Tips for New Nursing Students

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Hey, ya'll! I just finished up my first year of nursing school today! Last year at this time, I was looking on this site for guidance and encouragement about the nursing program (about which I knew nothing!). Believe me, I can't believe how much I've grown and learned in the past two semesters. This is just my culmination of tips and tricks for new Nursing students. (Pst, some or all of these may not apply to you/your program, so just try to apply this to yourself) :D

1. CONGRATULATIONS on being accepted into a Program! You worked hard and ya'll are awesome!!

2. Organization. Organization is KEY. As soon as you get your hands on that syllabus, pencil that ridiculous amount of stuff in your phone calendar, wall calendar, mini calendar, period calendar, I don't care! Just write it down and be organized in your own way!

3. Think about possibly getting a tech/CNA job at your local hospital/Nursing home. Now, I know this can be a controversial subject because some don't think people should work while in school, but it will seriously help you with your skills and especially your patient communicating skills. Plus, if ya'll are organized (see #2 ;) haha) It shouldn't be a huge problem. Plus, you can pad your worn scrub pockets with some $$$

4. (This is subjective) You don't have to read all of the material. You usually won't have time to thoroughly read chapter upon chapter. You'll wear yourself out doing that. Try to go over notes and supplement it with the reading. That is, fill in the gaps from your notes with your book.

5. Make friends at NS. Seriously. Friends will be your lifeline. Whether it's shooting a quick text question about an assignment or de-stressing after a huge exam, nursing school friends UNDERSTAND what you're going through like no one else will quite understand. Believe me. I have a best friend who I tell everything too. However, she doesn't understand the stress, frustration and satisfaction of NS like my friends at school do. You create a bond through commonality and similar emotion and that combination has the potential to make great friends.

5.1 A note. Don't take the above to mean that you should diss your non-nursing school friends. Even though those friends may not understand what you're going through, they'll still be supportive in their own way. Plus, you need friends that you can hang with where you just forget about NS and stress and talking about LIFE outside the lecture hall and hospital. :)

6. YouTube may become you best friend for supplemental lectures and understanding. If you are a more visual learner, I encourage you to look up animations and lectures on YouTube and learn the way that suites you! This is especially helpful in those first semester check offs

7. Don't take breaks for granted. Whether for Christmas, Spring Break, Fall Break, Thanksgiving, whatever, if you can, make sure you relax, spend time with family/friends and try to give your brain a break from fluid and electrolyte imbalances, safety precautions and neuro assessments. Binge watch Friends on Netflix if need be. You get it! Just take a break! :)

8. Cry if you need to. It's okay. I remember, after a particularly stressful week after I was done with everything, I just got in my car and just had a good cry. It was more therapeutic than anything. Listen to your body. Take care of you.

9. Don't throw those notes/Power Points away. Aside from the possibility of having a cumulative final, those notes/Power Points can be really helpful for future reference and studying for ATI and NCLEX testing.

10. Talk to upperclassmen. THEY GIVE THE BEST ADVICE EVER. They've been through it. They know which professors are the best, what times to take certain classes and best of all, they can help you see that NS is doable. :)

Ya'll got this. Okay? These were just some tips that I wish someone had told me before I started NS. I know that some of them don't apply to everyone. Nursing school can be rough, stressful and tiring. But you know, it's as equally if not more so interesting, exciting and empowering. If ya'll have any questions about my first year experience, comment below. Thanks for reading.

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Great advice! Congrats on finishing up your first year! I too am halfway to RN :)

I would add that you should use your syllabus as a guide for your studying, the syllabus lists what you'll be tested on (outline of the unit, learning outcomes you should achieve) and will help you to tailor your studying.

Do as many practice questions as you can get your hands on! ATI, end of chapters, online, books, whatever.. just do them! It's not a substitute for studying by any means. Doing NCLEX style questions daily (at least 10 a day consistently) and utilizing test-taking strategies helped me become a better test taker.

I don't read every last word of the assigned textbooks either, I would like to and I make an effort to but it just doesn't always happen. I try to understand the bigger concepts presented and I try to think like a nurse while I'm doing it, thinking about what I'm going to do for a patient that presents with a specific disease process. Your instructors want you to know why disease processes happen but they're going to test you on the most important thing you should do as a nurse.

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Specializes in ED, Medicine, Case Management.

Yes! I second so many of these things!

Organization: I maintain 2 separate calendars: my work outlook calendar that syncs across all my iDevices and lets both me and work know when I am not available or when I have an assignment or an exam and my school specific calendar (The Day Designer, highly recommend it) that I use to write down every single assignment and exam as soon as I get the syllabus from my classes at the beginning of the semester. Because I like to have a life as well, I schedule study time and gym time, and I follow that schedule. When I have marked off all my items for the day, I get to play. As a note, two calendars works for me, because a couple of times an assignment somehow did not make it on to one calendar, but did make it to my second. Great backup.

