I feel like going to class is a waste of time

[LibaSkelova]

I'm just about to start my Nursing classes in 2 weeks, but I'm already taking classes that's not really part of nursing school, but required though. This class is Pathophysiology II.

This has always been my case where I go to lecture and don't really understand a things after classes. I always try to pay attention, but I just can't get a grasp of what's going on in classes like Math and Science. It's not like I've ever failed a class before, I never even gotten a C before. I always have to learn everything on my own, and it takes up so much time to learn everything. I feel like coming to classes is just a waste of time. I brought up my patho class because in our first lecture, I felt very stupid after the class since I didn't really understand a thing. Did anyone every experience this situation??

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

Have you tried reading and studying the material ahead of time so that when the prof lectures about it in class, you understand it better?

[tcvnurse, BSN, RN]

Understanding pathophysiology is absolutely essential to functioning as a safe nurse. Some tips- do the reading before you go to class. Record your lecture. Listen to it in the car, or when you have some free time. If you don't like your book, see other sources. Make an appointment with your professor to go over concepts you don't understand.

Know that the effort you put it is what you will get out of the class. Science didn't come natural to me either, so I worked doubly and triply hard to get good grades.

[avotoasted]

Math and science classes tend to be very cut-and-dry; it's a lot of memorization and recall (at least, the math and science that are pre-reqs for nursing). Patho classes and your nursing classes can be confusing sometimes because they involve application of basic concepts to multiple different scenarios and deeper analysis. This type of thinking will actually be helpful when you start to study for NCLEX in a couple years, and like tcvnurse said, you have to have a solid understanding of patho to function as a competent nurse.

That said, patho can be really really tricky. What worked for me was a combination of the following:

- doing an overview of the reading before class and quickly reviewing it afterward

- flowcharts/diagrams/concept maps of disease processes

- multiple resources other than the textbook. Search YouTube videos and check out the Made Easy book series.

- study groups and talking in circles about the disease process; often when you verbally talk through the reasoning for clinical sequelae, you'll eventually find yourself at the right conclusion (but study groups aren't for everyone - find what works for you)

Good luck!

[BonnieSc]

I've always disliked school and don't learn particularly well from lecture. (Even as a kid, I had trouble following stories when the teacher read aloud.) Those above give great advice for how to make the class more worthwhile and I hope they work for you. I often just thought of class as something I had to get through. I always went even though I didn't learn effectively; I got good grades and the professors knew who I was.

I know this is unusual but I also never take notes during class. If I try to take notes and listen at the same time, any small hope I had of following the lecture is gone. This invariably annoyed my professors until we took our first tests, when they had to acknowledge that I just have a different way of learning and what I'm doing works for me. If you take notes and feel like it might be getting in the way, try doing without--or conversely, if you never take notes, try to start jotting down a few main points and see if it helps.

[LibaSkelova]

Thank you guys. After all that stress in patho, I currently have 98% in class. I was able to do well on my exams, although 1st exam was horrible. Let's just hope I'll survive this final.

[Zyprexa_Ho]

Class was a waste of time for me. Because our book trumps everything, I wish I would have read and taken notes from the book during class.

[SaltySarcasticSally, LPN, RN]

I have a 3.96 and going into my last semester of nursing school. I always go to class for attendance purposes and any necessary class info but I generally do other things quietly during the lecture. I spent years struggling in grade school because I thought I was "supposed to be learning" in lecture but in reality it does nothing for my brain. I learn best on my own and once I finally accepted that I have an A in every college pre-req/nursing class. I have to understand all the little pieces before I understand the big picture, lecture is generally presented in the opposite way. If it doesn't work

[AliNajaCat]

I skipped the first day of class my senior year because my cat was in labor.

But I don't recommend this as a strategy for success.