Pre Nursing student

what classes are you taking?

Well at the moment I'm taking the basic math and English. next semester I will be taking English and psychology.

This may be a tad more difficult to do for online students, but if you are able to I would recommend talking with a previous student in each class or someone who has successfully navigated all the classes. The key is to find someone who has similar work ethic as you in regards to academics. You may find that you this person took one professor and really like him or her OR you may find that they would advise you to go with someone else. Use websites like ratemyprofessors.com as well. The idea is to get as much information about how the professors tests (or has tested), what information you should focus on, etc. This is not exactly studying, but finding a professor who will help build a solid foundation is the first step. Some may be willing to help out students more during office hours than others and others may give off "cold" vibes. I personally love learning and desire to be challenged. I did not go for the easy professors, but I did try to go with professors that an A would be attainable with hard work.

In regards to classes that required me to read and write like Psyh, English, History (mine was a writing intensive honors course which made me work harder than any other course), philosophy, etc. I would recommend staying up-to-date if not slightly ahead always with your reading. I took quizzes, exams, and did discussion posting/responses as early as possible. For any essays, start early if you are able to do so. Writing is difficult for me, but I found that it became easier when I tried. You may need to do more than one draft. Get someone else to read over what you wrote.

For math and chemistry, I personally feel like you need to practice problems and do the homework with each chapter. Yes, you do need to understand the conceptual aspects, but you need to apply them. What is the purpose of knowing the concepts and not being able to set up the problem you are being tested on? More problems practiced will help build your confidence. There are some apps, YouTube videos, books with practice problems, and solution books that exist.

For my other sciences (biology, A&P I&II, Microbiology), I found constantly reviewing to be incredibly beneficial. Within 24 hours I would review the information given. Try to think like a professor and identify topics that are important. Come up with practice questions based off of those topics. As a professor, what are all the possible ways you could ask this question? Can you relate this topic to any other topics from that class or other classes? I found I had an easier time with my classes doing this than many of my other peers. Cramming may work for the test, but come the final or nursing school your foundation will be shaky. You do not want to spend all of this time, money, and effort getting into a program and fail out.

Lastly, general suggestions... go see your professors often and ask questions during classes (or email as needed). Do not wait until the last moment to reach out. Build a steady relationship over the course. You may need a letter of recommendation or you may have a borderline grade that just might be pushed over the hump. Come in with exact questions and bring your work to show where you are lost. I've taken online classes in addition to in-person courses. I have found that many students dropout of the online classes much faster because they did not pay attention to the syllabus. They missed assignments, quizzes, discussion posting, and exams. Get a planner. You are going to be responsible for when things are due. Also, in regards to exams and quizzes, it may be tempting to use the book or internet while you are testing from home, but don't do it. You run the risk of never actually learning the material and building a weak foundation. If online classes aren't working out for you, do not be afraid to take in-person courses even if you have to space them out more. Best wishes!

I would check with the nursing schools younare going to apply to before taking Anatomy and Physiology because at least here in NY they won't accept any science courses that were done online. They want you to have been in the class and have done all the hands on laboratory hours.