Reading: I did not read any of my assigned reading as I absolutely DO NOT learn by reading. Not one single bit. I did utilize my texts as an additional resource for concepts I was not entirely clear on, but that is about it. I learned from lecture, from writing (and re-writing) notes, and talking about or performing concepts, and I got straight A's. It is important to know your learning style.

Syllabus and Objectives: Most professors offer an idea of what they expect you to get out of the class. All of mine did except my fundamentals professor. If she talked about it, it was fair game. If your professors provide objectives, use those to guide your studying, and don't just know the answer to the objectives or the questions in the book - know WHY. Always ask yourself why something is the way it is. I knew several people (especially in patho) who knew that X would happen when Y occurred, but could not connect the dots as to why. Really truly get to know the material at a deeper level.

The Interwebs: The interwebs is amazing. If you do not know something, google it. Youtube it. Khan Academy it. So much learning is available to you on the interwebs and if you limit yourself to just the materials provided by your school, you are limiting your potential to understand and make real connections.

Upperclassmen: Yes. They are an excellent resource. They can tell you what classes are the most important in order to get your choice of clinical capstone, they can tell you what textbooks you actually do or do not need, they can tell you how to deal with specific instructors, what to expect from clinicals, how to advocate for yourself, they are (usually) encouraging, and are proof that you will live through it all.

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another thing i would highly reccomend: study groups! I found mine highly beneficial, but we all followed the rules we made for ourselves. this included meeting every single week whether we had an exam or not and going over that week's lecture. We all had to have "relistened" to the lecture before we met up. We were three people, occasionally had a fourth but never more than that. It worked for us :)

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Thank you for this thread!

I'm a little nervous about the friends tip. I didn't have a great experience in my science classes, people ended up copying off me when I thought we were becoming friends. 2 students took my chem lab off a teacher's desk, took a pic with their phones, and copied word for word. Luckily the teacher knew I did my own work because I'd gone to his office hours for help with it. One student was expelled. Then when I told my other "friend" in the class, the very next day she asked me for my homework answers. Same in other classes. I'm the student who people go to for answers to the material or help with an assignment, but I guess no one really wants to be my friend though. At first I really tried to help people with the info, like explain why it is that answer, but then I stopped because they didn't want anything else just my answers.

Anyway I hope nursing classes will be different.

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Thanks for all of the great tips/advice!

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Mahalo for writing this...I starting a ADN program (with automatic bridge to BSN), and I was looking for helpful suggestions on my first semester. I really appreciate the tone of this post. Congrats on your first year being done!

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Specializes in Acute/Geriatric/Neuro.

5,7,8,10;) Transferred to a BSRN program at State College..Junoir year..Im just getting into my cognants..tough stuff;) CNA work per diem for various homecare agencies which are not that great if your in classes because of the schedualing process..but ay what can you do.

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.

I haven't applied to the bridge program yet but I am taking the pharm class that usually is taught to the first semester students.

I'm nervous & want to do well so I get into my first choice school so I e-mailed my professor on what I should focus on med dosage wise. I was excited & surprised she e-mailed me back (especially since it's Saturday)!

I also know if I'm having problems in the class I have no issues driving the hour to go to tutoring sessions with her.

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Specializes in ICU.

Many times when I am studying for a test and I am confused, I will text my instructor for clarification. They give us times they are available to text and I use it. My instructors have always replied in a timely manner and I think it's much better to go to the source than listen to others.

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Hi Guys,

I also have something to share. It is more of what really is after nursing courses. After all the school stuff and hard work. It's time to plan ahead. For some countries outside the united states, ex., the Philippines. many Filipinos aspire to be part of the American dream. to live in a life of comfort and and abundance.

After graduation and passing the NLE, gear up towards becoming marketable to US employers and also other job opportunities abroad.

Take your NCLEX immediately. After the reviews and the NLE, the information is still fresh so likely you'll be able to understand and answer the exams easier than being vacant for almost a year or more.

Recently, the NCLEX is becoming recognized internationally. Most employers in the US and in other countries requires a US License. or become a USRN. Another example in UAE, if you have US License, It can be easily converted to HAAD.

See, By taking NCLEX it would be open doors, Not just doors but the entire roof and fill you with a lot of job opportunities and career growth. I came across this blog article. and i just want to share it here.

https://nursefastrackforallnurses.wordpress.com/2015/05/12/nclex-dominating-worldwide-nursing-standards/

Another, Yes, you can relax. you deserve it though, but immediately practice locally. find hospitals, clinics or even go for a Healthcare BPO to practice what you have learned. Gain experience. If you are seeking job opportunities abroad. Still, keep on going to work. be employed while waiting for your visa. Employers would also prefer working candidates, not of the purpose of pirating employees though, but they seek the best candidates. Keeping yourself employed gives you also an edge of gaining expertise in your craft, bringing knowledge and wisdom keeping you fresh and updated on the latest trends in the field.

Hope it helps a lot of you!

reikiheart444

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Wow thanks a lot guys, this is all amazing advice

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