slowed down in life. I quit my job and went traveling by myself with the money I saved. I am currently learning different things and I am loving it.

That sounds wonderful.

It also sounds like a sure path to the poorhouse.

I'd ask your granddad how he was passing his time when he was your age. I don't know too many older folks who passed their first few years traveling about living a carefree life. Some, sure, but not many.

You may not want to be a nurse and that's fine - though I'm certainly not in the camp which asserts that you must have a passion for the work in order to do it well. You probably do need to do something, though, and nursing is a solid career choice.

Personally, I'd caution you against giving up your seat in the nursing program in order to "find yourself" unless you have an alternative plan in place. I agree that it's important to enjoy the present but it's also OK to expand the definition of "present" to include a multiyear window and expand "enjoy yourself" to include excelling in your educational pursuits and getting your career started.

[EDNURSE20, BSN]

That sounds wonderful.

It also sounds like a sure path to the poorhouse.

I'd ask your granddad how he was passing his time when he was your age. I don't know too many older folks who passed their first few years traveling about living a carefree life. Some, sure, but not many.

You may not want to be a nurse and that's fine - though I'm certainly not in the camp which asserts that you must have a passion for the work in order to do it well. You probably do need to do something, though, and nursing is a solid career choice.

Personally, I'd caution you against giving up your seat in the nursing program in order to "find yourself" unless you have an alternative plan in place. I agree that it's important to enjoy the present but it's also OK to expand the definition of "present" to include a multiyear window and expand "enjoy yourself" to include excelling in your educational pursuits and getting your career started.

nursing school is expensive and hard! Such a waste of time and money to do if your not passionate about it. Give that seat to somebody who really wants it.

She is still young and doesn't have to have everything sorted out. If she wants to travel and find her self then she should take the oppurtunity, not everyone get that chance. She won't be able to do that once she starts school and a career and has responsibility. But nursing school will always be there.

Spend the time and money on what makes you happy, she has so much time left to sort what's she's going to do with her life. Going to nursing school because it's a good job is absolutely rediculous.

[bgxyrnf, MSN, RN]

Going to nursing school because it's a good job is absolutely rediculous.

I disagree; that is the *best* reason to go to nursing school.

[Rionoir, ADN, RN]

I spent 10 years overseas before coming back and figuring out what I really wanted to do. Sure I "lost" 10 years in terms of a nursing career, but I wouldn't trade those years for anything.

[direw0lf, BSN]

And this is exactly why I kinda maybe annoyingly try to warn others to keep a BALANCED life. Some people are really REALLY into school. I am one of those I'm not bragging here about brains at all, when I say, I'd be pretty good in med school merely because of the fact that I seriously like spending time studying, every day, all day. Luckily for my sanity, I have dogs, and they require long walks and care to break my studying. So I get fresh air, exercise, and occupy myself with other activities besides my studies. It's REALLY good to be motivated and not just have goals but know the steps you need to take in order to achieve those goals. And I'm not saying go to bars and clubs once a week. I don't enjoy going to them like my friends do. I travel over an hour once a week to visit my fam/friends and like I said I take my dogs out every day for over an hour. In nursing school, I didn't read for fun, but in my summer while I work a nurse's schedule as an intern, I have plenty of time for reading for pleasure, enjoying outdoors, friends, dogs, etc. You can slow down without stopping everything. Unless you want to pursue a different career goal of course. Try to remember it doesn't need to be all one way or the other. People will say nursing school is so hard and you'll have no free time. It's hard because it's a large amount of info at once, but nursing school should not consume your whole life. Changes in your study habits, for example, can help you to study faster and have more free time, so I don't believe that anyone should have "no life" outside of nursing school.