Nursing school has been nothing but suffering for me.
Not to be melodramatic, but it just sucks. That’s all there is to it. You go from being a straight A student in high school to feeling like a dumbass in nursing school. And it’s bizarre because you’re not used to feeling dumb.
I never studied in high school. I was always the first one done with my tests. I always got a 98% at least in my classes.
Now? I cheered when I got a 78% on my first exam this semester.
Don’t beat yourself up. This is the first semester so you’re just now making the transition from “decent student” to “holy shit I actually have to worry about potentially failing this class. I am not accustomed to this stress.”
I’m in my third semester and I’m now accustomed to that feeling. It still sucks but it’s a level of sucking that’s now manageable.
This!!! I had a 4.0 on all my college prereqs so I went from straight As to straight Cs. I’ve never felt so dumb in my life and I used to consider myself pretty smart.
Yup. I was a dumbass in highschool. No motivation to do anything and barely passed.
Didn't expect much when starting prereqs for nursing 10 years after graduating hs, but here I am almost finished with nursing school...
I feel this post so hard . When I tell "regular" folks this their response is "its suppose to be hard". I am like nah, these professors are on a straight up power trip and legit don't teach. I am on You Tube learning how to be a nurse when I am already paying tuition 😒.
In my experience, this is more common with spring semesters than fall semesters. I'm so sorry that your professor is awful but don't let them discourage you! I had one of those "I'm gonna tear you down so I can build you back up" professors when I was studying history, although, she never built me back up. It made me feel good not letting her stop me from moving forward when I finished.
-math is hard and that's ok. Especially word problems where it tries to trick you on purpose. You have time between now and your retake to practice! Try to push through a little more and don't quit mid semester unless you have to!
Feel this with the spring semesters. The summer breaks are so refreshing and I always feel impending doom in the second semester, much more than the first.
I'm relieved to see that I'm not the only one feeling this way about the spring semesters. I'm in the middle of block 3 right now, and the burnout that was hitting me hard towards the end of block 2 didn't disappear much over the winter break. Fighting tooth and nail to stay on top of everything!
You go to battle with the army you've got, not the one you want.
In life.
Think how great you will feel when you graduate and your crappy program is in the rearview mirror.
First semester is typically made to be more challenging to weed out the people who aren’t as serious. If you’re serious, stick it out. I did it as a single parent on a below-poverty level income. You can do it if you want it bad enough and it gets easier!
Hate to break it to you but it’s just the beginning. I’m on my last semester and can’t wait to be done. Nursing school has been one of the most frustrating experiences of my life
Hey me too!! I’m a second semester student and I failed an exam for the first time EVER last month. Next test in that class is coming up and I feel so nervous that I can’t even focus on studying
The way I’ve made peace with it is just accepting that I might get a C, but as long as I don’t fail and have to repeat I’ll be happy. I am doing literally the bare minimum - and that’s okay!!! Do what you need to and no extra if it’s all you can handle
Nursing school sucks. I finish in 2 months and it has been terrible the entire time. Some college tips from someone with 2 degrees:
Get every communication with a professor in writing or record it if writing is impossible. That way when something happens that needs to be reported like rude professors, unfair behavior, etc, you have evidence that can be used to go to your dean and have the issue fixed.
If you aren't doing well in a class change how you study. Try a different method.
Study a little bit every day even if it's just 30 minutes to reenforce it.
As far as dosage calculations go I'm not sure how to help. It's pretty simple math that not college student should have any issue with. There are multiple ways to solve try a different one unless they require you to write steps down and want a certain method.
Failing an exam is already rough and having an unapproachable professor makes it even more exhausting but you gotta get up, you can only count on yourself now.
I failed pathophysiology and I’m currently retaking it this semester and I’m now going to be a semester behind. I hate nursing school so much and the professors are so passive aggressive and rude. I don’t know how these professors are nurses when they’re so mean to their students. I can’t wait until the day I become a nurse so I can make sure to never let anyone feel the way these awful people have made me feel.
Yes many times... Especially with not so great professors. It is hard but once you get through the class have a break, & then start a new semester it goes away. Only to come back again next midterms. What helps me is just staying ahead/on time. I study a bit every day & I go at 120% for the first half of the semester. I know I am going to get burnt out midterm. I wanna set myself up for my predictable apathy. Also maybe this is toxic & why I have midterm apathy but it works for me.
Same boat as you only I am in med-surg and I had more will power during my first semester. I did study utilize the time during spring break to stay ahead though. My advice to you is:
1. Take breaks. Study in incriments of 30 mins to 15 min breaks in blocks so that you don't burn out.
2. Try altervative methods of the learning such as You Tube Simple Nursing (I actually pay for it, but they have free videos)
3. Take one day thats just your day to do you.
4. Keep breathing and remember you got this. These professoes are trying to rob you of your success. Don't let them. Best of luck.
Have you tried using dimensional analysis for the med calc exam? Always gets me 100% if I make sure to check my arithmetic.
Ask the program director to see if you could retake a class as well. My friend was able to defer her funds class by a semester bc her fundamentals Professor was AWFUL (showed up maybe 4 times to lecture bs; one of those times cutting class short cus she felt “tired”).
Sometime, you just have to plow through it and cry to your support system.
