I'm not in school and won't be for at least a couple years (I'm pregnant). But I figure while I'm a sahm, I can try to prepare myself for whenever I decide to go back to school. I'm interested in nursing and it would be such a huge jump that I want to make sure that I am prepared and do the best I can.
I'm worried about not being ready for basic college courses, not to mention nursing specific classes. 10 years ago, I reluctantly had to drop out of high school after only completing the 9th grade but I passed the GED without having to study. (But that means no Chemistry, no Physics, no Calculus, etc.) I know I have a lot to learn, a lot to catch up on, but I loved school, I love learning and I'm usually pretty good at teaching myself most things... I just haven't been able to go school for years.
I want to get some books, software, study aides, etc. so that I can teach myself the basics at home before I start pre-nursing college classes (hopefully, before I take the ACT or whatever tests I have to take just to get into college). I was hoping some of you could suggest resources you found helpful to prepare for the basics of college and for nursing in general... resources that were helpful to people trying to teach themselves.
Specializes in Critical Care, Clinical Documentation Specialist.
I bought High School Advantage for my kids when we home schooled and I didn't like it at all, it seemed like it was just stuff thrown together, nothing really flowed. But it worked for Water83, so extra resources never hurt!
I found a great site called yourteacher.com, it is for math only, but I can't praise it enough! I found it when I was struggling in College Algebra. It has videos, notes, exams with answers and will even walk you through a set of questions. Each lesson is done by subject. My daughter who is in HS right now, is studying for her accuplacer and they have a test prep page set up just to study for that specifically. They have others test preps for ACT, PSAT, etc. It is a paid site, but it ranges from Jr high math all the way to some college algebra.
I posted this on another thread, but hopefully it applies here too.
Here are some things I have done (and still do) - all at once too! Pre-reqs take up your whole life let me tell you
I personally make hundreds and hundreds of flash cards - the small kind. This way I have really, really think about the info, because I have break it down. I ask very specific questions on one side of the card, and then I have very specific answer on the other side. For example: What is the myelin sheath around a neuron in the CNS produced by and how is this different in the PNS? Answer: Oligodendrocytes produce myelin in the CNS, while Schwann cells produce myelin in the PNS. Furthermore, when I'm studying before a test I sort of expand upon my answer when I'm quizzing myself - I might mutter the afore mentioned answer (like a crazy person lol) to myself, while also adding "and of course Oligodendrocytes are a type of Glial cell - they are a type of Glial cell because they provide a type of support to the neurons, and of course that is the main function of Glial cells; to support and nourish the neurons." This way I am really, really thinking about the concepts and expanding them beyond pat, over simplistic memorized definitions. I make hundreds of flashcards for both lecture and textbook.
When I read my textbook, I try to be a "active reader" by highlighting, very selectively, certain sentences. This way I have to keep my mind truly engaged in what I am reading. For example: ...reading, reading ... then I come upon something saying "the H spikes and the N spikes on a flu viron help it to attach to the cells of the respiratory system"... I highlight this (it seems vaguely important) but then I try and think to myself "why did I highlight this? Do I truly understand this & have I truly read what the H & N spikes are? & do I understand the method of adsorption that the viron is using to attach itself". In this way, I try to be a "active, awake"reader - a hard task cause sometime my eyes just tend to glaze over and my mind drifts away. I like to highlight with all different colors to make it more interesting and fun and jump out at me. If its all yellow all the time, it won't make you wake up as much. Don't be afraid to highlight/write in your books - you may not get as much $ when you try to sell them back, but an A the class is worth its weight in gold! Also take advantage of the textbook's official websites - all major textbooks have these. These sites are absolutely wonderful, with awesome things like animated explanations and awesome quizzes and tests, so you can test yourself.
Furthermore, I rewrite my notes. I have a notebook I bring to school and a notebook I rewrite the notes in. And I write different sections and topics in different colored pens - fun, cute colors with fun, cute little pens (tiny papermate expressions pens). If my teacher says specifically "know this exact thing for the test", I will write it in black. But I use black sparingly, because I want my mind to be "awake" when I read notes. Also, if you are forced to change pen colors when you rewrite notes, then you are less likely to be mindlessly writing on and on and on, with no thought of what you are actually reading and copying down.
I also join study groups and lead study groups; be careful about this though - to big of a group and it just turns into a social event type thing, where you all sit around and comiserate, and gossip, and chat, and have fun. Thats fun and all, and it is nice to have that wonderful pre-nursing support, but its not productive, so avoid it when a test is seriously looming. A good study group is when you have 3 or less people who are really dedicated and actually know 75% of the material - this way you guys can help eachother with the 25% you don't know. Being the sort of "leader" in a study group is great too! You can "teach" your friends. Get up in front of them, in a school study room, and act like the teacher - start writing on the board, explaining and expanding on what your explaining. It helps them and you. Research has shown the the most effective way to commit something to long term memory is to have to explain it to someone else. Also, a study group is good cause it can kick start you out of procrastination - you don't want to show up to the weekly study group and be the one who doesn't know anything, so you better study!
