2nd semester all over again

[purplehaze]

I never realized how difficult nursing school would be. I'm currently in my 2nd semester. I'm repeating the class again and hopefully i will get it the second time around. I'm understanding the concepts now and hopefully i'll excel in my exams. I really do want to become a nurse. I'm very driven with my goals but sometimes i feel like i might fail. I tried my best last semester to pass my nursing class but i was unsuccessful. If i fail again during the nursing program, i will be kicked out of the program...i would greatly appreciate if i could have some encouragement or some advice please.

thank you

purplehaze :-)

[purplehaze]

thanks for the website! it is very helpful! :-)

[purplehaze]

wow! so many people reading this blog! hehehe :-)

[SanskeetRN]

My only other addition for you is to prioritize the information presented. In the reading material, so much information is given that it can be mind boggling. What I do is cross reference with the lecture material and the objectives given. (I'm starting my final year of the ADN in the fall). I have found that while we touched on a subject, the more in depth material will come the following semesters so in reading, I read everything, but focused on what aspects the instructor covered and what the objects for that particular section are. I also found that if I just made sure I UNDERSTOOD the disease/medication/process etc. instead of just plain memorization, the test questions were easier. Also, as stated before, keep up and take one day/one task at a time. By doing this, I got a B for the semester which was upsetting, but got a 1254 on the HESI fundamentals so I at least feel confident that I understand and can use the information in caring for patients, which is what nursing school is really for.

Best of luck to you! (I have a couple of close friends who have to repeat second semester also, so I can sympathize and understand your desire to perservere!)

[purplehaze]

Thanks for your input sanskeet. Congratulations on getting a B!! Best of luck to you as well! :-)

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

sanskeet. . .and others. . .feel free to use this form I developed to help you organize information for your studies.

[attach]5184[/attach] (Medical Diagnosis and Treatment Form)

[DONN]

I highly recommend a study group with dedicated people that want to work, and work hard at it. I formed a group of 5 people in school all that were academically similar and we met 2x/week for , sometimes hours on end, but it paid off. I found that if you had a study guide based on your notes and the course outline you could really focus on what needs to be done. Also you need to read all of your assigned reading, Im always amazed at the people who think they can get by without reading the material. As you read try to make up questions out of what you read. If you can get 2-3 questions per paragraph you will be amazed at how it increases retention. Anyway this stuff worked for me I hope it does for you also...

[mtngrl, ASN, RN]

I found the 2nd semester to be the hardest nursing course. At my school it was called "basic nursing concepts" but there was nothing basic about it. It was very overwhelming especially since I had zero medical background. Up to that point I had a 4.0 from all my prereqs...then I got a C in this course! After that course I started buying lots of books to supplement the textbooks, which were not easy to understand. A good series I like is the "made incredibly easy" books. (Such as "Med/Surg Nursing Made Incredibly Easy"). I have lots of those books. They are so much easier to understand. They helped me a lot. So don't just study from your textbook and notes. Get other sources, and not ones that are as hard to understand as your school books! PS- The only NCLEX giude I studied from was NCLEX Made Incredibly Easy, and I passed on my first try.

[purplehaze]

Thanks for the advice you guys!! :-)

Today I got my exam back and I received an 85!!! :-)