Nursing program starts Aug 27th and I'm not prepared!!!

caliotter3 · Aug 4, 2012

You need to get your head on straight or you will run into problems early on. Whatever you do, if invited to talk about yourself during classroom introductions, don't say anything negative about your situation. You don't want to create any room for negative bias from the instructors. Save your venting for here. Good luck.

its_meee · Aug 4, 2012

I agree. I would never share my personal life stresses with the classroom. I have a good life and I'm am so lucky in many ways, just needed to have a release today. I will be fine :)

Camwill, ASN, BSN, MSN, DNP, LPN, APRN, NP · Aug 4, 2012

Now is the prefect time to get organized! I have seven kids and I run into the same problem. My husband does mean well but when it is all said and done we women are the problem solvers. He tells me all the time how important I am.

Okay first things first. Organize your house. Come up with a system that requires little thinking. My family follows a 9am 2pm and 9pm system. Those are our cleaning times. Every section of the house has a cleaner. We are not looking for perfection we just trying to stay some what clean. Someone has kitchen, dining room, bathroom, living room, and trash. After that a quick room cleaning. Believe it or not these short but frequent cleaning take maybe a half an hour and keeps the house nice. It isn't prefect but I really needed it to be it wouldn't take long. Cloths are done everyday. Every bathroom has a basket and I do them at night while studying and the kids put them away in the morning. Like I say again it isn't prefect nor do I want it to be. We have enough stress going on right now. I just expect at the times we clean you clean your area and I will leave you alone. Which my kids are happy with. They don't want to clean all day:)

Ok next you now once you get your money the things you need to buy so act like the money is going to be in there tomorrow and plan for that day. Better yet plan for the 20th I think that is the day you said you were getting the funds. Research the time everything opens and plan for someone else watching the kids of you can not bring them with you. You can do this I know it is hard but nothing feels better than a little organization. Good luck to you!!!!

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · Aug 4, 2012

you can get an older model iphone online (ebay, etc) for short money, it'll work fine, and it won't take you any more time to figure out, maybe less (i love mine). an ipod touch is a good second choice but you'll need a data plan so you might as well get the phone and use the phone connection for downloads and save the money you'd spend on data plans.

i second the idea of all the kids chipping in. it will be good for them to be more useful family members, they'll see you working hard towards a goal and that's a great lesson, and if you start them on chores several years before the dread adolescence rears its amazingly ugly head they won't think to complain then. my kids did their own laundry from age 8 onward-- modern fabrics don't care about temp and most never run anyway, so they can't do much harm. they can make their own school lunches from age 6 onwards. everyone can take an area (camwill, such a great system!), feed the cat, walk the dog, wash the dishes or stuff/empty the dishwasher.

oh, and the husband? when they're his kids and it's his house, he isn't helping you. it's called parenting and home ownership and he owns it all as much as you do. if you can't do something...don't. you will either find out that it's not that important or he'll do it. if he complains, tell him that.

it won't take you days and days to get your stuff. one day will do it. consider ordering online and save yourself the driving around.

SweetPEI · Aug 4, 2012

I don't have kids, so I cannot relate. However, you will learn in nursing school that having one whole week to get something done is SO much time. My advice is for you to call a family meeting, create a household schedule that includes your kids and husband. Secondly, you need to create your own schedule for the week prior to school, to make sure you get everything you need. I don't think you will need a smart phone, especially if you have an ipad. If you do feel the need to get one, you can always extend your cell phone contract, in turn for getting a smart phone for "free". In regards to training on the ipad, ask the techies, where you will purchase said ipad to give you a crash course. Lastly, create a personal schedule for yourself that has everything in it. What I do is create a monthly calendar and then create weekly calendars which include school, work, family/friends, and personal time. Yes, personal time! Hold your family accountable when they don't adhere to their share of responsibilities. Get in the habit of holding a family meeting regularly, especially when you have a huge deadline or exam that you need to prepare for. Be honest with them and let them know that you need their help. The most important thing is to stick your personal calendar, but leave room for change-ups. You will thank yourself, knowing what you need to get done ahead of time. Above all, please remember to take time for you, weekly (should be part of your calendar). Whether it is treating yourself to dinner, frozen yogurt or a movie, do it. It will help you to refocus. Good luck in nursing school!

