WANTED: Nursing student tidbits of advice

Nursing Students General Students

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hey guys,

I start this fall in my nursing program and Im extremely anxious!!! Im looking for any advice that will help me in school. Whats the thing you can NOT live w/o during nursing school? What was the best study method for you? Index cards, recorders, palm pilots? What should I take to clinicals? I know you all were anxious when u started!!!

thanks guys

p.s. ....im hoping this will end up being a HUGE thread that other anxious students can read

Specializes in Emergency.

So much EXCELLENT advice in this thread!! I'm starting 2nd semester of an ADN program this fall....last spring we always told each other the same thing before exams. A fellow nursing-student friend gave me a magnet this summer with the saying printed on the front and I've seen it repeated over and over in this thread......great advice

............Just Breathe

:redbeathe:redbeathe:redbeathe:redbeathe:redbeathe:redbeathe

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i saw someone mention a planner but of course i have not read all the replies.. i too will be starting lvn nursing school in the fall.. and our school requires us to get the saunders student nurse planner.. and suggested a big desk or wall calender for home.. and all the students that i talked to said the student nurse planner saved their lives.. it has like 50 pages of general nursing info stress relief info etc.. and tons of writing space.. amazon.com has a pretty good price on theirs.. i just recently ordered all my books from them and saved 200 dollars over school bought and was very impressed with service ordered last thursday and already have my books

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Specializes in Med Surg.

This is such a great thread! I start NS August 20. I'm so excited I can hardly wait. I'm such a nerd--I love school, so I'm excited to be a full time student again.

My hubby and I did the Wal-Mart thing last week--I got a new backpack, a good water bottle and a kajillion 15 cent notebooks. I've got all but one of my books in and have been reading through my nursing fundamentals book.

Thanks for all the great advice!!

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Specializes in Pediatric Intensive Care, Long Term care.

sooo everyone, what are we doing for book bags/rollerbags?! I plan to debind my books so i do not think i will be carrying a mass amount of books at one time. But, i want something sturdy yet somewhat fashionable. (im sorry guys...im just a tad bit anal about the appearance of things...)

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I was thinking the same thing. I also think my appearance is important. I was thinking maybe one of the rolling totes that look like briefcases or laptop bags. When you debind the book do you get a cover over each chapter so the pages aren't wrinkled? How much does it cost to do that?

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Specializes in Emergency.

I feel so fortunate because all of you explain that you have 10, 15+ BOOKS, and i only have 3, well four if you include spanish. Im just getting a regular backpack. It's dickies and it has so many different color polka dots, its cute. Plus, I have one nursing class a day, so I think I can handle just a regular one instead of a rolling one, but before I knew how many I had i looked on ebay and they have the CUTEST jansport rolling backpack for those of you who have tons of books, so check them out, and a lot of them are "buy it now" so you dont have to do any bidding.

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Specializes in Med Surg.

I just got a regular backpack; I'm hoping we don't have to carry every single reference book every day. If we do, I may have to get a rolling bag. I don't have too many books anyway (thankfully!) so they should all fit if I do need them each day.

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Although I might change my mind about my rolling bag(crate) half way through the first semester because I don't know how it will work out until I actually use it - I don't plan on debinding my books. It may sound silly, but I just sold a bunch of my prior textbooks on amazon.com and made enough money to pay for about half of my new textbooks (I have 16 total). Any of my nursing books that are in good shape by the time I'm done with them will definitely be posted on amazon to make some of the money back that I paid for them. Just something to think about since money is probably tight for most of us.

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This is the one I got. It's huge, but definitely will not hold ALL my books (I'd need a crate for that). It's smooth rolling, and has a nice, padded laptop compartment.

http://www.ebags.com/columbia/science_park_cyberroller_limited_time_offer/product_detail/index.cfm?modelid=96311

Columbia Science Park Cyberroller

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I was thinking the same thing. I also think my appearance is important. I was thinking maybe one of the rolling totes that look like briefcases or laptop bags. When you debind the book do you get a cover over each chapter so the pages aren't wrinkled? How much does it cost to do that?

I still cannot find a place that will debind books...

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runtagua,

If you decide to get a crate at any point. This is the crate I bought; I ended up getting the package that includes the rolling crate, lid & a huge insulated lunch bag.

Rolling crate

Thanks for posting your bag. It seems like it will be pretty functional. How many books can you fit inside it? I have quite a few to lug around. It will be a back-up option for me if I don't like my crate, but I have a feeling I just might make it work. :-)

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I still cannot find a place that will debind books...

Have you tried FedEx Kinkos? Staples, Officemax? Or any local printing company? I have read on other postings that those were the places people went to have theirs debound.

I also saw on one member's post that they took an exacto knife and did it themselves - time consuming but maybe that's an option for you? Just be careful not to perform surgery on yourself :eek:

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