New to Nursing School - Seeking Advice, Ideas, encouragement, etc.

NurCrystal22 · Aug 10, 2005

Well congratulations on beginning nursing school. Just remember to believe in yourself.

Check with your school about financial aid possibilities, if the money isn't enough then maybe you could just cut back on your hours to compromise.

HINTS:

Try to get enough rest when school begins.

Read chapters BEFORE class and read ahead.

Join a Study Group

Don't Procrastinate

ORGANIZE when things will happens, tests, clinicals, papers due, careplans, etc

Don't be afraid to ask for help

You can do it! GOOD LUCK and Welcome to the site!

~Crystal

jillyk*rn · Aug 11, 2005

good for you!! :yeah: :yeah: :yeah:

i am long out of school - but i am sure some of these wonderful people will have some great advice!!!!!

kayel · Aug 11, 2005

My name is Mary, I am new here

Welcome, Mary! I'm 42 and just starting out too!! Congratulations on your decision and for finally pursuing what you were meant to do! I hope you realize your dreams. I'd say there are likely a few options for student aid out there .. good luck and let us know what you find out!

NewEnglandRN, RN · Aug 11, 2005

Hi Mary and Welcome!

Congratulations on pursuing your dream :balloons:

If you have the time, look back over some of the previous threads in the Pre-Nursing and other Nursing student areas here at allnurses. You will be amazed at the wealth of infomation here. When I first joined this site, I sat down with a notebook & wrote out lots of helpful hints from previous posts.

Best of luck to you! :)

missninaRN · Aug 12, 2005

Another 42 year old here, just starting my pre-nursing classes this Fall.

I share your excitement for this, and am cheering you on!

stressgal, RN · Aug 12, 2005

One thing you may want to look into is a scholarship program at a local hospital. Around my area there are hospitals that will provide tuition assistance to employees, PCA's and PCT's. Many offer this to current employees and as you will not be starting a nursing program until next fall you may be able to get hired on and then apply for a scholarship. One organization in my area pays full tuition, including books, for employees that work 16 hours/2 weeks and promise to work for the company as an RN for 2 years upon graduation. Just call the human resource department at all area hospitals and inquire.

Good luck!

PM me if you want info on the hospitals offering this, I just noticed you are from my area :coollook:

**RosesrReder, BSN, MSN, RN** · Aug 12, 2005

Hello and welcome to the wonderful family of allnurses.com. Enjoy your stay, and best of luck to you. :)

StormyNightsLPN · Aug 13, 2005

My name is Mary, I am new here, I am a 41 yr old single mom and I have always, always wanted to be a nurse, unfortunately I have always allowed other people and things to stand in my way. Not anymore. I have begun the enrollment process for nursing school. I start September 21 in Pre Nursing. I am so excited. Hopefully Fall 2006 I will be starting nursing school. I need as much help, advice, etc. as anyone is willing to give me. I would like to start Nursing school on a fulltime basis, meaning quitting my fulltime job. Is this possible? Are there enough financial aid, grants and scholarships and loans to allow me to do this? Any hints, suggestions, etc. I am so excited, I cannot wait to begin. I finally am going to achieve my dream

Hello Mary, my name is Mary also. I have 3 young children, which I've waited for them to go all day at school so I could fulfill my dream to become a nurse. I started my pre-req's last fall, only doing 3 classes per semester, and now I'm starting the LPN program Aug. 22. Have you checked into the Federal Pell Grant? You can apply online at fafsa.gov You also may want to check locally with your unemployment office to see if they have a program that helps students to get through school, ours here is called MID 5, also known as Job Service. You must meet the income guidelines for both of these aid programs. Mid 5 is a big help to those who qualify; including rent, gas money, if your car breaks down they help to pay for the parts, they also pay books, tuition, uniforms, anything that helps get you through school. Best of luck to you!!

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Aug 13, 2005

Hey, Mary. . .Good for you for pursuing your dream! As a 41-year old you will have the advantage of your maturity to help you. Sit in the front seat of each class so you can focus clearly on the instructor. Don't get caught in the back of the class. That is where the timid and the goof-offs sit. We nurses are not a timid bunch! The front seats are where the serious students sit. Start studying for your first exams and finals the first day of class. Don't get behind with any reading or assignments. It's too hard to catch up. Try to anticipate what the instructors might ask on their tests. (In the words of my generation, try to psych them out. Ha! Ha!) I use my computer to make flashcards and print them out on cardstock and then cut them out. I love flashcards for memorizing lists or definitions. For anyone who PMs me I'll send you instructions on how to use Table in MS Word to make them. Listen carefully in class. I had an instructor recently (I'm taking health information management classes) who made a comment about how last semester's students were given a problem about such-and-such on a test and most got it wrong. Surprise! The same question showed up on our test, but I had made sure I was ready for it. Try to find out if your tests will be multiple choice, True/False, matching or short answer. The California JCs have this initiative about having each student do some writing in each one of their classes and I have been seeing the instructors putting at least one little essay question on each test. The good news is they make 'em short because it takes a long time to read and grade them. (One instructor told us answers had to be at least three complete sentences--I couldn't stop laughing at that.) Questions where you have to list things make prime targets for essay questions. Decide if you're going to re-sell your books. If so, you need to keep them pristine. If not, mark 'em up. I often keep my textbook open during lecture and mark stuff or make notes in the free spaces--it saves on taking down a lot of notes, for me. Don't be intimidated by the instructors--they're people too. When they see you are a serious student they will be friendly with you. Don't hesitate to ask them if they have any suggestions on how to best learn the material required for their class. They might drop some study gems. Don't be late for class. Don't miss a class.

When I was getting my ADN I lived the first year with my parents. The second year I lived in an inexpensive studio apartment with a classmate and worked every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night in a nursing home as an aide. When I went back for my BSN I worked full time during my junior year classes, but cut back to only two days a week during the senior year and went in to work on a volunteer basis when I wasn't bogged down with schoolwork. Because I'm in no particular hurry to finish up my information management classes at the present, I only take one or two classes a semester. I thought I would be dragging along, but I've found that with only one or two classes I can really dig in and learn the subjects thoroughly.

I got through my ADN program with a National Student Defense Loan (that was in 1973). Check the websites of the American Nurses Association and your state nurses association and see what kind of grants or scholarships they offer. Also check with your state board of nursing about scholarships and grants--they usually can tell you where to find them. The financial aid office at your school will also have information on loans and grants for you.

Try to hold your enthusiasm in check, huh? (just kidding!) Good luck.

Fun2, BSN, RN · Aug 13, 2005

Hello, and welcome! :)

I actually received a scholarship from a hospital.

I guess one would consider it not a scholarship, but I'll give you the details.

I have my ADN pre-reqs & nursing school paid for by a hospital. In return, I agree to work for that hospital chain when I finish for a set amount of time. (or I could chose to pay them the money back, and work somewhere else.)

The scholarship program that I was awarded is closed, but check with your local workforce/employment commission, or local hospitals. There may be other programs out there.

In my thinking, it's a scholarship with a job waiting!

Good luck to you! :)