Advice for new nursing students!

Stcroix, ASN, PhD, RN · Apr 29, 2012

Never let yourself get behind! Stuff is thrown at you fast and furious. I always try to go over 'new' class notes the evening that I got them. Having that input two times before I go to bed seems to help make the information 'stick'. I always try to have my work done a day before I think I need to because, guess what, life happens and you often find you lose some time studying.

brillohead, ADN, RN · Apr 29, 2012

Figure out what kind of learner you are and use techniques that support that.

Some people need to HEAR stuff -- record lectures and listen to them in your car, while cooking dinner, while going to sleep at night, etc. Or read your chapters out loud (recording yourself) and play those over again so you can "hear" them instead of "see" them.

Some people need to SEE/READ/WRITE stuff -- I'm like this, and I cannot STAND to have writing/highlighting in my textbooks because it's distracting to my eyes, which makes it distracting to my brain. Even if the instructor gives us powerpoints to have as notes during class, I still like to hand-write the material again, and even type it up after that. The act of seeing it written, writing it by hand myself, and then typing it myself seems to really help cement it in my brain.

Other people need MOVEMENT to plant stuff in their brain -- standing and writing stuff on a whiteboard, walking on a treadmill while reading, manipulating something with their hands (a squishy "fiddle-toy" like ADHD students use, knitting, squeezing clay, etc.) while listening to lecture, etc.

Most important is to find out what works FOR YOU. Some people do well with flashcards and lots of repetition... I personally get more from WRITING the flashcards than from reading the flashcards.... some people need to sing their flashcards. I'm also easily distracted by noises, and I find that if I listen to a playlist of sedate classical music, it puts my brain into a "homework mode"... it keeps my ears so busy that they don't have time to distract my brain, I guess. I have this playlist on my desktop computer, my netbook, and my MP3 player -- I can even study at my son's hockey practices (which are VERY noisy) or the library without getting distracted simply by listening with my noise-canceling earphones.

Organization is NECESSARY. In addition to a written planner, I recommend some sort of online/electronic backup (you'll be screwed if you lose your planner with all the assignment due dates without a backup; sometimes you're not in the same place as your planner, etc.). I like to use Google Calendar and set it up to send me email reminders for big projects (I'm a horrible procrastinator!).

Get yourself a gazillion different books, don't rely on your textbook alone. My school's "required" NANDA book really sucks (look up breathing in the index and there is NOTHING... seriously? isn't breathing kinda important?), so I bought others that I like better. NCLEX study guides, the "For Dummies" or "Made Incredibly Easy" series, careplan books, physiology, pathophysiology, med-surg, etc..... you can get them dirt-cheap if you buy the previous edition or a used one -- there are a gazillion online used bookstores. Sometimes reading something from a different author makes a world of difference. When you're doing research for papers, you'll have a gazillion resources at your fingertips. And instructors are known to take test questions from other textbooks, so it's a good idea to familiarize with your subject in several different ways.

BrittRN2B14 · Apr 29, 2012

Figure out what kind of learner you are and use techniques that support that.
Some people need to HEAR stuff -- record lectures and listen to them in your car, while cooking dinner, while going to sleep at night, etc. Or read your chapters out loud (recording yourself) and play those over again so you can "hear" them instead of "see" them.
Some people need to SEE/READ/WRITE stuff -- I'm like this, and I cannot STAND to have writing/highlighting in my textbooks because it's distracting to my eyes, which makes it distracting to my brain. Even if the instructor gives us powerpoints to have as notes during class, I still like to hand-write the material again, and even type it up after that. The act of seeing it written, writing it by hand myself, and then typing it myself seems to really help cement it in my brain.
Other people need MOVEMENT to plant stuff in their brain -- standing and writing stuff on a whiteboard, walking on a treadmill while reading, manipulating something with their hands (a squishy "fiddle-toy" like ADHD students use, knitting, squeezing clay, etc.) while listening to lecture, etc.
Most important is to find out what works FOR YOU. Some people do well with flashcards and lots of repetition... I personally get more from WRITING the flashcards than from reading the flashcards.... some people need to sing their flashcards. I'm also easily distracted by noises, and I find that if I listen to a playlist of sedate classical music, it puts my brain into a "homework mode"... it keeps my ears so busy that they don't have time to distract my brain, I guess. I have this playlist on my desktop computer, my netbook, and my MP3 player -- I can even study at my son's hockey practices (which are VERY noisy) or the library without getting distracted simply by listening with my noise-canceling earphones.
Organization is NECESSARY. In addition to a written planner, I recommend some sort of online/electronic backup (you'll be screwed if you lose your planner with all the assignment due dates without a backup; sometimes you're not in the same place as your planner, etc.). I like to use Google Calendar and set it up to send me email reminders for big projects (I'm a horrible procrastinator!).
Get yourself a gazillion different books, don't rely on your textbook alone. My school's "required" NANDA book really sucks (look up breathing in the index and there is NOTHING... seriously? isn't breathing kinda important?), so I bought others that I like better. NCLEX study guides, the "For Dummies" or "Made Incredibly Easy" series, careplan books, physiology, pathophysiology, med-surg, etc..... you can get them dirt-cheap if you buy the previous edition or a used one -- there are a gazillion online used bookstores. Sometimes reading something from a different author makes a world of difference. When you're doing research for papers, you'll have a gazillion resources at your fingertips. And instructors are known to take test questions from other textbooks, so it's a good idea to familiarize with your subject in several different ways.

