First Semester Nursing School - Tips??

baby.icu.nurse, ADN, RN · Feb 9, 2020

Just graduated in Dec. I think if you have an interest in science and the WHY then you'll be fine. I definitely didn't think the material was hard, it was just the amount of work assigned. I'm one of those students who read almost every assigned chapter. Sure, I had no life, but I didn't come to play being that I was 32 with a 5 month old when I started. I feel that if you read and really strive to understand the pathophysiology, you can determine which symptoms you will see and thus, determine which nursing interventions you will need to implement. You will get better at this as you progress. Our first semester was fundamentals and I feel that it was really important to understand fundamentals because we really actually built on that as we went. Lastly, reading everything will help in the long run because then you won't have to study so hard (or at all) for the NCLEX. Good luck!

PeekaPooh · Feb 9, 2020

One tip I can give is to read the chapters ahead of time before the actual lecture date. It will make much more sense during lectures. You may not understand the materials right away when you read it ahead of time, but it will help once the lecture starts. You will have more time to come up with questions too. Perhaps you have been doing this already for all your classes, if so kudos to you ?

TheDudeWithTheBigDog, ADN, RN · Feb 11, 2020

Nursing school is the same as any other college program. Learn how you learn, and do that. It's only the hardest thing you've ever done if you've never been to college before. If you've been to college before, it's just college. Something that millions of people graduate every year. And nursing school is something that complete idiots manage to get through.

The trick is to identify your strengths and weaknesses in learning ASAP. Use what you're strong with, and for your weaknesses, look for tutoring, meet with your teachers, there's tons of resources at most colleges to help you where you're struggling. It's more tedious than hard.

BUT, clinical is what kind throws the whole thing off. It's state mandated to graduate. That means you can't miss it, and have to have both the state's minimum, and your school's minimum. It's way more common than it should be that if your instructor has to call out from clinical a day, you're calling out of work later that week to make up clinical, or your fail. The time commitment that's required by schools isn't compatible with being an adult who has to pay bills every month. So many success stories include that little part about how the person's husband or wife covered the bills so that they can go to school.

It's possible to work and go to school. Best practice is to get scheduled to work the same day as your lectures. It's going to be long days, but it's steady. Lecture won't be cancelled to put you in clinical.

BagelBomber, ASN, BSN, RN · Feb 12, 2020

I'm graduating in May, and have worked full-time throughout nursing school. It's totally doable, but I highly suggest getting a planner and using it like crazy to make sure you stay organized. I literally ALWAYS have my planner with me. Stay on top of assignments (yes, most seem like pointless busy work, and most of them probably are), and prep for exams in a way that fits your learning style and you'll be fine. Regardless of your learning style- DO PRACTICE QUESTIONS as much as possible and get your butt to clinical early (not on time....plan to get there early always).

Kotylynne · Feb 12, 2020

I'm only a month in ? but so far I have learned you will probably need to ADJUST your learning style a bit while in. I have needed to anyway, I practice millions of questions BUT getting used to taling notes on my own before lecture is hard because I have to remind myself we are NOT just spitting the info back out.

PeekaPooh · Feb 12, 2020

Oh yes, get to clinical/externship/internship early is another good tip from BagelBomber. Nurses that you will follow or being assigned to love students who show up early. Those students are the ones who are prepared because they already looked up patients info. On my unit, a few nurses (good ones too) refused to take students who are late. But then of course it varies from places to places and nurses to nurses ?

Natasha A., CNA, LVN · Feb 12, 2020

#1 time management in everything

#2 book smart is only half the battle.

#3 Cs get degrees

#4 Read the serenity prayer

Try to see the good in everything

Neo Soldier, BSN, RN · Feb 13, 2020

You can read an entire chapter and still fail if you don't know the rationale behind a process. Don't memorize- you're past anatomy and physiology.

Time management is important. If you're studying for two hours, study for two hours. If you feel sleepy and staring blankly at a page for two hours, go to bed. You will learn nothing.

If you must study with others, make sure you study with people who will add more knowledge than you started with.

Ask if you can record lectures. Listen to your lectures on your drive home, and to school.

Do practice questions and read rationales.

spot12312 · Jul 19, 2020

Update, Just finished my first semester and I passed! Thank you to everyone who commented. Starting medical surgical tomorrow

spot12312 · May 23, 2021

Update to the update for those who subscribed to this LOL its about 4 months until I graduate, Im in my fourth and final semester for the ADN/BSN program and It has definitely been a rough ride especially with COVID going on. Overall the advice helped!! Thanks to everyone

FiremedicMike, RN, EMT-P · May 24, 2021

On 2/5/2020 at 8:02 PM, spot12312 said:

Hello,

I am starting my first semester of nursing school in a few weeks and want to know any tips/suggestions/study habits that you guys may have found successful while in the program?

I am pretty motivated to succeed, so studying has never been an issue for me. However, I've heard mixed reviews from other people saying that nursing school isn't that hard or that it's the hardest thing they've ever done. I know it's definitely not going to be a walk in the park, but what do you guys think?

Thank you!

I am 2 semesters ahead of you.

My biggest tip - DO NOT GET BEHIND. Make quality study guides (or complete, if your program is nice enough to provide them) for each exam and keep them handy so that you can reference them in the future, especially pharm. They constantly pull in questions from previous exams, so being able to at least give past study guides a once over is extremely valuable.

Second biggest tip - start working on NCLEX and HESI practice questions from the beginning. Use the appropriate guide for whatever unit you're working on at the moment.

Edited to add: Oh crap, you're well ahead of that, LOL