brittanywatson

1. I didn't sleep 2. Probably just had coffee (breakfast of champions, I know) 3. I was anxious, excited, motivated, nervous 4. Eh, probably sunny 5. First day of class was uniform check-offs, so I had to wear my uniform with all supplies. Minimal makeup. 6. Flipped through a few books, read the first 7 chapters of Test Success, which was required reading 7. Clinical supplies for check-off, brought like 5 huge books, two binders, a pack of pens, pencils (wayyy too much. Now I just bring a notebook, maybe a book, pen, pencil, and calculator in case I get a dosage cal test thrown at me) 8. I got there 15 minutes before class 9. Found it on my own 10. First day was from 0800-1500 11. Didn't know anyone 12. I was on the younger side of the class 13. I'm not a male 14. My impression of the first semester instructors were intimidating. They were straightforward and basically told us to quit our jobs if we had one and to get on Adderall if our minds often drift. Looking back, they were the sweetest instructors and most lax. Now, it's so much more demanding. 15. We learned dosage cal and Maslow's and pt safety techniques, the basics 16. It was overwhelming at first, but looking back, it was easy 17. Enjoyed it very much 18. Had lunch at Honeybaked with a few newly made friends 19. Yep, had about 4 new contacts that day 20. No, no treats for me 21. Of course I had homework. It's not about how many hours it takes to complete, but how long it takes for you to understand and apply the information. The reading material took about 4 hours, but understanding it all and using reference texts, completing mandatory assignments, probably about 20 hours. 22. ??? 23. I have two kids, who were 18 months and 4 months at the time. No TV 24. I don't know what time I went to bed, that was over a year ago...maybe 5 hours? 25. I'm in my 4th semester now, with a giant test on genitourinary, so no I'm not looking forward to it 26. I liked it 27. Maybe once or twice I thought I bit off more than I could chew, but I'm still here and glad I stuck with it. 28. If I was asked this question in my first semester I would've said anxiety was a 9. Compared to today, the first day of school seems like a 2.

THIS! And I highly recommend Test Success by Nugent & Vitale. This breaks it down completely and will help you increase your chances of choosing the right answer even if you are unsure of the topic.

Get organized and take it one day at a time. Calendars and planners are your friend. Even if you think you're wasting time writing it down in a planner, do it. I promise it's a lifesaver. I'm a major procrastinator (hence the reason I'm on this site instead of reading about psychiatric nursing) so I have to set strict study blocks each day and make myself sit and read. When you read, take a short break when you find yourself drifting from the material. When you read, ask yourself why, how, where, etc. Read the material, absorb it, then dig deeper to understand it on a more complex level. I personally found index cards and digitally recording lectures to be a waste of time. By the time I got done writing things on index cards, I wasted 2 hours of time that could've been spent learning, rather than just writing it down. And I know I'll NEVER listen to that recorder. I just use a good old fashioned highlighter, my textbook, and my ears and I make side notes in the margins. So I suggest finding the best way for you to study. Many people in my class use digital recorders and I just don't understand it, but it works for them! Also, remember to take time for yourself or you will be a basket case. Don't beat yourself up over anything. Easier said than done, trust me, I know. But tell yourself that you'll do better next time...and bust your butt to make a better grade. One day at a time. Not next semester, not next week...you'll overwhelm yourself. I'm in my 3rd semester with two kids (2 and 1) and each semester is a whole new system and schedule. Things are a bit rocky at first, but you'll smooth it out as you learn what works for you. Hope I helped!

