GCC PT program and Study Tips!

Ok, Luann and GlendaleStudent, I know you are in here!!

Well, I have started school and am sufficiently overwhelmed I believe. :rotfl:

Wanted to know now....Glendale Student......you work FT. Tell me how you prepare for your classes. Do you just read and then only take notes in lecure and study lecture notes for tests? I am sortof trying to feel out whether I should even bother outlining info from the text before the lecture, only because I have patho as well and don't know if I will have time.

Please give me an idea of how you break up the assignments and what your study schedule is like (what you do first, second...)

I'm flailin' around here. This is the most school I have had in over ten years! Thanks so much guys!:)

Anyone else have any tips.........please respond!!!:)

Hi!! Did the instructor give you Power point lecture notes? I had different instructors, but this is what I did. For Process, I read the book. Some people did outlines and did well with that, but I work 40 hours a week, so I didn't have time. For Assessment, I did the study guide (the entire thing, not just the multiple choice questions.) For pharm, I read the book and did the multiple choice questions in the study quide. Also, there are NCLEX questions for the books on the EVOLVE website. I spent about 10-15 hours studying/reading every week and I would double that time to study for a test.

The first tests will be the hardest because you don't know what to expect, but you will be fine. Good luck!! :)

I am sortof trying to feel out whether I should even bother outlining info from the text before the lecture, only because I have patho as well and don't know if I will have time.

Anyone else have any tips.........please respond!!!:)

Are you taking Patho at Glendale?

I had ***** and she was ok. The lecture was chatty and more anecdotal hospital story telling, so note taking was challenging. I didn't think she gave many clues about what was important to know. The big thing I discovered however was that she used workbook questions at the start of the semester for the quizzes. Once everyone caught wind she mixed it up a bit. Although I wouldn't advise it, in the beginning of the semester you could get a very good grade by just memorizing workbook practice questions.

Glendale Student........

The reading alone looks like it would take 10-15 hours!!!:uhoh21: Do you "skim" the reading or something? Some of it seems not so important, do you just try to get out the important stuff? I am thinking as I read that I am never going to remember this! Should I be taking notes or something? I think of doing that, then I think, but how will I study too and finish the reading too. Or is this herein lies the stress of nursing school?:rotfl:

I just feel like I don't have a "plan". I feel very disorganized. It has been a long time since I have juggled multiple classes and took notes other than during lecture! Can you give me any more tips to organize myself and my studies...what do you do first, the second, then last as far as throughout the week? If you can tell me, what were your grades for Block 1 doing what you did? Also.....is everything out of the books on the tests or could I actually skim read the reading and study hard the power points?

Oh, where are your clinicals at Block 1? Thanks!

Kabin.........no I have Patho with *******.....thanks for the tips though!:)

Glendale Student........

The reading alone looks like it would take 10-15 hours!!!:uhoh21: Do you "skim" the reading or something? Some of it seems not so important, do you just try to get out the important stuff? I am thinking as I read that I am never going to remember this! Should I be taking notes or something? I think of doing that, then I think, but how will I study too and finish the reading too. Or is this herein lies the stress of nursing school?:rotfl:

I just feel like I don't have a "plan". I feel very disorganized. It has been a long time since I have juggled multiple classes and took notes other than during lecture! Can you give me any more tips to organize myself and my studies...what do you do first, the second, then last as far as throughout the week? If you can tell me, what were your grades for Block 1 doing what you did? Also.....is everything out of the books on the tests or could I actually skim read the reading and study hard the power points?

Oh, where are your clinicals at Block 1? Thanks!

Kabin.........no I have Patho with ******.....thanks for the tips though!:)

For Process, I read the chapters and I taped the lecture. Later at work, I would listen to the lecture on tape, while I was working. (I got low 90's on my tests doing this). Many questions on the test were not covered in lecture, so you definitely need to READ THE BOOK. If you have time, make an outline if that helps you. I do believe that writing things down helps to reinforce it in your brain. ( I didn't have time to do this).

For Assessment, the first test I ever took, I got a 76%---the material just seemed so easy, it couldn't be hard, right? WRONG!!! I made the mistake of just studying the powerpoints. After, the first test I started studying the book and working from the workbook and got low 90's and high 80's.

For Pharm, I studied the book and workbook and got A's on my first 2 tests, and then the tests got harder and I started to get low to mid 80's. (The first couple of tests were kind of easy, and many of my classmates told me they only studied the powerpoints and did ok).

I ended up with all B's in all of my classes.

I also spent a lot of time in study groups with classmates and that helped. We would quiz each other over the information.

Memorizing the information won't help you in Process. KNOW YOUR PATHO. Your patho class will help you in your process class. The questions are application..."WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?" type of questions.

I study/read 2 hours every morning and throughout the day on Sunday (I study for an hour, do some housework, study, eat, study, etc). On the week before a test, I throw in extra time to study in the evenings (usually with/classmates).

I didn't have much time for social activities, or even watch television. I do think you should set aside some time (like one night a week to do something fun, even if it's just to watch a favorite TV show).

Everyone is worried about their 1st test...DON'T FREAK OUT...you will do fine.:)

Thank you again!

Wow, I am taking Patho now, will that make this especially hard for me or maybe give me an advantage over the others that had patho a while back?? Guess it seems it could work both ways, although I even forgot parts of anatomy! I can't believe how little I seem to know now!

