We hear all the time that nursing school is hard to get into. However, the difficulty of nursing school only begins after you've been accepted. Nursing school is a lifestyle; it completely consumes your life and allows you to do very little outside of studying, attending lectures, going to clinical, and participating in labs. Here are six things that they forget to tell you about nursing school:
1. It's competitive.
Not only is nursing school extremely difficult to be accepted into and guaranteed a seat in, the programs themselves are super competitive. Classmates will always be comparing grades, talking about who is failing, and figuring out who are the "smartest" kids in class. People brag about their good grades while othersa cry about their poor grades. It's always a competition!
2. It's time-consuming.
You think a one-hour class twice a week is bad? Try four hours of lecture, ten hours of clinical, four hours of lab, an hour seminar, and over twenty ours of studying every single week. Nursing school is so much more than just attending class and doing your homework. It takes over all of your time and leaves little room for fun.
3. It costs so much money.
Most college students are used to paying the ridiculous costs of tuition, fees, and room/board — but nursing students pay more. Check out your first bill to find a "nursing fee" of over $500. Set aside at least $200 for scrubs and $100 for a nice stethoscope. Don't forget about all of the money you'll need to fork over for nursing shoes, a pen light, suture scissors, and extremely expensive books every semester. Plus, you have to pay for gas to and from clinical (which is sometimes over an hour away) every week.
4. It's very difficult to do well.
You always hear the success stories of people who succeeded in nursing school and went on to save lives all over the world, but people forget to mention just how difficult the actual process is. No matter what kind of star student you were in high school, I can promise you that nursing school will be extremely difficult for you. Exams occur just about every single week, and can cover material from any class you have ever taken. While most exams are multiple choice, the answers are meant to be tricky. I can't tell you how many times I've heard a professor say, "Well, your answer is right, but it's not the most right." *eye roll*
5. "Passing" is a C.
Were you thinking that maybe you could squeeze by with a D+? Maybe even a C-? Think again. Most nursing programs require that you earn a 74 or higher (sometimes as high as a 78) in every class. So, if you get a 70 on a test, you "nursing failed" it, and you'll need to remediate, meet with your professors, and change the way you study. So, you better be prepared to not only pass, but to excel in every class.
6. You wouldn't change your major, no matter what the circumstance.
At the end of the day, you absolutely love what you do. Although it can be competitive, time-consuming, expensive, difficult, and annoying, you would never even consider studying anything else. Being a nursing major allows you to work with some of the most amazing professors on the entire planet, study with some of the greatest friends you'll ever make, and take care of extremely grateful patients. It's not easy work, but you will love it if you are cut out for it. All in all, it's worth the hardships!
