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 :)
Specializes in Primary Care; Child Advocacy; Child Abuse; ED.
I am sorry OP that someone was offended by your post. I wasnt you said you were venting and even if you weren't you deserve to write whatever you want. Unless you are surrounded by other peoples husbands that are supportive and can use that as a example you use what you know. It is really sad when someone who is venting and looking for others for support get attacked. If you are blessed with a great husband my hats off to you but if you look at statistics of nursing students their marriage is strained by nursing school. I am lucky for my husband but I dare not to say someone else made a bad choice. Some couples have arguments and come on here for advice not to compare themselves to others. Good luck to everyone I hope this did not offend anyone;)
its_meee, if your husband knew you were in a public forum portraying him as an unreliable, incompetent boob, do you think it would increase or decrease his motivation to be helpful to you during school? Do you think it's appropriate and respectful of your vows to be doing so? I just want people to think about these things. Our own attitudes toward our marriages are the most important contributors to success or failure.
I start in two weeks as well. I agree with the others regarding getting your house in order. I plan on doing a thorough cleaning of my house so we can just work on maintaining it. I am also trying to come up with some menu ideas and work on doing large amounts of cooking on the weekend so I don't panic at meal times. My kids are older and they do chores, but I need to get them on a schedule, such as Tuesdays is vacuum day, Thursdays is clean the bathrooms day, etc...I also need them to learn to cook for the family. They can fix themselves stuff like eggs, and quesadillas, but I haven't really pushed them towards fixing a real meal for everyone. Now is the time! Regarding husbands. I have been a stay-at-home mom for 19 years. I have always done the housework because I felt that was my contribution to the family, and my husband takes care of yard work. My husband is willing to help more, but I have this guilt feeling about how hard he works and I don't want to pile more on him. Plus, I think it is a control issues as well. I feel that I know how to do it the right way (my way), and he doesn't. But I am going to get over my feelings and ask him for more help. I know that he would like to make my life easier, and it would be a blessing for him.
duskyjewel... sorry if my post ruffled your feathers :) I came here to vent about my stresses before my nursing program starts, not to debate with you over the meaning of my marriage vows, thanks anyway :)
I love all of the posts that tell you to get your house in order before you start nursing school. I sincerely hope you can do it and wish you well. That said, it NEVER worked for me or mine. We lived with a level of chaos the entire time I was in nursing school. Hubby spent time with the kidlets while I studied. Dishes, laundry and cleaning went to the wayside many, many nights. Ideal? No. Reality? Yes. (At my house)
Don't stress about all of this too much. A week IS a short time, but the first week of school is generally orientation type stuff - getting your syllabus, filling out "getting to know you" cards, etc.
As for the "stuff", don't buy anything until you KNOW it's a requirement. We had a lot of "recommended to buy" items on our class lists and half of it we never used.
Here are my . I made it through nursing school too without a smart phone (cell phone plans on those phones are expensive), and I had not problems carrying my drug guide. The only electronics that I definitely recommend; besides a computer, is a tape recorder to tape the lectures...most professors are ok with this, just make sure to ask.
In our orientation which was weeks before our first class we were given a list of books that we needed. I was able to get the last editions to the ones on the list; with the exception of the nursing drug guide, from E-Bay or Amazon. These prior editions are almost identically to the current ones - I got a Medical Surgery textbook from Suddarths brand new from Ebay - (prior edition), that still had the codes and the CD. Professors are very understanding of this, the economy is tough right now - they do have a heart, though we may not think so at a time we get a grade we think we do not deserve LOL. If you were not given a list, show up at the school and speak to someone at the Nursing Department that can at least guide and tell you which ones you need for the first semester, you do not need to get ALL the books you need for the program at once (I forgot if you mentioned you have this list).
Is there anyway that you can get help from family members or friends? It does take a village sometimes to help someone become a nurse, so if you have these resources this is the best time to make use of them.
As for the house, start thinking that from now on until you graduate, your house will not be perfect. For me, I made sure my area of study was clean and you need to ensure this, children or not. My place was just presentable, and I took the breaks of each semester to really make it as it should be and ready for the next semester.
As for your husband, you are the only that knows your relationship. A family meeting would be great and just make sure to let them know that your success is theirs too - I understood your post.
I wish you the best of luck and welcome to nursing school
I love all of the posts that tell you to get your house in order before you start nursing school. I sincerely hope you can do it and wish you well. That said, it NEVER worked for me or mine. We lived with a level of chaos the entire time I was in nursing school. Hubby spent time with the kidlets while I studied. Dishes, laundry and cleaning went to the wayside many, many nights. Ideal? No. Reality? Yes. (At my house)!
We're the same way. I'm not thrilled about t, but I really don't see it changing. I love my husband dearly and he's a great dad, but he's also quite the free spirit and he doesn't specialize in order and organization.
