I start nursing school this fall. Ive waiting for this moment for 2 years and its finally here but now im getting very scared and nervous as the day comes closer. My school has a very high drop rate (first sem starts w/ 80 students and ends with about 45). Im scared i wont make it and im already being negative thinking I probably wont pass. The thought of failing is making me very scared and extremely nervous. Is this normal? Is there anything I can do to be more positive and not be part of the students that fail. I know this is something I really want, im quitting my job and focusing entirely to school but deep down I still have that fear.
I think everyone get's nervous. 45 out of 80 is still 45. You could be one of those 45, you know? My class started with 52 and there 14 left. I'm one of those. You just have to make it work and try your hardest. Easier said than done, I know. Wait and see what it's like before you start deciding your fate just yet.
Specializes in ICU, Med-Surg, Post-op, Same-Day Surgery.
Like Chantilly said, don't listen to everything you hear! I am a VERY visual learner, (did I say VERY??!??) and HAVE to take notes. To reinforce what I read, I have to take notes, and for most of my studying, I use flaschcards that I make on index cards. I usually don't even take notes except to recopy them onto flashcards. I was told to become best friends with the index cards, cuz they will help tremendoulsy.
This is me EXACTLY!! I don't even bother sometimes to type up my notes or recopy them onto paper. I just copy them onto the notecards, because the "self-test" aspect of a notecard is really helpful in forcing me to think about the answer. When I look at notes, I always tend to cheat and look at the answer before I have time to think about it.
I really need to find some stock in the companies that makes index cards, because I go thru a ton of packages of them each semester.
Haha...me too!
Just out of curiosity, how many notecard packages do you think you go through per class?!? (say, A&P 1 lecture). I bet this summer between A&P 1 and 2 and the labs, I probably went through (I'm embarrased to say) 20 packs of 100 notes cards. The little callous on my finger from writing is quite overdeveloped!!!! But, I'm going to end up with an A in both classes (pending the final exam), so it will all be worth it!!!
Thanks for the advice and support! It's very helpful!
I just want to let you guys know that even if you are usually an A student, don't be disappointed if you don't get A's in nursing school. This is going to be a whole new ball game for you guys and a B is very admirable. I am not saying to not aim for an A just don't be hard on yourself if you don't make it. I just finished first semester and will be starting 2nd and the highest grade in our class was an 86%, I finished number 11 out of 43 and had a 84% (our school only requires a 75% to pass). Anyhow the lady that got the high grade would read and do her highlighting, then she would go back through the chapter and read the sections that she had highlighted back into her tape recorder and listen to it while she did errands and house work. She also tape recorded lectures and played those back. This method did really work for me (I have 2 small childern and there is never enough quite time to play my recordings back). So the way she studied may work for you. Please just stay positive!!! I made it through with a 5 year old and a 5 month old and a husband who is gone to work for 3-4 days a week (and when he is gone he is gone).
I really hope that my posts help some of you!! And please feel free to PM me during the semester if you need help and I will help you to the best of my ability! Good luck to all of you!! YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!!!! :monkeydance:
just out of curiosity, how many notecard packages do you think you go through per class?!? (say, a&p 1 lecture). i bet this summer between a&p 1 and 2 and the labs, i probably went through (i'm embarrased to say) 20 packs of 100 notes cards. the little callous on my finger from writing is quite overdeveloped!!!! but, i'm going to end up with an a in both classes (pending the final exam), so it will all be worth it!!!
haha, i am with you there!!! gosh, it is nice to know that i am not alone!! i did tons of flashcards for micro, where i had the most trouble at, and i kid you not, i had a stack about 2 feet high! a&p wasn't as bad, because i printed out a lot of pictures of models and specimens to label, and i learned it all that way. but micro was totally different. i found that i couldn't write everything down about one particular area, i had to do each word (bacteria, disease, etc., separately to be able to learn it good enough, since there was so much info for each organism. that is when i really started using the notecards like that. before, i just wrote a little bit of all the info on them, but it was just not broken down quite enough. so i really expect to go through that many or more for each nursing class. especially pharmacology. geez, could there be any more drugs?!!? lol!!
Thank you for the support and encouragement, Chantilly.
Unfortunately, I found out this afternoon that we aren't allowed to record the lectures or labs. NO RECORDING DEVICES ALLOWED. Bummer. Guess I better get it all the first time, huh?
