advice would be nice :)

Nurse Rodriguez, LPN · Aug 22, 2012

So I just got back from picking up my books, 20 total including drug guide, dictionary, and a few study guides..and just llooking at all of them kinda scares/stresses me out. Anyone have any advice for the first day and how to not become so overwhelmed.. Any advice helps :)

Hey just maintain focus and positive and sorround yourself around postitive people, who know what they are doing and have a goal. What school are you attending?

meanmaryjean, DNP, RN · Aug 22, 2012

The unknown is always fearful. I would suggest just opening them each - one at a time - and reading though the Table of Contents. Then, at least, you know what is IN the books, and you've seen the topic before when you get to that topic in class.

Good luck to you. I started out as an LPN many, many years ago. My total tuition / books /uniform cost for the ENTIRE PROGRAM was $650. You probably spent that much just on books! :)

CT Pixie, BSN, RN · Aug 22, 2012

Just breathe. It will be an overwhelming amount of info you get on your first day. Some scare tactics are sure to be used. My fav is always, take a look to your left and now to your right, the chances are better than not, that one of those people will not be at graduation. And while it is true its enough to scare the beegezus out of someone.

Try to listen carefully to specific dates they mention. Write things down and if you have a question..ASK, don't rely on another students memory later on to inform you on what date had been mentioned etc. Many times they are wrong. Highlight important dates. Bring a planner or calender and mark those dates in the book then.

If you've already been given a syllabus be sure to read any assigned chapters/pages. For my first day of LPN school our syllabus had been given to us when we picked up our books. Many students didn't bother to look through anything and were surprised to find out that during our first day lecture took place for several subjects that had been assigned readings on the syllabus. Look through all the papers you are given on the first day and keep them in a handy and safe place for future refrence. I made copies of all the papers given to us. I kept one copy with my school things that I took to school every day. That way if I had a question when in school I had the paperwork handy. I kept the orig papers at home in my desk.

Try to avoid the ney-sayers and negative people. Every class has them and you can pick them out on the first day. They are the ones who immediatly start to question, argue and fight about the 'rules' and everything being said. They are the ones who are bashing the school and the teachers and saying things like 'this isn't fair, how come we can't ___, the other school doesn't have this rule". They will only bring you down. Think positive and surround yourself with students like you.

Keep up with readings and assignments, and if you have time read the chapters that are upcoming so you get a little bit of an understanding on the material. Better to be ahead than to fall even a little behind. Do not EVER fall behind, its nearly impossible to catch up.

And again, remember to breathe. You CAN do this

LeeLeeTheGPN · Aug 22, 2012

Great advice from CT Pixie. Also, take a gander at the schedule of courses. All of those textbooks seem very daunting, but you will realize that there are so many different books because of the different classes you will be taking throughout the program. You will not be reading through all of those books at once. Also, remember to stay organized and focused on the tasks at hand, try not to overwhelm yourself. And as Pixie said, ally yourself with positive people who are eager to learn and want to be successful at the end of this program. I using this same advice myself! My school doled out our textbooks a few weeks ago and it felt as if we were given every nursing textbook ever created for Practical Nursing! But I compared the list of materials we were given to the our course schedule and I was not intimidated anymore. I also took the time to browse through the textbooks to get a feel for the material I'd be learning over the next year. Beside that, my school also assigned us reading and some study guides to complete so it really prepared me a lot. It was also a big help to have people at my job who graduated from my program telling me exactly what to expect and how to succeed! Now I'm just ready for the start!