Hi I am new to the site but been reading throuh some of your posts for months and have finally decided to make an account.
A little background information is I am currently enrolled at a University and am planning on getting my RN though there. It is a 4 year program But the first 2 are general classes such as math, anatomy, lower levels of psychology, English, Spanish, Art, Sociology, Political Life, MicroBiology, Chemistry, History. than the second 2 years will be my actual nursing courses and upper levels of psychology. I have just begun so still have a little less than 4 years to go, but I think I will make it!
I begun aid work at the age 16, thats when I realized I want to be a Nurse I am now 18. But what I really want to know is how hard is it gonna be? And is there any advice on how to get through it or how to stay organized.. Thank you all so much and any advice is greatly appreciated. also I am working 30 hours a week now, just finished my first quarter of gen-eds 6 more to go . Than to nursing school and the minimum I will be able to go down to and barly get by with paying my bills would be 22 hours a week and i do not have any children. So any way based on what I have told you please give me any advice. Thnak you thank you thank you.
Specializes in Management, Emergency, Psych, Med Surg.
I did my pre nursing courses at the small college in Texas and then transferred to Texas Womans University in Houston. This was in 1976. Back then nursing school was very different from now and it was quite a challenge. However if you have a knack for it, it will be a breeze for you. You won't know until you get into it. One of the things that helped me was the fact that I worked part time in a hospital while I was in school. I learned more that way than by course work in school.
For me it has been challenging. Some times its intense and sometimes not so much but it is increadibly time consuming and i admire the people who are able to work more than 1 day a week.
It is absolutley rewarding and worth all the stress.
I stay organized by using a planner and setting times to do papers, read, do prep work (it helps me stay on a schedule).
I just got my final grades back and got all A's, i know its the "easy" first quarter classes but it really lifted my spirits.. and thank you thank you thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
so what i have is manage time and its possible. and can be comparitable to the military. lol
I have a traveling spouse, a homeschooling high schooler, 30 acres, a fixer-upper house, a preschooler, and a Saint Bernard, and I am reading lots of stuff other than my nursing textbooks (and unlike many classmates, I do read my text assignments- before the lecture!). I am re-reading a biography of Mary, Queen of Scots, and the Autobiography of Malcolm X, and I start a spy novel or a British murder mystery as soon as I finish the last one. And of course, the news online throughout the day.
Some of us just read a lot. I also read very fast.
Aah, a nursing student after my own heart!
I'm a compulsive reader. I fill all my free time with reading. If I'm stuck on the toilet for awhile, I'll start reading the ingredients on the handsoap bottle. Was that an overshare? Sorry!
Specializes in Medical Surgical/Addiction/Mental Health.
You'll do fine. NS isn't nearly as hard as some people make it out to be. It's usually very basic, very entry level type of stuff. To me, the thing that people find hard is that it's usually all new, unfamiliar material. There's still plenty of time left over to have a social life, so don't let some people tell you that you will be swamped with work 7 days a week.
I agree. From reading the posts in the forum, I have come to the conclusion that several factors play into whether or not students find nursing school difficult. First, I think a lot of it has to do with your school and instructors. Some instructors must evidently earn an award for creating the most difficult exam. I have also read on the site where students were tested over material that wasn't in the readings nor mentioned in lecture. I am sure the material was in the readings, but some of the really small stuff that is oftentimes overlooked or ignored when skimming or reading the chapters. My instructors are not like that. They lecture the chapters and ALWAYS cover what will be on the exams. They write their questions NCLEX style, so the questions will have often times have two answers that can be considered correct, but one is the MOST correct. So, merely "memorizing" the material will not get you anywhere (unless it's pharm, dosage calc formulas, or lab values). Is the school committed to preparing their students for nursing careers? My school has a contract with ATI and we are required to take those exams after each semester. The test is 10% of our final grade. The exam informs you whether you are prepared to sit for NCLEX (based upon just the course you are testing in) and it highlights your weaknesses so that you can correct them before time to sit for the NCLEX. A required course during our last year and semester is an NCLEX review course. It is a pass/fail course, but every nursing student is required to take it.
Second, time management plays an important part. If you are a social butterfly and go out every week-end and week night, you may find it difficult. Third, I have noticed some of our students just aren't inclined in the sciences. Those individuals tend to study more than the rest of us. It's like any other course. Some will come easy, others not so easy.
It's hard in different ways. You'll grow in many ways you never thought you could or would - and don't resist it, you'll find you become a better person in the end.
In the beginning, school is new and difficult, however as you progress throughout the program it gets easier because of your knowledge, confidence, and understanding of how this whole process works.
Suggestions: Read what is assigned, study it, practice skills at home and you'll do great.
diane227, LPN, RN
1,941 Posts
I did my pre nursing courses at the small college in Texas and then transferred to Texas Womans University in Houston. This was in 1976. Back then nursing school was very different from now and it was quite a challenge. However if you have a knack for it, it will be a breeze for you. You won't know until you get into it. One of the things that helped me was the fact that I worked part time in a hospital while I was in school. I learned more that way than by course work in school.