Slacker student needs help

StudentSandra · Jan 29, 2003

As Nike says JUST DO IT, LOL

But really you have to start now, you may make it through SOME of your pre-reqs that way, but it won't work in nursing classes. Being the puter junkie I am, I study for a while, play/post for a bit, study, post, etc. It cuts down on the boredom for me. Good luck

KC CHICK · Jan 29, 2003

I used to be a slacker student as well.

Nursing classes will either make you or break you.

You do know the grading scale is different, right? Usually anything below 75% is failing.

Start developing good study habits now!!! Give yourself a little time every day if you can. You even said you're NOT BUSY...only work 15 hrs a week. You don't seem to have any excuses. Buckle down, hon.

I work full time 36hrs a week and am taking 11 cr hrs of class. Serious time issues here!! Need to force myself to sit down and start my homework....next thing I know, I'm done. Usually takes less time than I anticipate.

YOU CAN DO EEEEEEET!

Anne;)

researchrabbit · Jan 29, 2003

Organize your day. Set aside blocks of time in which you MUST study. Keep your schedule with you at all times and refer to it until you've made it a habit.

vettech · Jan 29, 2003

Originally posted by Miss JKm
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 have to be strict with myself as I go to school full time and work full time.

I have a study area set up where it is quiet and there are NO distractions. No phone, no radio, no TV, no 'puter, nada. That is important because you will train yourself that when you walk into that area, its study time and you'll kinda click into that mode.

Set specific times and days in which you will study and be strict! It will be hard at first but, hey, you set dates and times for TV shows right? Same thing. It's another little trick to get you into the right mindset.

Do a variety of studying techniques to keep off the boredom. I do the traditional kinda studying - reading chapters and notes - most of the time. But just to break it up I'll walk around and recite what I'm studying (lately it has been the digestive system - I think of a bite of food then say aloud everything that happens to it from chewing to excretion including all enzymes acting upon it, etc). I also draw a lot of pictures. I actually bought a dry-erase board for my study area so I can scribble drawings that relate to what I'm studying.

Find websites that relate to what you're studying as well. I find taht when I'm really not in the mood to study, I can often convince myself to use a CD (that often comes with textbooks) or visit websites instead.

Good Luck! :cool:

babynursewannab · Jan 29, 2003

Previous slacker...4.0 student now (I'm sure nursing classes will eventually change that, tho ).

It can be done.

katscan · Jan 29, 2003

Nursing is Hard!!! If you continue to label yourself a slacker, you will continue to be.And you won't make it. .. From this moment on, you are a nursing student eager to learn. Yes, eager to learn! You will take vettech's advice and adapt it to your situation. Her suggestions are excellent. Now YOU WILL MAKE IT!!!! You are a nursing student who will take time to study,+ take time for yourself.You are realistic and dedicated.You realize that sometimes it's tough and you have to overextend yourself to reach your goals.You realize that it will not always be this way, only temporarily... You are NOT a "slacker"-rue the term!!!

llg, PhD, RN · Jan 29, 2003

Perhaps, like me, you are not really a "slacker" but more of a "procrastinator." I usually put things off until the last minute, but actually do a good job once I set my mind to it.

My trick is to set deadlines and then committ myself to meeting the deadline. I break the project down into sub-sections and then set myself a deadline for each sub-sections. I may wait until the last minute to get busy on eacy sub-section, but at least the project gets underway, step by step.

For example, "I will go to the library and get relevant articles by Thursday." "I will read those articles by Sunday." "I will sketch out the major ideas for my paper by Saturday." etc. etc.etc.

llg

shoelace · Jan 29, 2003

Pre-reqs are a necessary evil. I also procrastinated a LOT during my first 2 years of college... put as much off as I could and I still don't know how I managed to pull things off at the last minute.

When I started actual nursing classes, though, that had to change... I felt a responsibility to get through it in 4 years and I was working 2 jobs besides. I work the best under pressure, and pressure was simply created for me. Besides, it got much more interesting when I wasn't having to focus on World History and could start studying nursing.

Good luck!

vettech · Jan 30, 2003

Originally posted by babynursewannab
Previous slacker...4.0 student now (I'm sure nursing classes will eventually change that, tho ).

It can be done.

Yup, me too! I grad vet tech school with a 2.43, now I've got a 4.0

Congrats for both of us!

vettech · Jan 30, 2003

Originally posted by katscan
Nursing is Hard!!! If you continue to label yourself a slacker, you will continue to be.And you won't make it. .. From this moment on, you are a nursing student eager to learn. Yes, eager to learn! You will take vettech's advice and adapt it to your situation. Her suggestions are excellent. Now YOU WILL MAKE IT!!!! You are a nursing student who will take time to study,+ take time for yourself.You are realistic and dedicated.You realize that sometimes it's tough and you have to overextend yourself to reach your goals.You realize that it will not always be this way, only temporarily... You are NOT a "slacker"-rue the term!!!

Vettech is a male. S'okay, the board is mostly female so I'm used to the assumption.

prmenrs, RN · Jan 30, 2003

You don't say how old you are. If you are just out of high school, it takes a while to REALLY WANT your education. More mature students work like dogs because they not only want an 'A', they want to know the material COLD, AND they're usually paying for school themselves.

They may be only pre-reqs, but you're making it harder on yourself by not getting a GOOD foundation in science and all the other stuff before getting into the nursing classes. They make you take them because you NEED them!!

If you get into the habit of 'slacking' now, it will be all the harder to break later. Then you'll be a "slacker NURSE" needing help. And your co-workers will not be happy w/you.

I hope you can get this issue under control. It's important for YOU and your future patients.