SRNA's: Study Schedules, Sleep, Sanity?

Nursing Students SRNA

Published

Current and past SRNA's:

I'm starting my education this fall, and would like to hear from SRNA's on how they are managing their time and what works for them to keep their balance and sanity during the semesters. I'm already getting overwhelmed when I think of what's entailed to be successful, but I don't want to "burn out" early. I understand the time involved, but please share what's working for you since you're the "been there, done that" crowd in my eyes. Do you take any days off on the weekend? How much sleep do you try to get?(to function at least coherently) What do you do for "fun" to get away from the books for a short while?

Also, if you could do the first year over now knowing what you know (Not that anyone I've talked to would do it a second time!:chuckle ) what would you have done different?

Finally, any good "on the side" texts that you feel are great supplements to help understand some of the difficult concepts during school. Physiology, Pharm, ect. would be greatly appreciated. Good luck to all on finals this semester!:)

can make a "C" during the first semester, none after that, and must have a 3.0 to get into the summer semesters

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Here are some tidbits of advice for that first year. I will add more as I think of them. Brain reserves are low at present...it's been a LONG semester:D.

Honing your time management skills is the single best piece of advice I can give you. Take this from someone who is commuting 2-3 hours per day for class depending on traffic. Begin thinking of ways to save time in everyday activities that you still have to do while you are a student.

A close second for best advice is to make sure you do not stop doing something that you enjoy. You will have to make sacrifices, sure, and you will learn that re-prioritizing your life is just a part of life as an SRNA, but we all need our outlets for stress and rewards for our efforts. Whether you are into sports, travel, your family, movies, basketweaving - whatever. You cannot stop everything in your life for school. You just need to learn to make wise choices about when to enjoy those things. And do not be apologetic or guilty about taking time for you. It is crucial to the maintenance of your sanity.

Here are some other thoughts about that first year...

1. Pre-read. Reading the material before a lecture, even if it is only a quick skim, will make the lecture more worthwhile - the subject material won't be so foreign.

2. Study for a little bit every day rather than attempting to cram. It's so easy to get behind, and once you fall off the horse, it can be very, very difficult to get back on. That horse will buck you off in a heartbeat!

3. Don't get behind. A little less sleep on a couple of nights is far less painful than running out of time and performing poorly on an exam.

4. If you do have to cram, do not study up until the very last moment of the exam. It will only add additional pressure to your already overburdened brain. Take a half-hour before the exam to rest your noggin and re-focus.

5. Buy the books you need ahead of time. Don't wait until the semester is halfway over to decide that you should have bought that text after your grades are not what you might want them to be. Most schools will send out booklists, and instructors will include required readings in their syllabi. Do not think you are saving money by skimping on texts. The students who don't have the books they need are often left to wonder what they are missing.

6. Get organized and stay that way. You will likely get volumes of handouts. Anesthesia programs are doing their part to decimate the rainforests, let me tell you. The sheer volume of paper can be overwhelming. So, take the time to devise a system that is going to work for you (be it by systems, by class, by topic...). Also, round-file the handouts that do not add to your knowledge or repeat information present in textbooks. Doing so will decrease information overload.

7. Invest in a decent computer. If you have a slow clunker, buck up and buy a new one.

8. If you are going to use a PDA, start fiddling with it ahead of time. You will have enough to do without having to learn how one of these things works. I am PDA-less because I didn't do this, and now I am too busy to sit down and deal with it.

9. Before you start school, make a "Reasons-why-I-want-to-do-this" list. Keep it around and review it whenever your spirits or your motivation are running low. It sounds hokey, but there will be times when you need to remind yourself why you are doing this.

10. Have a heart-to-heart with your family, SO, spouse, etc. before school starts. Keep open the lines of communication while you are in school. But, be honest about the level of commitment and time that this goal will demand. This is a group effort, really. Do a search for other threads about this topic.

11. Get your financial house in order. We've talked about this on this site before, too. Create a realistic financial plan. Figure out how you are going to pay for this education. You will not have time to devote to this once school starts.

12. Keep a good attitude. And, if you can't keep a good attitude, keep it to yourself. You know the saying, "a few bad apples can ruin the barrel?". Don't be one of those apples. It just brings down the morale of the class. And it ticks off the faculty, too.

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Here are some tidbits of advice for that first year. I will add more as I think of them. Brain reserves are low at present...it's been a LONG semester:D.

Honing your time management skills is the single best piece of advice I can give you. Take this from someone who is commuting 2-3 hours per day for class depending on traffic. Begin thinking of ways to save time in everyday activities that you still have to do while you are a student.

A close second for best advice is to make sure you do not stop doing something that you enjoy. You will have to make sacrifices, sure, and you will learn that re-prioritizing your life is just a part of life as an SRNA, but we all need our outlets for stress and rewards for our efforts. Whether you are into sports, travel, your family, movies, basketweaving - whatever. You cannot stop everything in your life for school. You just need to learn to make wise choices about when to enjoy those things. And do not be apologetic or guilty about taking time for you. It is crucial to the maintenance of your sanity.

