Homework before nursing school starts??

nightshifter415 · Feb 4, 2007

Congrats on getting in! In my opinion, these days that's the hard part...just getting in because most programs are so impacted. So now it's up to you to make it "easy".

I'm nearing my last year in my BSN program. My classmates and I agree that the first semester, or actually the first year is the hardest because everything is different. The thinking is different, the exams are different but the program can be very rewarding. Give yourself the first month to let it all sink in and develop a study style. One thing that helped me get through is that I found someone to study with. A study group can get distracting so try not to get sucked in, but if you can buddy up with just one other person that you can just go back and forth with for test questions and just reviewing lecture notes, you're in good company.

The anxiety never really goes away, because you're always going to be left wanting to do well and you can totally do it. Even though it's your first semester, I strongly encourage you to get an NCLEX book, Mosby or Saunders. The practice test questions will help you on your exams and help you get used to the NCLEX-style of questioning. Your drug book will also be your best friend. The first year of nursing school is all about acquiring the "skills" so try to practice as much as you can in the nursing skills lab.

Welcome to your new 'life'...I wish you the best of luck and just remember you're not alone. Good luck!

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Feb 5, 2007

I start the rn program at my school in 2 days, after being on the waitlist for 2 1/2 years. I have taken all my prerequistes and took all the classes towards my BSN as well and have a 3.5 GPA. I am so nervous. We were given an assignment of reading a large drug calculation book and a practice test, plus around 100 pages of reading and I feel good about most of it but still feel unprepared.I never have had to do any work for a class that has not started yet. I am not complaining, I am just nervous about how hard nursing school is going to be. I have never been much of the studying type, I am trying to change that. I breezed through the science and statistics, are the nursing classes really that much harder then those classes? Is the first week the hardest? I am just so anxious.

I hate to generalize and say that it's "harder", but I will say that the core nursing classes and clinicals will be different from anything you've ever done before. The type of thinking required for tests (commonly called "critical thinking") is quite different from the usual science tests where there is only one correct answer (and you know it because you memorized the material). Nursing tests frequently have at least two "correct" answers per question, but the ONLY question that is truly "correct" is the one that is the BETTER of the two. So it's not a matter of memorizing material, like in A&P, but in understanding how to achieve the best outcomes.

All that said, it's not uncommon at all to have reading assignments due prior to your first nursing class meeting. There's usually SO MUCH reading to do, you've simply got to start early!

I wish I could tell you that it all gets easier as you go along, but the reality is that you will always maintain some level of anxiety: if you are conscientous in your studies and truly wish to do the very best work you are capable of in clinicals, then you are likely to always be battling some anxiety related to that. Anxiety=Nursing Student :)

Find a study partner (or two). Learn to prioritize your assignments and your life, if you haven't already done so. Make time to breathe and relax as well! Do your best always, but understand that your best may not always be an A. And that's ok!

Welcome to the club :)

meandragonbrett · Feb 7, 2007

I gave up on reading the book. It was a waste of my time. I say take really good notes, utilize the CD's and review questions that come with your book. and most of all GO TO CLASS and pay attention.

ccstudent · Feb 8, 2007

Hi everyone, thanks for all the responses. I got through the first two days, and so far love everything about the program. I have a drug calc test in two days, but other then that, all is good. All your comments helped give me a new prespective. Now I am just adjusting to my "new life" or should I say soon to be lack of. Take care all.

rags · Feb 8, 2007

ccstudent, you got some great advise and I am glad your first two classes went well! It's always good to get off to a good start.

I just want to add that the anxiety WILL go away... as soon as you pass the NCLEX! That is your goal and keeping focused makes it all a little more bearable. Enjoy classes and what you get out of them. Make sure you UNDERSTAND why something is a certain way and if you find areas to be 'easy' make them more challenging by looking more up. It all benefits you in the end and EVERYTHING you learn is important so don't under estimate any of it. . . including the boring theries portion. Maslow will keep coming back to you .

Stay strong even when you get stress. :pumpiron:

And if you don't already... learn to LOVE coffee! :smilecoffeeIlovecof

rags

ccstudent · Mar 2, 2009

ccstudent, you got some great advise and I am glad your first two classes went well! It's always good to get off to a good start.
I just want to add that the anxiety WILL go away... as soon as you pass the NCLEX! That is your goal and keeping focused makes it all a little more bearable. Enjoy classes and what you get out of them. Make sure you UNDERSTAND why something is a certain way and if you find areas to be 'easy' make them more challenging by looking more up. It all benefits you in the end and EVERYTHING you learn is important so don't under estimate any of it. . . including the boring theries portion. Maslow will keep coming back to you .
Stay strong even when you get stress. :pumpiron:
And if you don't already... learn to LOVE coffee! :smilecoffeeIlovecof
rags

This was sent to me on feb 8th 2007.

I must say that I looked back at my posts today, and could not believe how true this is. I just passed the NCLEX and finally feel free for the first time......well now I have to get a job....so I should say partially free for the first time in over 2 years. This is great advice. Good luck all.

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Mar 2, 2009

i have never been much of the studying type, i am trying to change that. i breezed through the science and statistics, are the nursing classes really that much harder then those classes?

you are in a bsn program, therefore, in a 4-year university or college. their first priority is that they graduate someone who is worthy of their college reputation. every bsn i've ever talked to (and i've met plenty over the past 20 years) have gone through the same as i in their bsn programs. we worked our tails off for our degrees. you can expect to be writing a lot of research papers because that is what bachelor degree students in any field, not just nursing bachelors degree students, do. if you breezed through other lower division classes it was because of your smarts and luck. you will need to buckle down, utilize good study habits and follow directions of all assignments now. we had to purchase our syllabi from a kinkos near our nursing school because they were several inches thick and contained copies of journal articles we were required to read for the course (they didn't trust us to go to the library and read them ourselves). if you need info and tips on how to study see the weblinks on this sticky thread: https://allnurses.com/nursing-student-assistance/study-strategies-254733.html. medical calculation tutorials can be found on post #2 of this sticky thread: https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-student/nursing-math-thread-264395.html. good luck!

sh1901 · Mar 2, 2009

I'll reiterate what one of the pp's already said. I think that the first year (or semester, depending on the student and the school) is the hardest. Not only are you trying to get your head wrapped around an enormous amount of material, but you are learning a whole new culture - the nursing culture. Nurses have their own lingo, and way of handling things. It will take time to learn all of this. I'm in my first semester and at half-way through I feel that I have good days and bad days in dealing with the culture issue. It just takes time.

Just keep your nose to the grindstone and read, read, read!! It will go faster than you think!