Congratulations – you made it! All that hard work paid off, and you’re holding your acceptance letter to nursing school. You’re likely feeling a lot of excitement and relief, and maybe a few nerves as well. Here’s how to start off your nursing education with a bang.
1) Figure out a way to organize yourself that works for you: Maybe it’s a bullet journal. Maybe you’re really into scheduling apps. Maybe it’s both, because you find organizing your life to be good self-care. Think through whatever system works for you and get used to sticking to it before your workload hits.
2) Cut back on your outside engagements: Learn to say no to extra work and play, at least at first. Give yourself some time and some space to transition into your new schedule and workload. It may feel overwhelming at first (no worries – you’ll adjust!), so set some boundaries until you feel confident in your new position.
Get yourself ready: 7 Characteristics of a Successful Nursing Student
3) Don’t get too far ahead of yourself: You likely know that becoming a nurse means getting through a lot of material and passing the NCLEX in order to be certified. Don’t focus too far in the future and stress out about exams that you aren’t taking for a few years – you’ll have plenty of time to prepare for all of that later. There’s no need to borrow problems now!
4) Know that you will feel overwhelmed at times: Just about every nursing student feels like they have more work than they know what to do with at some point or other. Try to remember when you’re in the thick of it that the overwhelming times will pass, and you’ll figure out how to manage it all.
5) Take some time to daydream: Before your workload hits, picture yourself in your dream nursing job. Create all the details you’d like. When you’re stressed out and exhausted later, you can use this picture to help motivate yourself to keep studying, as a reminder of all the reasons you’re working so hard to become a nurse.
Starting nursing school is a big adjustment – it’s a huge workload, a lot of reading, and more learning than you’ve ever done before. It may feel incredibly intimidating. Don’t worry – being accepted to nursing school is a vote of confidence that you can, in fact, handle it all. You will! And you’ll make some great friends along the way.
For more tips on life as a nursing student, check out Nursing School Success