Written by: Wencel Faith Rosil January 27, 2024
I Wencel Faith C. Rosil, am a first-year nursing student at Davao Doctors College, Inc. I’m now 19 years old and currently living here in Davao City with my family. Taking this course is not my first choice because, since I was a kid, I wanted to be a flight attendant, but then, before graduating senior high school, I realized that I wanted to do what my mother does, and that’s when I realized that I wanted to be just like her, a nurse.
Stepping into the bustling world of nursing education, where every tick of the clock echoes with responsibilities and priorities. The first steps into nursing school were fraught with emotions, enthusiasm, and uncertainty. The new surroundings, challenging schoolwork, and duty to assist others felt like a whirlwind that threatened to sweep me off my feet. The struggle to adjust was evident, and it became clear that finding balance would be critical for both academic performance and psychological well-being. Join me as we explore the undiscovered and help me seek strength in vulnerability and harmony in the pursuit of what we desire.
How do I manage my time?
Actually, I'm not that responsible with managing my time; I keep procrastinating and putting off important tasks, which has a negative impact on my productivity. Being a college student made me realize the importance of effective time management and how it directly affects my academic success.
First thing in the morning, I always drink a glass of water before everything else. Since I live an hour away from the school, I need to wake up early so I won't be late for my classes. After I take a bath, sometimes I can't have my breakfast because I am short on time, and sometimes I just make myself sandwiches to eat in the jeepney to save time. Commuting to school is really a struggle for me because of the heavy traffic. Sometimes it takes me an hour and 30 minutes to arrive at school. That’s why I always come to school late, even though I finish everything early.
After classes, sometimes I go straight back home, especially when I have a lot of schoolwork to do and need a quiet and comfortable environment to focus and be productive. After doing my schoolwork, I prepare my uniform and my things for school tomorrow, and I also help my parents do the chores in the house. Moreover, if my schedule is a bit vacant and there are no pending schoolwork, I go out with my friends. Going out with my friends serves as my reward for doing my best in school. Being with them allows me to relax, socialize, and have fun, which is important for my overall well-being. It is crucial to strike a balance between school work and personal time for relaxation and socialization.
As a nursing student, it is quite difficult to manage my time because of the many things I have to do. Sometimes I just sacrifice my sleep to review and memorize. However, I have come to realize that sacrificing sleep is not a solution. I am now starting and trying to prioritize my tasks, and I have made a study schedule to avoid procrastination and get enough rest. By allocating specific time for studying, I have been able to do my tasks before deadlines and have enough rest to keep going. Additionally, I have found that discussing the lessons with peers has helped me reinforce my understanding and reduce the need for late-night cramming sessions. This collaborative approach has not only aided my learning but has also fostered a sense of friendship.
How do I balance my studies and self-care?
As a nursing student, balancing my studies and self-care is not easy, but it is important for my well-being and academic success. One strategy I use to prioritize my tasks is to create a to-do list, numbering my tasks from the most important to the least important things that I need to accomplish. This helps me stay organized and ensures that I don’t neglect or forget something. Additionally, I also make sure to take regular breaks while studying to avoid burnout.
Another useful strategy is to not be afraid to seek help and support when needed. Whether it's reaching out to classmates for study groups or seeking guidance from our teachers, This helped me alleviate some of the stress and workload, allowing me to better focus on my studies and also have time for self-care. I also try to practice good time management skills by breaking down my studying into smaller and more manageable chunks and by setting goals for myself. Furthermore, I also prioritize my self-care by setting aside specific times that rejuvenate me mentally and physically, such as engaging in different hobbies that help me relieve stress, like crocheting, bringing my dog out for a walk, and going out with friends.
As soon as I get the opportunity to sleep, I will sleep. Being in college made me realize that sleep is one of the most important things you need to have to continue everything. My senior once told me that, as long as you still have plenty of time to rest and sleep, take it because the time will come and you can't have enough of that because of the load of schoolwork that needs to be done. Having enough sleep makes me focus and be more productive.
Keeping in touch with my friends also helps me survive college. My family and friends are my support systems to get through college. They are the ones that keep me mentally stable in the midst of the struggles every nursing student experiences. They are the ones I can talk to about my experiences and challenges; they also give me advice and encourage me to keep going even though I'm on the verge of giving up. Having them helps me balance my studies and self-care.
Lastly, keep and maintain a connection with God. We can seek guidance, comfort, and support through our connection with God. Praying to him also somehow gives me strength to continue what I want to do.
To sum things up, being a nursing student may not be easy, but I know that we can get through this. We just need to have discipline within ourselves to continue the strategies that we use to make them more effective. We also need to know our priorities and always put them before others so that we can all achieve the things that we all desire. Improving time management skills is also an important thing to do to avoid procrastination and cramming. Additionally, balancing studies and self-care may require a lot of effort, but as long as you maintain the strategy that works for you, you can balance it all out. Lastly, there might be a lot of difficult challenges that we need to face, but I know that we can all get through this, and we always need to remember the reasons why we started this to make us keep going. We can all do this, LABAN FUTURE RNs.
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