Started Nursing and went MIA

whiteoleander5 · Nov 17, 2008

I started nursing earlier this January and ever since then I've been MIA to friends. I miss my party, easy life.
I really want to be a nurse so I hope all this works out for me. Better be worth it.:nuke:

It sucks doesn't it? I am in the same boat as you (..and, the same age!), except I started in September and not January. So I have another two years of being MIA. My friends (who are all in college but not NS) will go out and party, and I want to join them so badly. I miss my chilled out life too, those days are long gone now though. Its very very hard to remind yourself everyday that this will be worth it in the long run, but everyone that I talk to says it is. Have you ever heard anyone say "eh its not really worth it" ? Its just so hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel right now. I try not to think about it so much. I try to get lost in studying, that way, I'm not upset about missing my life and I am being productive at the same time. This too shall pass............... or something like that.:zzzzz

elsabelles · Nov 18, 2008

Wow, I feel like I'm the only one here on the opposite side - I will never give up my friends. They are the only thing that keeps me going and even throughout this insanely busy program I'm in right now, I've only turned down a friend once. It means I don't get to sleep as much sometimes due to studying late, but it's well worth it to me. I very rarely tell a friend that I'm "too busy" because I know that if I really wanted to, I could manage. I don't know if this is true for most people, but in my case, if I want to do something, I am able to make time for it. And for me right now, I want to do well and become a great nurse, I want to work, I want to read my "for fun" books and keep up with my other hobbies/activities, and I want to hang out with my friends and family like I always have. And that's exactly what I am doing. (P.S., sorry to say this, but coming from another side, I've never managed to stay friends with people who continually isolate themselves because they are "too busy." I understand that sometimes they just cannot hang out or whatever, but they should at least put effort into the friendship and offer a time when they would be free. It's called balancing. I'm probably being a bit harsh, but I am fiercely loyal to just about everything in my life (friends, family, work etc), and would bend over backwards (and have) for all of it. I would never expect the same, but continually hearing "I'm too busy" (when I'm always extremely busy yet still make time) just irritates the heck out of me after a while. Constantly hearing "I'm too busy" in most cases means "you're not important enough." It's not worth it.

SarahLovesNovember, BSN, RN · Nov 18, 2008

Elsabelles, I somewhat agree with you. I have kinda migrated away from friends, but family comes first. I have to do things to keep me from freaking out and becoming a high strung student. If I'm too tired or stressed out, it doesn't matter how much studying I do, I won't retain the info. I also like to curl up with a good book...one that isn't a nursing book and keeps my interest all the way through. My friends are also wicked busy with "life" so we have no problems there. But every once and awhile everyone should give themselves a pat on the back for making it this far and give themselves a good night out. I am by no means a partier, but once and awhile hanging with best buds is a good thing. Healthy for your soul.

PS...I could never leave a family function to study. Life is so short and you never know how long your loved ones will be around. Appreciate life and find a good balance between it and school.

Ambitiouz · Nov 19, 2008

Since starting NS, my long time friends have stopped calling and asking me to do stuff with them. I always say that I need to be studying instead, so I guess it's starting to sound like a broken record. Most of my friends have children and are busy themselves, so it's hard trying to find a time for us to hang out. It's either their kids or my study time.