I, too, have kids at home, although they are 8, 10, 12 & 13. Old enough to know that mom needs to study, but young enough to still be loud and tattletales and with 3 boys, fighting ALL the time!!! My hubby is also back in school, in the evenings, so I am used to being able to study while they are gone to school themselves. It won't happen like that now, because classes go from 8-5. So, I will take any help, encouragement and prayers that I can get!!!
Not everywhere is high-stress, and nursing doesn't SUCK once you find your niche....
School-wise, let me give you the following tips that after 1 year, I can look back on and wish I would have known going in:
1. READ everything you're supposed to before class. If you don't you can't really contribute and sometimes not everything from a chapter is going to come out in lecture, but it'll be on the test.
2. Always do any homework/handouts that you're given. The concepts usually become clearer.
3. Make friends and have a study group or someone to vent with. NS is stressful, but when you can laugh about items, it gets a little easier to do....Be outgoing, and try to put yourself out there.....
4. Always be open to learning from your instructors...even the ones you've heard horror stories about.
5. DON'T BE THE GIRL EVERYONE TALKS ABOUT FROM CLASS! You know, the one we all vent about that interrupts class about how she's taken care of someone with this, brother had that, mom died from x....ask ?'s but make sure they contribute to the conversation or you need to discuss a concept...often, someone else does too....since you don't get to record, make sure you ask them to repeat if you need them to.
6. Write fast....faster than you ever thought possible....
7. Remember you don't know everything and NEVER will
8. Tests in NS are much different than any other subject. Many questions are based off the nursing process and often the simpleist answer is the right one.....BEST ?'s are horrible, but often it's the answer with the highest priority that's right...
Clinical tips:
1. have a clipboard or binder that you can put patient info into....
2. make sure you know ALL your drugs (usually you can write them out on seperate sheet of paper) and what you are giving them for and any VS you need to look at before admin.
3. Be serious with your patients, but friendly...
4. Ask for help if you need it.....
5. Never be afraid to ask to sit in on a skill or procedure, that's how you learn....
6. Patients that are mean usually are just displacing onto you, as you are the one in contact with them all day....or they're just buttheads.
7. Never be Afraid to admit you're a student.
8. Have fun and know you're joining a profession that is honored by many of the people we live with everyday....
P.S. Free free to PM me as well with your questions about being a student, I love to teach my classmates, maybe you can learn something too!
P.S.S. Sorry, it's so long!!! lotta stuff comes back all at once.....
As a new graduate, I can offer my two cents on this discussion.
First, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do NOT listen to the negative students that spread rumors! It will only break your confidence.
I did a two year ADN program at my local community college. I made sure that I had ALL classes except nursing done prior to nursing school.
In nursing school, I made sure that I stayed away from the rumormongers and negative students...yes, my school had issues, and yes, I did not like all the instructors, but I found that a.most rumors you hear are wrong, and b. If I did what I was supposed to do (prepare, ask questions, and show up), that that counted for alot, even if I was struggling with a class.
I got with a group of people who were about learning, not bitching. We studied together, and practiced skills together. They were as motivated as I was to get through school.
My best advice is to always be prepared, ask if you don't understand something, and be where you are supposed to be unless you have a serious emergency.
Specializes in Med surg, cardiac, case management.
I'm starting nursing this fall too, and I'm also nervous. It's a big change from my present career, but in spite of all the anxiety I feel it's worth it.
I'd like to second the above suggestions to find a group to study with. Our cohort has even formed its own Yahoo! Group so we can stay in touch and help each other out.
Thank you for the great posts! You were both very encouraging to us newbies, and offered some great advice. It is very nervewracking getting ready to head off into the unknown, but I have heard from several people, including you two now, that NS isn't everything that we have heard and read about. Sure, there are some programs out there that are bad, but for the most part, they are what you make of it (I was also told that by a very wonderful A&P instructor!!) So I have actually calmed down some these last couple of weeks, and now am SOOO looking forward to getting there! And great advice about the "rumormongers" and those who like to cause problems and think everything is about them! We are all adults, so surely we ought to be able to handle the crap that does go on!!!
StudentNurseAbby
316 Posts
I think everyone get's nervous. 45 out of 80 is still 45. You could be one of those 45, you know? My class started with 52 and there 14 left. I'm one of those. You just have to make it work and try your hardest. Easier said than done, I know. Wait and see what it's like before you start deciding your fate just yet.