Dropping like flies

We are midway through the semester and almost 25% of my class has dropped out! We started out with almost 90 second-year students and we are supposedly down to 70-something. Some of them have completely abandoned the field, while others have merely spread out their class load over 5 years instead of 4. Honestly, I don’t blame them. I can’t imagine doing this undergrad as a 19 year-old. It’s quite the workload and very demanding. I was talking to some of the “kids” I study with and they are already burnt out. Most of them haven’t gone out all semester. I haven’t gone out either, but I’m 32 and have lots of going out years under my belt! I find it sad that there isn’t more support for second-year students. You really only skim the surface of nursing in your first year and the second year can be quite a shock for many of them! I fear more are going to drop out. :-(

The nursing shortage is scary, therefore we need as many graduates as possible. I wish there was something I could do to encourage them. I know I want to be here. I know what I want out of life so my decision to stay is an easy one... I can't say it would be the same if I were 19.