Sometimes I feel like I am not smart enough

[humboldt13]

This week I've been taking a chem review class and I feel discouraged. Next week I'll be taking A&P, nurse aid, med term and english II (the last two are online).

I don't get chem. I don't feel smart enough. I know it takes longer for me to apply some things. I never had the best determination but I am more determined than I ever had been in my life. But I'm still not sure if it is good enough. I'm 23 and just moved back home, too. It is nice not to stress about money anymore. However, I cannot get along with my mom. She throws tantrums like a child and yells and is ignorant about a lot of things. I'm stubborn and react with anger or tell her to not talk to me and walk away, and then she screams and and goes to talk about me to my dad trying to get him on her side. This is how it's always been, but my dad has mellowed with age and doesn't really play that game anymore. My mom is still insane. I'm starting to feel depressed again and I try not to be at home a lot but I feel like I have no home base.

I moved out at 18 to stay away from my parents and have just been messing around and now I'm ready to make a difference. I feel better, I exercise, I eat well, I have more energy and I am more in shape now.

I'm not working now so I have no income. I want to wait until my CNA class is over at least to see if I can juggle work and classes.

I really do want to become a nurse but I don't think I'm smart enough, and maybe not determined enough, or at least I get discouraged and prone to depression easily. I'm not as bad as I used to be. But I'm not sure what to do.

Any advice? I wasn't sure where to post.

[goddess9]

Honestly? Chem is tough. Some people really do get it and like it, but some do not. That's okay and it does not mean you'll make a bad nurse.

[Peanut&Buttercup]

Does your school have tutors? Use them? Does your professor have office hours? Be there! Every. Single. Week.

As far as your mom, I suggest following your dad's lead. Don't follow your mom down the rabbit hole. Just walk away. Good luck.

[cracklingkraken, ASN, RN]

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent" - Eleanor Roosevelt. There will be classes that are more difficult for you: that goes for everyone else as well. Don't have a "I can't do this" mentality because it will just make you less motivated and more discouraged as you're trying to study. Rather, have a "I can conquer this, and I will" mentality, and try to focus on your weak points, using supplemental resources such as YouTube, Google, or a study buddy to elaborate on those topics you're struggling with. Don't put yourself down. You can do this! I know some pretty unintelligent people, when it comes to school, that seem to be able to do fairly well in their classes when they seek help from classmates or professors. Get help if you need it! Good luck :)

[pmabraham, BSN, RN]

Good day, humboldt13:

No matter what happens, I do hope you and your parents (especially your mom) can heal things in the family relationship. People in their teenage to even late 20's think they know everything... it is often far from the truth. I was in those shoes (as where many of us), and only found out I only know 2% of what I thought I knew when I got to age 28 (I'm now 51).

Chemistry is hard. Just because you had trouble with it, doesn't mean you are not smart. It just means you may have to approach the subject from another angle, spend more time studying, seek a tutor, talk with the professor, etc. Determination and motivation come from within a person. It is something that can be learned and grown; you just have to start somewhere, keep at it, and potentially get help (which is ok). For chemistry help, check out Khan Academy as well as https://www.open2study.com/courses/chemistry

If you have a dream of being a nurse, then pursue it.

Thank you.

[vopoku]

Your parents sound like mine! My mom acts the same way and I react with anger. No peace in my parents house but now I'm out and at peace. Get out of there if you can because you can't change her but you can change yourself. I know money can be tight but you can't succeed when you're depressed.

Chemistry is tough, I went to tutoring 2 times a week to pass that class. But it took hard work. You sound discouraged but you can do it.

[windsurfer8, BSN, RN]

First off you are an adult and your mother is allowing you to live with her RENT FREE. You might want to stop berating her. You are an adult and if you don't like it MOVE OUT. If you can't handle the challenge of nursing school then QUIT and find a job with minimum challenge and work. There are service jobs that require no degrees and offer almost no challenge. You have non stop reasons why you can't be a nurse so why are you even asking for advice? What advice do you want? You answered your own questions in your post. IF you want to be a nurse...then start STUDYING. We all have challenges. When I went to nursing school I ate 1 time a day and lived in a run down crappy apartment. I have ZERO family support. My advice...Go get the easiest and least challenging job you can find.

[vopoku]

Haha tough love! From Windsurfer

[Everline]

When I started pre-reqs, I wasn't sure if I could handle all of the sciences. I didn't even want to tell people what my goals were for fear I would flop and embarrass myself. I was afraid I couldn't do it, but I gave it my all and studied very hard and everything turned out really well. All you can do is try your best. As they say, you will never know unless you try. It's okay to have doubts, but you have to push through them and don't let them stop you. Good luck to you!

[Natasha A., CNA, LVN]

I recently took chemistry during summer school. I had no chemistry background and passed because I was at my school's success center with the tutor weekly and had a study partner. Are you doing each of chapter review problems? THAT'S A MUST. Not reading the chapters, but doing the PROBLEMS frequently. I would spend hours reading and rewriting my notes and still failing the test until I started doing the problems. *boom* A's and B's on my test. At first I did not like chemistry and later fell in love with it. Maybe because its mostly math related and I love math. Now I'm a chem tutor.