Slacker student needs help

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hello all. i have been an academic slacker since middle school. i dont know how i pull of exams papers and everything else in so little time. i am only in my second semester of pre reqs and i know my ''slackerness'' has to stop.is anyone like this, has anyone gotten through it and totally changed. i totally care about school but i cant seem to buckle down and study. i am not really busy i only work asbout 15 hours a week. what should i do?

help please and constructive critisim is more than welcome!

I wasn't a slacker, but I was able to retain a lot of what was discussed in class so that I was able to get by with minimal study before a test with some of my classes, but the prereqs required more of my attention and I make special effort to do more independent study at home (like A&P). I find it easier to do it in 15 minute blocks...if I go over and I'm in a grove, than I'll just continue,but if I find myself drifting, I'll take a break or look at another subject. As PRMENRS stated that those of us nontraditional students find ourselves working a little harder because of the reasons she listed as well as a prideful reason (IMHO) because it is hard enough when we get static from people close to us for going back to school, we want them to know that we are doing the best.

Get good study habits now because once you get into the nursing program you'll be even more overwhelmed. Just read some of the posts on this BB and you'll see what the student nurses are going through.

Kris

In my honest opinion if you say you are a slacker but always seem to pass and do fine then you have nothing to worry about. I too, judging by the amount of study and stress other students go through in comparison to me, am a slacker AND VERY PROUD OF IT!!! Ok - well - no - i am not a slacker - I am currently 3rd year at uni doing 2 bachelor degrees and really feel like i do 1/3 of the out of hours work that many of my peers seem to do. In my opinion - and this is ONLY my opinion, i think it all depends on your memory. If you are a "see it once and remember it" type of girl then you are cruising!!!! I also tend to find the least stressed people do MUCH better academically!!

My key to success is sit in lectures, write notes, listen if you are interested and when it is finished MOVE ON!! As for organising study time like you would TV i tend to find that only happens when you are soo busy it isn't funny - i mean like doing the washing, cooking everyone's dinner, and working full time whilst studying full time. You are a student - enjoy it!!!!!!

Anyways this works for me, but strictly not for everyone!!

Good Luck - you'll be fine!!!

Love Rachel @}-->-----------

don't worry...it sounds like you're more of a procrastinator than a slacker. i was totally a procrastinator, all through my first degree and my pre-reqs...i had myself convinced that i only worked best under pressure and facing a deadline. i did find that it was easier not to 'slack' or put things off when i was in a class that i was really interested in or cared about, like when i was doing my thesis in psych.

but now that i'm in nursing school...i realized that from day one it would NOT be possible to procrastinate and survive!

one thing that helps me is to sit down on sunday, and make a schedule of everything to be done each day for the week ahead. instead of just thinking that i had a paper due friday, i would break it down and 'assign' myself bits of it to get done each day. every day when i get home from class, after i give myself about an hour or so to sit, decompress, etc, i take out my weekly schedule, and go through each task for the day and check it off as i'm done. (even though it sounds silly, it totally makes me feel better to see those check marks and feel like i've accomplished something!!)

another thing that helps me is to be a part of a study group, even if it's only two or three other people. we plan to meet weekly, either to study for an upcoming test, discuss a difficult assignment, whatever. when you have other people counting on you to get things done you'll find that you have a lot more pressure to actually get things done beforehand. it's harder to let other people down than yourself!

when i find that i have a few hours of free time for myself, i make myself work ahead on an assignment or read ahead for a class for an hour, then i reward myself with taking time to myself to relax.

try to study with no distractions, but also give yourself frequent study breaks. for example, make yourself sit down and read for an hour, even set a timer or something, and when that timer goes off, close the book, get up, go do something else for ten or fifteen minutes. call a friend, make a snack, check your email, whatever. this helps me a lot...when i'm reading and get tired or sick of it, i just tell myself that i only have a certain amount of time left before i can take a break.

trying not to 'slack' and procrastinate takes self-discipline, but reward yourself frequently and it'll be easier.

i'm sure that once you start your nursing classes the amount of material and the pace of the classes will also help get you into a good pattern.

oof! sorry this is so long! didn't mean to go on and on... :)

take it from a former professional procrastinator, you can change your ways and it's not as hard as it sounds. good luck to you!!

rose

I never did like the word "slacker"! Procrastinator is a much better word, I agree.

I don't know where you live (in a dorm, apartment or house) but that can make a huge difference on how much you study. One thing I found that helped me get out of the procrastinator mode was to go to the library on campuse where there is silence, reference books, computers to use etc. It kind of left me no choice except to study. I did this the first part of the second year. Now I have a room in my home that is for studying only. By doing the library thing, it really helped. Oh and if you can find some other students to study with (doesn't have to be the same subject) you could go to the library and study and then maybe go out and have a "midnight snack" together. Hope this helps!

I have never really been a slacker, however, I have never really had to try all that hard to get A's until I started Nursing Program. It is so important to have a good understanding of all your pre-reqs before you start your nursing classes because it just keeps building and building on top of that knowledge.

I am married, have 2 children, and work outside the home 20 hours a week along with my full-time nursing school schedule so I am really busy and have to delegate my time carefully. I find that designating blocks of time to my studies really helps me. I have it posted on the refridgerator that at those times I am unavailable to my family and I HAVE to study! It works for me to have something physical to hold me accountable, otherwise it is too easy to just not do it! Good luck to you in your studies! A few small changes now in your study habits now will save you a lot of hassle in the future!!

I am a non-traditional student (age 46) I found myself putting things off until a couple nights before the test, then I'd start cramming. It didn't work for me. I ended up having to withdraw from med-surg. I started back in Jan. and now I am studying whenever I get the chance. I am doing better, I got an 89 on the cardiac test and when I took it last semester I failed it. You look young, take my advice, study a lot, but also take breaks and enjoy yourself once in a while.

A-1 Slacker here, Im making strides to fix that though, Ive REALLY tried to make a conscious effort to squelch that behavior since I enrolled in school agin. Its hard though Im 33 and old habits are VERY hard to break, but I thinkI can I think I can I think I can, if I can, ANYONE can. Turn off the TV, put down the magazine, turn the radio off, open the text book!!!!!!Good luck --Lloyd--

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