I'm Lazy

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I debated where to post this, but my gut tells me this is more of a male concern.

In a few months I'll be entering an accelerated BSN program. I've read lots about the nursing school "workload," and heard from those who state "excellent time management" skills are necessary. Rhut-rho.

I do well in math and the hard sciences, but the memory-intensive classes kill me. I found studying Anatomy and Physiology (and to a lesser degree, microbiology and organic chemistry) almost physically painful. I would try reading the course material and notes each night, but within a few seconds my mind would wander off to another planet and I'd just be an AADD poster child staring blankly at the book. I'd shake it off, focus, but in a few minutes I'd be off in a dream again. Finally, I gave up even attempting nightly reviews.

So, my study habits eventually reverted to my old undergraduate study habits: procrastinate, then review the material a few days before a test. This triggers a "I am never going to be able to learn this stuff" low-level panic. That anxiety is my friend, though. Finally, I can focus. Then the night before, and day off the test, I'll go over and over the stuff, for hours on end until it eventually begins to stick. So I cram.

I did well in the prerequisites, but was only taking two, maximum three courses at a time. I'm concerned that these habits aren't going to work well with a heavy courseload. I kick myself for my lack of self-discipline, but wonder if I am just wired differently. For the record, in math and the hard sciences I have no problem plugging away nightly. They are "fun," or at least the process isn't painful. It is just the "memory courses," and to a lesser extent, writing, that triggers an intense procrastination mode.

Any pointers?

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Specializes in NICU.

I'm a fairly well-organized gal, so sorry if you only wanted opinions from "lazy"--I'm quoting here, folks--males...:D. Ask my husband, I'm never unwilling to share what I'm thinking :rolleyes:.

Procrastination is not a great thing in nursing school because there's such a volume of information to be covered. That said, memorization isn't really the way to succeed in NS, either. You take all the information you learned (crammed, LOL) in your prereqs and apply it to real life situations. It's a very different way of learning, but one that makes sense and personally, I think it's an easier way to learn.

I guess my point is, don't sweat it, just do what you can and enjoy the ride :).

(And according to my self-described lazy DH, you posted this comment in the right section, :D).

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Specializes in Student Nursing in Med/Surg/Onc/Psych.

My question is that if you didnt enjoy the prereqs, is nursing something you really want to do?

If yes, great! I was told by a 2 instructors that "maybe nursing just isnt for me"....but this was prior to the program and I am doing great in it now! So :-P to them.

Anyways, Im no expert on ADD and all of that but I can tell you that procrastination does not work well in nursing school. I was a procrastinator. Procrastination and cramming is almost impossible because of the workload.

But it seems to me that if you find the material interesting, you have no problem learning it....thats why I ask if nursing is for you. You may find that you really enjoy nursing once you are in the program and that you have no problem with this. But you gotta expect a lot of work and a lot of practical application.

If youre passionate about it, I wouldnt worry.

Good luck in all you do and hope to see ya on the front lines one day!

-Matt

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I too was a procrastinator and at times still am, Nursing school does have a way of changing the procrastination habit significantly. From my experience it almost totally directs you to devote multiple hours a night to just studying and don't get me started on care plans and being prepared for clinicals. what I'm trying to say is as a fellow previous procrastinator it is possible to complete a nursing program but the tendencies of procrastination do change.:twocents:

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Well personally I got in a study group with all females which helped me a lot. Even though they would go off onto tangents that didn't involve nursing haha

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I'm female, but I highly recommend adderal or ritalin. that's what got me through.

Also, sitting in the front row & having my textbooks open to the lecture material while the instructors were lecturing. My experience is that they lecture and test directly from the books. If you highlight what they are saying, you'll be able to find it easily when it comes time to study for exams.

good luck, but you'll be fine. Nursing is a varied profession & you can fin a niche.

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Okay, thanks all. Chef2rn, I'll keep your tip in mind. Interesting, all my sibs kid each other about AADD--combined, we have the attention span of a fruit fly. Three of my sisters are taking Ritalin, though my brother and I suspect they are doing it primarily for the side-effects. I'm pretty confident I'll do well in nursing school, but would certainly like to do it in a less chaotic fashion. I sure hate the memorization courses, though. They are painful.

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I just finished a one-year accelerated program. My best advise to you is know A&P and Chemistry (electrolytes). I made the mistake of approaching it as you're considering now as a matter of "rote learning". I did that through most of the year, but I finally figured out after trying to memorize all the S&S of the various diseases that it's not a matter of memorization but if you know the the pathology of the disease/organism and you know the chemistry then it's just a matter of plug and play. You can't remember by "rote learning" at least not for any extended length, if at all.

If you like science, then that's all it is, science.

If I were you I would get a good study guide on lytes and A&P. In addition, a good reference for patho, pharm, and medical surgical. Get a Iphone and go to skyskape/unbound and get the nursing software. It will help immensely in clinicals and study.

Just my two-cents...

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Specializes in being a Credible Source.

I'm a math & hard-science guy, too. I simply love them.

I can take the memory stuff like anatomy and micro because I still find it interesting, especially when I correlate it to the real world and compare human function to machine design, mechanical efficiency, or the industrial uses of microbiology.

Nursing school is much less hard science than I was expecting. There is a fair amount of memorization and a ton of writing... paper after paper after paper after paper, week after week after week. In that regard, it's more like a social science than a hard science (interesting that nurses choose the citation format of the American Psychological Association rather than the American Medical Association, huh?)

I don't know what to tell you. If you're a smart guy and have some self-discipline then I'm sure you can do it if you choose to. You may hate it, though.

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Specializes in Emergency, MCCU, Surgical/ENT, Hep Trans.

Methos and music/heart are right. If you have a handle on A&P, Chemistry and Math, you'll do fine in school. Remember, RN school is teaching you how to be a generalist, esp in a BSN program. My experience was chaotic at times, as we were the first year of a new BSN program coming from an over 30 year ADN faculty. I went 20 years ago as well, before the 'net and Wiki were hot. Hell now you can carry Wiki, Skyscape, Epoc and basically all your texts with you in the palm of your hand. Who needs a freak'in bookbag fully of heavy texts or loads of index cards??? I still carry index cards (nerdy, I know).

Immerse yourself by system. Don't worry about Psych, it's so abstract and I didn't really appreciate it until starting work in the ER, now I'm strongly considering going back for my doctorate and getting another cert as PMHNP (for counseling). One piece of advice, get a job as an extern during your summer months. This is one of the most important steps I did to get me through my last year. It helped me appreciate why the faculty stressed certain matters and practically what was my strengths/weaknesses.

PS: I am lazy and a procrastinator as well. Drives my wife crazy! Get a girlfriend/boyfriend or group of friends to help you with a calendar (I know, sounds stupid, but it will help you). You must stay on task during RN school. Start your papers early (outlines at least).

Best of luck!

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I am a living definition of lazy and procrastination... I am entering into my final semester of an accelerated program and am coming out with a 3.65 GPA. Seriously, all you need to do is study hard a day or 2 before a test, BS your papers, and treat clinical like a job. Its pretty simple and not that difficult. If you are good at the sciences and math, you will find nursing school to be fairly simple.

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Hey, thanks again, all. I'm confident I will adjust okay--I always have.

I do, however, envy those who can study for a couple of hours each night and actually retain something. I suspect I'll take the more stressful procrastinative route. If, in a few months, you observe me here howling, you'll know exactly how successful my approach was.

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