In less than three months, I begin Nursing school. I'm super excited and wish that it would start tomorrow. While the 15 month program is super intense, I kind of like the fact that I can relax with my family until it begins. However, what would be some recommendations as to how to prepare for what lies ahead. Is there any must have books to read, Youtube video's to watch or anything that I should do to help acclimate once the program begins?
CONGRATS! My advice is to read a good book, enjoy time with your friends and family, take care of anything that is going to come up during your academic year that can be done ahead of time, find easy meal preps (freezer meals are great). I am not saying this to be dramatic these are things I would have honestly wish I would have done before hand and plan on doing over summer break :) I did not do any academic prep, I am in a top 10 ranked BSN program and was not one of those "4.0" students and I am doing well. It might depend on what they expect from you but dont worry to much about prepping academically ahead of time-if you do honestly some of it might confuse and stress you out more than help you...that is advice from a classmate.
Ha! I love that everyone is saying to relax! :) That is exactly what I will tell you as well, that and get organized! Each break I spend cleaning because so much gets ignored during the semester, had I organized a bit better, I'd have less to keep up with. :)
Spend the next few months getting your study-space ORGANIZED. You're going to need a place to put your books, paper, pencils, pens, and the like. Find a place where you can place a large multi-month calendar. It will help you keep track of when you need to be where and what you need to study and when... IF you use it. You're going to need that space to be comfortable, well-lit, and have a place for your computer work area. You'll probably use that a LOT. Most of all, make sure that you spend time with your family and friends. The first few months, while you're figuring out the routine will not be easy on you or them.
Relax, do your travel or whatever else you want now. You won't have time to travel more than about 1-2 days away until you reach a semester break, if you even get one. Another thing you should do is start exercising, if that's not already in your daily plan. That often helps with relieving stress.
Also, do some scouting around the area and see if you can find a few places that might be conducive to studying in small groups. While you may not end up studying with other classmates, you might find that you do better bouncing ideas off of them, away from the normal stresses of home.
Basically, after you start school, things are going to become a blur of school, study, clinical, doing care plans/studying, and sleep.
Thanks everyone for the advice.... I have been relaxing but I'm bored. I'm taking my wife and daughter to Jamaica for a week and I exercise daily, which I hope to do in Nursing school, just back off the amount of time that I run/bike. I plan on getting some things fixed around the house and hang with my 5 year old daughter as much as possible. So, I will take all of your advice and chill, while at the same time going to listen to the advice about looking at some lab values, getting a good calendar and setting up a future workstation. Thanks for the input.
get in the habit of adhering to a schedule. because come nursing school if you dont learn time management the feeling of the inability to escape paperwork you'll be swimming through will be a constant one
prepare some frozen meals and start cataloging recipes. Where I live students get a 10% discount on their groceries so I make my weekly meal plan and buy for the week. This has been a huge $ saver and time saver!
I'd say do nothing because that's all I want to do at the moment, but I know how I was before nursing school so... Study fluids and electrolytes. (I like the Made Incredibly Easy book.) The subject will come up again and again and again. Study any major body system you are not comfortable with, like the cardiovascular system. If you know the normal you will better understand the abnormal.
Sleep. Trust me. It's important to get rest. In nursing school, it seems like no amount of sleep is ever enough. Haha. I guess that's where the time management comes in as Elijahvirgo mentioned.
Kvedaa
129 Posts
CONGRATS! My advice is to read a good book, enjoy time with your friends and family, take care of anything that is going to come up during your academic year that can be done ahead of time, find easy meal preps (freezer meals are great). I am not saying this to be dramatic these are things I would have honestly wish I would have done before hand and plan on doing over summer break :) I did not do any academic prep, I am in a top 10 ranked BSN program and was not one of those "4.0" students and I am doing well. It might depend on what they expect from you but dont worry to much about prepping academically ahead of time-if you do honestly some of it might confuse and stress you out more than help you...that is advice from a classmate.