Didn't take first year of nursing seriously

[sky13]

I didn't pay attention in class or learn much from the entirety of first year and got by from relying on my assignments and a bit of cheating, and now in second year with it being online I am really struggling. Like, I learned nothing from my anatomy classes in first year and haven't gone to any of my patho video lectures this year with my mid term tomorrow. This paired with a lot of family problems at home and awful study habits and motivation has made my grades go pretty low and I'm really worried about the consequences of this. I am halfway done first semester of second year with next to no knowledge from any classes I have taken and I really want to turn this around. Can anyone offer any advice as to how I can move forward? I'm feeling really lost.

[caliotter3]

If you are having family problems or perhaps you have a medical problem, you might have the basis to request a leave of absence from the program. Most schools allow for up to one year on a LOA. Of course, you know where I am going with this. This is not to sit back and lounge. It is to give you a breather to settle your ability to function no matter what is happening in your personal life as well as to get up to speed on your studies. If possible, get with a tutor that does not charge fees, to assist you. Otherwise use all available resources and make the most of the time. Come back to join the next class with an improved outlook and attitude. Just an idea.

[ADN2DNP, ADN, BSN, RN]

I think that a big problem that nursing students have is really not touching upon the basics that really help you understand the nursing material. For example, I had classmates really struggle in our cardiac lectures in nursing school simply because they had a superficial knowledge of cardiac A&P; hopefully that example provided some clarity of what I'm trying to say. 

For the family problems, we all experience this and no doubt they can be compounded due to the fact that we are in the midst of a pandemic. If this is a really big factor which is hindering you from success in your studies, I suggest taking a LOA like others have mentioned.

If you feel like you can still go on and your grades are salvageable, go back to the basics and check yourself to see if you truly understand the material then go further into the more complex stuff. Youtube has great resources if you're not a textbook kind of student (I wasn't). A tutor would also be a great idea if your finances can afford it, just make sure you find one that you mesh with.