New student question...

FredPuma · Jul 9, 2010

Make sure you're really comfortable with A&P stuff, directional terms (ventral/dorsal/etc) and math. You probably wont need math for most of your first semester, but it's crucial that you're ok with it later on in the program. We have to pass a math proficiency test at my school twice a semester. I have no problem with it, but you'd be surprised how many people have trouble with the concept of cross multiply and divide.

I haven't found the subject matter too difficult to understand so far, but it's a lot, a lot, a lot of learning in a short amount of time. You need to be extremely organized and prepared to spend many hours studying and reading. Our first test 3 weeks into school covered 12 chapters of material. And be prepared to learn to think in a completely new way. All our tests are multiple choice, which seems like it would be easier. But out of 4 answers, only one is really wrong, and you have to pick the most right out of the remaining three, which can sometimes be pretty tricky unless you've kept up with your reading, paid serious attention in class, and completely understood the subject matter.

Are there no classes you can take in the fall just to keep you in school? I would have had a hard time going from summer and fall semesters off to jumping right into nursing school. It might be worth the extra tuition just to take 2 classes or so to keep you into the habit of studying/ organizing your time. Don't take anything too hard, because you're going to look back on this time with your family and wonder how you used to have free time at all. But if I were you I'd at least take an extra chemistry class or something just to keep busy. I took World Religion and it actually helped me a lot when we were going over cultural sensitivity in class.

My biggest suggestion is: when you do start nursing school, stay up to date with your reading. If you get behind at all, you'll never ever catch up. It goes to fast to cover 3 days worth of reading in one night.

Good luck!! And congrats! As stressful as it is, I love nursing school more than anything I've ever done.

Faith213 · Jul 9, 2010

My pre-reqs included pathophysiology, so that would be what I feel I should have spent more time on. If that course is included as a nursing class in your program, you shouldn't have to worry about it. A&P is really important, too, but you get a review of both A&P and patho included in your nursing courses (or at least we do). Drug dosages would be helpful to look over, also. I agree with the previous poster that you should keep up with your reading. I got behind my first semester, and it was VERY difficult to catch up, if not nearly impossible. Good luck!

allnurses Guide · Jul 9, 2010

The things I wish I would have learned most in my pre-req's are sawesome time management and honest study skills beyond just memorization. The rest of the information (micro, biology, A&P, statistics, etc) is important, but interestingly less intense than the pre-req's were information-wise.

You will do fine. Congratulations and good luck!

JBGC4 · Jul 9, 2010

AnP most certainly. I think for most students, they study for the A, not the material. And it's not just the anatomy, which comes to you all in good time, but the physio. The anatomy that you go over in NE classes are your basics for the most part, meaning it's not tedious, you won't need to remember every last nerve, however, you need to know the physio of what nerves do in order to apply to the situation given. I do know in my NE textbooks, they go over AnP info as they cover the subject at hand, but I would suggest looking over the physio of the major systems. Best of Luck to you!

mnmcbm · Jul 9, 2010

Thanks everyone. I am glad I kept my A&P text book. I almost sold it since it was so expensive. I guess I will be cracking it open to refresh my memory.

mammac5 · Jul 9, 2010

I have a couple of suggestions:

First, since you may be hanging around AllNurses a lot in the future as a student and beyond, make sure you're not using your real name or other identifying info...someday you may want to blow off steam about instructors or fellow students, etc.

Second, you will never feel ready! You won't feel ready to start NS classes, you won't feel ready to start clinicals, you won't feel ready to take care of patients independently...and it's all okay. You know you've prepared and worked hard so just get used to feeling a little off-kilter and uncomfortable. Roll with it!

Third, you're a married person (lady?) with 3 kids. Just do that. Really! If you like to cook/bake/do domestic things, this is the time to do it because you won't have much time for that once things get rolling. Clean out closets and get rid of any other clutter around your home that will only be in your way and a source of dust-collection once you get incredibly busy. Spend time with your friends because they won't understand why you're too busy for them (unless they're in NS too, in which case they'll get it). Oh, and have lots of sex. If you're not healthy, get that way...rest, nutrition, activity. Get your annual check-up/screenings done.

Enjoy the freedom of scheduling your own life!

mnmcbm · Jul 9, 2010

Thanks for the tip about posting anonymously! I thought I had changed that. Woops!

newstudenttx · Jul 10, 2010

The most important for me was A&P. I had a really tough professor, but you learned a lot of information. That has been the most important so far. I just finished my first year. You need math as well starting in your second class pretty much. It is for medication calculations so brush up on simple multiplication and division. It is amazing how many calculations there are and you can't rely on a computer to do them for you.