Love the at advice. Thanks so much. Do you mind if I put some of your advice in my blog quoted from you of course :)

brillohead, ADN, RN · Apr 29, 2012

Love the at advice. Thanks so much. Do you mind if I put some of your advice in my blog quoted from you of course :)

Absolutely! And rather than using me as the resource, just link-back to this whole thread so everyone's advice is available -- I don't need any personal glory.

brillohead, ADN, RN · Apr 29, 2012

also, even though it's lengthy, i recommend reading this thread:

things you would love to say to your fellow nursing students!

even thought it's meant to be a vent thread for the most part, there is a lot of good advice in there -- things like sit in the front of the class, shut up, don't tap your pen, personality types to avoid, etc.

clearblue3 · Apr 30, 2012

And this tip may sound crazy but I suppose it doesn't hurt...a psychologist friend of mine told me that if you sleep with something study related under your pillow...notes or study guide etc. that whenever you touch it when you are asleep your subconscious mind will run over what you have been studying. She said that she used that tip in grad school and is sure she had to study less because of it...but who knows :-) She also said her daughter started using it and saw her grades improve :-) I have tried it, but of course can't say if it helps. But when I wake up in the middle of the night or the next morning I have different things I have been studying on my brain. Anything is worth a shot! :-)

Jennifer70 · Apr 30, 2012

* get prepared as soon as you can, with a special study area. Get all your supplies, books, etc all set up before. I was still buying stuff the first week of school. Not ideal, financially it had to be that way. I felt so unorganized and can't wait for summer so I can get it ALL organized. --Once school starts you will be reading so much you will have no time.

*Buy a good stethescope!

*Buy alot of printer paper and ink before hand, nothing more frustrating than running out of ink the night before when printing the hundreds of papers you will be and having to go buy it.

*Find a local spot such as Starbucks, sometimes the distraction of things that need to get done at home are overwhelming and you feel you need to start that laundry, do the dishes etc. Just Leave.

*purchase a Lippincott Manual of Nursing Practice. Best thing ever.

*Read the assigned reading. I tried just going over lecture and powerpoints....you need to read. Unfortunately, because you will not believe the amount of reading they expect from you, and I am a quick reader.

*and as my instructors say, "embrace change"

lalopop86 · Apr 30, 2012

Roll with the punches, get organized, do NOT let yourself get behind, and don't miss class. Ever. Unless you're in surgery or dead.

brillohead, ADN, RN · Apr 30, 2012

roll with the punches, get organized, do not let yourself get behind, and don't miss class. ever. unless you're in surgery or dead.

honestly, i don't think even surgery or death are good reasons to miss class. never miss class.

busymommy · Apr 30, 2012

Jennifer70 hit all the main points I wanted to mention. :up: Especially the ink & paper - those are excellent things to stock up on at Costco/Sam's Club, or wherever you can find the best price for your printer.

I also recommend highlighting your lecture notes. Find a style/brand of highlighter that you like and get as many colors as you can. (Sharpie has a 10-pack at Target, fyi) Unless you really really need the pictures, I would suggest printing the power point slides in "outline format". This saves paper and leaves a lot of room for your own notes. I'm kinda old school that way, though. Plus, it saves on the color ink! :-)

Yes, do the reading, but (personal opinion alert!) instead of reading word-for-word, read the chapter summaries and skim the different sections in those chapters. I found that for med-surg, it was a good idea to print the lecture notes the night before class and read them along with the chapters covered in those notes. I would highlight each topic in the notes with a certain color, and highlight with that same color in the book, but ONLY the parts that related to the lecture notes. It might seem like a lot of work, but it translated into better exam scores for me. You will have a much better idea of how much to read once you've taken your first round of exams.

Lastly, I highly recommend the following book to pre-nursing and current nursing students: How to Survivie & Maybe Even Love Nursing School: A Guide FOR Students BY Students, by Kelli S. Dunham. Newest is the 3rd edition, 2008. My copy is dogeared and has a lot of water wrinkles, because it's still part of my summer reading at the neighborhood pool. I still refer to it and it's helped me tremendously, especially at those times when I'm seriously lacking the motivation to study, or even keep going in the program.

GOOD LUCK!!

Stcroix, ASN, PhD, RN · Apr 30, 2012

Yes, lots of paper and ink. However, I found out I could buy ink in bulk on the internet and refill my own old cartridges. Yes, it works fine, but a little messy. Saves like 90+% over the cost of new. Yes, I get error messages on my printer that tells me it detected refilled or used cartridges and my warranty would be void blah, blah, blah. I got a refill kit on Amazon for like $15. So far I have printed like a case and a 1/2 of paper on $20 worth of ink. Check it out.

KatePasa · Apr 30, 2012

Conquer anxiety! 99.9% of nursing students experience anxiety at some part. If you don't learn to cope with it effectively, it could be your undoing.

Practice study hygiene. The grand gestures at studying that will not amount to a hill of beans, unless you do something everyday. Do the something everyday and learn to adapt as needed. Me, I get up early every morning and read assigned readings. Yes, every morning. I may sleep in an extra half-hour on Sundays, but I still hit the books when I do get up.

Write notes on your readings. Underline as you read, but then go quickly back over it at a later time and write out notes. If you write as you read the first time, it will take forever and you'll write too much. Everything seems important the first time through. It's the second glance that really helps it sink in and helps you rat out what's important.

Don't procrastinate. Don't willfully allow yourself to get behind. Don't don't don't.

Be flexible, resilient, and understanding in all aspects of nursing school...with yourself, your classmates, your instructors, and the nurses in clinical. Remember what Confucius said 'The green reed which bends in the wind is stronger than the mighty oak which breaks in a storm.'

Be prepared to grow. You may think you are a grown up now, but just wait to see the amazing transformation that nursing school will help you go through!

Best Luck!