New Student Needing Encouragement :(

mslannen · Aug 23, 2011

Wow. I love this. Thank you for this post!

mslove · Aug 24, 2011

I'm going into my 2nd semester and I am just as anxious as I was last semester. It IS a lot of work but at the same time it's not horrible. The professors at my school are very helpful; they are not "mean" or nasty, they really do want you to succeed. My fellow classmates are helpful too; lean on them. That said everyone says to make study groups and I hate those. They work for some things (like making care plans) but study groups never help me when preparing for an exam; they just make me more nervous.

I got a B+ and then all A's in my classes the first semester. I was SO nervous going into it, they do scare you about how you have to pass A, B and C in order to pass the semester but it's not as scary once you're in it. I find what makes me most nervous is getting everywhere on time! I'm always so nervous that there'll be a huge traffic jam and I'll be late for class or clinical. You're only allowed to miss so many hours per state law, so that is nerve wracking to me.

And you will DEFINITELY still have a life. Exam weeks (i have an exam every 3rd week this semester, yuck!) are more stressful but other than that it's not that bad. I still had free time. Luckily I'm not really working while in school so that helps. People like to scare you and make jokes but it is not "all consuming" like they say. Yes I have less of a social life but still a little bit of one! Time management is a big skill, as well as accountability. Also don't worry if you get behind on laundry or your room gets messy. It's only temporary!

meish · Aug 24, 2011

It's just a matter of knowing what you should be prioritizing more, focusing more, and proper time management. If everything goes well, you'll still save that social life of yours! The most treasured friends I end up being with are my nursing friends. We create our social lives together!

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · Aug 27, 2011

"i also plan on having study groups at my house. i hope this doesn't sound cliche but i hope to make friends with my fellow students. i know some of them have kids around the same age as mine so the idea of play dates/study session seems appealing to me."

great idea! you can all chip in for a teenager to watch them for a few hours in another part of the house, or out in the yard, so none of you need to think about interruptions. i taught my kids never to knock on my office door when i was working unless there were lots of blood or actual flames. they became much less dependent on me for their entertainment. (no, we had no tv and no video games, either.)

as to the household management thing, let me tell you something that made it easier for me. did you know that there is an indigenous culture that, once you are three years old and weaned and the new baby is at your mother's breast, you are on your own? nobody feeds you ( you have learned what's safe to eat by then), nobody houses you (it's a warm place, and you can snuggle up at night prn). and yet this culture has stayed alive for thousands of years.

now, i read that and said to myself, "a normally-intelligent and -coordinated seven year old in the united states can load a dishwasher, a washing machine, and a dryer, make a sandwich and put it in a lunch box with a juice box and a banana, pour rice chex and milk, feed cats, and hang up her own clothes." and you know what? she could.

when her brother was six, he informed me that he could wash his own clothes, too. i told him the deal was i'd do it until he was seven, like his sister was; he said, no, he could do it, "really, ma! see, i can push this box over there so i can reach the controls and i know how much soap up put in-- this much, right?" and i had to say, ok, then. with modern detergents and washing in cold you don't need to do any sorting, anyway.

and when they hit adolescence, i never once heard anybody complain to me, "i don't have anything to wear." because they were years into being responsible for their own clothes, and besides, the answer would have been, "and whose fault is that?"

when they were ten, they got to start making supper two days a week for their allowance. nothing fancy, but a ten year old can make (and serve) hamburgers, grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup, macaroni and cheese and frankfurters and frozen peas, spaghetti, shepherd's pie, pork chops, cheese omelets, and the like. you have to clean up your mess as you go along, and everyone puts their own dishes in the dishwasher. the other kid gives it all a final wipe-down, and shuts off the kitchen lights.

as they got older, it was three nights apiece and they had to put the ingredients on the shopping list for recipes they found in the cookbooks. i did the seventh night or we'd send out for pizza if i were flush with cash. we had some pretty, umm, unusual meals along the way, but they both became good cooks. my daughter found the most delicious recipe for white fish sauteed in butter with sliced almonds. easy as anything and i'd go to a restaurant for it, it was that good. now i make it sometimes. they learned to read recipes, measure, shop, and plan to make it all come out at the same time, too. good life skills.

you didn't mention a spouse or other adult in the house, but just so you know: i told mine that it's not called "babysitting" if it's your kids. it's called "parenting." puts a whole different spin on things.

nursing school is a family affair-- everyone will benefit from your degree, so everyone gets to help you get it.