What was your toughest semester in Nursing School?

dudette10, MSN, RN · Feb 17, 2012

I've been out of school for less than a year, and I feel like it was definitely the first semester due to a number of factors. I was doing one of two pre-reqs per semester, then went to full-time in nursing school, so the volume of work increased dramatically. Also, the first semester contains the basics on which everything else is built--patho, assessment, documentation--so you must know the material backwards and forwards. The material becomes easier in subsequent semesters because you are building on previous knowledge, rather than gaining brand new knowledge without reference.

In later semesters, I just became sick of the work, rather than finding it difficult. Motivation and excitement waned at the end of third semester and the beginning of fourth semester. That was bad too, but for totally different reasons, as you might imagine.

SummitRN, BSN, RN · Feb 17, 2012

First semester had the largest time commitment, highest amount of inane assignments, and the most hoops to jump through.

NCRNMDM, ASN, RN · Feb 17, 2012

I thought first semester was a breeze. I'm in second semester right now (which is divided up into med-surg, pediatrics, oncology, and advanced med-surg) and it is killing me. I ended up with a 97 A average for first semester, and I currently barely have a B in Nursing 112. In two weeks, 112 will be over and 211 will start. I'm sure that it will be just as hard as 112 has been.

prettymica, ASN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN, APRN, NP · Feb 17, 2012

I would say my last semster of mater/pedis.. it was so hard... the book would say one thing, the teachers notes another, then the test answers were not close to either the book or the notes.. everyone would get the answer wrong but the teacher would not give credit :/.. most of my classmates had kids so some of the stuff made sense to them but me not having kids.. it was a different world.. also A/B students went to like F+ students we were all scared and failing. Some how 15 of the 16 students in my class got it together.. I am about to start RN school so.. im just hoping all the semsters will all be fairly easy.

charlotte.anderson. · Feb 17, 2012

Honestly, I thought patho was kind of hard. I did bad on 2 exams (72's) and then followed it by 100 for the last 2. I am enjoying the building of information. I am taking pharm this semester and even though its not hard to understand it, it is causing a hemorrhaging of data in my head.

OB-nurse2013, BSN, RN · Feb 17, 2012

Hmmm I'm interested in this topic myself. I'm in my third semester and I would say this one is pretty tough with another med/surg, ob, and pysch. Although so far I'm doing okay the only course that I was close to borderline with was pharm in my second semester but otherwise I thought that semester was okay. 2 semesters left so who knows hahahhaha.

foreverLaur · Feb 17, 2012

First quarter was the hardest so far. Looking back, it wasn't that hard but it certainly was at the time. Nursing was new and they didn't ease us into it at all. I have now two Med/Surg I, Med/Surg II, Peds, OB, Nursing Assessment, Nursing Skills I, Nursing Skills II, Pharm I, and Pharm II and while the content was probably harder and we had more assignments, I did much better and found it easier because I knew how to do it. I haven't done psych yet, but I'm not too worried about it because I work in inpatient psych.

whichone'spink, BSN, RN · Feb 18, 2012

The semester I took med-surg was the worst. I had class on Monday and Tuesday, had to go to the hospital on Wednesday to get info for my care plan, and Thursday and Friday were clinical days. I had no time to do anything.

sapphire18 · Feb 18, 2012

Definitely whatever semester I had med/surg in. It was almost a larger volume of information than our brains could handle! I'm not sure if this is also when I had patho and pharm but those 2 together were also brutal. But regardless of how it feels now, you will get through it! :)

Selene006, BSN, LPN · Feb 18, 2012

I took Public Health and Critical Care in my last semester and it was sheer torture because I was tired of jumping through hoops and being broke! On top of that, a 25-page research paper was due and I couldn't wait to collect my degree!

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Feb 18, 2012

The first class (Fundamentals) was the hardest class of nursing school because it was a reality shock. After I survived that and knew what to expect, the rest weren't too bad.