So just how intense is it?

[angieleelee]

I keep hearing about how hard LPN school is. What can someone expect from going full time mon-fri. How different is it from say High school. I mean we went to School Mon-Friday, 8 hr a day, took home alot of information, came home studied, and did homework. Most of us did fine. I have never been a straight A person I had to work hard to get decent grades, so do you have to be a VERY smart person to be able to make it through LNP programs? Reading all the comments about how hard/intense the programs are make me think I may not be able to do it. So I just wanted some insight. :uhoh21:

[SurgicalLPN]

Well in my experience high school couldn't possibly compare to the LPN program I went through. there is so much to learn in Nuring school and so little time, depending on the length of the program. Ours was 15 months. When your in nursing school it is very beneficial to try and absorb as much as you can because you will be dealing with patients who are counting on you to give the best and safest healthcare you can give. The days can also be very long. We had days from 6:30-4:30 at times with only a 30 minute lunch. But with the other students with you going through the same thing you can do it and you will always have some one to lean on. They sometimes become your closests friends almost like family. If I did it with a full time job, Single mother of young sons ( they were 2 and 5 at the time) I know you can do it. You just have to apply yourself, take it one day at a time, and believe in yourself. My first day I thought: "Oh my god, what am I doing here. Im going to fail out what was I thinking." And Im doing just fine you will too! Good Luck

[DelanaRN, MSN, APRN, NP]

I begin week 5 of a full time LPN Program tomorrow. It is a 12 month program stuffed into 10.5 months. (Graduation is June 21st) We are in class Monday - Thursday from 8-3:30 with a half hour lunch break. We rarely leave at 3:30 though, because we stay after to do required labs. Usually I get out of there around 5. Then I pick up my 2 year old from daycare, drag my books into the house (which to bring them back and forth to school every day, we use wheeled luggage), take a break by checking email and spending time with our 4 kids. My husband fixes dinner some nights, sometimes I do, sometimes we get carry out. After dinner I study. Sometimes an hour, sometimes 3 hours. Get the kids tucked in....my spouse generally gets the littlest bathed, the older 3 can do it themselves. We have them pick out their clothes and pack their snacks for the next day the night before. I usually leave for school about 6:50 every morning so I can get there a half hour early and prepare for the day. All homework has to be in before 8 AM every day. We have a strict absenteeism policy. If you are a minute late, you are tardy. 4 tardies is an absence. If you are 15 minutes late, you are counted half day absence. Either way, 5 absences, you are dismissed from the program. Under 75 is flunking. You flunk a class, you are dismissed from the program. It is a bit intimidating, and the first month has been overwhelming, but it is getting better!!! When we start clinicals in November, it will be even better!! It just takes some adjustments to your life and alot of planning and organization. I have learned so much in just the past 4 weeks, that it astounds me. My biggest piece of advice is to take it one day at a time. You will get through it. PS - This weekend, I haven't studied at all. I will be starting to here shortly, but we had 4 major exams last week and a paper due (mine was 13 pages typed) and a presentation, and 2 labs to record on DVD and turn in...so I was burned out. I needed a break. We also have quizzes every single day. You get used to it. Good luck!! It's chaotic, but fun too!!