I just finished my last day of nursing school. Turned in my last assignment at exactly noon. It still hasn't sunk in yet. For the last 4 hours I have sat on my couch not really knowing what to do with myself. I then decided to reach out to all the students who may be starting a program this fall. I remember being in those shoes, and all the questions I had. All the fear. All the excitement. So basically, Ill sum up my nursing school experience as best as I can.
1.) You WILL survive. I did. I'm one of those people who have what you call, "anxiety," and boy did I let that get to me right before my program started. I was incredibly scared. I had heard all these stories on this site about how hard nursing school is, how I would have no life, etc. You WILL survive. I did. (And honestly, it can be frustrating at times, but it really isn't that bad...)
2.) That leads me to number 2. Nursing school IS hard. BUT, its only hard because of the amount of work, not the material itself. Learn time management. Like yesterday. Dont let yourself fall behind, but DO give yourself breaks. You DONT have to have a 4.0. You just need to pass. You will learn this by your last quarter when it takes all you have to finish your last assignments and you find yourself figuring the percentage you need just to pass the darn class...
3.) You CAN work. I worked an average of 15 hours a week and maintained a 3.8 average. And I don't want to brag, but my program has a notorious reputation of being one of the more "challenging" in the area.
4.) Your house WILL be messy. But you probably wont have time to notice...
5) You will PROBABLY gain weight. (So dont go out and buy a bunch of new clothes two weeks before your program starts like I did. lol.)
6.) You're gonna cry at some point.
7.) At the same time, you're gonna have some of the most amazing smiles and laughs of your life..
8.) The friends you will make in the program will truly be the only ones who get what you are going through. Because of this, you will make some of the best friends of your life.
9.) You will have moments where you go.."wow, I actually feel like I get this nursing thing!"...Then 5 minutes later you feel lost again. Totally normal.
10.) Some teachers will scare the ***** out of you. While others will inspire you. Just do your thing. If they say jump...you say, "how high?"
Again, you WILL survive. I could keep going on and on. But that probably sums up most of it. I honestly feel like school just started yesterday and I have no idea how I got here right now because it went by SOOOOOOO fast. You got this. If you have any questions, please let me know. I'm hear to lend an ear. Besides, I have no idea what I am going to do with myself over these next few weeks besides study for my boards. This is just weird....in a very very very good way. :) Get ready to embark on the most REWARDING quest of your life. Its all worth it for this moment.
That was a beautiful and encouraging post that seemed to hit right at the time a lot of people needed the encouragement (me included)! Thanks for posting!
Thank you for this post. I start my LPN to RN program in about 2 weeks, and I have got myself so stressed out to the point of not being able to sleep *sigh* I have all my stuff though, with exception of 1 uniform top, and name tag (still waiting on bookstore to get them). To everyone else starting this Fall, good luck, and let's keep in touch ;-)
I was wondering what program you are starting? I will be starting in Sept. I am little worried if I'm making a good decision of school
Thank you so much for your post! And CONGRATULATIONS on finishing this monumental task! I feel exactly the way you describe about starting nursing school next month and after reading your post I feel a little better. At the very least, just that I am not the only one feeling this way.
Excellent post. With the exception of making many friends in nursing school - it was spot on for me. I made 1 friend. But I worked full time and had a gaggle of children, so socializing beyond class was out of my reach. Sometimes staying awake IN class was a stretch.
Thank you for this post. Today has been an off day for me... just recently I passed my pre-reqs and finished the year with a 3.97GPA. Now with that, I feel as though once I enter nursing that my grades should be the same (mainly 90s). But today I ended up doubting myself, thinking that I am not smart enough that my grades will suffer, that I won't understand the material or i'll be lost. So it is really nice to hear that other people do have these doubts and emotions. I know i'll make it, I just need to continue on with my head high and goal in sight. :)
Thank you so much for this post!! I'm really inspired by it and looking even more forward to starting nursing school Moving in two days and orientation starts Tuesday
That took away some of my worries, but added some. Mostly what I'm worrying about is financial constraints, which I'm already feeling, and juggling school with my LDR. This will be the first time I'll be free to go see my sweetheart. Gotta factor in the time. Bye bye sleep. But weight gain? How does that factor in? I'm a vegetarian, but still. Also please forgive any incoherence. Sleeping pills will do that.
Hey im going to a community college in north jersey...hudson county college/christ hospital school of nursing...what community are you going to? If you dont mind me asking...
Hi everyone! This is such a great thread to read... I am also starting end of August, the 27th to be exact. I have purchased all the recommended books and required( started reading months ago) and I feel like I'm prepared. But as the days close in more to the start date I'm feeling excited and anxious as well! But I guess like anything you take on in life is the best you can and keep going strong! Goodluck to everyone!
Moving in two days and orientation starts Tuesday
ENic
6 Posts
That was a beautiful and encouraging post that seemed to hit right at the time a lot of people needed the encouragement (me included)! Thanks for posting!