Tips on surviving nursing school... help!

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Hello everyone!

I need your help! I am compiling a list of advice for incoming students to my nursing program and I wanted some input from this board. If you have to give one piece of advice on how to survive nursing school what would it be?

Thanks and I really appreciate your help!

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Specializes in Alzheimer's Unit, Cardiac.

Treat yourself. Work hard but treat yourself often.

My first semester I got a good pattern of studying going. I studied alll the time but I would Make Time for myself also. Yes, you could just study 24/7 but you would still never know everything there is to know about nursing. Treating yourself could be taking a walk to relieve stress, allowing yourself that piece of pie, making time to see friends once in a while. Be good to yourself... after all you deserve it! :yeah:

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Never wait til the last minute to study. Always, Always study a little or a lot everyday ;). If you are having problems with any particular subject address it head on and never blame the instructors when you are having trouble, try to look at from both sides. Finally, study study study!!! You will do just fine.:up:

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Study 1st before anything else. but don't forget to eat though and sleep.

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Use your time wisely. Do not wait until the very last minute to type up your drug cards and do your care plans-you never know when something else may be thrown on top of them and there you sit with 28 cards to do, 3 care plans, a concept map, and 2 papers due in the same day (happened to one person in my class).:bugeyes:

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I agree with the advice to treat yourself often. I am a big believer in this.

I am currently taking 4 summer classes. When they are over, I am going away with my mom for a few days. We are taking my parent's RV. It will be just the 2 of us- no kids or husbands. We will shop shop shop and talk talk talk. I cannot wait.

Knowing that you will be treating yourself with something can help get you through the rough patches when your motivation is low.

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Specializes in E.R..

Don't focus on the future all the time, focus on the day your in. I have found if I look at still having another year to go, I get a little anxiety:uhoh21:. But, if I look at only today and concentrate on what I have to accomplish in the next couple of days, I don't freak out so much.

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Specializes in ICU, ER.

Invest in a Bible, because come the middle of Med/Surg II, you're gonna be looking for some kind of religion.

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Specializes in Ortho, Neuro, Detox, Tele.

ok, so here's two:

1. Never get so far behind you can't catch up...read assignments before class(or at least follow along with em), mark dates of assignments, tests, papers, meetings, etc...on a calendar, and find a group of friends that can save your bacon from time to time(vice versa too)

2. NEVER become the one person everybody else in the program talks about...the one who's "mother father, sister, brother, 34th uncle twice removed had x and they did y, z, and who cares?

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Specializes in Geriatrics/Retirement Residence.

For the love of God, don't procrastinate!!! Don't leave everything to the last minute, you will hate yourself for it!

I learned the hard way in Pre-Nursing this year, I had 2 essays and 2 projects due the same week, and the week after that we had our final exams, gosh NEVER AGAIN! Come NS in Sept, I will do things differently!

Start your stuff EARLY! and don't underestimate the good you'll get from studying/previewing/reviewing/clarifying EVERY day because it's much easier to study it smaller bits here and there than cramming all the info in the day before the test/exam. Also, study in different ways, read, write, talk about it, draw it, listen to it, relate it etc. it sticks better!

gosh, here I am giving advice on how to survive NS before I even started it! lol :)

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Get organized!

Don't forget to sleep. :)

STUDY.

Make time for yourself/family/friends.

Please don't procrastinate, it will come back to kick you in the butt.

..I know that was more than one, sorry!

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.

The biggest thing I learned in my first year, GET ADEQUATE SLEEP. That isn't easy for me, (hmmm it's midnight and I am on here). But when I made sure to get a full 8 hours of sleep, even if I had to take an ambien to do it, I did much better, I was alert in class, I absorbed more, didn't have to study much at all and got good test scores. I had 3 exams that I pulled all nighters on. they were my only F's on my exams. I felt fine going in *love 5 hour energy drinks* but when I reviewed my exams they weren't knowledge errors for most of my errors.

That 1 hr of extra sleep will benefit you more than that 1 hour of extra studying.

Don't give up all of your life and free time. Take time to do some fun stuff, hang out with friends and see your family. Even if it's only a lunch of dinner every 2 weeks to catch up with people.

I adjusted my life to incorporate nursing school, I didn't have nursing school BECOME my life.

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