1st semster student

[Payton42]

Ok so I start the upper nursing program for UofL in January. I was just wondering if any of you all further along, or graduated had any advice for my coming up 2 years other thn being very organized. Also if you all had certain methods for organization or any sheets or charts that you used that were helpful. Also are there any iPhone apps that seem to help during school as well? Thanks soo much!!

[cholleytcl]

I would use the NCLEX app from ATI for the iPHONE for preparation. It really helps on tests. Many questions are similar.

[PCTerrific]

Yep, NCLEX questions until your eyesballs fall out. The "Success" Series (Pharm Success, Med-Surg Success), was a big help.

You can't start stuff early enough. And don't ask for extensions...the load really never lightens up, so don't put things off.

Learn and practice teamwork! Nursing is a team effort, as is nursing school. My cohort, for example, used a google folder to pool notes and recordings, and we used our facebook group to post helpful links, reminders about upcoming assignments, etc. Working together to get through all the material helps everyone- but, of course, it means being a good team member yourself! :)

Mostly, though, just know how your own brain works. I don't learn from lecture, for example. Just can't seem to do it-- hearing long explainations of things doesn't give me time to process the material and think it through, and it doesn't stick or make a lot of sense. If I read it, however, I will remember it. So, I was one of the rare people who did all the readings (usually at least twice). Once I stopped trying to fit a square peg in a round hole and become a person who could take awesome class notes and really absorb lecture, I did really well. It worked for me. On the other hand, I had friends who SWORE by recording and re-listening to the lectures. Don't let other people tell you how best to learn!

As for organization, I just did everything in google. I liked using my google calendar because it could fit everything and be easily edited (I don't know how people used paper planners...how do you fit all the stuff that needs to be done in those small boxes??), and because reminders popped up on my phone every morning. All my notes went straight to google docs-- and thank goodness, because I had a computer die on me. It was also nice because I always had my notes with me-- I just needed to open the app and pull them up, and I could study whenever I had a minute.