First semester studies?

Hey Congrats on Acceptance... Kudos...

Well first semester... Seems like forever (but it was only last yr) ugh...

Let's See the one's I remember was history... Fluid and Electrolytes... Endocrine... GI...

The fluid and electrolyte test was Hell... Material had so many Norms...

If I was you.. I get a head start on normal Lab values... If you can get those Memorized Then you should be Good...

Also... the Way I study is 1) if you get PowerPoint hand-outs... Then read over those a Bunch... 2) get a Nclex-rn book... and Review questions the pertain to the Upcoming test... It's amazing how much that helps...

Quit partying... Pick up drinking... And you should be Fine... lol

Just playing About the Drinking... But most do..

I'm just finishing up my first semester (Med/Surg, Assessment, Concepts, and Psych) and I don't think there is anything you can do to prepare. You will already be ahead of the game with your hospital and CNA experience!

Just relax and read a book and watch a few movies before classes start! I don't find nursing school hard, but there is a lot to read and do...I miss reading FUN books and sitting around doing nothing for hours...LOL.

Thanks for the help. Is there any particular "brand" of the Nclex review book that was more helpful to you? I know several companies put them out. When I was taking A and P over the summer, I found the Kaplan version of A and P review to be pretty good. Not sure about the Nclex though.

Is there anything else anyone can think of that might help me out if I started looking ahead a bit? Are there any big lists or anything that first year that are mostly memorization and might take a lot of time? I wouldn't mind starting to glance through stuff like that since I have a month or so before school starts.

Thanks again!

Thanks for the help. Is there any particular "brand" of the Nclex review book that was more helpful to you? I know several companies put them out. When I was taking A and P over the summer, I found the Kaplan version of A and P review to be pretty good. Not sure about the Nclex though.

Is there anything else anyone can think of that might help me out if I started looking ahead a bit? Are there any big lists or anything that first year that are mostly memorization and might take a lot of time? I wouldn't mind starting to glance through stuff like that since I have a month or so before school starts.

Thanks again!

Find out who wrote the nursing books you all use... Like we have Mosby... And saunders... But Just remember their might be one or two test memorizing... But everything else is application... What would u do in this scenerio type stuff...

If you can get your med math book ahead of time you may want to page through that. Our math was all independant study, yet if you don't pass the math you are out. Silly.

Yes you can start by reading a book on Dosage calculation(isbn: 0766862860) it is a self study book. If you are familiar with dosage calculation you can start reading and studying about health assessment.

Learn and remember some terminologies on health assessment - Alopecia(baldness), nevi(mole), xerosis(dry skin), ephilides(freckles), pallor, erythema, cyanosis....

Goodluck.

Most of what I would've suggested is listed above (including ENJOYING your freedom!)....dosage is HUGE, assessment skills, vitals...get your book and start reviewing chapters early...if you could get a copy of 1st semester syllabus, that'd be helpful...we studied about everything in this silly book (Potter & Perry), so anything you could read ahead would save you a small amount of time....and then there's lab skills....maybe review some of the links to be found on this site...here's one that Daytonite had posted some time ago from another college...they're a bit lengthy, but might be helpful to see some of what you'll be expected to do for checkouts:

Index of /DCG/videos/faculty/Dutra/N110A/

Try to prep family and friends that there will just be times when you'll be waist-deep in reading, studying, and doing things for school and that you'll catch up with them at break and to please be understanding...and then try to find time during school to give yourself a break and have lunch or a movie date with these folks....you're going to need that, too!

I didn't come from any kind of healthcare background and have managed to hold my own so far; you'll be fine!! Good luck!

I can relate - I had this whole last summer off and desperately wanted to prepare for my 2nd year...I quickly became overwhelmed and BORED just reading ahead in my textbooks...

I say, you can never go wrong studying medications and math for meds. I wouldn't recommend buying a textbook, just in case your school will want you to buy a different one, but you could check out what the library has and go from there. I'd get a Pharmacology book and a Medication math book. And memorizing lab values, as Shaazzaamm suggested is a good idea, too.

Good luck!

Wow, thanks for all the great responses. I've got tons of info to get me started now! (Which could be a good thing or a bad thing haha.) Time to get down to business...

I've already prepared my family for the fact that I'll be studying and gone a lot and am lucky they're so supportive. I guess we all manage somehow, right?