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What to Expect in Your First Year of Nursing School

  • By UHS
  • October 2, 2025
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What to Expect in Your First Year of Nursing School

What to Expect in Your First Year of Nursing School

It’s the question every future nurse asks — and the answer is equal parts challenge and growth.
Your first year will stretch you, but it will also shape you into the kind of nurse you’ve always wanted to become.

What We’ll Go Through Together

Why the First Year Feels Overwhelming

The first semester is notorious for being the hardest. Students describe it as walking on eggshells — constantly stressed and wondering if they made the right choice. The numerous exams, being pushed out of your comfort zone, and the sheer volume of reading can feel endless.

The reality is, you can adapt. As the weeks go by, you don’t just learn nursing skills, you discover resilience you didn’t know you had.

If you’re still questioning whether you’re cut out for this, our guide How to Become an LPN in Virginia breaks down the doubts many students face before starting their journey.

Finding Your Routine & Rhythm

The overwhelm doesn’t last forever. Once you settle into a rhythm, nursing school becomes more manageable. Many students find success when they:

  • Write assignments on a planner or color-coded calendar
  • Track which lectures exams actually pull from
  • Use active recall (explaining concepts to others to reinforce memory)
  • Build consistent study habits (20–25 minutes of focus, 5-minute breaks)

The moment you stop trying to “do it all” and start focusing on what counts, things finally click. For step-by-step clarity, see what the LPN training pathway in Virginia looks like in practice.

Common Challenges Nursing Students Face

Your first year will test you. Some of the most common struggles include:

  • Performance anxiety: Feeling like you’re “not smart enough” to keep up
  • Physical strain: Long hours on your feet (many students swear by supportive shoes like Brooks, Hokas, or Nikes)
  • Sacrificing social life: Missing events, vacations, or nights out to prioritize studying
  • Imposter syndrome: Comparing yourself to classmates and wondering if you belong

Moments like these are when essential LPN skills make all the difference — from communication to time management.

Tips to Manage Stress and Stay Balanced

Your first year is about more than academics — it’s about protecting your health and energy, too. Proven strategies include:

  • Self-care: Rest, exercise, and proper meals keep your mind sharp
  • Boundaries: Saying no when you need to recharge helps prevent burnout
  • Connection: Finding classmates to study (and vent) with makes the journey less isolating
  • Perspective: Everyone feels overwhelmed at first. The key is not perfection, but progress

How UHS Prepares You to Thrive

At Ultimate Health School (UHS), we know your first year sets the tone for your nursing career. That’s why we provide:

  • Hands-on learning in labs and clinical rotations
  • Supportive faculty who guide you through tough spots
  • Built-in NCLEX prep so you graduate confident and exam-ready
  • Career services to help you transition smoothly from student to nurse

Your First Year Will Shape You

Your first year will be intense, but with the right support, it will also be the year you realize just how capable you really are.

Ready to begin?


Apply to UHS’s Practical Nursing Program

Take the first step toward becoming the nurse you’ve always wanted to be.