if you could give 5 tips on how to ace nursing school what would they be?

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hi everyone its Firefly, I am recently enrolled in nursing school and need some tips on how to ace assignments and when the time comes clinicals!!!! Should I always ask questions in class, be a complete suckup (ha ha) or just keep to myself . What about when working among classmates? What about what not to do in nursing school. Some profs are very particular about certain things and I need to make sure I impress.

Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

What great tips! These have been said before but I'd suggest:

#1 learn how to take a multiple choice NCLEX style test, with that skill you will be golden, without it you will be struggling nonstop

#2 if "they" say jump you must know how high and be in the air before they finish the sentence

Its tough but oh so worth it!

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Work at a hospital if you can - not full time unless you have to, but that helped me actually UNDERSTAND the material rather than memorize.

DO NOT stand around at clinical! We had a whole group of students one morning waiting around for the techs to finish with a dynamap so that they could do their vitals. Uh, hello?? There's a sphygomanometer in every room, grab a thermometer and get on with it! I also had a couple of them that I caught in our break room watching TV. How they expected to learn anything I will never know.

Don't tell a bunch of personal stories during lecture - every class has the person who says, "we had this pt at work who..." at least 3 times per class, and everyone hates that person!

Eat. Make sure you eat before clinical to avoid the whole "low blood sugar while watching a gross procedure" effect. Nobody likes to revive students who have passed out.

Get help if you don't understand something. It's not a bad thing if your instructors know you for working hard and being truly dedicated to learning.

Even though I'm not in nursing school yet, I really appreciate this advice! I hate when people have some kind of personal anecdote to add after the instructor's lecture. My anatomy class is taught by a nurse, and there's this girl who works at a hospital and boy does she kiss my teacher's ass so bad! She acts like she knows so much more and is so much better than everyone else because she works at a hospital. People like that suck and are pretty much shooting themselves in the foot because NOBODY wants to work with a know it all like that!

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always read in advance and make sure you come prepared to your clinicals. study group is good too but it depends on you, if you rather study on your own. good luck !

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4. Get an NCLEX book and do the questions in it from the chapter you are doing in school. (helps a lot on the tests and gets you nclex ready)

VERY GOOD point here. Start preparing for your NCLEX now. Take 3 practice questions a day and read them over, learn the concept and the stratagy for answering the question correctly.

I think it is Suzanne that had a nearly bomb proof plan for passing NCLEX and it all starts now.

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i doubled the amount of tips you requested. hope this helps!

1.get much needed rest and take naps in between!

2. don't skip meals, including breakfast! breakfast is for champions!

3. don't procrastinate!

4. be on top of your game! have no shame in your game in what you do!

5. learn to take criticism as motivational factors.

6. if your instructor permits, bring your laptop and recorder to class for convenience sake. it's a pain to write every detailed word as your instructor is covering a mouthful of information within a limited class time. recorded lectures come in handy in case you forget to make a note of it or have trouble understanding the subject.

7. carry your book(s) with you to class. as you follow along with the lecture, read along and highlight key words or phrases as a study guide for the test or for future reference.

8. don't get intimidated. stay confident!

9. be on time!

10. find a good support group who can truly understand what you are going through in times of hardship or for anything.

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Specializes in ICU, nutrition.

1. Figure out what their "game" is.

2. Play the game.

3. Be prepared.

4. Look for opportunities to learn at clinical.

5. Study, study, study!

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Specializes in Med Surg, Ortho.

1. Determination, can't get through school without it.

2. Study hard, for hours not minutes.

3. Pre read the material before lecture.

4. Repitition, read, read and read again.

5. Don't be afraid to ask questions.

Definitely do nclex style questions on material you are studying

in class.

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Don't discourage yourself before you get started. Study but don't study too much, you'll just jumble everything up. Have a little bit of a life only to keep yourself from stroking out. You do better if you don't stress out, which for many is easier said than done.The biggest thing is read, then re-read and re- read again. Don't let assignments build up before you start them it's hard to play catch-up. It really gets hard when you start your clinical rotation. I find it good to record my notes and then listen to them while I get other stuff done. Just find your balance and go with it. Good Luck!

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Specializes in ER, Peds ER.

1) Pay attention and STUDY first and foremost. Learn that until you are finished with nursing school your head will stay in a book and everything else will have to be dealt with once you're finished studying.

2) If you don't have thick skin, grow it and grow it quickly. I have very thick skin and there were times I had instructors make me want to cry. On several occasions I ended up the shoulder to someone who was crying

3) Be organized or at least as organized as you can possible be. This will help you in several areas of school and work

4) Learn to get along with your fellow students, you will have to work with them often and they're going to be great for support.

5) I don't know if this is helpful to you but in nursing school we had a mantra that "77 = RN" I.E. You cannot ace nursing school. Just do the best you can.

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Don't discourage yourself before you get started. Don't get in your first semester and think it's easy because it only gets more complex and harder. Don't let it consume your life people tend to do better when their not stressed out. In other words, have fun every now and then but don't take it to the extreme. Keep up with class assignments and be on time. If you feel overwhelmed take a step back and clear your head before you continue. If you feel like you need help ask for it. No question is a stupid question. It's better to know than it is to guess. Don't under any circumstances rely on someone else to do your work because everyone there will be looking out for themselves and you should do the same. Get a study group together, but make sure it's with people who know there stuff. It'll save you a lot of headaches and low grades. Best of luck!

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Ewh I dont think I could do it again. Nursing school is so hard. Just a warning you will have to give up your life for awhile. No going out on Friday night etc. It is study and write papers, clinicals at 4am it is tough. Keep you head up. No one cares about your grades later just that you pass you state boards. Med surg is youmost important class. Plan for it. Congrads on getting in. The whole process is horrrible. Just glad I did it.

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Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.

1. Go to class. Every time. Whether you want to or not. Whether you like your instructor or not. Whether you think you are learning or not. Regardless of what you think about your classmates. Regardless of the early time or the inconvenient location. Did I say go to class?

2. Come home and immediately review and/or re-write your notes while the information is fresh in your mind. Write out questions to ask the next time you go to class, because you will go to class every time.

3. If your instructor(s) have office hours or offer test-preparation sessions, GO. Every time. Nothing against your classmates, but they don't know any more about the subject matter than you do. That's why they are your classmates. Ask your questions of the instructor, at the times s/he designates, and s/he will be willing to help you. Do not frantically call or e-mail an instructor with a last minute question that you did not address during specified office hours. S/he will not share your sense of urgency.

4. Go to every clinical well-prepared and utilize every moment to learn. Don't ever say that you are bored. Don't ever complain about the staff. While they are sometimes not the most welcoming or helpful people, it is not their job to teach you. It is your job to learn, under the guidance of your instructor. Anything more than that is gravy.

5. Treat every person in your program and at your clinical sites with the utmost courtesy and respect. You never know when a small kindness will be paid back a hundred times over by a grateful parent, an impressed staff nurse or the CEO whose grand-baby you just discharged. BTW, this piece of advice serves us well in every aspect of life.

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