Start school on 3/16/09 need advice

Our first day of class started out with the "go around the room, introduce yourself, and say why you are going into nursing, what type of nursing you want to do" etc. It's typically more relaxed. I don't know where people get the rolling backpacks, maybe a sporting goods store or department store.

My suggestions: Get a good nights rest, be on time, bring the pens/pencils/paper.

Good luck in nursing school!

hey,

I am in Canada and I am in my last year of my bachelor of nursing, doing my preceptorship in a 20 bed surgical and medical intensive care unit. I remember my first day of class in nursing and just like the last person post dont worry about the first day. The schools have been doing this for a long time and they know not to overload you the first day. In prepartation get a huge binder and dividers have that already set to go and keep it organized , dont get backed up on your readings or assignments. The 4 year degree program i did not find the work complexity hard, however it is stressful, the work is not hard its the amount of work they give you, their reasoning for giving you some many assignements is to see if you can handle the stressful. So the best advice is to not procrastinate in doing assignments you get backed up it will bite you in the butt. You will do fine, just remember to keep up with all the readings and assigments.

I remember my first day of class, the instructor stood up and said "only half of you will graduate". I found this intimidating and cruel on the first day of school. You will have good and bad clinical instructors. Some will like you and others will be "out to get you." Remember, you are doing this for yourself and don't let anyone get in your way. Study hard and devote yourself 100% and you will be fine. It's not easy. I think we all had times where we felt like giving up, but don't, if this is really something you want to do.

For rolling backpacks go to someplace that sells laptops. I found a great one at Office Max when I wanted one. :)

First off, congrats to you!

Second, nursing school is a world all it's own; you can never be prepared enough. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but you will FOR SURE be kept on your toes... good practice for the real world. When you first start it might seem like a lot, but hang in there until you find your "groove" and things will even out for you :)

A few bits of advice:

1) get a calendar (personal calendars w/ lots of free space to write work well)... and use it to right down class times (until they are memorized), assignments, due dates, exams, and readings.

2) color code! you'd be surprised at how well this works. Pick a color for each class and stick with it. For example, my clinical class is blue: blue binder, folders, highlighter etc. It's so easy to grab things in a hurry (which you will be) and keep organized! :)

3) take care of yourself. it is a must! it's crazy how much nursing school will consume your life, but it will be that much more difficult if you're not giving some time to yourself... work out, take breaks, spend time with your family, go to church, take a drive, whatever... it's so important.

4) DO NOT CRAM for exams and always do your readings. rest assured you will have plenty of reading to do. Here's a thought: schedule time in your calendar to do your readings and homework like an appointment. It's easier to stick with it if it's blocked in on your calendar. you'll thank yourself later. same goes for studying. and after each lecture take 15 minutes to review your notes to help it sink into your brain. If you forget any other advice I give STICK WITH #4!

5) Don't forget to enjoy your journey and breathe! :) it's a tough ride for sure, but don't let it slide by without making some good memories. You'll make lots of friends too! I LOVE my whole class :)

One more thing... it's almost bound to happen: you'll think the tests/teachers/homework/scheduling are ridiculous and be tempted to gripe non-stop with the rest of the class. Don't give the negative talk any room in your life!!!! It is what it is and complaining is only wasted time.

SOOOO... enjoy the ride, soak it all in, and CONGRATS!

Congratulations on making it this far!! I'm in my 8th week of my first semester and I can tell you that all the hard work you've done (and will do) is so worth it!!

The previous poster gave some excellent advice! I second everything she said! However, lots of people said their first day was no big deal. Mine was! We got right into lecture - covering 6 1/2 textbook chapters worth in 3 hours! And it hasn't stopped since! I haven't found any of the work to be hard - it's just A LOT! Being organized is super important so that you can keep track of all the different assignments and chapters to read. I agree with the advice not to cram for the tests. Don't get behind in your reading! I don't know if you are anything like me - but I think I made it through high school w/out hardly reading any of the textbooks! And I did pretty well in not reading throughout my prereqs in college. I've learned that nursing school is not the place to skip out on the reading! No longer are we trying to learn the material just for a test, only to forget it the second we're done. Now we have to retain so much of what we're learning because it will eventually apply to our chosen career! So, anyway, my advice is to read, read, read! If you can, get the chapters read before class (even the first one - if you already have your syllabus).

If you find the first couple weeks aren't too exciting....don't worry - it gets better!! Just wait till you get to give your first insulin injection! It's so exciting!! Good luck!! :)

Thank you guys sooooo much all of the advice was great. I really liked the advice about color coding, i somewhat do that now, but that advice was really helpful, as well as the #4. I am looking forward to my new journey through nursing school, and I will be sure to come back and let you guys know how my first day was. Again thanks for all your advice.