No life?? Really? I need advice, please.

itsnowornever, BSN, RN · Aug 21, 2012

My husband has been a police officer for almost eight years and I just finished a 3 year BSN program, and it's crazy, let me tell you. My kids were 6 and 5 when I started. I started doing pre-reqs at the jr college before going for the BSN, so really I started when they were 4 and 5...BUT it can be done! I too did the police academy thing with him and he was gone at 430 am and came back home around 2 sometimes as late as 4...but it can be done. Have a good support system, maybe get the baby into pre-school so she can do her thing while you are doing yours, study when you get out of school, get her at 6 and everyone can have dinner together and hang out in the evenings. The great thing about all this is that she is young so she wont remember any of this when she gets older!

acceptmealready · Aug 21, 2012

that's so good to hear! thank you!

like i mentioned, i have been working for years and years and in order to do so we put our daughter in day care since she was 3 months old! she ABSOLUTELY loves it! we love it! i don't know if it's realistic, but i'm hoping to get all (or most) of my studying done before i pick her up at 5. if i need to lose sleep to spend my evenings with her, so be it. she's just an amazing little girl and i'd really miss her. but she has her mom and dad, her aunt and uncle that just moved in with us, and grandparents that live in town. i think my nerves have gotten the better of me. so much so that i doubted wheather is was a good idea to apply to nursing school now (i mean, shouldn't i have let my hubby finish first!??) but i'm excited. our family is so supportive and proud of the choices we've recently made. plus, we want our daughter to know how important a college education is. whether your 18 fresh out of high school, or 30, looking for a change.

bear14 · Aug 21, 2012

My husband finished the police academy right before I started nursing school. It can be done. He was able to go to overnights so I can go to school during the day and we dont have to worry about day care. I study when the kids go to bed so it can be done. Good luck!!

acceptmealready · Aug 21, 2012

thanks bear! it's really motivating to hear of other mother's experiences, specifically those whose hubbys were in "class" themselves. congrats, btw!

RescueNinja2013 · Aug 21, 2012

If I can do it with four children, in which three are tots, a husband who works overnight for the past 17 years with a screwed up circadian cycle, two in-laws in their late 70's -one with cancer; in which my kids are shifted between these three people while I study and go to school -you can definitely do it. I know someone who just graduated and passed NCLEX with 8 children -very young children too, and JUST gave birth BEFORE graduation. If she can do it, I KNOW you can. Best of EVERYTHING to you.

Stephalump · Aug 21, 2012

I've only taken a summer session on NS so far, so I'm not overly experienced, but here's my two cents.

First of all, let me make the all important disclaimer that everyone in different. Some people need 25 hours of solid study time in a week, while some excel with just a few, and those differences have a lot to do with the amount of free time people have. Some people are in programs that keep them in class or clincals 5 days a week, while others are only at committed a few days a week. All these things make a difference in how much of a life you can have.

Ok, so personally, the majority of the time I've been in school, my husband was an over the road truck driver. I had the kids in preschool full time and studied during the day with zero interruptions. It was more productive than trying to study in the middle of home chaos and I had evenings and weekends to dedicate entirely to them, with the exception of some cramming before tests after they went to bed.

This summer I was in class from 9-5 every day and had no child care outside of class. I was exhausted by the time I got home, didn't even want to look at my books, but I HAD to before they went to bed because I was too tired to pull an all nighter. The weekends were spent at school studying. School was my entire life and I hated it and will not be without child care again!

Point being, you can have time with your family - maybe not much other social time, but the most important time. I think the key is great time management. Figure out what times are most important to your family and plan your study time accordingly, and get stuff done. For instance, we love Saturday morning breakfast, so I don't bother scheduling anything at that time...it's too painful to leave and I'll just get behind if I plan to. I also have a medical condition that really requires that I have a strict sleeping schedule and not pull all nighters (great set-up for a student, right?), so there's motivation to get stuff done in a timely manner during normal hours.

Anyway, I'm rambling. :). Everyone has obstacles to overcome in nursing school (and life in general) and many people have been in your same shoes before you and succeeded. You can do it if you want to badly enough!

acceptmealready · Aug 21, 2012

thanks ninja, stephalump for your responses. reading these comments and being minded of how many other mothers have done well in nursing school under far different circumstances is very motivating and encouraging. i feel very fortunate and blessed for the wonderful people in my life and for having been given the opportunity to enter this nursing program. and for my husband to have been accepted to the academy! it's all overwhelming! but in a good way. my nerves have settled now. LET'S DO IT!

:yelclap:

Michaela, RN · Aug 22, 2012

I have only been in nursing school for two weeks now, and I will say the first 2 days were extremely overwhelming. However, now that I am in the swing of things and caught up (actually, ahead) with what I need to be doing it seems so much more manageable. Like I said, I am a new student, but I am about 99.999% positive that staying ahead of what you need to be doing with your assignments will make your life manageable and still enjoyable. I have a 4 and a 5 year old and no family in the area other than my fiance, who works all the time. So, If you want it bad enough you will do great! I have faith in you! Trust me, if I can do it anyone can do it!

PNicholas · Aug 22, 2012

Really how much time you will have is dependant on how much you need to study. First semester I studied less and had more time with my family BUT I made a C which is NOT acceptable to me. Mind you I breezed through pre reqs with all A's. So second semester, nursing became my life. I still made the most of my family time but there was not a lot of it. I made an A that semester! The thing to remember is this is short term!! You just have to be really dedicated and not put yourself through a guilt trip! You are doing something wonderful for your family and yourself! PS. I have 4 kids...the youngest one still begs me not to go to school even though he started kindergarten!

Chad Collins · Aug 22, 2012

Most college professor tell me that for every credit hour you spend in class you need three study hours out side of class. I'm a second year nursing student, our classes are 10 credit hours each, logic says that i should be good with 30 hours of study each week outside of class but that is never the case. I spend almost double that each week in studying. Nursing school is hard but it is worth it. If it was easy everyone would be doing it. I"m lucky my wife works now while i'm in school and when i'm done next year we are gonna switch and we have no kids that helps a lot too. Good Luck it wont be easy but it is so worth it when you get to clinicals it will be so rewarding and you will enjoy every minute of it. or at least I have. :)

mamadeux · Sep 12, 2012

How do you plan your schedule @ Rescue Ninja2013,