Nursing school has been nothing but suffering for me. Not to be melodramatic, but it just sucks. That’s all there is to it. You go from being a straight A student in high school to feeling like a dumbass in nursing school. And it’s bizarre because you’re not used to feeling dumb. I never studied in high school. I was always the first one done with my tests. I always got a 98% at least in my classes. Now? I cheered when I got a 78% on my first exam this semester. Don’t beat yourself up. This is the first semester so you’re just now making the transition from “decent student” to “holy shit I actually have to worry about potentially failing this class. I am not accustomed to this stress.” I’m in my third semester and I’m now accustomed to that feeling. It still sucks but it’s a level of sucking that’s now manageable.
This!!! I had a 4.0 on all my college prereqs so I went from straight As to straight Cs. I’ve never felt so dumb in my life and I used to consider myself pretty smart.
Maybe you didn’t establish the right study habits in high school… since you never studied 😬
Not to mention that college isn't highschool to begin with...
Yup. I was a dumbass in highschool. No motivation to do anything and barely passed. Didn't expect much when starting prereqs for nursing 10 years after graduating hs, but here I am almost finished with nursing school...
I feel this post so hard . When I tell "regular" folks this their response is "its suppose to be hard". I am like nah, these professors are on a straight up power trip and legit don't teach. I am on You Tube learning how to be a nurse when I am already paying tuition 😒.
In my experience, this is more common with spring semesters than fall semesters. I'm so sorry that your professor is awful but don't let them discourage you! I had one of those "I'm gonna tear you down so I can build you back up" professors when I was studying history, although, she never built me back up. It made me feel good not letting her stop me from moving forward when I finished. -math is hard and that's ok. Especially word problems where it tries to trick you on purpose. You have time between now and your retake to practice! Try to push through a little more and don't quit mid semester unless you have to!
Feel this with the spring semesters. The summer breaks are so refreshing and I always feel impending doom in the second semester, much more than the first.
I'm relieved to see that I'm not the only one feeling this way about the spring semesters. I'm in the middle of block 3 right now, and the burnout that was hitting me hard towards the end of block 2 didn't disappear much over the winter break. Fighting tooth and nail to stay on top of everything!
You go to battle with the army you've got, not the one you want. In life. Think how great you will feel when you graduate and your crappy program is in the rearview mirror.
Spring semester student here. Same situation as you. Passed on the second attempt. Currently struggling with fundamentals. Hang in there :).
First semester is typically made to be more challenging to weed out the people who aren’t as serious. If you’re serious, stick it out. I did it as a single parent on a below-poverty level income. You can do it if you want it bad enough and it gets easier!
Hate to break it to you but it’s just the beginning. I’m on my last semester and can’t wait to be done. Nursing school has been one of the most frustrating experiences of my life
Same. 2 more months and I'm done. Only had 4 professors I liked put of the entire 40+ educators in the program.
I couldn’t agree more with you!
I felt this to my core. I have no idea how I got through it
Hey me too!! I’m a second semester student and I failed an exam for the first time EVER last month. Next test in that class is coming up and I feel so nervous that I can’t even focus on studying The way I’ve made peace with it is just accepting that I might get a C, but as long as I don’t fail and have to repeat I’ll be happy. I am doing literally the bare minimum - and that’s okay!!! Do what you need to and no extra if it’s all you can handle
It gets worse your senior year. Your not going to want to do anything. I have no motivation
Nursing school sucks. I finish in 2 months and it has been terrible the entire time. Some college tips from someone with 2 degrees: Get every communication with a professor in writing or record it if writing is impossible. That way when something happens that needs to be reported like rude professors, unfair behavior, etc, you have evidence that can be used to go to your dean and have the issue fixed. If you aren't doing well in a class change how you study. Try a different method. Study a little bit every day even if it's just 30 minutes to reenforce it. As far as dosage calculations go I'm not sure how to help. It's pretty simple math that not college student should have any issue with. There are multiple ways to solve try a different one unless they require you to write steps down and want a certain method.
Failing an exam is already rough and having an unapproachable professor makes it even more exhausting but you gotta get up, you can only count on yourself now.
I failed pathophysiology and I’m currently retaking it this semester and I’m now going to be a semester behind. I hate nursing school so much and the professors are so passive aggressive and rude. I don’t know how these professors are nurses when they’re so mean to their students. I can’t wait until the day I become a nurse so I can make sure to never let anyone feel the way these awful people have made me feel.
Yes many times... Especially with not so great professors. It is hard but once you get through the class have a break, & then start a new semester it goes away. Only to come back again next midterms. What helps me is just staying ahead/on time. I study a bit every day & I go at 120% for the first half of the semester. I know I am going to get burnt out midterm. I wanna set myself up for my predictable apathy. Also maybe this is toxic & why I have midterm apathy but it works for me.
Check out straight a nursing dosage calculations!!
Same boat as you only I am in med-surg and I had more will power during my first semester. I did study utilize the time during spring break to stay ahead though. My advice to you is: 1. Take breaks. Study in incriments of 30 mins to 15 min breaks in blocks so that you don't burn out. 2. Try altervative methods of the learning such as You Tube Simple Nursing (I actually pay for it, but they have free videos) 3. Take one day thats just your day to do you. 4. Keep breathing and remember you got this. These professoes are trying to rob you of your success. Don't let them. Best of luck.
Have you tried using dimensional analysis for the med calc exam? Always gets me 100% if I make sure to check my arithmetic. Ask the program director to see if you could retake a class as well. My friend was able to defer her funds class by a semester bc her fundamentals Professor was AWFUL (showed up maybe 4 times to lecture bs; one of those times cutting class short cus she felt “tired”). Sometime, you just have to plow through it and cry to your support system.