How to be a better student

[LuAzure]

Hi everyone, at the moment I am facing some difficulties when it comes to college. At the moment I am struggling with my classes and it has only been a month into the semester. I also recently started working to save pocket money to pay for summer school.

I can't do bad this year because I am so close to getting my Associates of Science and then hopefully I can transfer to a nursing school next year.

Right now I am taking 5 classes. 2 of the classes are 1 credit which are a P.E and Sanitation, the other 2 are 3 credits which is a Math and Philosophy/Biomedical Ethics, and my last one is 4 credit which is Microbiology. The reason I am taking this many is because I need to be a full-time student.

Microbiology been really hard for me right now. I don't comprehend what is being taught and everything seems so foreign. I currently have a 60%...I would like to get my act together and raise it to a B if possible. The other classes I've been doing alright...not the grades I want so I am trying to work on those also.

I just want tips to stay motivated and to be a better student. I don't really know how to study effectively either so tips on how to study would be appreciated.

I just hope there is time to improve my grades. I don't want to be a failure and feel disappointed with myself. Thanks for taking the time to read this and giving tips too.

[PrereqTaker89]

I feel for you. I couldn't imagine taking other classes with micro biology AND working at the same time. Is there anyway you can withdrawal from microbiology and take it by itself in the fall? To be successful in the sciences you HAVE to stay on top of the material....if you try to catch up you'll have to tack on a few extra chapters to the already assigned chapters per week. For biology I studied everyday 2-3 hours. The amount of info is massive and had I got behind I would've NEVER gotten an A. My best advice is take a W for micro and stay on top of the reading when you take it next. Best of luck!!

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

Have you talked to the instructor? They are your first and best source of help.

[HAMSAMICH]

Hi everyone, at the moment I am facing some difficulties when it comes to college. At the moment I am struggling with my classes and it has only been a month into the semester. I also recently started working to save pocket money to pay for summer school.

I can't do bad this year because I am so close to getting my Associates of Science and then hopefully I can transfer to a nursing school next year.

Right now I am taking 5 classes. 2 of the classes are 1 credit which are a P.E and Sanitation, the other 2 are 3 credits which is a Math and Philosophy/Biomedical Ethics, and my last one is 4 credit which is Microbiology. The reason I am taking this many is because I need to be a full-time student.

Microbiology been really hard for me right now. I don't comprehend what is being taught and everything seems so foreign. I currently have a 60%...I would like to get my act together and raise it to a B if possible. The other classes I've been doing alright...not the grades I want so I am trying to work on those also.

I just want tips to stay motivated and to be a better student. I don't really know how to study effectively either so tips on how to study would be appreciated.

I just hope there is time to improve my grades. I don't want to be a failure and feel disappointed with myself. Thanks for taking the time to read this and giving tips too.

That's quite a work load. Leave your job or drop micro. To use a cliche, it sounds like you're a "jack of all trades, master of none" at the moment. Unfortunately, micro is a heavily weighted class for most nursing programs. You're only a month in and micro is only going to get harder because it builds on the earlier material. It's best to take your time to finish strong.

Sounds like you haven't figured out your learning style yet. See a counselor, youtube, or a book to figure out your learning style and how you can apply it to class.

If you decide to stick with micro, see your professor/TA and use your school's learning center/tutors.

Good luck.