Switching majors to nursing & EXTREMELY nervous!

PA_RN87, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN · Mar 17, 2013

I don't know anything about St. Francis University specifically, but I think that as long as you work and study hard, you should be okay. Hopefully you got all of your "don't care" out of your system! Majoring in nursing is doable, you just need to put in the effort, and ask for help when you are having trouble. Ask lots of questions! You're better to do this the first time around... I earned a BS in Biology before going back for my BSN, and I wish I had done nursing the first time around. I also have bad anxiety... almost every exam made me cry. But I always studied hard, and I did well (final GPA was above 3.0). Science labs are also doable... I found that diagrams worked best for studying A&P and practice problems worked best for studying chemistry. Making flash cards was also very helpful for studying. Best of luck... just work hard, ask lots of questions, and find a study regime that works best for you!

PRWeav · Mar 18, 2013

Thank you so much! I'm finally serious about what I want to do with my life. I'm nervous and alittle scared, but I think I can do it!

PA_RN87, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN · Mar 18, 2013

You're welcome! Best of luck with your educational journey. Just try to keep a positive attitude and remember it's absolutely doable. Speaking from personal experience, don't get discouraged if it seems you're struggling more than your classmates. Some people have to work harder than others (I sure did), but as long as you're willing to put forward the effort you'll do great! They may be struggling more than you are. Your professors want you to succeed and they're a great resource for information and help :)

Scarlettz, BSN, RN · Mar 19, 2013

Hey. I don't really know much about the SFU program. But, are you able to take your tougher courses during the summer session? If you can do so, I highly recommend! A&P was tough for me-- but I was able to take each course one at a time. And, I ended up with an 'A' for each class. Just realize that time mgmt is key. And, that it is okay to take one course at a time during the semester.

PRWeav · Mar 25, 2013

I plan on taking A&P 1 this summer and A&P 2 in the fall. I really nervous because I am actually doing really good in my business classes and I'm afraid of doing bad in my science classes when I switch my major.

mursesomeday · Mar 27, 2013

I'm right there with you in terms of being extremely nervous. I have a BS in Communications and an MA in Journalism. So both of those areas have nothing to do with the nursing/science classes at all. And quite frankly, those areas are more subjective in terms of the information presented and tests taken and papers written. Nursing and science I think are going to be more objective with many things in black and white. The first time around, I had very little multiple choice tests. They were all essay. And as long as you made a valid argument, you could get pretty far. That's what I'm nervous about. And like you, I did really well with the other set of classes and have felt pretty confident in my academic skills. However, I know a nursing program is different and I'm trying to prepare myself for that.

I think if you continue your strong study skills and apply them to the nursing and science classes, you should be ok. Just the fact that you are worried about it and really trying to make sure you succeed says a lot.