I got accepted

Editorial Team / Admin · Dec 30, 2016

If you click on "Students" in the yellow bar across the top of the webpage, you will find an entire section dedicated just to students, including an entire subforum dedicated to nothing but study tips.

Jules A, MSN · Dec 30, 2016

Congratulations! My best advice is stay on top of your studies. Even with working I forced myself to study at least a little 6 nights a week. Start strong each semester, aim for an A to give yourself some cushion toward the end of the semester when everything piles up and you are exhausted. If you start strong even if you bomb a final you should still end up passing.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Dec 30, 2016

Moved to our Student forum.

AliNajaCat · Dec 31, 2016

Absolutely never let anything go by that you don't really understand. Stop and learn it, because dollars to doughnuts that concept or definition will be the basis of something later.

Nursing education, more than any others, requires you to retain a good working knowledge if everything that came before, and requires you to apply it at higher levels every semester along with all the new material you're constantly learning.

Don't think you can "make it up in the final." The overall system makes that pretty much impossible, so don't fall in a hole early.

And enjoy! I have had a great time with my nursing career for decades just because I love learning new things, and you will never lack for that opportunity.

SopranoKris, MSN, RN, NP · Dec 31, 2016

Get a planner and color code your planner with all the due dates of your assignments. This will help you stay on track with your assignments. Any time you have "free time", study a little. Most of your nursing texts will have a code to get to the publisher's site online. Use the keycode in your text to access the practice questions that accompany each chapter in your text. I found those to be helpful when preparing for quizzes/tests.

Brush up on your med math! Many programs require med math tests. The program I went to required a 96% or better score on med math each semester or your failed the entire course (they allowed a re-take).

I invested in a roller bag so I didn't have to kill my back/shoulders lugging around my nursing texts around campus. Highlighter pens for studying, reviewing notes. If you're an auditory learner, ask if you're allowed to record lectures. It can be helpful to hear the lectures to study, if that method works for you.

There are some online tests you can take that will tell you which type of learner you are: visual, auditory, kinesthetic, etc. If you do this, it will give you some insight on how best to study. For example, I'm an auditory learner. For me, it helps to listen to recorded lectures. When I study in a study group, I learn best by speaking out loud. We had a "testing taking skills for nursing students" seminar. The instructor gave us a quiz that helped us identify our learning style. Then she had everyone get in to groups of the same learning style. That became our study group. It was very helpful working with other students who had a similar learning style. We would "teach" each other the material outloud and have discussions. I found it to be very helpful.

Good luck & congratulations on getting accepted