What to expect in nursing school?

Constance7 · Jan 3, 2006

Honest answers in my opinion. Yes my GPA fell during nursing. It went from a 3.4 to about a 2.8. Nursing is challenging and towards the end I just wanted the degree more than the A. I was burnt. Dont waste time studying for the N-clex until your senior year. It will take away from your nursing classes. The preparation you can do for nursing school is to remember 1 thing. It is one of the hardest things you will ever do. But even in the darkest moments you have to remember the reward at the end. And yes they probably will watch you like a hawk. I seen many male students singled out and I believe it was because they were males. As cliche as it sounds there is no such thing as a dumb question. Always ask- better to be safe than sorry. Good luck in nursing school!

K98 · Jan 3, 2006

My GPA hasn't fallen (I'm a senior), but Constance is right, I have gone into survival mode. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel (June 2006) and I just want to get there. I am just starting to get into NCLEX study, and I'm doing pretty well at that as well. Pay attention to your instructors, and use the best resource that you have at your disposal, your CLASSMATES. As a police officer, I am used to my fellow officers running to my aid if I have a problem. My classmates have been no different. We work together and study together, celebrate together, and mourn together. I will miss them after graduation.

ARRR10 · Jan 4, 2006

Geez... I never expected nursing school to be really tough. I thought that the prerequisites for nursing school was the most challenging part in becoming a nurse and once you enter nursing school, the difficulty level goes downhill. But from your experiences, it seems to be the other way around. I just hope that I can graduate Spring 2008.

Thanks for the advice guys.

Rocky_LPN · Jan 4, 2006

no doubt, nursing school is no piece of cake! The only reason my GPA has dropped is due to the fact that at my school 80-86=C 87-93=B 94-100=A. They want you to be the best you can and with good reason. Good luck to you and just hang in there, im only 21 so you and i are the youngest male nursing students i have ever ran across.

genhen · Jan 4, 2006

- i heard from a fellow classmate that once a pre-major student is in nursing school, their gpa will fall dramatically. is this true?

i don't know what pre-major means. perhaps it is undergraduate or prereqs for nursing school. i had a 3.87 gpa with my prereqs. i just finished my first semester of nursing school. this was the hardest and yet the most rewarding semester i've had in school. i got a b. i cherish this b more than any a that i got with my prereqs. short reason why is that test questions change from knowledge base to critical thinking questions. there are 4 right answers, pick the answer that is the most right. you have to use the knowledge that you have and critically think. it took a little getting used to. i failed two quizzes. i have never failed anything in my life and i can't remember the last time that i got a c on a test. it was rough. i had to give up that mindset that i had to have an "a". that thinking was consuming too much energy. i "let go" of that and things are much better. don't get me wrong, i still try as hard as i can. i would recommend that you try your hardest and be ok with the outcome.

- when should i begin studying for the nursing exam (is it called n-clex?)? now? junior year? senior year?

concentrate on nursing school and it will prepare you for the nclex. but....nclex material is good to use for nursing school. use nclex material to study for school and you will be prepared for the nclex when it comes.

- is there any preparation i could do for myself once i enter nursing school?

i'm sitting here thinking about your question. i took a philosophy class called critical thinking before i entered nursing school (rn). the class was a prereq for bsn. this class did a lot to help my think. before, it was alot about rote memorization. this class taught me alot about talking various pieces of knowledge and tie them together to come up with an informed decision. you might want to take a similar class. anything that will help with critical thinking. also, a couple of recommendations when you get into nursing school. find a good study group. study group helped me a lot. also, do not procrastinate. immerse yourself in nursing school. make it your whole life. go after it.

- being that there are a few male nursing students and me being one of the youngest male minority in the class, will all my nursing instructors be watching every move i make like a hawk?

no. i have not seen any difference between how instructors treat males/females/minorities. the only problem that instructors have is a student that is not prepared. also, in the clinical setting there will be a few that are not used to male nurses. but, as a male nurse, you have attributes that are beneficial. generally, males are physically stronger. nurses that i have worked under so far in the clinical setting have appreciated male nurses tremendously. if you see ignorance or stupidity toward male nurses, this is an opinion a very select few. just remember that it is about them and not you. first time, i saw this i was somewhat taken aback. but, i was supported by other nurses. the vast majority of patients and nurses like male nurses very much.

hope this helps

peace

genhen

Kristi Lee · Jan 4, 2006

I had a GPA of 3.89 after my first semester taking prereqs for LPN. Just graduated the LPN program with a 3.33, and I worked darn hard to keep it at that. Nursing school is no piece of cake. First thing I had to get thru my head was to give up the idea of thinking that I had to have A's. Would have ended up driving myself and everyone around me nuts. I enede up getting Bt's, B's and a b-. and an A-. But no matter what I will have the same initials behind my name as the person with A's. My school has a tough grading scale, and clinicals can be tough too. I also studied for my tests using the NCLEX book all thru nursing school. Good luck to you!

ARRR10 · Jan 5, 2006

Thanks again everybody. I too also have that idea of thinking that I need to get an "A" no matter what. I guess my new idea of thinking is to try my very best and forget about the "A." Its going to take some time to get used to, but I can handle it.

To Genhen: Thanks for the info. I did take the critical and creative thinking course as one of my prereqs instead of philosophy and ended up being the only student getting an "A" in the class (I had to put a lot of effort in this class, mainly because there were a lot of discussions and I had to practice voicing my opinion, in english, to the class).

To Rocky_Griffin: Whoa, that must be a tough grading scale your school has. I am guessing that you are in one of the top nursing schools in the world (Washington, San Francisco, etc?) thanks for the advice.

nursingschooldiva, APRN · Sep 14, 2009

I am a 20 year old male pre-major nursing student waiting to begin taking nursing courses in the Spring of 2007 (Would have started in Spring 2006, but due to the shortage of faculty and the increase of pre-major nursing students, I was put on a waiting list). So far, my cumulative GPA is a 3.6. I just wanted to know what to expect when I enter nursing school. I also have a few questions concerning about the nursing program.
- I heard from a fellow classmate that once a pre-major student is in nursing school, their GPA will fall dramatically. Is this true?
- When should I begin studying for the Nursing exam (Is it called N-clex?)? Now? Junior year? Senior year?
- Is there any preparation I could do for myself once I enter nursing school?
- Being that there are a few male nursing students and me being one of the youngest male minority in the class, will all my nursing instructors be watching every move I make like a hawk?
Sorry if these questions sound kind of dumb. Its just that ever since I found this forum, I have been reading many threads about the obstacles nurses have to face in their career. I am just afraid that once I enter nursing school, my whole world is going to turn upside down.

One of my friends say that she had a 4.0 gpa and now it is a 2.7. But not all student grades go down.