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Discussion

Staying in Program at the Expense of Happiness?

I am facing a dilemma. I am half way through my first semester in a direct entry BSN program and am absolutely miserable at my school so far. I am very far away from home and really dislike the culture of the school that I am at. I am, however, loving my introductory nursing course. I am SO excited to be a nurse and know that it is absolutely the right career choice for me.

I am trying to decide if it makes sense to transfer from this school and have the uncertainty of having to reapply to nursing programs once I have completed all prerequisite course work. I am not clear how/ if my credits would transfer. Additionally, it would probably take longer for me to graduate. I have been quite successful in the classes I am taking this semester (A&P 1, Chemistry, Microbiology) and I don't want the hard work I have put into them to go to "waste". But, I think that I might be much happier in a different school environment.

The other option is to just tough it out in my current program. I know for a fact that I have a place in the nursing school and that I will graduate in four years. Is it smart to just do this even if it is at the expense of my happiness?

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    • Featured Replies

    Well there's another option - you can find or create happiness in your life at the school you're at now. I'm sure there's at least a few other students that feel similarly and once you find them, you'll probably find your journey easier.

    I'd stick it out until the end of this school year, and see how you feel then. Give it a bit more time and put some effort into creating the sort of environment you want.

    Good luck!

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    I'm a firm believer (from experience) that no matter where you go, there you are. That isn't to say that a different environment isn't the right choice. Only you can make that decision, but I agree with what Jen said. Stick it out awhile longer and look for your "people".

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    Possible that you might go to a worse situation. At least wait until the end of the term or the school year so that you are at a logical point where you might be able to work out a more smooth transition. The courses you mentioned should transfer, but be aware that any actual nursing content course most likely will not transfer. If you want to cut your losses you will probably want to make the move before starting nursing courses.

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    You say you are very far from home. Are you a commuter? If your commute is less than an hour or so on most days, I would stick with it. If you are just far away from home and miss your family, I would still stick with it. Is this your first time being away from home? I'm sure it can be difficult. If you miss them, make sure you keep in touch often to help with the homesickness. If you don't fixate on it, and stay busy, you can make the most of this.

    I'm not really sure what you mean by not liking the "culture". Are people racist? Elitist? Just trying to get an idea. When I went through Uni the first time I realized I didn't really fit in much with a lot of the typical students. I became active in a few select clubs/groups and made my friends that way. Find a club, even if it's not an academic one so that you can meet some like minded people. If it doesn't exist, start it! Unless you are actually feeling unsafe on your campus, I just think it's too risky to jump ship. As someone else said, you might go from one crap situation to another.

    I think you should stay put - this is a very temporary situation. The days might feel like they drag by because you realize how unhappy you are. The good thing is that you can usually change that, unless it is a very rare circumstance (like I said, racist, you somehow feel unsafe, etc).

    I vote stick with it! There is no harm in checking out other programs, but I wouldn't leave this one unless you could almost seamlessly roll those classes in.

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