We here all about nursing students who are going back to school and making nursing a second career for themselfs. I have a HUGE respect for these ladies and gents'!
What about us young nursing students? I think we have our own set of trials to go through. I am the youngest student in my college (pre-reqs) (due to awesome high school early admission). I do not look that young for my age but when people here I want to be a nurse they are very surprised!
Wow, that's impressive those of you that are going straight into upper division. I'm a senior in an BSN program... I'll be 21 when I graduate, so I guess I'm pretty young. My nursing class is very young/nondiverse compared to the amount of 2nd degree nursing students these days. There are about 100 of us, the oldest is 23, and only 1/100 is married.
I guess the biggest challenge for me has been trying to get the whole college campus experience (making friends, etc.) and keeping myself sane, while keeping my grades up and stuff. It's hard, but definitely doable. I really respect the older students that have so many responsiblities that they have to keep up with and are able to be successful through nursing school... that's a lot to carry. I plan to get a few years of experience and hopefully return to school to become a nurse practitioner. I'm currently in the process of applying for jobs, and im also thinking about going ahead and starting some of my prereqs for grad school next year. Scary!
I'm not sure which category I would fall into but I am 22 years old....which is young in some sense i know. But along with that I have 2 wonderful Daughters that are 2 and 3. They ar emy world and I would do anything for them. I will be almost 24 when I graduate with my LPN classes and plan to continue to my RN degree. I am also divorced....I know I know alot and only 22...but it all happens for a reason. Without the experiences and pressures I've been through I wouldn't even be thinking about going to school. I am mainly going (not only for myself) but for my daughters. I want them to know that no matter what hurdles you have in your way you can do anything you set your mind to. But for the young students and graduates: Great job and keep up the good work! It will all be worth it in the end. Just keep your mind in the right place and you will succeed beyond your wildest dreams!!
I was young when I finished... I was 22 when I finished the LPN program, and 24 when I finished the RN program. I was one of the younger students, and it sucked!! The older students would refer to me as a kid, and a lot of people looked down on me for being young. I had the highest grade in the class, and I was always told it was b/c I was young. That was really annoying. Is there REALLY that much difference in a 30 year old and a 22 year old when it comes to brain function?? I really don't think so... I am 30 now and don't feel like my brain deteriorated since then. :chuckle Anyway, good luck, some will pick on you a bit but don't let it get to you.
Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
I'm 19 and just started my pre-requisites, but I often get people that come up to me and ask "Oh, are you in Running Start?" (It's the program for high-school kids to go to college.) I was like Um no?
I'm looking at going to a four-year university to get the "full experience", but I'm not sure yet.
I see you are from WA, as soon as I saw running start I went and checked. LOL I did a lot of my pre reqs in WA and had a few students in my class that were in running start. It's a good program, I wish they had it when I was going.
Hi everyone!! I'm so glad someone started this thread. I am 21 and I live in WA right now. I did the Running Start thing in high school and got two pre-reqs done by chance (psych 101 and eng 101) but I didn't know then that i wanted to go into Nursing. I am starting my pre-reqs hopefully on October 26th - I'll be taking Chemisty online thru Rio Salado because I'll be moving to Arizona.
I tried to start up my pre-reqs Summer 2008 but was unable to due to some personal/family things but now I know I am ready and able, and I am determined to make school my number one priority. I am excited to move to a different state because I know that there is a lot here in WA that would just serve to distract me. My boyfriend is originally from AZ too.
My plan is to start my pre-reqs here in WA but do them online through the AZ community college. I would like to transfer to Glendale CC down there and hope to get into the Banner Nurse Fellows program - if not I will probably go to Chamberlain and just get my BSN. My goal is to eventually get to CRNA school.
Anyway it's nice to have a place to talk with other young nursing students!! I have no kids or husband, but I am still worried because I'll be working FT at first and then PT. :)
I am 20 and I graduated in May 2009 as an RN. I was never treated any differently by the "older" students. We had one who graduated when she was in her 70s! I did get a little teased by a few of the 40 somethings, claiming to be my parent's age, like when they would sing songs from the 70s that I had never heard lol.
I had a great school system for students who were interested in healthcare. I earned my CNA when I was 16 through a program that I started when I was 14. It taught A&P, Medical term. CPR, first aid, CNA skills, and basic healthcare info about insurance, laws, etc. My school system also had a dual enrollment with the community college, and I start NS when I was 18.
I'm pretty sure that I am not the youngest that ever had graduated from there, but I was the only one who couldn't go with them after pinning when they went to some 21+ place :-( And my coworkers where I worked as a labor and delivery tech are ALWAYS going out, and I feel like the annoying sister getting left behind...I usually covered the shifts though!
