Advice for a new nursing student?

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Hello everyone!

(Please forgive me if there have been previous posts similar to this one. I am new to this forum and love all the advice people give.)

I have recently been accepted into the nursing program at Brenau University and I am very eager to start in January. I was wondering if anyone had any advice they could give to a new nursing student. I want to be as successful as I can and learn as much as possible. Unfortunately, I do not have a job in the medical field nor do I have any friends or family I can ask advice from.

Thanks in advance!

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Be organized. Get a day planner, post-it notes, whatever. Just be organized.

Know that there will be cliques. Apparently, high school antics is not over.

Do not tell other people your grades. Drama will ensue.

Study groups/study buddies are essential!

Have faith that you will pass.

Congratulations on making it in to nursing school!

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Congratulations on your accomplishment!!! Nursing school is very difficult but well worth it in the end!Tips I have are:Organization is key!! I had a binder for each class that was divided into sections.Get a tape recorder. It was inevitable that the instructor would move onto next slide before I could finish writing things down.While I think it's important to get a good group of friends to study with, it's more important for you to learn to study on your own because sometimes other classmates may interpret things differently or may become leeches.Don't share grades. Get a job in healthcare because it will make it easier for you to find employment after graduation. Plus, you will gain valuable experience to help you on clinicals.Take time for yourself from time to time.Make sure you have a great support group.Most importantly, HAVE FUN!!!!

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My biggest tip is DO NOT get behind. There will be some much information thrown at you so quickly, it is almost impossible to catch up.

Know that you WILL feel overwhelmed, and know that EVERYONE else does too. It's not you, and soon it will become routine and you will be just fine.

Don't be afraid to ask questions.

Make a good friend or two that you can call when you've forgotten something, or even just to vent!

Read the material before the day you will cover it in class. That way, you can have an idea of whats going on and spend class listening rather that writting notes.

Stay organized, and most importantly, make sure you are having FUN pursuing your dream. It's not all gonna be wonderful, but don't loose sight of the fact that this is something you ENJOY:)

Good Luck!!

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Hi,

I am also a new nursing student entering our RN program in January 2013. I just attended the new student nursing orientation today and besides turning in loads of paperwork and the lottery for clinicals, the message was PREPARE in advance. We were told to purchase "Test Success" (can be found on Amazon for about $25) and study it like the HOLY GRAIL before you show up in January. Another great tip from a instructor was to get a blank calendar, fill out class and clinical days, then add test and quiz days once we get our syllabus. Plan to study at least 2-3 hours per day. Last but not least, take advantage of every opportunity to find help. We are assigned mentors and there was another organization there with a "Big Sister" program, basically a working or retired nurse that is willing to assist and coach you in your journey. There may be a similar program in your area...

Good Luck! I'm happy to have found allnurses.com because I'm sure having this as a resource will also be a good advantage. :)

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Lots of great advice!

heres mine: Don't get overwhelmed! There is a ton of information, work etc that is thrown at you in the beginning. Just take it one day at a time.

Don't miss class!!! We have participation as part of our grade, but still just be there and take notes if that helps you, record lectures if you can. We have one guy who records ours and then posts them to Dropbox, it's super nice! I listen to pharm lectures the most- so much information to know.

Grades: don't kill yourself over a b or c, it's still passing! Our grading scale is 76 or lower is failing, 93 or above is an A. I am borderline A in all of my classes. It's annoying, but I'm already working my tail off, I am going to take it.

Good luck and enjoy it!

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Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

Yeah, based on the threads I've read just this afternoon, leave your cell phone in your car!!

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Specializes in Emergency.

Here is my advice:

Study smart, not hard.

Keep a planner (saved my butt so many times because I would not have remembered half of my deadlines)

Find at least one buddy to be your go-to person

Sit in the front

Record hard lectures with a recorder/your phone

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I agree with all the other posts. Being organized and studying the right material is essential. If I had to do it again, I would get an NCLEX review book the first day of class. I would use this book to help study the different subjects I am being tested on. Those books kind of break down the material that the instructor wants you to know and gives you study questions that could help you for the exams.

Also make sure you get plenty of sleep, especially before an exam. Even if I studied hard, if I was tired I did not do as well as if I was well rested.

HTH!

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As a first semester student, I can give this advice... All advice given so far is spot on. But, what you have to realize is that what works for some does not work for others. I have had so many people telling me how to study, take tests, whatever. Once I started figuring out what works for ME, I have been less stressed and am now doing better.

So take EVERYONE'S advice in. If something doesn't work, you can either adjust it to make it work, or you can throw it out and use something else. You may figure this out within the first couple of weeks. A few students in my class did. I'm not mad at all. I'm seriously happy for them. I'm just glad that I'm starting to get the hang of this stuff.... FINALLY!

And good luck! Don't let anyone scare you. Nursing is what YOU make of it. It's hard as HELL for me. But I enjoy it more than you could imagine.

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Thank you everyone for all the great advice! I fully expect to feel overwhelmed, but I"m trying to do all I can to get organized and focused. I've thought about purchasing a NCLEX review book, but there were so many to choose from that I wasn't sure which one to buy. Has anyone bought one that they felt was particularly good?

Thanks again and good luck to everyone! :)

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I've thought about purchasing a NCLEX review book, but there were so many to choose from that I wasn't sure which one to buy. Has anyone bought one that they felt was particularly good?

Kaplan or Saunders seem to be the go-to choice for many. Browse your local bookstore. There are plenty of options.

Good luck!

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