How to organize you work as a new nursing student

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I start nursing school in August and I am wondering if anyone has tips on how to organize your notes and other information.

Do you think binders are best or notebooks, folders etc.

What worked best for you?

Thanks,

Stephanie

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Specializes in Med Surg - Renal.
I start nursing school in August and I am wondering if anyone has tips on how to organize your notes and other information.

Do you think binders are best or notebooks, folders etc.

What worked best for you?

Thanks,

Stephanie

I used a binder with dividers and those little sticky labels. Seemed to help. Three hole punch EVERYTHING and store it. I've never had so many random pieces of paper thrown at me in my life; if I didn't file it, I lost it.

When the binder gets too full, get another one. Each semester I pulled all the crap outta the binders and stored it.

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That's funny, I just posted the same question!

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I use binders and dividers.

One binder for each class, seperated into each unit, seperated into "notes", "powerpoints", "handouts", etc. I also write on the outside of each binder what is contained in each with a copy of that courses syllabus as the FIRST page along with my course calander! :)

You'll figure out your own system - good luck!! :):)

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Splurge on the expensive binders, the cheapy ones that are like a dollar do not last, I bought 1.5 inch binders, and I still ran out of room.

I had three classes first semester, and I bought three small stackable baskets strictly for my flash cards. I saved them all and had them organized to study for finals.

Buy a calender and make detailed notes about what is due each day, and when tests were, its easy to lose track of the dates especially the first semester

Take notes like your life depended on it, and rewrite them in a spiral bound notebook so you have all your lecture notes in one place, I did not do this and lost some lectures and kicked my self for not being organized

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ohhhh. if you study with Flash cards there is a great flash card app for Ipad,phone,pod that has been an absoulte life saver for me.. you make up all your flashcards, you can do a deck for each section. You can even share flashcards with other students and download flashcards from the website. orangeorapple.com

My first semester I hand wrote all my flashcards and tried keeping them organized with countless containers... although writing them does help me remember I had flashcards everywhere and its not easy to carry around a gazzillion flashcards on the off chance I might be standing in the line at the grocery store and have a second to look at them.. BUT it is super easy when they are on my phone,pod and pad and I can just pick it up and read through a few. So thats how I keep that organized.. also I started scoring much better on my exams once I started using and studying by my flashcards.

Do what is comfortable to you and what makes sense.. but most of all pick a method and stick to it!

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Specializes in ER, progressive care.

It depends on the class....some of my classes made us purchase a pre-bounded "book" of notes. Others were just a packet of pre-holepunched notes. Others made us print the notes online. I will say that a majority of my classes required a binder.

Invest in a printer and lots of ink. Get a hole puncher, too!

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Specializes in Clinical Partner and CNA.

I agree with the above post. I bought the bigger 1.5-2 inch binders, 4 of them (for each semester) during the semester I used one for each class then merged it all together including lab stuff. I have them all stored and saved and have my careplans in a different one where I can refer back if I need to. I also tried to highlight my classes stuff the same color so for med/surg blue and blue binder, etc.

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