My most important tip for a nursing student is....

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What do you think is your most important tip for nursing students???

I don't know. That's why I asked. I've never been there. I do know that any educator will give out the same study and time managment advice for their respective fields.

Oh sorry, I thought you had started. Anyway, this is true, but perhaps it needs even more emphasis in Nursing. I've been to college in a different program and you're right, they all give you advice on studying, time mangement, organzation, etc. but reflecting back on this, I rarely used any of this advice and still passed with flying colors. Maybe for Nursing it will be different, and it will actually be crucial to use them, hence those being the main tips from almost everyone who has replied so far.

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great tips everyone...Nursing is different from any other major, but you also need to have the basic study/organization/time management skills down to succeed in nursing school.

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I don't know about other schools, but in my school, we answer questions on tests in regards to what we read in the text book and not what we may find from other resources - For example, the ranges of electrolyte levels may very slightly from resource to the next. In other cases, the instructor may even explicitly tell you point blank that in the 'real world', it's not like 'this' (fill in blank of what 'this' means) but the book says otherwise and you must answer according to the text book.

That's my tip of the day - it may not be specific to Nursing; but I also have a business admin degree and never ran into such stuff in those courses

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Don't get caught up in the drama and wear comfortable shoes.

I haven't started yet but this is the advice I was given.

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learning how to say NO, especially if you already have kid(s) and husband. You're not going to have time like you used to giving kids baths and help out around the house. Time management is essential. Find a quiet place where you can really focus and concentrate and understand the materials. If studying at home is not an option for whatever reason then go to a local library or school library.

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Xanax.... ;) Just kidding. Remember that there IS in fact a life outside of school. You almost have to schedule that to keep yourself in check.

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Definetely have a little fun, if you feel guilty about it then you can try to incorporate it. Some of the girls from my school go out with eachother one night out of the week and they do talk about class lectures, give eachother tips ect but they also have a good time and have some drinks. They're not studying but they are still sharing information. You don't have to party but do something that relaxes you. Whether it be playing video games, playing a sport, going out to dinner, or just sleeping, do it.

It's true that a lot of the things can be compared to many other professions and classes. But one thing that sticks out to me is that you need to not only know the what and understand it but the WHY and that's not necessarily true for most classes. As someone said before, nursing exams usually have a few right answers and one REALLY right answer. While in other exams, most multiple choice questions have one clear right answer and three wrong, regardless of the situation. For example, if you have an anatomy question asking "Where is the femur located". It will always be in the leg, regardless of the age, gender, medical problems, the femur will always be in the leg. Because it will always be in the leg, you really don't need to know WHY it's there, just that it is.

My friend who is ahead of me suggested that instead of studying for a multiple choice exam, study as if you were taking a short answer exam. Know why and why not for what you need to know.

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I agree with the previous comments about the answers on exams - but remember that each question will have a key word or phrase that makes one answer better than the others. When you read the question, maybe it's a good idea to underline key words in the question until you get used to how the questions are asked.

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Specializes in My goal is to be an Oncology Nurse.....

I start Nursing School on Monday!! Yea!! :). Yes I'm terrified, but after reading the great tips on here, I do feel better. My biggest fear is the written tests and how to prepare for them, but I found great tips on that also!

Thanks again! Good luck all

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1. Try to approach everything with a positive attitude.

2. Get as much hands on experience as you can (in clinicals, working as CNA/PCT, and/or volunteering).

3. Always be thinking one step ahead.

4. Act professionally.

5. Quickly figure out what study habits work best for you.

6. Get help (if you need it) sooner rather than later.

7. Buy an NCLEX book early and use it to supplement your textbook readings (especially for med-surg topics).

8. Take time for yourself on a regular basis.

Good luck to everyone starting this Fall! :nurse:

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Specializes in Navy Nurse.

I start my second semester of nursing school on Wednesday...My best advice is ..Prayers...study your notes..go to class..and take one day at a time...Study, study, study....procrastination is fatal!!!....My classes are research, med-surg 1, and psychiatric nursing...wish me luck...last advice....try to form a study habit and tactic that works for you......

Goodluck to everyone starting nursing school for the first time this fall, and to those continuing nursing school this fall....Being a nursing student is a whole another life in itself...My prayers to all of you...pray for me too......

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great tips everyone!

here's what i have to say:

1. adapt... teach yourself new habits and go with the flow, no nursing program is completely flawless.. don't get caught up in the politics of things.. adapt and move on

2. keep yourself sane.. talk your way through things, even if it's just something simple like saying "ok self. we are going to try this math problem again and if we dont get it now we'll set it aside and move on"

3. most importantly seperate yourself from nursing school, nursing friends, and nursing drama at least one day a week. find someone you can watch prime time tv with away from your books and everything else school related. this works best if the person is a good support..

nursing school is a way of life.. no one gets through it without any obstacles, and thats the point. if it was easy would it even be worth it?

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