Reading for pleasure

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I am set to start nursing school in Jan and am an avid reader. Were you guys able to get any good reading in while in nursing school?

Same here, I love to read, but did not get a chance to read anything while taking my prereq but I promise myself to read a book before I start nursing school in January.

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

Not while school was in session. During the breaks, I'd read anything that was non-nursing.

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I wasn't able to read as much as I usually do (2-3 books a week) while I was in school, but I made sure I got some reading done. I figured out the most effective way for me to study and I would schedule myself for a certain amount of studying/assignments. When that time was up, I read whatever I wanted to. I graduated with a 3.8. You have to carve out time to do things for yourself too. However, I didn't have to work during school, nor did I have kids. I'm sure that would have been much different if that were the case.

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Specializes in School Nursing.

Reading for pleasure is difficult in nursing school.. especially if you're like me, and HAVE to read a book cover to cover as quickly as possible. The way I've managed my reading addiction is I read A LOT on the breaks. We have the entire summer off, so over the summer I knocked out dozens of books. Over winter break, I knocked quite a few too.

Just make it a rule, no 'fun' reading during the semester, and no rules during the off time.

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Reading for pleasure is difficult in nursing school.. especially if you're like me, and HAVE to read a book cover to cover as quickly as possible. The way I've managed my reading addiction is I read A LOT on the breaks. We have the entire summer off, so over the summer I knocked out dozens of books. Over winter break, I knocked quite a few too.

Just make it a rule, no 'fun' reading during the semester, and no rules during the off time.

I am the same way!! I have to plan a couple of hours of free time because the book isn't put down until it's done!

I read generally 2-5 books a week, but in school I could only do it on breaks. Otherwise, I'd have been face first in a novel and failing!! The only time I would read during the semester was on one of the rare days when I had nothing planned. (RARE - happened maybe three times)

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I love to read, but my problem is that once I start a book I don't want to set it down. I realized during prereqs that I use reading as an escape, and if I'm not careful, I'll spend hours reading instead of studying. I try to limit myself. I'll read at night before I sleep and on weekends.

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I didn't, because I am like a few others and have to finish ASAP. I didn't have time between student/wife/mom life!

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Nope.

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Specializes in Neuro Intensive Care.

Absolutely. Everyone needs a break and it is possible to read for pleasure. It's all about how you schedule your time.

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Specializes in Med/surg, Onc.

I never stopped my personal reading for 30 min before bed no matter what. It has kept me sane and allowed me to decompress before bed.

Graduation in 16 days!

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I havent yet. I am also an avid reader, but I have found it so hard to squeeze in time for my family let alone any reading that isnt my nursing books. Maybe next semester. This was my first semester and I felt underwater most of the time lol

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One of my fellow nursing students introduced me to the Hunger Games (back when the movie was first announced and it was nowhere near as popular) . . . I made the mistake of starting to read that during a study break before a big test and ended up pulling an all-nighter for the test one day and an all-nighter to finish reading the trilogy the next day! Poor choices!

I found that picking up "fun" books from the medicine or nursing section of the bookstore helped me read as a break, but also reinforced some aspects of school. Some of the ones I really enjoyed:

- The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

- No Good Deed: A Story of Medicine, Murder Accusations, and the Debate over How We Die by Lewis Mitchell Cohen

- Asleep: The Forgotten Epidemic that Remains One of Medicine's Greatest Mysteries by Molly Caldwell Crosby

- anything by Mary Roach - Spook was fun, Stiff was very interesting, Gulp looks AMAZING

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