Do I have the intelligent capability of becoming a nurse?

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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I must study at least 26 hours a week just for anatomy and physiology 1. That book NEVER leaves my side. I read, re-read, watch you tube videos, write down online lectures, and I just don't understand it. What I do understand, I forget when I review. I've made one 68 and the rest low C's. I've been in and out of college for about three years; I have never struggled with a course as much as I have this. I'm also taking three other courses in which my grades are gradually decreases, I spend most of my time on A&P, and I start Phlebotomy classes at night so I can work in health care while working towards becoming a nurse. In the summer, I'm starting CNA also because I hear it's very challenging to find a job as a phlebotomist as a back-up plan. I'm starting too feel like I am not smart enough to be a nurse. I put so much into this class and so many students are failing and dropping. My instructor expects us to learn on our own and doesn't teach: he's a 83 year old man. I also didn't graduate high school which plays a role in my weak educational background in science, and I guess I should add I use to be a heavy drug user meth, cocaine, weed, ecstasy for most of my teenage years which greatly affects my cognitive skills. Please give me any advice. I've become obsessed and need some answers.

NOTE: My teacher has given us a just a week to study for 5 chapters, 132 pages of material. It's towards the end of the semester and were moving quite fast.

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You have the intelligence just not the confidence. You have overcome a lot and you can conquer this as well. Give yourself a break and give yourself a chance and your chance a chance!! Good luck to you and at least you have gotten into a nursing program.

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You should look into getting a tutor on campus. I am not in nursing school (yet), but I attended college already and we had free tutoring. You should definitely sit with your instructor and talk about the issues. Tell him it isn't right for him to require so much out-of-class work. If you're having problems with his methods you should contact the department head or some kind of director. They might be able to change that. Worst case scenario is that you retake the class. Pick a differently instructor in that case. Keep working though. You can do it!!!

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Maybe you don't learn by reading. Try drawing and labeling. It worked for me and got an A in anatomy and getting an A/B in physiology. (will be an A by the time I am done). Reading is like blah blah blah to me. I mad photo copies of the structures of the body and the parts of the organs, cells etc. I labeled them over and over again using the guide with the answers. I then started to fill them in NOT using the guide. Studied the stuff I got wrong and tried it again. (and again and again-a forest was killed in this process) for physiology-similar thing but make sure to draw the histology slides out not just look at a pic. label what and why and functions etc. again and again. Now, this worked for me but we all have different learning styles. See if you can get tested at a tutoring location for YOUR learning style. Put in the time and use a tutor at school for suggestions. What is it the teacher wants you to learn for the test? That is also a big question. Does he emphasize things in lab or lecture and then they end up being on the exam? Or is he a teacher that will test you on ANYTHING in class or in the book and no special emphasis? Try more than one tutor to get different tutoring styles too. See who helps you most. Analyze what you are getting right and what you are getting wrong on the exam. If you are just not memorizing the info then your problem is HOW you are trying to memorize it. Learn it over and over again, verbally (speak it over and over again), write/draw it, look at it. THEN after it feels comfortable quiz yourself one at a time (flash cards help) I say one at a time so you don't answer a bunch of questions only to get half wrong and now you have the wrong answers in your head. It is ALWAYS best to correct a wrong answer immediately. Like a quick slap on the hand that says--NO! Wrong answer, it is this answer instead! Good luck and don't give up, more than half my anatomy class quit before the end of class. Don't think that many fared well on the exams/final either. My teacher was awesome and very helpful. It is just hard info to absorb if you are not used to it and have concentration issues to boot. You are doing fine. Take the class again if you don't do great. I also only take one hard science course a semester and focus on easier stuff to balance it out. I did phlebotomy and EMT in summer and in a semester I could not get into a pre-req course due to impaction. Don't take on more than you can chew. Realize and respect your weaknesses. But that does NOT mean to give up. Just take less and balance the classes out. Also Rate my professor .com can help but take it with a grain of salt. All the science core classes ARE hard and people end up saying bad things about the professor for it. See how he helps and listens and how he/she lectures and how the class is structured. Name calling is usually just that they got a bad grade, so read a lot of reviews before you get a feel. GOOD LUCK and keep plugging forward!

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I rarely read the book in A&P, I watched lots and lots of videos on youtube on the form and function of different cells, structures, organ systems, and processes. As far as memorization of anatomy, I made point and click diagram games on purposegames.comand that helped me a lot.

I think that tenacity and drive are as important, if not more important, than IQ when it comes to nursing school. If you are willing to put in 20+ hours per week studying than it sounds like you have what it takes, you just need to figure out how to best use those 20 hours. Go to open lab- it is a great way to have 1 on 1 conversations with an instructor. Use campus tutoring. Become friends with someone who "gets it" and if you haven't already- you need to meet with the professor.