belty · Aug 4, 2012

My first day of the nursing program starts on August 27th and I have not been able to purchase anything yet!! I take that back, I was able to order my nursing student name tag but the only reason I was able to do that was because it was only 5 dollars! We have a hard time making ends meet and any "extra" money (if there is such a thing) has been spent to get three of my four children their school nessesities.
I have to wait for my student loans before I can buy my things and that money won't come until Aug 20th! That will give me a window of one week to purchase my books, uniforms, and supplies. I also need to buy shoes and some type of hand-held electronic device for nursing apps. Most students that I know are just going to use their smart phones but I think I'm the only person in this world that does not own a smart phone...the phone I currently use is an out-dated dumb-phone :) I plan on getting an I-Pad Touch, and I will only have one week to learn how to use it!
I'm just stressing out a little, well stressing out a lot actually :) I'm worried that I won't be able to get it all done in such a short time. And of course, I'm super stressed about starting the nursing program! I feel like a time-bomb who may explode at any moment because I'm so stressed out!!
(Here's my vent) My kids seem to fight constantly, my house is constantly messy, I don't get enough help from my husband with the kids/house, and I'm sick and tired of wondering how we will manage to make it until the next pay check. I need a vacation, but I can't afford it!! LOL I know that I'm not the only person that has these struggles, and I know that we will make it...we always do. It's just that sometimes I feel like running away and hiding under a big rock!! However, I realize that if I did find some big rock to hide under I wouldn't be able to hide out for very long.....who would feed them, wash their clothes/dishes, solve their arguements, and basically keep them alive? LOL A mother/wife/woman's work is NEVER ending! I would love to trade responsibilites with my husband for just 3 days...but then again, that would just make more work for me in the long-run because I would have to go back and fix everything that went wrong during those 3 days!
WOW!!! this post really turned into a HUGE vent, but it helped...I feel better :) So, back to the topic at hand....I feel unprepared for the nursing program! LOL :)

I start in sept and I feel really nervous .too

its_meee · Aug 4, 2012

Camwill, I LOVE the idea of using a time system for house cleaning, and assigning certain rooms to the kids! I will try to put this method into effect as soon as possible :) thanks!

its_meee · Aug 4, 2012

The main reason I planned on buying an I-Pod Touch is because I cannot afford a monthly phone plan for a smartphone. The phone I have now is on my mother-in-laws plan and only cost me ten dollars a month. GrnTea mentioned that I will need a Data plan if I get an I-Pod...what is a data plan? Does that require a monthly fee? Will I need that plan to download my required nursing apps? Sorry, but I'm not very tech. savvy :) I just sent my very first text message about 8 months ago! LOL I was hoping that using the I-Pod would save me that monthly fee.

ProudStudent · Aug 4, 2012

I too, absolutely love Camwill's timed cleaning bursts! As for its_meee, you need to breathe!! The facts are, you can't do anything about purchasing your supplies until you get the money. You're only being harder on yourself by stressing about it when you can't do anything right now. Honestly, I'm sitting here comfortably giving you the advice that I needed a month ago. You're in the right place for venting, we all have a hard time making ends meet -sometimes not just financially. Some households are very chaos driven and it can still work for you! Just learn to sit back and let the chaos happen around you and get through your schooling, who cares how clean your home is. There is nobody to impress right now, and as far as the household goes....it's yours, and you're working on making it better.

caliotter3 · Aug 4, 2012

Data plans are like phone plans, cost about the same if standalone (used for a tablet) or can be an add-on to an existing phone plan. You can find out your options by talking to customer service reps from the providers, but be prepared for a sales pitch.

ProudStudent · Aug 4, 2012

My data plan is $30 a month, on top of the fee for my minutes/texting plan. If you can do the Ipod, it's a one time purchase and then you can use free Wifi at your school or places like McDonalds to download apps for later studying.