Another great idea is buy your own fairly large white and wipe board. Draw the A&P structures on the board - I did it to memorize sections of the brain and and the arteries and veins, among other things. Challenge yourself by saying: I'm going to draw all the different types of neurons. If your microbio. teacher is good, he/she will expect you to learn the immune system in depth (as will your A&P teacher). Draw a whole flow chart of all the blood cells - from which cells does each type of WBC come from? What cell produces platelets? etc. etc. etc. Draw the 6 ways Anti-body render anti-gens inert. etc. etc. Buy colorful markers for your board too. Pink, green, red for veins, blue for arteries. Not just black.
I really, really encourage you to go see your teachers during their office hours. Don't be scared - they won't bite you, and in fact they will like you all the more for showing such dedication and concern for learning. Ask them questions galore, and ask them to help you calculate your grade to reassure you your on the right track, and ask them if they have study tips. If they seem too intimating then maybe their not the right teacher for you and you should drop their class and pick a different teacher if you can. Use ratemyprofessor.com and check the ratings of a teacher before you commit to their class. If a majority says their bad - run away! But if a majority says their good, sign up pronto!
Also, go to tutoring sessions if your school offers it. Make friends with your classmates - it means alot to have people who understand what its like and support you. Daydream of the day you will be a nurse - it encourages you in the hard times when your up at 2 am studying the inner workings of the nervous system etc. Have confidence - I know its easier said then done, but if you have studied and studied and you've done well before, say to yourself "well I can't do too terrible, I know alot already." If you are religious, pray and think of how nursing is your calling, so you know you can make it through. Buy cute school supplies!!! Trust me!! You will live and breath your pre-reqs lol, so surround your self with things you actually want to look at and use. You'll make good money when your a nurse, so try to splurge if you can on things like nice 5 star notebooks w/ designs, nice & cute pens, highlighters, pencils, and erasers, nice pencil case, cute folders etc. Buy the tiny flash cards if you can find them - too big, and your Qs and As won't be concise enough. Also, buy study guides and nice Anatomy flash cards on Amazon.com if you can. Look all over the internet for helpful sites, and stay connected to the pre-nursing forum here on allnurses.
Specializes in Interested in hospice & palliative care.
Maria895 - WOW!! You're school ethic and study skills are impressive and you offer many good tips! I need all of this kind of info - it's been a long time since I was in school!
Maria895 - WOW!! You're school ethic and study skills are impressive and you offer many good tips! I need all of this kind of info - it's been a long time since I was in school!
Thank you! :) I'm glad it was useful to you. Good luck - you can do it!
Specializes in Critical Care, Med-Surg, Psych, Geri, LTC, Tele,.
Hi Sand-Dollar,
Your dedication and organization impress me. I've been wondering if I'd be taking on too much by going back to school, but your schedule make me feel like it is indeed possible. I tried to PM you, but can't figure out how on this board. Maybe I don't have enough posts.
I plan to homeschool our youngest child who starts kindergarten next year, but our other 2 kids are the same ages as yours.
Specializes in Peds, Med-Surg, Disaster Nsg, Parish Nsg.
hi sand-dollar,
your dedication and organization impress me. i've been wondering if i'd be taking on too much by going back to school, but your schedule make me feel like it is indeed possible. i tried to pm you, but can't figure out how on this board. maybe i don't have enough posts.
i plan to homeschool our youngest child who starts kindergarten next year, but our other 2 kids are the same ages as yours.
thank you for the encouragement!!!
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I'm not in school and won't be for at least a couple years (I'm pregnant). But I figure while I'm a sahm, I can try to prepare myself for whenever I decide to go back to school. I'm interested in nursing and it would be such a huge jump that I want to make sure that I am prepared and do the best I can.
I'm worried about not being ready for basic college courses, not to mention nursing specific classes. 10 years ago, I reluctantly had to drop out of high school after only completing the 9th grade but I passed the GED without having to study. (But that means no Chemistry, no Physics, no Calculus, etc.) I know I have a lot to learn, a lot to catch up on, but I loved school, I love learning and I'm usually pretty good at teaching myself most things... I just haven't been able to go school for years.
I want to get some books, software, study aides, etc. so that I can teach myself the basics at home before I start pre-nursing college classes (hopefully, before I take the ACT or whatever tests I have to take just to get into college). I was hoping some of you could suggest resources you found helpful to prepare for the basics of college and for nursing in general... resources that were helpful to people trying to teach themselves.
