I will not tell a lie. Nursing school is one of the hardest things I have ever done. When I speak to other nursing students, I realized in the first two semesters a lot of us were going through similar life experiences all while studying for pathophysiology and pharmacology (the two hardest classes you will take in nursing school). We were all dealing with family issues, relationship issues, financial issues, etc. As inconvenient as it may be, life still goes on while you try to place things on hold in order to focus on studying and passing exams. So, to help the next wave of accelerated students, I’d like to share at least 7 tips that helped me get through the first two semesters.
1. Encourage and affirm yourself – One thing that is certain in life is change. There will be times when you feel as if the exams and semester will never end, but fortunately the semesters go faster than you might think. If you can make it through the first semester you can make it through the others. Place words of affirmations on your mirror, send reminders to your cell phone, affirm then reaffirm that you are at Johns Hopkins for a reason and you are supposed to be here.
2. Encourage and affirm others – When you encourage others you, by default, encourage yourself. Like I said, earlier. You are not the center of the universe and other people are going through similar things. When you open up, share, encourage and affirm, you’ll find you are not alone in anything you are experiencing in nursing school. When you find out you’re not alone getting through what you think is hard makes it that much easier.
3. Surround yourself with good people – Whether they are friends, family, or other nursing students, you will need a good core group of people who have your best interest at heart. They will listen to you; push you when you need pushing, fuss you out when you need it most, and hug you really tight to help you pull yourself together.
4. Do something that expresses you – When you are able to express yourself artistically and/or physically through writing, singing, dancing, kick boxing, rock climbing, soccer, yoga, crocheting, bowling, karaoke, whatever; you can release certain energies that may keep you from focusing clearly in your studies. Everyone needs an outlet. Find affordable and constructive ways to release anxiety, frustration, anger, sadness, and happiness.
5. Be self-aware – You will feel a wide range of emotions while going through this program. Be aware of yourself and how your emotions affect your study habits, how you treat yourself and other people. Being self-aware can guide your success and help you to acknowledge where your short-comings are. When you begin to work on you it’s amazing how other things fall into perspective.
6. Listen to positive music – I wake up to music every morning. Buzzing alarms make me grumpy. So I fill my iPod with upbeat stuff to start my days off right. Here’s a song that kept me going through finals weeks
Without a Fight by Janelle Monae
7. Keep the end goal in mind and be good to yourself!
BGTY by Ledesi