Jane Doe 1

You definitely do not need to have a care, many students this semester do not. This last year, there were three hospital clinical sites: Shands, the VA and North Florida. Shands and the VA are right next to each other. NFRMC is on another side of town. There are also various sites throughout the county that you will be going to. Since you entire clinical group goes at once, most people car pool. Keep in mind that sometimes you have to be at clinicals at 6:45am, which is earlier than the buses run, so people have had to get creative.

My first degree was all scholarship. Now I use federal and private student loans.

I know how gen ed classes work, but nursing school is not the same. They have limited faculty and can't offer a bunch of sections for one course every semester. To make up for this they lump the students together into large lecture halls all at once. Also, if you choose to drop or end up failing a course, you can't just take it the next semester as it won't be offered again until the next cohort comes through a year later. My previous degree in Biology wasn't like this either, you got to pick and choose your schedule from semester to semester. I do miss that, but I guess it doesn't really matter much.

I don't understand what you're talking about. I never get to pick what time's I go to things. Schedules are determined by the college and you go when and where you are told.

I can understand why some of these things annoy you. I hate it when one of my classmates clings to me in clinical out of fear. I also can't stand when people are afraid of psych patients. They have a mental illness, get over it. If someone's following you around, then by definition that makes you a leader and there must be a reason they chose you to shadow. I always try and think of that when I'm 6 hours into a shift and starting to get really irritated. Really though, you're letting your anger get out of control. We've all experienced what your going through and can sympathize, but you're letting it consume you. Your attitude is probably shining through to your classmates, instructors, and worst of all to your patients. There is always going to be an incredibly annoying and incompetent colleague, you might as well get used to dealing with them now.

I haven't heard anything at all about it being switched back to a summer start date. I find that to be highly unlikely, but never say never.

No one really has any pity for smokers. It's a terrible habit in so many ways, and in this day and age everyone learns all the drawbacks of smoking before they ever start. I think a person should be able to make it through a shift without having to smoke.

Medical school is completely different, and yes it is much more difficult. It's not even a fair comparison. Nursing school is hard too, but let's not get ahead of ourselves here.

I am currently in UF's ABSN program. Even though they recently tweaked the curriculum, everything has been great so far and I would definitely recommend it. A 1250 GRE score is good, I wouldn't bother to retake if I were you. From what I have heard from current faculty and students, it only matters that you break 1000.

Left and right are always from the point of view of the patient. Health care can be so confusing to people that we don't need to throw in a "your left means my right" dilemma too. It's also a good reminder to consider things from your patients point of view and what a disease or problem means to them.

At 16, this stuff would have really scared me too. Keep working hard in the classes you are taking now, and you will improve. Don't let nursing school intimidate you if it's what you really want to do.

I don't think that would be a problem. There are no psychological tests required that I have heard of. You just need to have your physician sign off on the physical. You can always contact the school and see what they require upon admission.

I usually only get asked by people I study with, and I don't mind telling them. I usually do pretty well and it can be awkward if they say they did really bad and then ask you, and you got a high A. If I didn't want someone to know my grade, I would lie to them. It's no one's business what grade you get and if it makes you feel uncomfortable then just lie and say you got a B. That way you are right in the middle.

It sounds like there's a lot going on here. Maybe you should see a counselor, that could let you talk a lot of it out. A lot of colleges have free counseling services available to students.

My school only assumes you know the material from the required pre reqs, and even then they sometimes give you a chance to brush up. I would go to the instructor's office and let them know of your experience level, that way you won't get the surprised look anymore when you ask a question. It's probably going to take a little extra work from you to be on the same level as the other students, but I'm sure you'll do fine.