Starting classes 10/25.. Any advice? :)

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I'm so excited to finally start my classes. My first classes will be A&P & Fundamentals of Nursing. Any advice? Thanks :)

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if they have given you chapters to read ahead of time i would start reading now. i just started nursing in september, and i personally did not think it would be this hard. actually i dont know if hard is the word or just the amount of coursework. try to study atleast 20 hrs a week. its so much fun though and you learn alot. alot is about prioritizing .. and you will probably have minimal time for a social life if one at all .. but everything will be worth it and your social life is only temporarily on hold :) ohh and i found the test for success beginning nurses book very helpful, and maryanne hogan fundamentals book too. im taking fundamentals now too.

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Hi there,

Congrats on making it into nursing school! You are about to embark on a difficult but very rewarding journey. As a 4th year nursing student in the BsCN program I understand your fears. These are some general tips that I give out to any students who are just starting out and ask for advice:

-Do not read EVERYTHING they tell you to read. Read what is pertinent and discussed in class. You will make yourself sick if you attempt to study 20 hours a week on top of classes. It's just not possible.

-GO TO CLASS!

-Take lots of notes but also listen to what your professor is saying. Try and participate as much as you can. This will help solidify knowledge.

-Get to know people and start a study group. This is a great way to divide up all of the required readings or chapters that you may have. If you have a group of several people each of you can take a chapter, summarize it and then send it to everyone else.

-Stay organized. Get yourself a good planner and use it. There will come a time in nursing school where you will thank yourself for being organized. Trust me.

-Keep onto all of your notes, papers, projects etc. throughout the years because you may need to look back on them for reference.

-Find at least a couple hours a week where you can relax and have time for yourself. Although it may seem impossible to have a social life you must remember that it is essential to have a life outside of nursing. You will make yourself sick if you don't go out and have fun and that will just put you further behind. I'm not saying go out drinking every weekend but its OKAY to go to the movies every once in awhile.

-Stay positive! :)

Goodluck! If you have anything else you want to ask, feel free to message me!

-Mel

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Thanks for the advice ladies :)

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Hmm.. Advice... I found that through nursing school the biggest thing that helped me was to learn who I was as a student, and what were the procedures and study skills that fit into my learning styles. It was all a learning experience, and if you dont know what works for you, just try different things and learn as you go.

I found that with me it DID help to read everything I could get my hands on pertaining to the lesson of the day before class started. I would read the entire chapter, define vocabulary words on index cards, write out the review questions in the back of the chapter if there are any, print out any powerpoints available to you by the teacher and try to rewrite notes using your own language. If I was studying a body system, it would help if I would draw what I was trying to learn like say the path urine takes through the nephron, or what are the steps of circulation the blood makes through the heart, etc.

Try to be as organized as possible, it'll help tremendously. Make a study schedule and STICK TO IT!! I started out with one hour a day, and as time came for exams/finals, I'd up it to two hours a day. But that's just me, you might need more or you might need less. I would find a family member who would be willing to spend some time with me and quiz me on certain questions or definitions to help solidify it in my head.

Hopes this helps :) Let us know how your first day goes! - Natalie

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

You will be learning a new language and culture you do not understand. Remember to use the instructor as a resourse. NEVER put off studying. A&P was kinda fun for me. I found the Gray's Anatomy coloring book (bookstore and online) to be helpful.

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The test questions for Nursing will not be just "the facts." They will be structured so that you have to apply the concept(s) or make some kind of decision using whatever they taught you.

Two books are usually recommended, because you need to practice the "thinking" and "prioritizing" and "apply it" NCLEX style questions before you take a test:

Test Success 5th ed or 4th or 6th would be close enough, Nugent & Vitale, F.A. Davis Co.

Fundamentals Success 2nd ed or whatever one, Nugent & Vitale, F.A. Davis Co.

Both of those books have a CD in the back. You can find used books on ebay, but make sure that you get the CD because it probably has additional questions that aren't all in the book.

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Specializes in Student.

read before the class - when you are reading jot down things you need clarified.

Study from the very first day.

Work hard to "get" Nursing Plans, Nursing Process.

Be ready to live by: See One, Do One, Teach One - not that you will teach that soon, but we have been expected to understand everything on the first go-round. Make notes on the forms you will use, so whe it's time to use them you will know what they are for, and how they are to be filled out

Take your time forming a study group, be choosey with firends, keep your own nose clean. Don't get caught up in the drama.

read, Study, work hard.

Good Luck !

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