Well, I don't have three kids. I have two. But, they are 14 months apart and my oldest is 26 months, so I can relate! I just started my 3rd semester of nursing school (OB/PEDS, Med-Surg II) and I will give you as much insight as I can. Like another poster mentioned, nursing school is all about time management. The material is NOT hard. That being said, the amount of material you are expected to know and understand is overwhelming. A few tips: if you are shaky on your anatomy AND physiology, review it NOW! I underlined physiology because this is of the utmost importance. Sure, anyone can memorize landmarks and regurgitate them on a diagram and fill in the blanks. It is the process of each system and its function that is essential to understanding and building on your fundamentals of nursing. Everything affects everything. It's very hard to have to leave my kids. I feel guilty a lot of the time, but honestly, after the first couple of weeks of nursing school, you'll want them to be with a babysitter or playing with other kids. I am far too exhausted to entertain them when I get home, and I end up feeling more guilty. This will benefit them in the long run and I'd rather do it now and get it over with. There is NO right time to go through nursing school. You just have to bite the bullet and push forward. I can't study until my kids go to sleep, so I average about 3 hours of sleep a night and at LEAST one night I week I don't sleep at all (the night before clinical). Sure, I've been exhausted to the point where I can't get up on time and my kids wanna throw a fit in the mornings and I walk into class 3 minutes late and catch a lot of hell from my instructors. But I don't make excuses. I say, "I'll do better. I'm sorry." It's difficult, but to me it's one of those situations where you don't think about how hard it is at the moment, then when you're finished and you look back on it all you're like "How in the WORLD did I survive that?!" You are a lot stronger than you've ever imagined yourself to be if you really want something! Best advice I have ever heard is to take it one day at a time. Well, I have to hit the books again. Hope I gave you some insight on nursing school (from my perspective at least). GOOD LUCK!

Thank you for all the supportive responses! I definitely owe my husband BIG! He's just happy he gets in his Call of Duty while I'm reading and the kids are in bed. I think I will have to get him some really awesome seats at a Washington Capitals game at the Verizon Center, and even that might not be enough. It's hard having to pay the babysitter and OH how I would love to sleep in an extra hour and not have to get the kids dressed, fed, and out the door. Clinicals start in 3 weeks and they're from 7AM-4PM. I don't even want to think about that right now. But, I truly feel that having my husband and kids counting on me is what pushes me forward. I find myself in a daze on Facebook and I will snap out of it and tell myself I have to get back to the books and do this for my family. So thankful that I have them in my life. Thank you guys for understanding...well, with the exception of one of you at least :smackingf

It's okay to be upset about it. Nursing school is very demanding and you are expected to be on your "A game" the entire time. But, this was your first exam. Now you know what kind of questions to expect on future tests. Like the first poster, I recommend Fundamentals Success. Also, Test Success is wonderful! Both of these books are by Nugent & Vitale. It may seem like just extra text to read, but they are so unbelievably helpful in teaching you how to choose the correct answer and what to look for in test questions. The answer may not be to "study harder," but it may require you to change your test taking routine. Critical thinking is a term you will hear ad nauseum through nursing school. Fundaments Success and Test Success will teach you to clear your mind, good breathing techniques, have a positive test taking attitude, it will teach you a critical thinking process. It's very important to not change your daily/nightly routine before the exam. Get a good amount of sleep. If you don't know the material at 0230, the night before your test, chances are, you won't know it when you sit down to take the test, either. And don't change your answers on a test unless you are 1000% sure it's wrong! When reading about assessment and interventions, ask yourself why you would do this, when you would do this, how it's done, etc. You will get the hang of it. Nursing tests are a whole different animal compared to the rote memory A&P tests we had to take! One of my instructors always says, "Don't lose your common sense," when we read into questions too much. Take the question for exactly what is it and don't add any extraneous info to it. You can do it! You're in the program for a reason!

Thank you all for your responses! I will definitely try to get out of the house to study more. I am definitely not trying to belittle other students' struggles because I know that each person has a unique situation. I am very fortunate to have a husband to help me and I have an infinite amount of respect to those single mothers going through the program! I guess at times, I get a little frazzled and overwhelmed. It is nice speak to other nursing students who are also having to balance being a parent and student, both full-time jobs. I definitely agree with those of you who said that having kids gives you more motivation. I had all my pre-reqs completed for a BSN (though I had to retake two classes due to my lack of prioritizing abilities my freshman year) and had to take time off school to have my kids and I feel that if I didn't have my kids and went straight through college, I would've been too immature to be responsible enough to complete the program successfully. Time management is more difficult, money is tighter, stressors are abundant, but I have my family depending on me now. Now if only I could find a way to squeeze in a good exercise routine...

