First semester- feels like drowning

Lipoma, BSN, RN · Sep 7, 2018

I just graduated from an ABSN program 2 weeks ago. One thing I learned is to be content of no longer being an all A student. Out of my cohort of 42, 41 graduated which means there's a high possibility you will survive.

The first semester is always the hardest because you do not know what to expect for the exams. But the more you take, the easier it is to answer NCLEX style questions (but dam those SATAs). Keep it up! All you need to do is pass each exam and move on to the next. Don't dwell.

nursinglove30 · Sep 7, 2018

Nursing school is a combination of street and book smart....meaning situation smart. Exams are designed to make a student competent in those two. In order to master this, read your textbook ONLY, and do lots of practice questions on the topic being covered. On exams, make sure to read and understand the questions well before answering it. In your personal life, get lots of rest. Good luck don't give up.

FeliciaRNCPN · Sep 7, 2018

BagelBomber said:
I'm in my first semester of nursing school, and had my first Funds exam last night. Leading up to the exam, I did practice questions, I reviewed the Power Points and reviewed my own notes....and I still feel like I absolutely failed. I know I just started this journey and NCLEX-style questions take some getting used to, but I can't help but feel like I'm failing and letting myself down.
Until this point, I've been a solid A student and I'm having a great deal of difficulty accepting the fact that this isn't clicking for me. I actually enjoy lectures and have enjoyed my time in lab, I'm just feeling like I chose the wrong path. I have wanted to be a nurse for quite some time and I genuinely think I could be great at it- but I'm wondering if I'm just not cut out for nursing school.
I've tried to vent to my family about it, but I know no one truly grasps the craziness that is nursing school exams like fellow nursing students and nurses. For those of you in your second semester and beyond- did you have your moments of "this isn't for me"?

I have to saw that Fundamentals was my absolute worse class. Before I chose nursing I was a biology major and was at the top of my class. The first semester of nursing school was a shock to me. I ended up having to change my whole way or studying and test taking. It was the only was to get through Fundamentals and also get through the rest of nursing school I did end up top in my class again it just took work.

Don't give it! It'll get better you just have to adjust your way of thinking and studying. It takes time but is totally doable.

FeliciaRNCPN · Sep 7, 2018

Oh and one last thing, no know except nurses/nursing students can understand how crazy nursing school is. Maybe get to know your classmates a little, you are all in the same boat.

Chrispy11, ASN, RN · Sep 8, 2018

Relax. Sorry to say and this may not make sense but it gets harder and easier at the same time. The material gets harder, but as you gain experience in critical thinking your exams will go much smoother. My school provided a very detailed study guide at the start of each semester and once I followed it, things went easier for me. I also got an NCLEX book and used it for chapter outlines and help in answering questions with rationales.

Before you know it, this entire experience will be behind you. It doesn't seem that way now, but time flies. Two years ago I was in your shoes thinking the amount of time I spent studying was not reflected in my grade. I had a 4.0 GPA before nursing courses. I still graduated on the Dean's List, but wasn't perfect. In the end, this is just preparing you for the next step. I'm now in my first nursing job and school seems like a distant memory and I only graduated three and a half months ago. Don't sweat not getting straight A`s. Nursing school isn't designed for easy A`s. Relax. Breathe and nurse on.

Best of luck to you.

BookishBelle · Sep 10, 2018

I was pretty discouraged after my first fundamentals exam got me the worst mark of my life, when I studied hard and was used to being a 4.0 student. And then the second one too... I went to my teachers embarrassed and they were thrilled with how I was doing! Said B was probably my new reality with nursing school! I wasn't excited about that, but tried to talk myself into accepting that.

And then they "gave back" points for a couple exams and had us do class presentations, and next thing I had an A in the class even though I wasn't getting A's in the exams.

By the end of the semester I realized you just have to get good at guessing. There are practice question apps that were helpful, and there are ways to sort out which are priority. With practice, you get the hang of it.

Don't quit, keep going! Me and my fears were my own worst enemy. I ended up telling myself over and over to just do the minimum. This sounds terrible, but I would paralyze myself. If I agreed to just do the minimum in reading/homework/practice it was actually enough. Maybe that wouldn't work for everyone, but it was a life saver for me!

TheDudeWithTheBigDog, ADN, RN · Sep 10, 2018

Something to help is to stop looking at the NCLEX style of questions as this foreign concept you've never worked with.

If you can drive a car, you've tested on a similar system. It's all standardized across pretty much every license and certification you'll ever get, in every field.

Broken down even more, it's your basic thought process. It's using the information instead of identifying it, that's all. Your entire existence is this style of question. Cooking dinner tonight is a series of "NCLEX style questions." Answer the questions as a nurse, not as a student taking a test.

You'll be fine, just stick with it.

BAY AREA RN, BSN · Sep 11, 2018

Record your lectures if you can, play them in the car, on the bus, train and where ever else you go. Even when you go to sleep. That's he way I was able to make the info stick in the beginning

BagelBomber, ASN, BSN, RN · Sep 11, 2018

tonyl1234 said:
Broken down even more, it's your basic thought process. It's using the information instead of identifying it, that's all. Your entire existence is this style of question. Cooking dinner tonight is a series of "NCLEX style questions." Answer the questions as a nurse, not as a student taking a test.

This is actually a great way of looking at it and I honestly feel a lot better overall. I was so caught up after that first exam worrying about how I would continue with the "NCLEX style" questions on exams- but putting it into perspective like you did makes a lot more sense.

Thanks!

StudentNurseRae · Nov 4, 2018

So this is a "What I wish I knew before my first nursing course" post. I am currently in my second 8 week course of this semester (Concepts 1 and Pharm 1), I passed my Fundamentals class with a 89%. I say that because I put in serious work for every point in that class.

I failed my first exam, and was able to come back and still maintain a B average. I want to point out things that my fellow students who also did not score well did and how we improved for the following exams. Some of these tips I received from current nurses and it truly helped me get through.

Things I Did to Improve

Find out you learning and studying style. BEFORE classes start. This is the best way to set your self of for success. I am a visual and audio learner and I study best by studying alone first, rewriting material in concept map form then going to study group session only after I have studied on my own. You can find out your learning style with a quiz, using google.
Youtube is your friend. There are dozens of nurses with youtube channels catering to nursing students. My personal favorite channels are RegisterNurseRN , Nurse bass, and Justine G. Feather (has a great video on studying with concept maps). I also look at channels with A&P information when I need to brush up on a system using Khan Academy and Crash Course. My teacher also assigns some of these videos for pre-lecture assignment.
TAKE NCLEX QUESTIONS FROM DAY ONE!! Even if you don't know the answer, read the rationale, when you finish a chapter find NCLEX questions on the material. My school uses Pearson MyNursingLab and it has tons of questions directly from our textbooks. There are dozens of free resources such as www.nurseslabs.com & Just a moment... . It is never too early, and my program tests us in that same style for all of our courses. I took questions everyday on the topics from class.

DO NOT DO THESE THINGS

Over Study, too much of anything is a bad thing including studying. That first test I literally was studying everyday all day. It is best to pace yourself, set tasks on what material you will cover that day, and set a time frame. I also created an 19 page study guide for our first exam, it was only 40 questions. The SG had more information that what our learning objectives was asking.
Not utilizing the resources at hand. Our syllabus had objectives for each day for the readings assigned and what we would be doing in class. Most of us didn't realize to use that as a study guide until our currently class. It basically gave us what would be on the test.
Trying to study more information than what is required. If you teacher assigns specific pages, just read those. You have more that enough to get through!

I hope this helps someone!