In my feelings

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Hello all,

I'm 22 yrs old and I just got into a nursing program at a college in my area. I got accepted as a transfer student and I will be starting as a sophomore this fall. It is a BSN program, so it will take me 3 yrs to complete. However, 2016 was spouse to be my original graduation yr. But I decided to switch my major to nursing and I got put back by a couple of yrs. And I feel as if I will be so old, compared to my other classmates and I'm also a little miserable because I'm not graduating this yr :(.

So I'm writing this to ask for some advice on how to deal with these feelings????

Lol sometimes I think it is.

For what it's worth, I thought the same at 22. Now that I'm almost 32, my perspective has changed quite a bit!

I withdrew from college at 19. Went back at 22 and withdrew after a semester and a half at 23.

You're definitely still young! And at a great age for college. My classmates range from 18 / 19 to almost 60 (maybe older). There's so much to learn, not only from my instructors, but from my classmates well.

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Maybe I'm just being too hard on myself. But thank you so much for knocking some sense into me. I really did need your advice. Thank you! :)

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I am in the associates degree program at my community college. I'll be 29 when I graduate. My cohort ranges from 19/20-50.

You'll be fine.

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I finished my program at 24 and was one of the youngest of my group. Don't worry too much about that the major thing here is that you finish😀

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your having feelings why?

If your feelings over this are overwhelming you, it may be better to like, go into accounting or something. I don't think you would handle dead people well. just saying.

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Specializes in ICU.

I try to truly remember what I felt like at that age when I read these posts. I don't necessarily think it comes down to feeling old, but feeling like your classmates are going to be way ahead of you in life by the time you graduate. You feel they will all be married, settled into careers, and buying big houses. You may be right on some of that, right now.

You are very young as are your classmates, and yes some if them will rush right out into the wrong marriages and wrong careers. So in three years or so they will still have the newness of everything and be all happy. Give it 5 years or so fit them to realize they made mistakes. I promise that will happen for about 50% of your classmates. The rest will follow scattered paths. Very few will end up how we think life will end up.

I'm much older than you OP and I graduate next week. I'm starting my life over with the man of my dreams, I'm closing on my new home today, and I start my official nursing position in two weeks. Just know as you get older, your perspectives and priorities change. I first got married when I was 23. I didn't go to college but saw all my friends going and getting married, I thought I did too. I was so wrong about that and many other things. I'm not even close to that same girl I was at 22.

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Listen, I get it. When I was 22, I was just starting out my college education and I felt super old. I didn't graduate with my AA until last year (I am 26 now) because hey, life happens. I will be entering a BSN program this fall and will be 27. I've noticed that a lot of the nursing students at the hospital I work at range in ages from 19-35+. Don't be so hard on yourself! Way to go for beginning a BSN program at 22, congrats! The best thing you can do is be excited to start nursing school and realize that life doesn't always take the "typical" or "average" path.

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Specializes in ICU.
your having feelings why?

If your feelings over this are overwhelming you, it may be better to like, go into accounting or something. I don't think you would handle dead people well. just saying.

That's really a little rude. I think it's totally normal to worry about "being behind." The OP hasn't shared anything about themselves other than they're worried about delaying graduation.

OP, don't worry about it at all. You'll work with nurses who are 22 and nurses old enough to be your grandmother. And in 10 years 22 will sound so young.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

I'm starting my ASN at 26, which means (if all goes according to plan...) that I'll be 30 by the time I get my BSN. Age is just a number, don't worry about it.

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I am turning 23 this month and will be starting my nursing program in the fall! You are so not behind at all! I know what you mean though, I saw and attended a bunch of my high school friend's graduations with their bachelors and I hadn't even been accepted into a program yet. It's easy to feel"behind" but I just keep in mind I finally found a field I love and will be doing a job I know will be rewarding every single day. Congrats on getting in and best of luck in nursing school OP! :)

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Welp, I'll be 34 when I graduate so....

Just remember that real life isn't supposed to follow a line and check off boxes. The absolute worst thing to do is compare yourself to other people. It's pointless. Do the best you can, do what makes you happy, and just live. As long as you're doing meaningful things, no one else is judging you or being as hard on you as you are.

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To chime in, I'm a career changer who has spent the last 10 years working with traditional age college students (now about to begin nursing school at age 34)... and I have to tell you that the maturity difference between an average 18-19 year old vs a 22 year old is enormous- that additional maturity will help you so much in nursing school! This is not to say that an 18 year old can't be a successful nursing student, but sometimes the experience and maturity that comes with age is underestimated! Good luck!

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