I am in my first semester of nursing school. I absolutely love it, and I'm learning so much, so fast, but I've already had moments where I think, "How am I going to finish 5 semesters of this?" There is so much stress that sometimes, I can't see the light at the end of the tunnel. At orientation, we had a speaker who was a recent graduate of our school, and boy, was she right about taking it one day at a time. I start freaking out when I think about the long road ahead before graduation and the NCLEX. People often ask me how I manage full time nursing school with two kids. My response is, "It isn't an option. I just do it." I'm not trying to be rude, but really, that is my honest answer. I have a husband and two very young kids, 19 months, and 4 months. I was just curious as to how you get through your daily routine with kids, how you're handling the stress. I feel stretched to the max. I forget to eat, I hardly sleep, and now I'm developing bronchitis. I'm so thankful my husband helps me. But I often feel very guilty that my 19-month-old daughter cries when I leave her at the sitter's or when my husband pulls her out of our room because "Mommy is studying." I am trying to learn to put down my books and take breaks. I am known to lock myself in a room for hours and read. Sure, I am building a foundation for my career, which will benefit my family. But I try not to think about the time I can't spend with them anymore because I will start crying. I went from stay-at-home mom to hardly ever being around. THAT is the hardest part of nursing school to me. What about you guys?

I had an actual A&P text book that not only covered the anatomy, but physiological processes as well. There was a chapter on the endocrine system, cardiovascular system, etc. If you don't have something that specifically talks about the physiology in relation to the anatomy you are studying then I would go on amazon and find a used A&P book. Mine was called Holes Anatomy, 12th Edition and it will last through A&P I and II. Is she just teaching you the physiology as she goes? How do you find out what the lymphatic system does or what hormones are produced by which gland?

Everything the previous poster said! Cramming is a HUGE no-no in nursing school. It's critical thinking and applying your knowledge to any given situation successfully, making sure to choose the best answer, because there will be more than one "right" answer. I definitely agree with not changing your answer unless you are 1000% sure you were wrong. I have already witnessed several students failing a test because they second-guessed their instincts. When you study, ask why something is done, how it works, where it comes from, where it goes, when you would utilize that skill or intervention. Reading and studying lecture material is very important, but only look at that as an outline to what you need to know. Everything else is up to you. When I get overwhelmed with all the information, I look at lecture notes first and make sure I know everything about it. Then, I go back to things in the book that might not have been covered in lecture and study that. Remember that anything is fair game in nursing school! I know it's another book and more stuff to read, but Test Success by Nugent and Vitale is a lifesaver when it comes to having the right mindset to remain confident in your testing abilities, and it teaches you how to choose the best answer when faced with more than one right answer. It's specifically geared toward nursing students and it also gives sample NCLEX questions with rationales for each right and wrong answer. It's a great resource. Good luck!

It could be a variety of things. Maybe you would learn better by hearing the info. What are some examples of words that you're having trouble with? Is it more anatomy or is it the physiological processes? I always associate the word with a key term in the definition. Or I will say the word in my mind and picture it at the same time. For example, homeostasis. I found the key word in that definition to be "balance." I would say the word to myself, and actually picture a person and a balance scale sitting in the person, trying to reach a balance. It's weird, but it worked! It's also important to make sure you use your own words in a way that you best understand. I am a visual learner, so I would be sure to use that word as much as possible when writing my own notes at home and understand the meaning of that defnition and why it is so important.