Best of luck :)

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Specializes in Hospice, Palliative Care.

Good day:

1. Everyone learns differently; find your style(s), and go with it. Realize that even if one method works for one class, you might have to change it up for another class.

2. My AP2 professor reminded a number of us that intelligence DOES NOT qualify one to be in health care. It is only one factor of many. Compassion towards people, being able to have and show empathy and sympathy and passion for others counts far more than pure intelligence.

Thank you.

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Thanks

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Maybe you don't learn by reading. Try drawing and labeling. It worked for me and got an A in anatomy and getting an A/B in physiology. (will be an A by the time I am done). Reading is like blah blah blah to me. I mad photo copies of the structures of the body and the parts of the organs, cells etc. I labeled them over and over again using the guide with the answers. I then started to fill them in NOT using the guide. Studied the stuff I got wrong and tried it again. (and again and again-a forest was killed in this process) for physiology-similar thing but make sure to draw the histology slides out not just look at a pic. label what and why and functions etc. again and again. Now, this worked for me but we all have different learning styles. See if you can get tested at a tutoring location for YOUR learning style. Put in the time and use a tutor at school for suggestions. What is it the teacher wants you to learn for the test? That is also a big question. Does he emphasize things in lab or lecture and then they end up being on the exam? Or is he a teacher that will test you on ANYTHING in class or in the book and no special emphasis? Try more than one tutor to get different tutoring styles too. See who helps you most. Analyze what you are getting right and what you are getting wrong on the exam. If you are just not memorizing the info then your problem is HOW you are trying to memorize it. Learn it over and over again, verbally (speak it over and over again), write/draw it, look at it. THEN after it feels comfortable quiz yourself one at a time (flash cards help) I say one at a time so you don't answer a bunch of questions only to get half wrong and now you have the wrong answers in your head. It is ALWAYS best to correct a wrong answer immediately. Like a quick slap on the hand that says--NO! Wrong answer, it is this answer instead! Good luck and don't give up, more than half my anatomy class quit before the end of class. Don't think that many fared well on the exams/final either. My teacher was awesome and very helpful. It is just hard info to absorb if you are not used to it and have concentration issues to boot. You are doing fine. Take the class again if you don't do great. I also only take one hard science course a semester and focus on easier stuff to balance it out. I did phlebotomy and EMT in summer and in a semester I could not get into a pre-req course due to impaction. Don't take on more than you can chew. Realize and respect your weaknesses. But that does NOT mean to give up. Just take less and balance the classes out. Also Rate my professor .com can help but take it with a grain of salt. All the science core classes ARE hard and people end up saying bad things about the professor for it. See how he helps and listens and how he/she lectures and how the class is structured. Name calling is usually just that they got a bad grade, so read a lot of reviews before you get a feel. GOOD LUCK and keep plugging forward!

You were very helpful. Same goes for everyone else! Thank you. I think my biggest problem is studying too much material which isn't going to be tested on. I JUST now started looking over the outline he gives us which will for sure be on the test: no idea why I didn't do that before-hand. I can honestly say anything I've learned, I learned on my own. I just don't learn from others and have to figure things out on my own. I like to draw out models before reading so I can have better direction and understanding of whats being read. If I did have to repeat this course again, which I would hate, I believe I would defiantly pass. I think if I keep studying the outline and related material, I'll make B's or at least high C's which will lead me to pass because I only need a 70 considering my GPA is fine (75 average GPA to get into the nursing program). I know what to expect for future classes so that one C won't hurt me too bad.

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Do u study with other people? That helps me tremendously. I go in and basically teach the material that I've read over to my friends. And then they tell me their interpretation of the material. We make diagrams, tables and charts to help organize the material in our minds. The key is to work independently of your notes and only use them for a reference for things you're a little confused about or just forgot. This way you can cement what you know and identify your weak areas.

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I have made a few friends in my AP class that I have tried studying with. Every time I would go to their house to study, they'd always want to "hangout" and talk about personal things instead of studying which frustrated me because it's taking up time, so I'd end up studying by myself and playing counselor. I haven't tired making diagrams/charts which sounds like a really good idea. Right now I'm studying axis and appendicular bones and think I could really apply that.

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Specializes in School Nursing.

Morgan- my first science in college was Biology and I was like you, studied non-stop and barely passed with a C! The next one I did a little better.. than I started to 'get' it. I just graduated nursing school in December. I'm 41! Keep at it, you can do this!

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Specializes in Med/Surg Nurse, Homecare, Visiting Nurse.

I hated AP in school, I took API 2x. I took Microbiology 2x as well. Science and math never came easy to me, I just didn't get it. Try diagrams and with technology these days there is a whole lot of information that you could find. I also read those AP books made easy and found those somewhat helpful. I do hope you get over this bridge and move on to become a nurse, it's just a hurdle you have to deal with.

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