This is my first semester of nursing school. I am currently in Fundamentals and find that most of it is common sense. I really don't know how to explain it, but when my professors lecture, it just makes sense. So far, I have a 94% class average. My professors will, during lecture, indicate material that is most important. In other words, they do a good job of letting the class know the material we will be tested over. I know and expect that it will become more difficult as I get further into clincials and school, but has anyone ever felt this way in school? Do you feel so comfortable with the material and you just "get it". I do spend time outside of class going over notes and making additional comments, so I am not one of those students who are able to do well on the test without studying. I think I do well because I am so engrossed with the material. Is this normal? I have never had any subject matter that has come so easily for me, not even Business which is what my first undergraduate degree is in.
The difference between fundamentals and the later part of your nursing program, is that even though the instructors say that you are taking critical thinking tests, technically, at this point in the game, you are not.
I too, found first year fairly easy and did considerably better my second semester than I did my first. To me, if you read the book, attended class and put any reasonable effort into studying, good grades were not that difficult to make.
However, when you start getting into your disease process is where the real work begins. You have to take everything you learned in that first year and instead of focusing on only assessment, recognition and single task questions, you start to take entire exams in the application of everything you have learned so far, plus a psychosocial component to it.
The exams start going from being very cut and dry to very grey area...and that is what makes them much more difficult and the level of studying that I have done from first year to second year has increased beyond anything that I could have possibly imagined.
Instead of reading 60 or 70 pages for an exam and being given two weeks to do it....we now have to read 300 to 400 pages in three different textbooks (med-surg, peds, and nutrition)...and only 2 weeks and 4 to 5 lectures to "get it" in.
Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.
You may have really logical thinking instructors. I also notice that you didn't post any information about your age or past life history. Life experience has a lot to do with common sense.
This is my first semester of nursing school. I am currently in Fundamentals and find that most of it is common sense. I really don't know how to explain it, but when my professors lecture, it just makes sense. So far, I have a 94% class average. My professors will, during lecture, indicate material that is most important. In other words, they do a good job of letting the class know the material we will be tested over. I know and expect that it will become more difficult as I get further into clincials and school, but has anyone ever felt this way in school? Do you feel so comfortable with the material and you just "get it". I do spend time outside of class going over notes and making additional comments, so I am not one of those students who are able to do well on the test without studying. I think I do well because I am so engrossed with the material. Is this normal? I have never had any subject matter that has come so easily for me, not even Business which is what my first undergraduate degree is in.
I agree with what you are saying. I too, "get it". Several in our class do, and I think it's great. We have a very close class, and we all help each other. No one puts it in anyone's face or anything like that. I don't think some of the other posters realize you said you realize it will get harder, and seem to be coming down a little hard on you. We all know it isn't easy to be a nurse, there is so much information we have to know...not memorize, but KNOW! I think we are in a great situation for it to just "click" with us right now. I don't think anyone expects it to always come easy, but I am glad, personally, that I have a fairly good foundation to stand on. I think it will make comprehension of later material somewhat easier to understand.
I am still going to say, as I have since day one in 2005, Nursing is more common sense than anything. I know Ill catch heck for that statement but it's true. One thing my profs always told me is go with your first answer on a test and it's true because more likely than not, that is the common sense answer. And yes, some of it does get harder, but if you start off "getting it" than chances are that's how it's going to stay. I'm not saying I know everything, b/c gawd knows I don't, I'm simply saying I, like the poster, get it and that makes it easier. Not saying that we are "above" anyone. Just that there are certain people where nursing school and the practice itself is not as hard and stressful as the majority make it out to be. Now I will sit back and wait to be told off.
I agree with everyone else....keep it under your hat. Some people get critical thinking right away. For others, it's a process. It does get harder. A lot harder. But you know that and you seem to have the study skills, common sense, and self discipline to get the job done. I was just like you when I started. Amazed that I could be doing so well. But I kept doing well even though it did get harder. I'll be graduating in 5 weeks and with 2 tests left, my GPA is a 4.0.
I agree with everyone else....keep it under your hat. Some people get critical thinking right away. For others, it's a process. It does get harder. A lot harder. But you know that and you seem to have the study skills, common sense, and self discipline to get the job done. I was just like you when I started. Amazed that I could be doing so well. But I kept doing well even though it did get harder. I'll be graduating in 5 weeks and with 2 tests left, my GPA is a 4.0.
