Freaking Out!!

Nursing Students General Students

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I am 37 years old and I start the LPN program on Wednesday August 16 and I am excited and a little freaked out. Does anyone have any tips or suggestions on how to effectively study for nursing school. I just hope I can do this.

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Specializes in LDRP.

Hi! Well, you CAN do this--just keep telling YOURSELF that!

First, keep up with your reading. Make a schedule for the week and make specific times for studying and stick with them.

I always do my pre-reading for lecture, then re-read my notes the same day I take them--sometimes I type them out as it helps w/ retention. I have also found that study groups are invaluable. DO THE READING--and read anything else you can get your hands on (nursing mags, journals, articles, other books besides your texts). Make some friends early on and get together to study before tests. Nursing school is not the place to be shy!

Make use of your clinicals. If the instructor asks you if you want to try a skill, always say yes. PRACTICE makes perfect when it comes to skills. Make friends with the "real live" floor nurses and watch everything they do (but DO NOT get in their way). And make sure that you make time for yourself and your family this next year!

GL! :)

Amy (2nd year ADN student)

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

Tip #1: Chill, don't freak

Tip #2: Don't ever get behind.

Tip #3: Go back to Tip #1.

Good luck to you!!! :)

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

here are some websites you should read over with good advice on how to study for college students. something you need to understand is that you generally do not learn something on the first read through, especially the kind of stuff you are going to be learning in nursing school. it is best to read it in another source (such as on the internet or another book) and to discuss it at every possible opportunity with other people. this helps to cement the information in to the little gray cells. use these student forums for help and clarification of concepts. there are a number of old-timers, like myself, who hang out on our free time who love helping students learn these things. why? because we went through it and had our ups and downs with it too. for the duration of your schooling you will most likely be eating and sleeping nursing. have fun!

http://www.accd.edu/sac/history/keller/accditg/ssindex.htm - strategies for success, an online primer and tutorial on how to study for students from the alamo community college. this is a pretty extensive resource with links on the right side of the page to click into the following subjects: learning styles, note taking, memory techniques, time management, overcoming procrastination, sq3r (a method for getting the most out of reading your textbooks), study tips, critical thinking, preparing for tests, and oral presentations. also, take a look at the faq's (frequently asked questions).

http://www.ucc.vt.edu/stdysk/checklis.html - this is a study skill checklist for you to go through and inventory your study habits from virginia polytechnic institute and state university. at the bottom of the form is the link to "study skills self-help information" which is all kinds of information to help you with areas you were weak on in the checklist. if you want to bypass the checklist and just go into the information section, go to this link http://www.ucc.vt.edu/stdysk/stdyhlp.html

http://go.dbcc.edu/hhps/nursing/study_skills.html - study skills for the nursing student from daytona beach community college nursing department with some good advice.

http://go.dbcc.edu/hhps/nursing/test_taking_skills.html - test taking skills also from daytona beach community college nursing department. a couple of sample questions and how to chose the correct answer for these application type questions.

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most important thing for me was keeping up with the reading. If a teacher says its "recommended but not required"....READ IT! lol We had so many people just studying from class notes and not actually reading the textbook because it was not required...guess what, they flunked!!

make some friends and study with each other.

just relax as much as you can and try to enjoy the program. despite all the hard work, it can be fun and completely exciting.

Good luck!

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I want to thank you for all of your replies. School starts tomorrow and I am sure that I will many more questions as I get further in school.

Thanks again.

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keep your goals insight. make a study schedule and stick to it as much as possible. I studied and read at 4am before husband and two small children woke up then I knew I could get it done with no interuptions and it was fresh in my mind for the day I then went to bed by 8pm.

always read over days notes before the end of the day and start of new day to review and cement it in your brain . Good luck

Aerin

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