I also moved out when I was 16, which was a big motivator. I am proud:yeah: of what I accomplished, but at the same time, now I regret not having more fun as a teen , and I really don't know anything outside of healthcare.
Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
If there is anything you will encounter it is jealousy.
Jealousy that you figured it out at a younger age than most of us did. :)
You'll do well!!!!
If this is true I don't think you will see to much of it. (talking to the OP) I haven't seen it and I know for me, I am not jealous at all of younger students, I chose to have my family first and raise them a bit and I would never change that and you also couldn't pay me to relive my late teens and early twenties again. I am about to be 30 and look forward to it and feel like I would not have had the focus to do all this back then, my mind wasn't in the right place (only partially age related). Talking to a lot of students in my class a lot of them feel the same. Not jealous at all so if people are holding that against you I think it would be a extremely small percentage.
first of all, thank you for starting this thread! :) i've been needing to vent about something....
I just started my 6th week of Nursing. I graduated in May (i'm 18)....i'll be 20 when i graduate. (starting off with a ADN- RN program)
I also have respect for the students returning for a second career. There are mostly older students (late 20s early 30s to mid 40s) in my class. Congrats to them!!
But does anyone feel like sometimes they don't respect us younger students?? I have heard things like..
"oh what???....you just graduated??....you shouldn't have ANY problem with nursing school because you don't have to worry about husband/wife/kids/house. it should be a breeze to you."
which bothers me that people don't understand that I went from HS tests to NS tests. that's tough & a pretty awful transition. and for every youngun out there, congrats!
and also...this was from someone in my summer anatomy class who over heard me talking with my good friend...
her: "so, you got into the RN program?"
me: "yes mam"
her: "didn't you just graduate?"
me: "yes mam"
her: "oh, i applied and i didn't get in and i have been a LPN for 8 years, i was going to do RN but i got pregnant when i was 18 and so i got married and LPN was as far as i went. Isn't that going to be really really hard on you???"
me: (intimidated and feeling very guilty) "oh, well i'm sorry you didn't get in..."
and this one gets me down the most....from a woman my mom knows through work.
"so laura is applying for nursing school. so am i. i just really feel like i'll be a better nurse now that i'm older and have more life experience." (she didn't get in) ....she is a very smart and usually kind woman. she has a previous degree and she is very successful.
I'm just wondering...am I wrong to think that even though i don't have the life experiences of a husband/kids/house that doesn't mean i won't be a good nurse? i feel like my anatomy classmate and my moms coworker made their choices after they graduated -just like i did. But they still make me feel guilty.
sorry that was so long, but that has just been bothering me for a while. but congratulations to everyone! good luck & best wishes :)
In reply to Laura Ann, don't feel guilty. I have been there too - fortunately not with anyone I know personally, but have had a prerequisite course or two with. I don't think they intended to offend or make me feel guilty though. I did not know what to say either, so I did the same. I just told them I am sorry that they did not get it, and I do think that they will be an excellent nurse when they do graduate (and I meant it). I usually finish with more of the truth - I was very blessed to have the opportunities that I did, and I am thankful that my high school offered the option to take college courses, etc.
Haha and yes I have gotten the "you should be fine, your young, your mind and body can take the nursing school abuse". I think - sure, I love being a teenager, and having too many responsibilities to enjoy life right now! But no, I have not encountered jealousy or anything like that - at least not openly hostile jealousy.
That was really annoying. Is there REALLY that much difference in a 30 year old and a 22 year old when it comes to brain function?? I really don't think so... I am 30 now and don't feel like my brain deteriorated since then. :chuckle Anyway, good luck, some will pick on you a bit but don't let it get to you..thumb.jpg.5aa4d55557c0228e31b94de19666bbbb.jpg){kind=small}
, and I really don't know anything outside of healthcare.
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Wow, that's impressive those of you that are going straight into upper division. I'm a senior in an BSN program... I'll be 21 when I graduate, so I guess I'm pretty young. My nursing class is very young/nondiverse compared to the amount of 2nd degree nursing students these days. There are about 100 of us, the oldest is 23, and only 1/100 is married.
I guess the biggest challenge for me has been trying to get the whole college campus experience (making friends, etc.) and keeping myself sane, while keeping my grades up and stuff. It's hard, but definitely doable. I really respect the older students that have so many responsiblities that they have to keep up with and are able to be successful through nursing school... that's a lot to carry. I plan to get a few years of experience and hopefully return to school to become a nurse practitioner. I'm currently in the process of applying for jobs, and im also thinking about going ahead and starting some of my prereqs for grad school next year. Scary!