am i missing something?

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i am in my first semester of nursing school & i feel like maybe i am being lazy....already. i started out attempting for my bsn and with good grades and a gpa to back up my application and i was very disappointed that i was rejected..twice. so i did myself a big favor and put my bsn dreams on hold to persue a more realistic goal of an adn..i was accepted into the program the first time and am ecstatic that after a year of being in a standstill in classes that i am FINALLY making progress towards my degree and graduation. i am getting ready to start my second week of classes and i feel like i have missed the memo..so far i have not felt the need to study study study like i read on here that most people do. i feel like i am learning but am worried that i am not studying at least a little bit every day..is everyone else already studying that much or is it too early in the semester to start? i just don't want to get myself to a point where i am stuggling after the first test. so is it NORMAL not to be studying this early in the semester or should i just be sucking it up and studying now even though it doesn't really feel necessary? just wanting opinions and some insight..hoping someone else is going through this too. thanks!:o

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Specializes in CVICU.

Everyone is different. I honestly spent very little time studying and usually just skimmed the notes and the textbooks the night before a test. Other people put in hours and hours and hours. I'd say that if you're comfortable and don't feel like you're getting behind the eight ball then do what works for you. Don't worry about what other people do - it may not be the right thing for you.

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

Enjoy it while you can. You may be lucky enough not to have to work so hard in nursing school. As long as you are learning and keep getting good grades, don't worry about it. Don't worry about not being worried.

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The only reason someone would not study is if they had a firm understanding of concepts. If you remember everything that is said in class and can recite the textbooks word for word, don't study. Otherwise, study your butt off. You are going to be a nurse...that is a huge responsibility and if you can be a mediocre nurse who got through school without working that hard or an outstanding nurse who spent most of there time buried in books, wouldn't you rather be the latter? That being said, if you're unsure whether or not to study more don't you think it would be safer to study more rather than less?

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I feel the same way. Don't get me wrong, I've been studying some and I have been reading the entire chapter(s) before lecture, but I think the reading it all beforehand, going into lecture knowing what's going on has really helped. I'm sure it'll be worse later on and things will get harder, but right now I'm with you! I've been even taking all the nclex practice tests in the book after each chapter and usually only miss 1 or 2, over stupid mistakes.

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Specializes in CVICU.
You are going to be a nurse...that is a huge responsibility and if you can be a mediocre nurse who got through school without working that hard or an outstanding nurse who spent most of there time buried in books, wouldn't you rather be the latter?
I can assure you that my lack of burying myself in books and studying constantly did NOT make me a mediocre nurse. I graduated third in my class, summa cum laude and was president of our nursing honor society. World class surgeons trust me to recover immediate post op heart surgeries, which is something not every nurse in my unit can say. Some people just don't have to study non-stop. It doesn't make them mediocre. I learned a thousand times more on the job in the last three years than I ever learned in nursing school
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I think it depends a lot on how your program is set up. Our first few weeks in our first semester we were not into topics that required hours of study to grasp. I mean we're talking about things like cultural diversity, ethics, communication etc etc etc. As the semester goes on you'll probably find that you need some more study time.

I didn't have to do tooooo much studying 1st semester but i'm officially one week into 2nd semester and I already have a stack of note cards piling up.

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As long as you are doing ok, don't worry about it! My first semester wasn't that tough and certainly did not bury my head in the books. I got an A. Second semester is much more difficult and will require more work and studying. You will know how you are doing once you take your first test. If you are doing well then keep on keeping on...if not so well, step it up and work harder. Not everyone has to study non-stop...it all depends on the individual.

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

The first semester of my BSN program was not very intense, and I didn't feel the need to kill myself with the studying. Now, going into 4th semester, I can assure you that the pace will pick up. During the semesters I am constantly doing something. Whether it be reading, studying, typing a paper, making a powerpoint presentation, preparing/reading for ATI's, doing a careplan, process recordings, journals, drug profiles, etc. You will be busy, just wait! :D

Congrats on starting your first semester!

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my teachers always say..."yall might not be tested on everything, but at some point when you get your license, you will be held responsible for knowing the information in your textbooks. you can study the notes and read what you feel will be on each test, but that's just enough to get you by. you have no clue what stuff they will throw at you on the NCLEX."

Last semester i got so sick of hearing that, but as the semester got close to the end i really began to understand it. i'm not preaching to you, trust me, i don't always study like i should, like tonight...ha

good luck & best wishes! :)

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Specializes in Adolescent & Adult Psychiatry.

Everyone has their own method of studying. If it doesn't take countless hours for you to understand something, don't beat yourself up over it if you aren't doing what your friends are doing. I didn't break my back studying in nursing school because I went in knowing that real life experience will greatly compensate for the rigid textbook material. I also enjoyed my life at the same time and didn't cut back on things I enjoyed. Sounds crazy since I was constantly pressured in a top ten nursing school. However, I've never been the super-study type anyway. So be honest with yourself and if you don't need to obesess over it, don't. It'll make sense eventually and you'll have plenty of resources when preparing for the NCLEX.

Sometimes, I really think that most professions, especially nursing, forget to enjoy life. We only have one and I refuse to have something ridiculous on my tombstone like, "She studied so much for less than $60,000 a year". It's NOT that necessary!

Good Luck to you in your last semester!

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Everyone has their own method of studying. If it doesn't take countless hours for you to understand something, don't beat yourself up over it if you aren't doing what your friends are doing. I didn't break my back studying in nursing school because I went in knowing that real life experience will greatly compensate for the rigid textbook material. I also enjoyed my life at the same time and didn't cut back on things I enjoyed. Sounds crazy since I was constantly pressured in a top ten nursing school. However, I've never been the super-study type anyway. So be honest with yourself and if you don't need to obesess over it, don't. It'll make sense eventually and you'll have plenty of resources when preparing for the NCLEX.

Sometimes, I really think that most professions, especially nursing, forget to enjoy life. We only have one and I refuse to have something ridiculous on my tombstone like, "She studied so much for less than $60,000 a year". It's NOT that necessary!

Good Luck to you in your last semester!

Thank you so much for saying this. I am in my first semester (just started today) and have basically heard everyone say 'OMG all you're going to do is study, forget having a life, forget seeing your family, forget doing anything besides nursing' and that just so depressed me. :( I'm not expecting to not study at all or work hard but nothing but nursing? That is so unrealistic to me. I'm already anticipating not doing the things I love... and it's only been one day. I guess I just appreciate that someone has something more positive to say. So thank you very much! :)

P.S. Love the saying in your signature.

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