Second year of nursing school harder/easier

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Is the second year of nursing school harder or easier than the first year(in an ADN Program)?

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I've always heard it's harder. I'll be starting nursing 3 in the fall....I'm scared, lol. Good luck!

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Specializes in Emergency/Cath Lab.

Much harder. Each year we have 5-6 people fail the first semester second year. Might not sound like alot but when it is already only 18 people, its a lot

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Specializes in IMCU.

I have heard it both ways.

So I will be doing a little extra reading and practicing NCLEX style questions this summer. Just in case.

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Much harder. Each year we have 5-6 people fail the first semester second year. Might not sound like alot but when it is already only 18 people, its a lot

Gosh...we've already had so many people fail or drop out. I hate to see what senior year will bring. :eek: I wish I knew the exact amount that are left...I'm just noticing it in my own particular classes. I remember last fall in nursing 1, we started with about 30 students and ended with about 15. Our program starts out with 140. Near the nursing offices there's collage frames with every graduates pics and going by previous years, there's about 70-80 students left. Yes, I actually took the time to count, lol. :lol2: Anyway....pretty scary, I pray I will never be one that's left behind.

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I have heard it both ways.

So I will be doing a little extra reading and practicing NCLEX style questions this summer. Just in case.

I recently ordered a NCLEX review book. I'll be taking micro and math during the summer, so in between that I'll have my face in that book, lol.

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I think it is a little of both. It is easier to catch on because you already have some knowledge base. However, exams are a little tougher because they expect, "higher level thinking". Whatever that is supposed to mean... LOL

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Specializes in E.D..

Hope this makes sense...the material is more difficult and in-depth than other semesters, but a 2nd year student is smarter by then and more experienced. I just finished third semester in my ADN program, and the 1st semester was BY FAR the worst.

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I will have med-surg and psych this last year i have the summer off of nursing classes(taking micro) and i am already dreading going back for another year

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.

I hear it both ways also. I heard first semester was the hardest but I thought second semester was harder and so did most of my friends. I have heard from instructors that second year is easier then first but I won't know until fall when I start second year.

I thought overall first year was well and not to bad. First semester I thought was a breeze, second semester I lost focus in the beginning and that almost got me but thankfully it didn't. I felt like the hardest thing about second semester was that it was more time consuming.

Anyway, I am hoping our instructors are right and 3rd and 4th aren't as bad. We have lost 14 of 50 so far, got 2 new students that are re admits thus far.

4th semester just lost 4-5 students.

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@ crunchy mama-

I think we must be in the same school.. I was counting the number of graduates in those frames just this morning.

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
I have heard it both ways.

So I will be doing a little extra reading and practicing NCLEX style questions this summer. Just in case.

I just ordered my books for next semester yesterday and a 2010-2011 NCLEX book to add to my others LOL. I am not one to study, but when I know I don't "Have to" study I am more oK with looking things over. It's when I am told to study I rebel!!!

We had Pharm1, algebra that led into a dosage calc class and fundamentals first semester. Med/Surge and Maternity and Peds Second.

Third we have Pharm2, Psych and Advanced Med/Surge 1 so it should be interesting.

2nd has the most credits of the 4 to take.

I have heard that the students that start spring semester have a harder time too, (according to our school) because they do semester one and clinicals are at LTC but learn all the skills you do in the hospital. Than have the summer off and have to adjust to the course load and classes being so much different then first semester and have to remember all those skills learned months ago. Then they have to have another summer off before graduating.

I am very happy I started in the fall.

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