What semester is the hardest?

maliat · Jul 12, 2006

We've been told that the 5th semester of our 6 semester BSN program is the hardest. That semester we have Community, Advanced Med-Surg and Nursing Research. We can take Nursing Research over the summer, which I definitely plan to do.

Malia

Achoo!, LPN · Jul 12, 2006

I have been told Complex health alterations 2 and Psych are the hardest. That is semester 3/4 for me.

Elysium_Won · Jul 12, 2006

I thought the 1st semester was a breeze. I had Med Surg 1, Assessment 1, Fundamentals, A&P I, A&P I lab, Med Surg clinical and Assessment 1 lab.

The 2nd semester seemed infinately more complex with Med Surg 2, Med Surg 2 clinical, Assessment 2, Assessment 2 Lab, A&P II, A&P II lab and a math course. The course work was more in depth and I had to work much harder, but it turned out fine.

I'm currently finishing my 3rd semester and it has been the one that has dragged me down mentally & physically. I have Peds, Peds Clinical, OB, OB Clinical, Literature and I had Microbiology for the first 6 weeks. That's the class that nearly did me in - it met twice a week for 3.5 hours followed immediately by a 2.5 hour lab. We did 16 weeks of material in 6 weeks. It's over, thank goodness, but I haven't recovered. Still physically & mentally drained. But I passed it with a B so I don't have to worry about it anymore.

This fall is my last semester with Psych, Psych clinical, Med Surg III, Med Surg III clinical, Psych 101, Sociology, and Senior seminar.

Aside from my ignorance in overscheduling summer, I'd say 2nd semester was the toughest so far. It is also the "weeding" period at our school.

Ruylupez · Jul 12, 2006

For me third semester was the hardest. They decided to change textbooks just before the semester began and we ended up with exams that covered what was emphasized in the old textbook while our lecture and readings were from the new textbook and the two books didn't always cover the same things.

On top of that we had a new instructor who was hired at the last minute and did not have time to get things organized until most of the semester was over so she was just teaching from the previous instructors lesson plans.

It can be difficult to pass the exams when the material was never covered in either the lecture or the readings but most of us got through it.

AuntieRN · Jul 13, 2006

I would have to say my fourth was the hardest for me material wise...however...I am now in my last with 3 classes and YIKES.....but its all good I graduate on August the 10th YAYYYYY!!!!:balloons:

*lisa* · Jul 13, 2006

Wow all this makes me a little scared lol Hope I can make it. Good luck everybody :)

ms mimi · Jul 13, 2006

;)i just finished my 1st semester of an ADN program, so i am no expert. but everyone where i go to school at says that 1st and 4th are the hardest. i found 1st semster to be very hard. not due to the fact that the material was hard, but that it took such an adjustment to figure out how to test and how to use critical thinking. nursing school is so much different than the pre-reqs, and you really cant prepare for it. i found that you just have to go thru it and learn. and even though the exams are multiple choice, there are at least 2 answers that sound right, you have to pick the "best" one. plus in my school you have to get at least a 75% on everything, which isn't that hard, but it just adds to the pressure. i feel a lot better going into 2nd semester b/c i know kinda what to expect, i am not the new kid on the block, and i know the teacher & directors. plus i already have all the books, uniforms, and equipment so i dont have to dish out a ton of money. overall i feel good about 2nd semester...ya but ask me about that in a couple months!!

maygrad07 · Jul 13, 2006

I thought the 1st semester was the hardest because it is quite shocking the amount of work you have to do and you realize how easy you had it with taking your prerequisites. Also you have to learn to balance friends, family boyfriend, job etc. The second semester was so much more easy because I had a routine down and knew how to study better and more productively.

SoulShine75 · Jul 13, 2006

So far I've only completed 1st semester and I thought it was really hard. Not so much the material, but the load of it all. Also learning how to do things and getting familiar with the rigorous schedule. Everything is new your 1st semester so figuring out the best way to study and time management is a challenge. It's true what they say....nursing school isn't like normal pre-req's. I don't know about the rest of you but I felt like I lived at school last semester. I may as well have packed a sleeping bag and moved in. I'm a married stay at home mom of 4 boys and had a 4.0 GPA prior to my 1st nursing semester. All throughout the semester I maintained a C, but I brought my C up to a B because I crammed for the final. Now (because semester 1 was worth 9 credit hours) my 4.0 is a 3.7 something. Bummer, but I don't care. I worked harder for that B than any A I've ever recieved so I'm proud. Good luck to you.

BoonersmomRN · Jul 13, 2006

"I worked harder for that B than any A I've ever recieved so I'm proud"

Word. Same here. I had a 4.0 going into 1rst semester and now I have a 3.8. I finally had an epiphany once I realized I wasn't getting an A....it's not about the grade...it's about being a darn good nurse.

At my school the *word* is that semester 3 is the hardest. Of course, I have only completed semester 1 which I found pretty OK. The hardest part was getting used to all the dang paperwork! I had paperwork coming out the wazoo!

moongirl · Jul 14, 2006

The one you're just starting .
The hardest semester is the one where you draw the short straw and get the clinical instructor from hell. Otherwise, it's a tossup :)

:yeahthat: :yeahthat:

WDWpixieRN, RN · Jul 14, 2006

"i worked harder for that b than any a i've ever recieved so i'm proud"
same here. i had a 4.0 going into 1rst semester and now i have a 3.8. i finally had an epiphany once i realized i wasn't getting an a....it's not about the grade...it's about being a darn good nurse.
my girlfriend the psych rn who got me in to this mess ( ) kept telling me while taking pre-reqs and co-reqs (before getting accepted for this fall) to 'quit worrying about the a'. after attending orientation and reading posts here, i now see why she has this attitude. i'm about a 3.8-er, but am expecting there's a good possibility it'll fall once i start the program.
but as my rn friends at the pheresis unit used to tell me while i was donating platelets and stressing over an a & p ii or microbiology test that was coming up -- "c" = rn.
best wishes to you all!