He does religiously follow the routine the kids and I created that I keep on the wall, so everything they need to do gets done and they have a predictable schedule no matter who is home with them, and THEIR chores get done, but other housework definitely falls by the wayside until I have the time and energy to wrangle everyone together and be the force behind it.
Frankly, don't clean the house. When the dishes and clothes run out and they start complaining to you, grab your books, go to Dunkin Donuts, and let them deal with it. Sooner or later they will get the hint. You have enough to do.
As for the rest, get the list of books and all the things you need, and organize a plan of what you get and when. Knowing exactly when you are going to do it will get it off your mind.
There are all kinds of free phones you can get re-upping your contract, so do it if you can. Otherwise eBay is your friend, phones are cheap.
In nursing school, the teachers don't give a crap about your personal life. Either you cut it or you don't. If you don't get a grip on things now, you'll never make it through nursing school. This field is too competitive and they will just take the next number in line and boot you out of the program.
Never reveal anything about your personal life. It just gives people ammunition around you to turn it around and use it against you.
its_meee, if your husband knew you were in a public forum portraying him as an unreliable, incompetent boob, do you think it would increase or decrease his motivation to be helpful to you during school? Do you think it's appropriate and respectful of your vows to be doing so? I just want people to think about these things. Our own attitudes toward our marriages are the most important contributors to success or failure.
I think your comments here are far more inappropriate. Clearly you have a bee in your bonnet about the way women view men, and I'm not saying it's of no concern. However, you absolutely cannot assume that any woman that has a boob for a husband has some sort of deep seated bias toward all men.
Some men are boobs. Some women are boobs. Many men ARE looking for mothers because their mothers created that in them, as is the case with women who desperately need a man for survival. . Is it the fault of the husband or wife who comes along and has to deal with it? I think not. Is it inappropriate for the spouse to face reality and perhaps vent about it? I think not.
But clearly we disagree over appropriate commentary, and that's ok.
You sound just like me I have 4 kids and I'm starting nursing progam next monday. I know how you feel about living paycheck to paycheck after getting kids registered and football sign ups I have no money for myself to get ready for school. We were supposed to be able to charge our books august third. There is something going on with a student loans and they are not showing up so the people with financial aid cannot charge their books yet.schooll starts monday and I might not have my books. I'm not going to stress out. I think nursing school will be fun and I would love to vent with you whenever you need it
I've got three kids, just lost a sitter and did my freak out session last week.
Here's what I discovered. I'm not sure if this has been shared or not, but in helping you get what you need.
Go through your college bookstore. They should be able to release you to purchase books a few weeks early. We start on the 20th and books are available today (the 7th). However, I was there and not all the nursing books were in. If the school isn't ready...not my problem. Relax until they get ready. You can buy things like notebooks, pencils etc.
Secondly, get on the apple website. There is a credit, if you approve that is interest free if you pay it off before the deadline. (Less than 6 months for 999 or less which is definitely an iPad). They will have it to you in 5-7 business days if you order there (free engraving so you can put your name on it as well). That gives you some more time to mess with it and get familiar with it. You may get ONE bill before your financial aide disbursment but it is low, like 35 dollars for the 16gb 3rd gen. Once you get your financial aid check, pay it off. No interest, and you have what you need. Just be sure to pay it off, because it is 22% interest otherwise. If your school is listed with them, you will also get a 50 dollar gift cert to iTunes which can be used for nursing apps needed or textbooks they have on site. It ends up being worth it.
Financially, be willing to wait on postal services for a cover to protect it. I bought a cover for 5.95 (free shipping) on ebay. It came from the US and had an estimated delivery time of 4-5 days. So less than a week. The same for screen protectors (3.95 free shipping). I bought 3 styluses only because they were 99 cents with free shipping and those I will wait about a week or two simply because they are coming from hong kong but it's not a big deal to wait on a stylus as man people don't even have them. So for less than 15 dollars, if you are willing to wait on shipping you can get about 50-70 dollars worth of protective services.
Buy yourself a good day planner to hack away at everything you need to do as well. Make your to do list. Take a deep breath and relax. You are almost there.
. I made it through nursing school too without a smart phone (cell phone plans on those phones are expensive), and I had not problems carrying my drug guide. The only electronics that I definitely recommend; besides a computer, is a tape recorder to tape the lectures...most professors are ok with this, just make sure to ask.
Camwill, ASN, BSN, MSN, DNP, LPN, APRN, NP
526 Posts
I am sorry OP that someone was offended by your post. I wasnt you said you were venting and even if you weren't you deserve to write whatever you want. Unless you are surrounded by other peoples husbands that are supportive and can use that as a example you use what you know. It is really sad when someone who is venting and looking for others for support get attacked. If you are blessed with a great husband my hats off to you but if you look at statistics of nursing students their marriage is strained by nursing school. I am lucky for my husband but I dare not to say someone else made a bad choice. Some couples have arguments and come on here for advice not to compare themselves to others. Good luck to everyone I hope this did not offend anyone;)