Thanks in advance! :redbeathe
Hello,
My suggestion to you is to take the placement test at your local community college. If after you've taken the test they say you need to start at the bottom for math (for instance), then you do it. It is important to have a solid foundation from the start... Trust that the test is a good tool used to benefit you in the future. Next, speak to an adviser at the college and let them know what your intended field is going to be. They can let you know which classes you should take and in which order would be best. They will also tell you how to keep track of your classes to ensure they will transfer to the nursing program at their school or at a 4 yr university...(whichever you choose to attend is up to you)
Once you've finished testing and you know which class you are going to take, take your time. You want to get and maintain a good GPA from the start.... I do not suggest jumping in with 12 credits. Maybe take 6 credits (two 3 credit classes) or simply 3... Being out of school a long time myself, this helped me to get my feet wet.
Lastly, be encouraged. I was in the same boat. I had young children and moved to a new town when I first started my journey. I had to figure out how to make it all happen and I did in fact do that. Now, I am accepted into a great school for a BSN with a scholarship....I would have never thought this would be me.... The moral of the story is to NEVER give up...
I love this site! Everyone here is supportive and has great advice and experience to the table. To EVERYONE on this site that contributes and helps, thank you! I feel so much better about my decision to be a nurse, and much better prepared!
And Maria, thank you soooooooo much for your tips. I wrote every single one down and I am putting it on my bulletin board as a constant reminder. I am also planning a school supply shopping spree this weekend now too :)
Specializes in Critical Care, Clinical Documentation Specialist.
I saw this thread pop up recently, and since it's been about 11 months, I decided to add an update.
I graduated with my A.S. Summa Cum Laude (4.0). I sent in my first NS application, but was turned down so I'm currently focused on another school. The only downside is that the change in schools has added another year to my graduation schedule because of additional pre-reqs. So right now, I am finishing up my last two classes online (organic/biochem and pathophysiology) and will take the rest of the pre-reqs on campus next semester. My application for their nursing program goes in next month.
As 'Finally My Time' has mentioned, TAKE YOUR TIME in getting through your pre-requisite classes. Your GPA is hugely important! There are two very important things that makes me like my second school more than my first. Firstly, acceptance to the second nursing program is strictly GPA based while my first school looked at more subjective criteria. Secondly - scholarships!! I have been awarded two scholarships that will pay for about 50% of my tuition! A high GPA will pay off!!
My study schedule for the online classes got moved around a little this semester because I took a CNA class (another pre-req) for a month and I was out of the house three days a week. I started doing more schoolwork on the weekends and have let the vacuuming slide a little, but I still take time for one on one with the kids. I also discovered a helpful service called e-mealz that would send me weekly menus along with the shopping lists. Although I dropped the service because the meals themselves were only so-so, I found having the menu and especially the shopping list ready to print out was very useful. So, this Christmas break I will be doing up a month or two of weekly menus and shopping lists. When a new week rolls around, all I have to do is print out the list and go shopping. I'll keep the menu and recipes on the kitchen wall and either myself or my daughter can just make something off the list.
I can't give any specific study ideas since online studying is totally different than in class. Maybe in another year, I can update with something to contribute study wise.
I hope everyone is making progress and doing well!
For the OP, I was a sahm for 17 years before I took my first college class. I lurked on this site for a while and did a lot of reading before going up to my local cc and getting started. I began with remedial classes in math and then moved up to Chemistry which I had never taken in high school. I surprised myself and was able to tackle Microbiology after not having had a science class in 20 years. Start off with baby steps, I did only take 1 or 2 classes at a time so that I could get my feet wet and then make sure I could devote the time to the classes. I got a 4.0 and I have 4 kids + many stressfull events. You can do it!
As far as tips when you have kids. I would get up before my daughter or stay up later than her to study. Also I was a working mom so I'd take some study materials to work and study on my breaks and my lunch.
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Sand_Dollar, BSN
1,130 Posts
I bought High School Advantage for my kids when we home schooled and I didn't like it at all, it seemed like it was just stuff thrown together, nothing really flowed. But it worked for Water83, so extra resources never hurt!
I found a great site called yourteacher.com, it is for math only, but I can't praise it enough! I found it when I was struggling in College Algebra. It has videos, notes, exams with answers and will even walk you through a set of questions. Each lesson is done by subject. My daughter who is in HS right now, is studying for her accuplacer and they have a test prep page set up just to study for that specifically. They have others test preps for ACT, PSAT, etc. It is a paid site, but it ranges from Jr high math all the way to some college algebra.