I don't know who reads 60-70 pages for an exam but I wish that was all we had to do. We have to read approximately 6 chapters and they are generally all over the book. The readings we do for class, lab and clinical are all different and all 3 are on our tests. The chapters are anywhere from 35 to 100 pages long. We also only have 2 lectures a week. 2 hours of lecture and 2 hours of group assignments to apply whatever they are teaching us.
I don't think that anyone thinks that this is remotely close to the difficulty level that is to come, but I know I am surprised that it is not harder at this point for me. I went into this fully expecting to not do as well as I was doing in my other classes. I had built it up to being so difficult in my mind that it is such a surprise that it's not as bad as I thought.
Specializes in Medical Surgical/Addiction/Mental Health.
I must say a big thank-you to everyone who responded. The post isn’t meant to be a “if I get it, why can’t you?” I was becoming worried because I am in my school’s second nursing class. That’s right! My school started their ADN program last year and I think that I was becoming worried. I was worried because if I felt that the program was “easy”, then what would that say about my quality of education? Will I be prepared to sit for the NCLEX? Will I be prepared to become a great nurse? So, to just test the waters, I thought it would be a good idea to make the post to see if there are others who may feel like me. If so, then I can conclude that perhaps the program is good and I was simply over reacting.
Now, when I get into my second year, I very well may be singing a different tune. But here is what I told myself when I was accepted into the program. First, I will do my very best in all of my courses. If my very best yields me an A, great! If I get a C+, I am okay with that too. So as long I understand and learn from my mistakes. I am a block of clay ready to be molded.
I completely agree with you! I am working on my BSN and my classmates seem to have more difficulty with assignments and exams than I do. I just "get it." I won't apologize for that either. Everyone has their strong subjects and some of us "just get" science, nursing, or math. I definitely wouldn't brag about this to my classmates but why should I apologize because I understand nursing faster than someone else. I definitely don't know everything though!!! Nursing school will get more demanding maybe not difficult when you reach med/surg and critical care. I didn't take any of the study classes for the NCLEX and actually thought it wasn't really that hard! Don't apologize or feel bad for your intelligence!!!
I think it's great to see alot more support for the OP. I too thought some were being a little harsh, but I guess that is the nature of the beast. A good friend of mine told me in NS that "a C is a degree" meaning you don't have to be perfect. A nurse also once told me, "All you really learn in NS is how NOT to kill people" Interesting point.
I think it's great to see alot more support for the OP. I too thought some were being a little harsh, but I guess that is the nature of the beast. A good friend of mine told me in NS that "a C is a degree" meaning you don't have to be perfect. A nurse also once told me, "All you really learn in NS is how NOT to kill people" Interesting point.
I floated through my ADN program right up until the last theory class. I was on the deans list the entire program, until now. I rarely ever had to study but I never missed a class. This semester was brutal, and I thought the last theory would be easier because I'm almost done. I couldn't have been more wrong. I passed the theory class, but barely. It reminded me to take this seriously, perhaps I really wasn't before because I just got it too. Looking back, I'm glad I had to struggle through it because I learned that although nursing can be a common sense approach, once you really get into the disease process and have to figure out the differences (even though they may be ever so minute), that is what can make the difference between your pt getting well, or going down the tubes quickly.
I'm glad your sailing through, just remember that not everything may continue to come so easily. Sometimes we need to struggle to remind ourselves that we will be holding a person's life in our hands and that can be scary.
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justme1972
2,441 Posts
The difference between fundamentals and the later part of your nursing program, is that even though the instructors say that you are taking critical thinking tests, technically, at this point in the game, you are not.
I too, found first year fairly easy and did considerably better my second semester than I did my first. To me, if you read the book, attended class and put any reasonable effort into studying, good grades were not that difficult to make.
However, when you start getting into your disease process is where the real work begins. You have to take everything you learned in that first year and instead of focusing on only assessment, recognition and single task questions, you start to take entire exams in the application of everything you have learned so far, plus a psychosocial component to it.
The exams start going from being very cut and dry to very grey area...and that is what makes them much more difficult and the level of studying that I have done from first year to second year has increased beyond anything that I could have possibly imagined.
Instead of reading 60 or 70 pages for an exam and being given two weeks to do it....we now have to read 300 to 400 pages in three different textbooks (med-surg, peds, and nutrition)...and only 2 weeks and 4 to 5 lectures to "get it" in.
Very, different animal.