CSULB how do you do well 1st semester

[paljm]

Hi All,

I know there are a few CSULB students that are in later semesters that lurk around this site and I have been dying to get any info from anyone possible about first semester.... I have talked to three alumni from the program and they have given me a lot of advice, but I'm still hungry for more information. We are currently 6 weeks into our semester and have already had our skills test and first test for N200...i got a B but just barely...I want to know if it is even humanly possible to get an A in N200 fundamentals (i dont have path or pharm btw)...If you have can you tell me what you did or if you know someone who did can you share how they managed to pull it off?

I feel like I have a really good grasp on all the info, I make outlines of the chapters, do evolve, practice nclex questions, read the ATI book, study the SLO's, websites that have other fundamentals quizzes, the ppts...pretty much anything I can get my hands on....and when it came to the test I felt that it helped me some but the questions just seemed so general and broad compared to what I had learned and remembered from my studying....if you could give me any tips or advice I would greatly appreciate it :)

[CA_BSN_Student]

Believe it or not, you appear to be on the right track. Sounds like you're studying very diligently, using various resources, and don't have to worry about studying for pharm & patho. You got a B on the first exam and that's actually pretty good! I'm not sure if anyone can give you an advice or two that can "instantly" boost your exam grades into A's. I felt like I had to change the way I think during 1st semester. It was no longer memorizing terms, data, and concepts and regurgitating them during exams. Exam questions were more like what's more important based on the situation given or if something were to happen, what are you going to do about it as a nurse? I had to learn to read the entire question, sometimes twice, and make sure I understand what's being asked instead of skimming through for key words. I remember a 3rd semester student came to our class to give us a "pep talk" and I was doing the same thing that you're doing right now, trying to get all the tips that I can get on how to do well. Her suggestions weren't really helpful for me but we all sort of figured out what works for us between 1st and 2nd semester.

I do advice you to make an appointment & talk to the lecture instructor after your exams. They can sometimes gauge your thinking process and help direct you towards the "right direction". Occasionally you might even get some points back if you have valid resources. If I remember correctly, you can get some bonus points towards lecture grade if you do really well in clinical. That made a big difference on my final grade so I encourage you to do your best in clinical. Those exams do get easier however, and I think the last exam will seem more straight forward.