Ansh
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-Using my iPad and screen recording while scrolling through the PowerPoint slides during lectures, so I pretty much have a recorded lecture to look back at after class. During class, I just pay attention to the lecture and make a notes here and there. When I got home, I would make very thorough flashcards while going through the lecture I recorded. -I like using Anki (a flashcard software), although it is kind of complicated but worth looking into. Stuff I wish I started doing earlier: -Lots and lots of NCLEX-style practice questions. Do all the ones in our textbook/resources, some Amazon books like Med-Surg Success or Lippincotts can be helpful, and really just any other way you can do NCLEX-style questions. Just practice it as much as you can. -During clinical really really try to avoid doing anything that's not patient care. You have clinical packets, but try to set that aside until the last hour or so, along with anything else that's not necessary, even if you think you are done with all your patient care tasks, keep trying to find more patient care tasks, do some oral care, a bed bath, etc.
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It is pretty difficult, and you should plan to study a lot outside of class. It's totally okay to be nervous; I felt the same! The professors do help set you up for success and care, but there is just a lot to study and do. Have some good time management skills, and use a calendar and to-do list to plan out what you need to do. All the students here are amazing too, everyone helps each other out and gives advice. If you ever find yourself struggling, reach out to your classmates, the upper semesters, and your professors! If you've made it into the program, you are absolutely capable of doing great. It's difficult but worth it!
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I would avoid doing any serious studying on anything the school doesn't provide you because it might just waste your time. They will give you some stuff you can do before school starts, getting that done whenever it's available would be the best use of your time. If you really want to do some things before that: Maybe look at some YouTube videos on the nursing process, clinical judgment, ABCs, Inflammation, SIRS, dysphagia, and vital signs. Those are the topics you'll cover early on. But again, I would avoid doing any real memorization, unless it's material from our school. You could also do some basic NCLEX-style questions on the nursing process, clinical judgment, ABCs, and vitals if you'd like. A big part of nursing school is just learning how to do NCLEX-style questions.
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You'll get some stuff (abbreviations, med math, med lists) before the semester starts that you can start working on. Getting as much of that memorized and studied would be great. I think the biggest learning curve in nursing school is the NCLEX-style questions. I'm not sure how you can prepare as you won't know the basic facts to utilize practice questions right now, but see if you can. Maybe look up some basic ones on ABCs and the nursing process? I'll give some more specific advice for the classes once you guys are about to start! It's possible to work during nursing school, but it is just going to depend on you. I know some people who can absolutely pull off working while in nursing school, but also know some who couldn't.
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Mostly lecture but for N111 you might have to use the textbook a bit. N111: This is the class that teaches you about nursing as a profession, like an Intro to Nursing class. You will all have this class on Thursday. Pretty relaxed class overall, just pay attention in class and work on the objectives with a group near exams and you will be fine. You may need to use the textbook when filling in the objectives but if you do it in a group it's not too bad. N113: The most time-consuming class, especially in the beginning. This is the lab class that teaches you how to do skills. Everyone will have this class on Thursday + either Wednesday or Friday depending on your section. You will sometimes have pre-recorded lectures, sometimes not. Focus on objectives and red safety text in the clinical skills videos. Fill out the objectives using the clinical skill videos, pre-recorded lectures (if available), and lab guides. I would just go through all the content in each module besides the textbook readings and answer all the objectives thoroughly. It's a lot of info but if you do this and memorize it all you'll do great. Skills Check-Offs - You will perform a skill in front of a prof, and they will grade you. 4 in the semester spread out. Practice doing the skills over and over and over. Use a teddy bear or something you can pretend is your patient when practicing. N112: This is the class that will teach you critical thinking and decision-making. You learned HOW to do stuff in N113, but this teaches you the WHEN and WHY. Everyone has this class on Monday. This starts off pretty easy for the first 2-3 weeks but just ramps up until it's the hardest. I wouldn't say it's the most time-consuming, but the tests are much more difficult than N111 and N113. N111 asks you to apply basic knowledge, sometimes just common sense. N113 is just a lot of memorization like Anatomy and Physio are. N112 is a lot of memorization but also a lot of critical thinking, putting puzzle pieces together, and applying what you learn in situations. Focus on objectives and note down everything objective relevant in the lecture. Ask lots of questions! "What would I do in X situation or when Y happens", etc. Do lots of practice questions! These will help you really connect everything together. Find any way you can to help yourself connect all the stuff you are learning so that when you get those NCLEX-style questions you can apply it in scenarios.
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As a 1st semester Sac State student, Sac State is amazing too. The faculty is amazing, caring, and really supportive. I would say pick where you want to work! Bay Area or Sacramento, I wanted to work near Sacramento because of the much lower cost of living. Sac State is very well connected with the local hospitals and they prefer Sac State grads. We also all have mentors which is really helpful, not sure if SJSU has that.
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NP! Depends on if you are an even or odd section. Even sections have class/clinical M-Th. Odds have Class/clinical M-Th but with Tuesday off. For the first 4 weeks, because clinical will not have started, Evens will also have Tuesdays off and Odds Wednesdays off but you have more school work the first 4 weeks as they prep you for clinical so they're not really "off". You're never really free in nursing school if I'm honest, there's always something you should be doing. I rarely have free time, even on weekends, and I don't work or have additional responsibilities outside school.
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I know some people pull it off but most aren't able to. I won't say it's not possible, because there are some people who do it, but very very difficult. I would recommend maybe having time off or just working a day a week the first couple weeks of school, to see if you are able to handle it or not, if possible.
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