New Student - What do I need?

If you're starting the liberal arts portion of your studies, the usual stuff for school. If you're starting the clinical areas:
be sure to protect your feet and legs. I mean like wearing good shoes with good inserts, support hose, etc. Have about three pairs of shoes to rotate so that the bones in your feet remain flexible, the inserts help with arch support and the support hose help support the muscles, veins, bones, ligaments etc in your legs. Nursing is a lot of walking and worse, sometimes a lot of standing. You'll need and want your legs and feet to be useful for years to come.

If you're not absolutely great at math, look into Dimensional Analysis for medication administration; calculating IV drip rates etc. Calculating medication in the form of pills and/or injectables is pretty straight forward. IV infusion rates, X amount of fluid per kg/day at what ever rate with the piggybacks, etc., can get a little sticky and DA can come in very handy. Your clinical facility will probably have pumps, etc., but if they are scarce...Dimensional Analysis.

A recorder for lectures, I would say that a laptop would be quite useful for research anywhere but probably not essential, same with a PDA - I happen to work a bit better with both. Mechanical pencils with good erasers. Organizational stuff like index cards.

A flu shot as soon as available.

A really good grip on the policies of your school and the facilities in which you'll be training. It pays to know where you are.

It's a really exciting time in your life. I'm excited for you. Enjoy learning to be a wonderful nurse.

May I suggest that you need good health habits and a thick skin. I was too sensitive to the snarky remarks of my competitive fellow students "She thinks she's so smart coming in early to make notes on her patients." And I still remember them many years later. Also "You have such healthy lunches."
After being a mom, I would just tell them to get over it and accept me for who I am: a keener and a health nut.
Be yourself to the best of your abilities and shrug off the inappropriate comments.

Hmm...black pens & a couple of Sharpies, a penlight that actually works, Mr. Clean Magic Eraser cleaners for your sparkly white shoes (amazing), headache medicine, eyedrops, change for the vending machines, and a Littmann stethescope.

flash cards, there are ones that come on a ring. Whenever you find yourself looking up a drug, make a drug card for it! At in my program we had to have hand written drug cards for any drug that we were going to be giving

Your school should have a list of what you need. Definitely some comfortable shoes for when you start clinicals! A stethoscope, watch with second hand. You need time more than anything. Have to prepare for clinicals, write care plans etc. I know people do great in nursing school with families and jobs, but it is hard.

The rest should be on a list somewhere from your nursing school. They will want you to get some sort of uniform, scrubs, but different colors depending on where yu go. Looks like you are in Texas. Where are you gong to start nursing school if you don't mind saying?

Good luck!

just study A LOT and memorize your meds...just took my NCLEX today...lots o med questions!

I have used many, MANY index cards this last year and a half to make flash cards. There's so much you have to memorize and I carry them with me at all times and go over them whenever I have a minute. It has helped me be one of 7 in our class that has not failed a class which started out with 30 people.

Also, I got a retractable clip and I hook my scissors onto my pants waist under my scrub top. I can pull out my scissors, use them and then it reals them back in and leaves me a little more room in my pocket. Your pockets will be packed with stuff and make sure to put your name on everything. I also always carry a small notepad in my pocket in clinicals because I write down everything I do for my patients and the time so at the end of the day when you are doing your paperwork, it's all right there.

I personally tried taping the lectures but I found I couldn't listen to them again because you hear everyone's comments and the people talking in the back row. Many of my friends have answered certain test questions correctly because they heard something on the lecture tape that stuck in their head that they didn't note during lecture so you'll just have to decide.

Good Luck! You won't have a life until you graduate.

A backpack on wheels
lots of yellow highlighters
NCLEX disk(s)
Ink pens (the click kind)
index cards to make into flash cards
clipboard that has storage in it
cheap calculator (I keep $1. ones from Wal-Mart)
white COMFORTABLE tennis shoes and sox
a good alarm clock w/battery back-up
a book case for all your books

Is your question only supplies related? Do you know the courses you will be taking? If you can brush up on your math if you are that great in it, do so, you have plenty of time. There are sites in drop rip rate and such here online. If you can get someone to brush up in how to take pulse, blood pressure and such it would be great as I am sure one of the first classes will be assesstment.
Good luck.

PS... I bought a watch online, a Hummer LOL, that has military time and I love it. The band can get wet and all, plus is has a compass, not sure what use is that, but it looks cool. Paid like $15 on auction.