Typical cellular data use in NS

Nursing Students General Students

Published

Hi, everyone!

Question!

I'm planning on taking the HESI test in January for nursing school, and I'm thinking of buying a new smartphone for nursing school. I don't have one right now, hence my question on here (for those who are used to everyone having a smartphone).

I'm thinking of dumping money on a new smartphone, apple watch for clinical (I guess vital machines can all pair up to each Apple watch simultaneously), Ipad Pro for anatomy 3D, power points, etc and mobile wifi for my house (since I'm not paying for the apartments weekly wifi anymore since it's per device).

I'm wondering if my data will all go onto one plan or if they'll have separate plans. Maybe someone who has what I'd like to buy that I listed above could provide some insight.

And when you guys are at home studying, how much internet do you think you use without surfing on social media? Verizon has unlimited plans but throttles back after 22 GB.

T-mobile's plans look attractive because they throttle back after 50 GB now (as of Sept 19th).

T-mobile seems like the better, cheaper deal than Verizon, but Verizon, I guess, has the best coverage. I don't want outages or service interruptions.

Any advice?

P.S. Regarding the Apple Watch thing, I recently passed the nutrition course requirement for nursing school. In the course, we got to do an extra credit thing where we got to play as a patient and the student was evaluated by the instructor and he had to ask me things. Whatever he didn't ask me, I wasn't supposed to ask or answer. My patient, I played as was a young high school kid needing a sports physical. It was 45-minutes physical. The student who performed the physical on me had an Apple watch. Fast forwarding to a guy I know who is in the program, he too has an apple watch. I don't know who told these guys that it was a great deal, but rewinding back to the sports physical thing, I asked the instructor why they have them and I think she said it's because some facilities have monitors that all can communicate to an Apple watch device (maybe even a smartphone?). That's why I want to buy an Apple watch. I guess it makes the workload easier to handle rather than going around to each individual machine.

I'm exhausted from reading the original post.

I graduated nursing school two years ago. I had a watch from Big Lots and a flip phone for half of school, the last half my husband got me a Smart Phone but I never used it for school. We were not allowed to have phones during clinical. Even if your facility issues phones as part of your clinical, you won't use it except if an MD calls. Some teachers allowed laptops during their classes; some didn't. I used the school computers and computers at the community college when I had assignments. I work at a huge hospital now and many nurses use index cards or facesheets. You do not want to store anything about a patient digitally, anywhere.

Once you start school, give it a few weeks and you will figure out what you want to spend money on. I ended up buying older editions of all of my textbooks after the first semester when I spent way too much money. The older versions were almost exactly the same and sometimes cost less than $5.00

If you want these gadgets for other reasons, then that is different. But school is a very finite experience and there is no reason to spend so much money on such a short period of time. Others may disagree but I would suggest starting a retirement account now on your own and making monthly contributions. If you do that + an emergency fund then you will be in great shape fiscally.

I have to say no, I'd like to say no, but things could change. Who knows. I'm so used to a goofy family, especially since they weren't really supportive of providing me a place to stay while I attended school after getting out of the military.

Other students who are in your clinicals and classes will be once of your greatest resources in nursing school. I have 3 other girls who I was in AP 1 & 2 with and we have all been accepted to start clinicals in January. A group who was in our AP classes started together this past August and they still study together, etc. and have helped each other get through the first few exams and doing so with passing grades. Our A&P instructor had told us that having a group to study with and get support from is the best thing we could do for each other.

I'm a tech girl. I have all of the things you mentioned because, well, I like them and I can afford them. That being said, I don't *need* any of them for nursing school. Not one. We aren't even allowed to have our phones in the facility during clinicals, so that point is moot. I'd say if you want to get them, go for it. But will it make you a better student or get you better grades? No, I don't think so.

Ironically, I have an Apple Watch, but had to buy a cheapo Walmart watch with a second hand because the Apple Watch won't stay on for a full 60 seconds. :roflmao:

Specializes in Oncology.
I'm a tech girl. I have all of the things you mentioned because, well, I like them and I can afford them. That being said, I don't *need* any of them for nursing school. Not one. We aren't even allowed to have our phones in the facility during clinicals, so that point is moot. I'd say if you want to get them, go for it. But will it make you a better student or get you better grades? No, I don't think so.

Ironically, I have an Apple Watch, but had to buy a cheapo Walmart watch with a second hand because the Apple Watch won't stay on for a full 60 seconds. :roflmao:

In the watch app on your phone, under settings, general settings, wake screen, there's an option for how long it stay "woke" on tap. Change it from wake for 15 seconds to wake for 70 seconds.

Your first semester is going to be ungodly expensive. I had titers, a new computer (I just went to the computer lab before NS), my books were about $1400 (Most of them will be used throughout the program), drug tests, background checks, etc. Your stethoscope will be the last thing your worried about.

Well I'll be damned. lol

My cheap watch broke too, so this is timely. Turns out a $5.95 watch doesn't have much longevity.

+ Add a Comment