i took a&p i and ii and it definitely takes some getting used to. i apologize in advance for this being so long, but i have taken a&p i, ii, microbiology, and infectious diseases, and passed them with a's, now i'm in nursing school, and i have some great study tips to pass along that helped me tremendously. since you're so early in your semester, i would recommend buying a netter atlas of human anatomy book, first and foremost. they are very pricey (mine was $100 from barnes & noble) so a used one off amazon would be your best bet. but, you will use this as a reference for years to come. the author and illustrator, frank netter, was a physician and medical illustrator. if you look up his work online, you would be amazed at the detail he put into anatomy. you won't have to worry about the coloring books anymore. it's all right there, plain as day, and so easy to understand. aside from that, if your instructor is all over the place, this might sound a little crazy, but don't try to follow her in your book. it leads to confusion when you go back and forth, flipping pages, looking at her, and looking down to write. if she shows you something on a slide, immediately put your pen down and look at the slide. remember that your instructor makes these exams and she is the focal point of all exam information. if she says it or shows it, she thinks it's important. therefore, you must also think it's important. just write down whatever you hear her say, or bring a digital recorder to class. if you don't know how to spell something, spell it phonetically. write it down, then look it up on google when you get home. after you take lecture notes, go home and read your chapters, highlighting important info. compare your lecture notes to the highlighted chapter. anything you are unsure of, use external resources. my infectious diseases teacher left gaps in information all the time. the solution was so simple, yet people still failed the class. it is your job to fill in those gaps. the internet is a great resource. but be cautious that the info you get is valid and credible. i just now finished watching a youtube video from a college professor on the effects of diuretics on different parts of the kidney. it provided a great illustration and you can pause and rewind at any time you get confused. now you need to organize your notes by writing them over again. this not only keeps you from being distracted by your chicken scratch or asking yourself, "why did i write that random word," but it also allows you to think about the information as you write it down again. what i did to save time was type out summaries (rather than writing them) of chapters on microsoft word, using bold font, italics, bullets, and indentations to subcategorize the info, then i printed it. i highlighted key terms. then anything that seemed important, i went the extra mile in finding more info on it from online medical journals. i hand wote more detailed side notes on my summaries. i am a visual learner, so writing and reading over and over work best for me. mnemonics are your friend! especially when studying the brain. example: some say marry money, but my brother says big breasts matter more sensory, sensory motor, motor, both, motor, both, sensory, both, both, motor, motor in the order of cranial nerves starting from the olfactory (cranial nerve 1) again, i apologize for the length of this post, but it will really help you, not only in this class, but in subsequent classes, especially in the nursing program. the key is 1. instructor info, 2. chapter info, 3. compare and condense notes from instructor and book, 4. external resources, 5. write/type notes again, including external resources. from there, you just go over your finalized notes and really try to grasp what you need to understand from the content. most importantly, ask yourself questions about your text. how, why, when, where, what? this will compel you to delve deeper into really understanding the content. hope i helped! :cheers:

You can't get through nursing school without being able to critically think. I HIGHLY recommend getting both Test Success and Fundamentals Success by Nugent and Vitale. It teaches you how to successfully choose the right answer and gives techniques on how to remain calm, confident, and focused when taking a test. It includes NCLEX review questions and the answers include rationales for each option of the question. Have you ever heard of multiple-multiples? This book covers those as well. Review all anatomy. Trust me, when you start learning about the excretion and reabsorption of drugs, you don't want to be clueless when you are reading about the importance of Bowman's capsule and the Loop of Henle. Getting ahead on knowing your lab values, drug classifications, medical prefixes and suffixes would be a great idea. (Taber's medical dictionary is GREAT) It can becoming really overwhelming when they throw it all at you at once. CONGRATS!

athrun: I have a very methodical approach to studying. I read everything on a particular subject once and highlight as I go. I review the powerpoint slides and make notes by each slide as I read the chapter again (only highlighted areas), then I make flash cards for important rote memory info like lab values and drug classes. Then I go over everything once or twice and make handwritten notes to help my brain soak in the info. I'm not a huge note-taker when I'm reading for the first time because stopping to write takes my focus away from the information, and I usually end up having to read it 3 times before I regain my focus. I do read everything. Every word, every table, graph, chart, summary, online study guides and cases references, etc. Pharm is normally 5-7 chapters a week. Fundamentals is normally 3 chapters a week. Health Assessment is 4 chapters a week. I could estimate that the average number of pages to cover per week would be about 300, and that's being lenient. It's probably a little more than that. It takes me a while to read until I comprehend EVERYTHING. Sure, it's easy to read about nephrons, drugs binding to plasma proteins, GFRs, etc., but it's another story when you need to understand and apply that information for upcoming exams. I'd say that it takes me a good hour per chapter for the inital reading. Many, many hours after that to get a good grasp on the information and be able to apply it in a given circumstance.