Nursing school stress

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Hi everyone,

I need your help here! I am in my first semester of a 2 year RN program. I already had 2 tests and I got 75% for the 1st one and a 65% for the 2nd one. 78% is the passing score for the school. After the first test, I went to my advisor and went over my test. I made stupid mistakes, I misread some questions. So for the 2nd test, I did many practice questions and read a chapter which I didn't do for the first one. I had a study group both times.

About me, I can't be focused on studying. I feel so sleepy all the time even in class. I'm 20 years old now and I work only 8-16hrs per week, sometimes none. I have lecture 1 day and 4hr clinical 2 days. I do have more than enough time to study as I live with my parents. I feel like I am going to fail this and have to drop out. I really don't want to. Despite my laziness and tiredness, I still manage to drag me to all the study sessions that my group conducts. I don't know how to pass for the upcoming tests. I searched on youtube to see if people have different ideas on how to study. I can memorize things that are on the powerpoint, I can't read or write because that won't help me but make me more sleepy and tired. My mind kept getting diverted. I am not an emotional person, but now after these tests and seeing my parents face, I can't control my emotions. My parents are hoping that I will graduate in 2 years and so they can take rest rather than working almost 40 hours per week with minimum wage. At this point, I have no clue how to move forward. Are there any ideas/ tips you guys can give me? Any websites to do practice fundamentals questions? Any tips to make me concentrate more?

Thanks in advance.

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Nursing school is hard, but you can do it! Are you feeling like you can't focus to study because you're overwhelmed by the amount of information you need to go over? If so you just need to take a few deep breaths and start with one thing and go to the next. I know it can be very overwhelming, I'm a new grad and just went through a two year program. It takes up your life, but if it's what you really want you can do it and make it work. You just have to do what you can when you can. Don't try and study for hours and hours at a time. Take little breaks every hour. Also, do you feel like the study group is helping you or hurting you? I tried to do the study group thing and realized it just wasn't for me and that I was better off studying on my own so I could really focus on what I needed to focus on. Most importantly if you find you're making mistakes on test then don't second guess yourself, stick with the answer you originally chose. Some of our test they would even let us backtrack on questions so once it our answer was submitted that was it and we couldn't go back and change it. I realized I did better on those test so even when we did have a test we go back and change answers I just wouldn't because whenever I did I would end up getting them wrong. I'm actually going through a rough time with my orientation at work and feeling exhausted and stressed and now that I've been able to take a step back my best advice for you is to make sure you're taking care of yourself. You can't care for others with an empty tank.

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Please consider making an appointment with your physician regarding your sleepiness and tiredness. There may be treatments that will help you feel like a brand new person.

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Specializes in ICU, Research, Corrections.
Hi everyone,

I made stupid mistakes, I misread some questions. So for the 2nd test, I did many practice questions and read a chapter which I didn't do for the first one. I had a study group both times.

So, are you saying you don't normally read your text books?

You need to completely change your study habits. Read your text books, highlight important parts as you read, outline the chapter on paper if you need too. I never found study groups helpful - they were a waste of my time in school. I study the best independently.

Nursing school is not easy for most students. You can do this, best of luck!

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Moved to general nursing student forum

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Please consider making an appointment with your physician regarding your sleepiness and tiredness. There may be treatments that will help you feel like a brand new person.

I second this. I have hypothyroidism and it makes me so sleepy when I'm under treated! Wouldn't hurt to talk to your doc just to see if anything is going on. I mean it would be worth it imo.

I am currently under treated and have fears that I am going to be sleepy and not able to concentrate when I start school. I think the other poster gave good advice about the breaks. Like I plan on studying for at the most a half hour at a time or when I start losing concentration then taking a 15-20 minute break. Also I plan on buying a recorder and asking if it's okay that I record lectures. I figured on the days I don't feel well or I'm really sleepy I can go back and listen and takes notes. I'll still listen in class, of course, it will just be a backup.

Also I know reading everything in the textbook might not be the best way to go. Skimming/looking at charts/graphs/images/reading the chapter summary and testing myself on the end of chapter questions/going back and looking up things I don't understand from the lecture, powerpoints, notes, when I'm skimming the text, and chapter summary/understanding the concepts more so than just mesmerizing are all things I'm going to practice when I start school.

Good luck to you! If you really want this you can do it!

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I am extremely deficient in my vitamin D. Was down to 8...woops. I couldn't do anything but work and go to school and sleep. and even then I was leaving work "sick" because my body hurt too much to be awake. Physical pain. An old classmate had the same issue due to low iron. Then there are thyroid issues. Lyme disease, etc. I agree with the others, a doctor may be able to run a quick blood test to rule out anything or get to working on treatment if there IS an issue.

Another option might be that you have too MUCH downtime. Maybe try to fill your days doing some other things to keep your brain moving and working and then you will NEED to set aside time to study. Having a routine may help. I can't read textbooks either, that's not my learning style. But I record my lectures (this is only my 2nd class doing so because that's not typically my style either) but it helps me remember things while I'm at work. Some of my friends finish their test in 15-30 minutes because if they don't know it, they guess and move on. I take my time and try to re read the ones I was guessing on and it is usually a problem of just misreading the question. Try to find the next way for YOU to study and hopefully you can get up to passing. Good luck!

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You should drop the class and retake it before you fail it because your test average is to low.

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