Opinion | Things you learn your first year of nursing school

The day when I fully committed to attending Pitt is a memory that will forever be ingrained in my head. It was March 9, 2023, and I was going through my emails, reloading the screen repeatedly. I was waiting for an email saying that I got my nursing scholarship, meaning I could go to Pitt without going into financial ruin. To cut the story short, I received that scholarship, and just a few days later, I fully committed to the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. 

Before I had even left for school, I had people telling me that this was going to be one of the hardest things I had ever done. I heard this from teachers, friends and family and even saw it online. Obviously, I knew it was going to be difficult, but really, how hard could it be? I was top of my class in high school, and I took AP classes and aced every single one of them. Nursing school couldn’t be that bad. 

But it was, in fact, that bad. My naive first-year self was in for the rudest awakening and loudest wake-up call ever. Obviously, as a first-year, I was going through a lot of things — living in a new city, trying to make friends and overall just trying to adjust to my new lifestyle. That piled on top of my nursing school coursework and took a toll on me. I never expected things to be so difficult for me, and I was questioning everything I thought I knew about my academic abilities. 

I had no idea how to study for anything, I wouldn’t go to my professors for help and it made me suffer. I was failing test after test after test. In high school, there was never a need for me to study. I could easily look at the notes the night before and do fine, but this wasn’t high school. All of this eventually caught up with me at the end of the semester, and things were not looking good. 

At the end of my first semester, I did not meet the GPA requirements for my scholarship, which meant I was at risk of losing it and also having to leave Pitt. To say the least, I felt embarrassed and like I had disappointed everyone who was rooting for me. I probably cried almost every day of winter break because I was so upset about this, even though I had no one to blame but myself. I was the one who put myself in the position, and I had to figure out a way to get myself out of the hole I dug.

The start of the second semester was going to be the greatest academic comeback ever in history. I was finally going to get my shit together and be the brilliant student I knew I could be. Soon enough, F’s were turning into B’s, and by the end of the school year, I felt as if I had redeemed myself. I still didn’t have perfect grades, but what was most important to me was the fact that there was so much improvement. 

Anyone who is going to nursing school right now, just know that things may be hard for you and you might struggle and that is OK. What’s not OK is for you to struggle in silence. You don’t have to carry the load of nursing school by yourself. It takes a village, and I promise you that. 

If I could go back in time, there are so many things that I would do differently, so hopefully you take some of my advice, and things will go a little smoother for you. Number one would be finding good, solid friends in nursing school. The nursing program is on the smaller side, and you will be with these people for the next four years and maybe even after that. More than anyone, they’ll be able to understand what you’re going through because they’re going through the same thing. 

Also, just go to the office hours. Please, just do it. Set up a meeting with the TA or a tutor or literally anybody who is going to guide you on anything. I never wanted to seek help, and I was so confident that I would do everything myself. Do not let your pride be the reason you flop on an exam. Just get the help you need, and I promise you it will make the biggest difference.

Nursing school is extremely difficult and will require a lot of your time and effort. You will be in the books a majority of the time, but having fun is also something you need. While you are still in nursing school, you are also in college, and this is supposed to be the time of your life. You’re young and have the freedom to do whatever you want. Don’t neglect your social life because you think you need to be cooped up inside studying 24/7. Balance is the key to a less stressful life.  

Remember that comparison is the thief of joy. Everyone in nursing school is not having the same experience as you. If someone does better on exams or does not have to study as much as you do, that does not mean that you are any less capable of being an excellent student. Do not let your inner saboteur make you feel you are not good enough because your grades aren’t the same. Be proud of the work and time that you put in. 

While I experienced a first year of school filled with dread and many tears, this does not mean that you will have the same experience. Everyone’s experience is different, but we are all heading toward the same goal — to be amazing nurses. Nursing school is only a slight bump in the road that will lead you in the best direction to become the best in this field. Your passion for wanting to care for others and your desire to learn will always trump those unpleasant experiences. When you think you can’t, just know, you can. 

Danae Poteat writes primarily about pop culture and current events. Write to her at dmp152@pitt.edu.