To everyone on All Nurses

LilStudent · Apr 27, 2004

I wish I could offer some advice on studying, but I can't. I haven't started nursing school yet. I have found that the best way for me to study in my regular college courses is to carry around flashcards filled with information everywhere I go. You can study anywhere this way. I know it's difficult! Just try your best to pass the course. If you can, you shouldn't abandon allnurses completely. I have learned so much here just by observing. Even if you don't post there is a wealth of knowledge from some highly intelligent, motivated, dedicated, wonderful nurses here. Good luck!

GiselleRN · Apr 27, 2004

When I was in nursing school, in my last semester, I was very close to failing the Med/Surg lecture part of a course. The professor who had taught this class for years and years was on sick leave, and the way that the interim profs were presenting the course just didn't click with me. What I did was that I sought out one of the "A" students and asked her for some tutorial time and she shared her own notes from lecture with me. I also pulled some heavy all night study sessions with some of my nursing buddies. I ended up making an even higher grade than what I needed to pass the course!

Good Luck! :)

chris_at_lucas_RN, RN · Apr 27, 2004

1) Don't leave this board! You are still going to be a nurse, you are still interested, you still have opinions and questions. You don't have to go, and I, for one, would be sorry if you did.

B) Get with one or more of your classmates for a couple of study sessions. Divide up the work if it's organized that way, and then meet to "teach" each other the information.

Look up stuff you don't know or quite understand. I have found that using www.google.com, I could look up anything I wanted to and I could find explanations using small enough words and simple enough concepts that I began to understand, and then it all took off.

I was lucky, I didn't fail any exams. Actually, I did fail one, but it was close to passing, so passing the course was never a problem. But I didn't really start to "get it" until I started using the internet and my classmates as resources. Then I was able to relax more (as in, breathe easier with lower pulse and BP, not trip-to-the-Bahamas relaxing!), because as more of it made sense, more of it seemed to stick in my head AND come to me when I needed it to figure out the answers to questions.

See if you can get some coaching from an instructor. Sometimes they have ideas that can be helpful. Since I don't know you, I can't be very specific--but they do and they can!

Don't give up. It's not over yet. You have a lot invested. Put everything else on hold, pour everything you've got into finishing this semester. Once you get half your program done, there are other options which don't require you to start all over (sort of). But if you get past this hump, you might just pull out of the nose dive enough to succeed the rest of the way.

Remember: people with a lot less going for them than you have, made it through this program, and you can too.

Keep us posted. It's why we're here.

Good luck!

tdg_rn · Apr 27, 2004

I agree with Chris - don't leave the board. There's a lot of experience, information, and support for Nursing students and/or Nurses in this one place.

I haven't posted much while class was going on but I have been reading. It's a real benefit to see others going through or having gone through the same types of things you are. You can't find that just anywhere.

Veke-RN2B · Apr 27, 2004

Don't give up. I am fairly new to the boards but I just want to say "do your best" and everything will be alright if you believe. Are there other people in your class that are really doing well that you can study with? Use every critical moment you have to study and go over the material with others. You can do it and I will pray that you pass your med-surg class. One final note...I have this poem on my nightstand that helps me get through hard times and I would like you and everyone to read this and be inspired: :)

"Don't Quit"

When things go wrong as they sometimes will

When the road you're trudging seems all up hill

When the funds are low and the debts are high

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh

When care is pressing you down a bit

Rest, if you must, but don't you quit

Life is queer with its twists and turns

As everyone of us sometimes learns

And many a failure turns about

When he might have won had he stuck it out

Don't give up though the pace seem slow

You may succeed with another blow

Success is failure turned inside out

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt

And you never can tell how close you are

It may be near when it seems so far

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit

It's when things seem worst that you must not quit

--Anonymous

wrmbreeze · Apr 28, 2004

Thanks you guys, you brightened an otherwise dreary day. I'm trying. Its hard but still hanging in there. :uhoh21:

ShelleyERgirl, LPN · Apr 28, 2004

Don't leave wrmbreeze! As you have discovered, this board is an invaluable support system and personally it has saved my sanity recently. Everyone on here is a credit to it in some way or another including you so stay! :)

CIRQL8 · Apr 28, 2004

I had to repeat a semester. My school only allowed one repeat - after that bye bye!!

Don't worry - you will make it.

BTW, I had to repeat the semester that included surgery - and now I am an OR nurse and I love it!!

THEsunnygurl84 · Apr 28, 2004

Dont leave! Just do whatever you can to keep trying. The new way I study, that I just figured out the last half of this semester, is the Library!! It helps me so much. I always say I will study at home, but I never do. The library is a great place to study and it is on campus so I get it out of the way before I go home. Good luck!

newgrad2004 · Apr 28, 2004

Dont quit now, try a study group with ppl who do well and study well together. If you cant possibly make it pull out and get back in next semester. I know 2nd semester was the "meat and potatoes" of nursing and was by far the hardest for me. If you can make it through this the rest is more down hill and things start piecing together. This is where you learn so much, its hard to follow but it helps in the 3rd and 4th semesters for things to come together in your mind.Best of luck!

But dont leave the board you know what a valuable asset it can be when you have questions and there are many here with so much knowledge, I bet if you added it up you would have a million years of knowledge on this very board!! hehe

Good luck and I will cross my fingers for you!

wrmbreeze · Apr 28, 2004

Dont leave! Just do whatever you can to keep trying. The new way I study, that I just figured out the last half of this semester, is the Library!! It helps me so much. I always say I will study at home, but I never do. The library is a great place to study and it is on campus so I get it out of the way before I go home. Good luck!

I did that today. The group that is at same site as me helped me today. They said that they are not going to let me fail. We had a group today, gonna have one tomorrow, one on next Tuesday and Wednesday. I actually remembered a lot of stuff. It was nice to have some people to study with for a change and in the library even. No kids and no hubby around.Thanks for the advice you guys.