Here are some other thoughts about that first year...

1. Pre-read. Reading the material before a lecture, even if it is only a quick skim, will make the lecture more worthwhile - the subject material won't be so foreign.

2. Study for a little bit every day rather than attempting to cram. It's so easy to get behind, and once you fall off the horse, it can be very, very difficult to get back on. That horse will buck you off in a heartbeat!

3. Don't get behind. A little less sleep on a couple of nights is far less painful than running out of time and performing poorly on an exam.

4. If you do have to cram, do not study up until the very last moment of the exam. It will only add additional pressure to your already overburdened brain. Take a half-hour before the exam to rest your noggin and re-focus.

5. Buy the books you need ahead of time. Don't wait until the semester is halfway over to decide that you should have bought that text after your grades are not what you might want them to be. Most schools will send out booklists, and instructors will include required readings in their syllabi. Do not think you are saving money by skimping on texts. The students who don't have the books they need are often left to wonder what they are missing.

6. Get organized and stay that way. You will likely get volumes of handouts. Anesthesia programs are doing their part to decimate the rainforests, let me tell you. The sheer volume of paper can be overwhelming. So, take the time to devise a system that is going to work for you (be it by systems, by class, by topic...). Also, round-file the handouts that do not add to your knowledge or repeat information present in textbooks. Doing so will decrease information overload.

7. Invest in a decent computer. If you have a slow clunker, buck up and buy a new one.

8. If you are going to use a PDA, start fiddling with it ahead of time. You will have enough to do without having to learn how one of these things works. I am PDA-less because I didn't do this, and now I am too busy to sit down and deal with it.

9. Before you start school, make a "Reasons-why-I-want-to-do-this" list. Keep it around and review it whenever your spirits or your motivation are running low. It sounds hokey, but there will be times when you need to remind yourself why you are doing this.

10. Have a heart-to-heart with your family, SO, spouse, etc. before school starts. Keep open the lines of communication while you are in school. But, be honest about the level of commitment and time that this goal will demand. This is a group effort, really. Do a search for other threads about this topic.

11. Get your financial house in order. We've talked about this on this site before, too. Create a realistic financial plan. Figure out how you are going to pay for this education. You will not have time to devote to this once school starts.

12. Keep a good attitude. And, if you can't keep a good attitude, keep it to yourself. You know the saying, "a few bad apples can ruin the barrel?". Don't be one of those apples. It just brings down the morale of the class. And it ticks off the faculty, too.

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Thanks a lot for those words of inspiration Athlein1 ... they were great.

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Thanks a lot for those words of inspiration Athlein1 ... they were great.

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Althein...LOL

i am in the same boat w/ you on the commute...that is a killer....i am just finishing my first semester - and wouldn't you know it - this last test has enough info on it to burn in the fireplace and heat my house all winter.....are there any studies on how many SRNA's develop ulcers??

to all those beginning - Althein gave wonderful advice - almost all of which i followed prior to starting...you will still ask yourself "why did i do this to myself" at least on a wkly basis.....

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Althein...LOL

i am in the same boat w/ you on the commute...that is a killer....i am just finishing my first semester - and wouldn't you know it - this last test has enough info on it to burn in the fireplace and heat my house all winter.....are there any studies on how many SRNA's develop ulcers??

to all those beginning - Althein gave wonderful advice - almost all of which i followed prior to starting...you will still ask yourself "why did i do this to myself" at least on a wkly basis.....

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During holiday breaks, and breaks between semesters, would you recommend working some extra shifts in a hospital...especially if you're wanting to establish state residency status?

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During holiday breaks, and breaks between semesters, would you recommend working some extra shifts in a hospital...especially if you're wanting to establish state residency status?

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I don 't work on the breaks, some do.

heres my reasons.

1. how much am i gonna make 1k or maybe 2k. that is nothing in the vast chasm of debt. if your hanging by a K or two. re-visit your financial plan.

2. Is the further torcher on my body and brain worth my academic performance? no need to answer that one.

anyway bla bla bla. I agree also with Athelin thats a great list. lots of people will give advise but that list is pretty comprehensive and thoghs techniques are proven.

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I don 't work on the breaks, some do.

heres my reasons.

1. how much am i gonna make 1k or maybe 2k. that is nothing in the vast chasm of debt. if your hanging by a K or two. re-visit your financial plan.

2. Is the further torcher on my body and brain worth my academic performance? no need to answer that one.

anyway bla bla bla. I agree also with Athelin thats a great list. lots of people will give advise but that list is pretty comprehensive and thoghs techniques are proven.

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Yeah, 92 for A, 83 for B, must maintain 3.0 GPA. Make more than two C's (even if your GPA is 3.5), and you're out. NA school is not very forgiving.

Does anyone know if medical schools also kick you out if this happens? Just curious about how the standards compare.

I remember Nilepoc mentioning in his blog that CRNA students were graded tougher in some courses that also included medical students, so I was wondering if that was the case overall, or not.

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