All your feedback helps. I need to get organized.........FAST. I have to relearn also how to be a college student! I have taken a class here and there for a while , but haven't had a full schedule for I don't know how long. Your tips hopefully will help me a lot. Your help has been appreciated more than you know.......I have no one else to ask!

I am in the process of forming a study group.......hopefully a good one. Honestly, right now, I hope I come up with a better plan cuz I am trying just to get the reading done this week. And no outline, so I don't know how I will remember it!:stone Well...........deep breaths!

I'll let ya know what I come up with............Hey, you didn't tell me where your clinicals are!!!:uhoh21:

Thrash--

Hey there! Well, I am in the block 1 right now also (as you know Estrella CC), but not sure how much help I can be to you! We will have to pass study tips back and forth. I am doing Patho also and wish so much I would have taken it before, but I did not know you could take it as a prereq! I thought it was just part of the nursing program.

Anyway, we talk to the block 2 students everyday and it's always the same "watch out for the nursing process/critical thinking class!" What book are you using? We are using mosby Foundations of nursing. I hear the tests are very NCLEX style and are instructor is all business.

So far I've just been taking the powerpoints to outline various parts in the chapter, and I do this while she is lecturing. Then I jot down all the important parts when I read the chapter. Go over all the objectives for the chapter( I write those down too) and do the practice questions at the end. I wish there was a study guide or something that came with this book! I need more practice questions!

Anyway, what are your classes like? At estrella we are all in one room, and various teachers come in and out for our classes. So we have all pretty much gotten to know eachother well. I think I will talk to a few tomorrow about a study group, that's a good idea.

Rebecca

Thank you again!

Wow, I am taking Patho now, will that make this especially hard for me or maybe give me an advantage over the others that had patho a while back?? Guess it seems it could work both ways, although I even forgot parts of anatomy! I can't believe how little I seem to know now!

All your feedback helps. I need to get organized.........FAST. I have to relearn also how to be a college student! I have taken a class here and there for a while , but haven't had a full schedule for I don't know how long. Your tips hopefully will help me a lot. Your help has been appreciated more than you know.......I have no one else to ask!

I am in the process of forming a study group.......hopefully a good one. Honestly, right now, I hope I come up with a better plan cuz I am trying just to get the reading done this week. And no outline, so I don't know how I will remember it!:stone Well...........deep breaths!

I'll let ya know what I come up with............Hey, you didn't tell me where your clinicals are!!!:uhoh21:

My clinicals are at Thunderbird. What about you?

OOh, cool! My registration said "BTMC", but a few people said that just because it said that doesn't mean that is where you are going. They were saying we would even have to go to Wickenburg to some psych facility!!:stone Talk about an early morning drive! Yikes!

Aren't you done with Block 1 now? Going into Block 2. Started in January, right?

Hey Rebecca!

Honestly I can't tell you too much what the classes are like, I have only had the first days. Seems pretty typical lecture. Everything is Power Point though and that is a BIG Bonus, cuz you don't have to write much in lecture. So far it is good. I go long on Friday....ten hours.......so it is brutal, but nice to get out early Saturday. I'll let you know more later. I don't think our books are the same either. I have heard many of the things you have regarding Nur Process. I am fully scared. :rotfl: Take care and GOOD LUCK!!:)

Thrash--

Hey there! Well, I am in the block 1 right now also (as you know Estrella CC), but not sure how much help I can be to you! We will have to pass study tips back and forth. I am doing Patho also and wish so much I would have taken it before, but I did not know you could take it as a prereq! I thought it was just part of the nursing program.

Anyway, we talk to the block 2 students everyday and it's always the same "watch out for the nursing process/critical thinking class!" What book are you using? We are using mosby Foundations of nursing. I hear the tests are very NCLEX style and are instructor is all business.

So far I've just been taking the powerpoints to outline various parts in the chapter, and I do this while she is lecturing. Then I jot down all the important parts when I read the chapter. Go over all the objectives for the chapter( I write those down too) and do the practice questions at the end. I wish there was a study guide or something that came with this book! I need more practice questions!

Anyway, what are your classes like? At estrella we are all in one room, and various teachers come in and out for our classes. So we have all pretty much gotten to know eachother well. I think I will talk to a few tomorrow about a study group, that's a good idea.

Rebecca

OOh, cool! My registration said "BTMC", but a few people said that just because it said that doesn't mean that is where you are going. They were saying we would even have to go to Wickenburg to some psych facility!!:stone Talk about an early morning drive! Yikes!

Hey, I went to that facility.......but that's in block 3 and is part of the psych rotation. I volunteered to go there for clinicals; it is a drug rehab place. I am in north Phoenix and it takes the same time to go there as to say......County Hospital in rush hour. I liked it there. I also did clinicals at the county jail, liked it there too You never HAVE to go to these places - you can pick where you want to go for the community portion of psych clinicals. The psych clinical instructors are dolls. I really enjoyed the psych rotations.

Study tips, hmmmmmm. Yes, I have to read the books. What I have found that works well for me in the process classes is to make my own notes by outlining the syllabus. I don't know if you have a good syllabus in block 1 or 2, but you sure do in block 3. Definitely do the workbook for assessment.

I am about to start studying up for the math med test we get every semester before clinicals. Hey, it gets harder every semester to. I would just die if I flunked it on 3 attempts and had to repeat THE WHOLE LAST SEMESTER!

Cheers,

Lu Ann