What should I expect? New nursing student, begining Jan 2010.

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:heartbeatSo I was accepted into a program, starting 1/12/2010. I am relieved, excited and very NERVOUS. What can I expect? Do any of you have any suggestions on what things I should do in order to excel. I was never the A student and received my GED after having my two sons. I whole heartedly want this and I want to do well. This is my dream. Any helpful hints???? Thanks!

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Get as much help as possible from family and friends to watch your kids while you study. Read constantly! What I've done is made a schedule for house chores for hubby and I to follow, that way things still get done around the house. Good luck!!

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Thanks for the advice. I am a nervous nelly because I want to do well. So I can see that this trait will prove benificial to me in the long run while in school. I am so very interested in health. I actually work in a cardiac unit and have so for 5yrs. I also have a backround being a medical assistant. I pray that with my experience and true interest I will do well.:redbeathe But that still does't make me feel like I wont want to freak the first day of class:eek: lol

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I am starting the nursing program in Jan as well and for right now, I'm going through the house trying to get organized. Everything has a place and everything in it's place (my current motto). Everything I don't need is listed on Craigslist or EBay so that I can get it out of the house and have a couple extra $$$.

I've set up an office, painted it, got a bookcase and a nice chair so that I have a really quiet place to study that's all mine!

I've ordered all of my books and started reading through them.

I've written about 100 receipes that involve my crockpot so that we can have dinner ready when we get home.

I bought all of my school supplies when they were cheap, cheap, cheap.

I'm filing away all of my paperwork (this is the most HATED task ever)!

So, that's what I'm doing. I can't wait to start school and regardless of how ready I am, I will still freak out! In a good way, of course!

Good luck and let us know how your first day goes!

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Specializes in none.

I'm more of a some A and B student. and for me.. I passed nursing first semester with lots of intense studying it was a totally different scenario for me. and im really excited to go to second semester on jan 19. What i can say is.. it requires a lot of studying. the majority of my class were stressed out because of the amount of the material being covered over each test. the test has very little to do with memorizing like what is required for A&P, pharm, patho, micro and etc. Its all situation type questions and you have to understand in depth in order to answer the question. there might be 2 questions being right, but 1 might be MORE right. Sample questions helped me a lot. So try to get a book with sample questions. good luck and congrats on the acceptance =DDDD

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I bought all of my school supplies when they were cheap, cheap, cheap.

where did u get ur books for "cheap cheap cheap"...lol

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If I were to buy the books at the campus it would've cost me over $400. I bought them off Amazon.com, EBay and Craigslist for less than $200. Cheap compared to the bookstore!:D

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If I were to buy the books at the campus it would've cost me over $400. I bought them off Amazon.com, EBay and Craigslist for less than $200. Cheap compared to the bookstore!:D

Thanks

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Hi elizabeth!!! congratulations on all your achievements!!! im finishing my first semester and remember feeling just as excited and nervous as you!!! everyone gave great advice!!! you will study TREMENDOUSLY....it is not memorizations, it understanding and applying knowledge...someone mentioned test questions....and its sooo true...you will always narrow things down and find 2 answers that appear right...you will have to figure the one thats the BEST right answer --if that makes sense!!!! if you are taking fundamentals first semester, please invest in the fundamentals success book...true godsend...i use it for every chapter i read!!!! it is extremely helpful...you dont have to buy the newest edition either...buy the previous if money is an issue (for me its always an issue, with 2 kids!)...go to amazon get it used, i paid $10 bucks..so worth it...and good luck again!

and always, always always: remember ABC airway breathing circulation..followed by safety!!!!!!!! youll understand when you start testing!!

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Specializes in ICU.

Best way to know what to expect is by talking to someone who is in your program right now. I remember reading a lot of posts here about how difficult their first semester of nursing school was and how they had no social life and never saw their families. I fully prepared myself for this but it never came to be. I think the first semester of my program was very compariable to my more difficult pre-reqs (A&P, microbiology, chem) but i still had plenty of time for my family and friends and fully expect to finish the semester out with all A's, possibly one B+. Now I have been warned by those further along that the 2nd and 3rd semesters will be MUCH more difficult than the first, so I am expecting a busy 2010, lol!

I guess my point is, for some people/programs the first semester was immensely difficult and time consuming; for others, not so much. Best way to prepare yourself is to talk to someone who has just finished their first semester at your school. Good luck!

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Specializes in PICU, NICU, Pediatrics.

Congratulations!!!!

I am going to start 3rd semester in January with NAU. Nursing school has been the best and toughest time of my life. Med/Surg was the hardest course I have taken and being a 4.0 student who felt as if i was "smart" was humbled by testing. As you will find nursing tests are like nothing you have encountered, application level is an understatment. I think I have a couple tips that may prove extremely beneficial and I wish I had known in the beginning.

1. Know the evil words: the absolute words, always, etc. Never the answer.

2. Get an NCLEX book and sleep with it, love it, caress it, do not fondle however because thats weird.

3. Out source beyond the book, alot of times the book has so much information and test question can be very specific practices that the book does not reviel, never rely on the book for all informaiton.

4. Get good at IV math, I struggled alot at first but once I got it, it can be simple however very frustrating.

5. Be prepared to feel bipolar

6. As horrible as nursing school is I want it to be this hard because frankly someones incompetence may lead to death in extreme cases so it needs to be this hard.

7. Have fun, clinicals are awesome, exciting, nerve racking, however I have never felt so alive.

8. Do not challenge an RN's competence as a student nurse. Thats just stupid and arrogant.

9. NEVER over think a question, pick the simplest answer and stick with it, often times changing answers prove fatal to a test.

10. Dont be a wuss and stick with it!

Well this isnt everything but some of the things that come to mind when looking back. I have my hardest semester coming up and can feel that knot in my stomach already rising thinking of whats to come. Enjoy school, they beat you down to bring you up, in a sense its like bootcamp all mental!!! Enjoy, hope this helps.

Nate

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Congratulations!!!!

I am going to start 3rd semester in January with NAU. Nursing school has been the best and toughest time of my life. Med/Surg was the hardest course I have taken and being a 4.0 student who felt as if i was "smart" was humbled by testing. As you will find nursing tests are like nothing you have encountered, application level is an understatment. I think I have a couple tips that may prove extremely beneficial and I wish I had known in the beginning.

1. Know the evil words: the absolute words, always, etc. Never the answer.

2. Get an NCLEX book and sleep with it, love it, caress it, do not fondle however because thats weird.

3. Out source beyond the book, alot of times the book has so much information and test question can be very specific practices that the book does not reviel, never rely on the book for all informaiton.

4. Get good at IV math, I struggled alot at first but once I got it, it can be simple however very frustrating.

5. Be prepared to feel bipolar

6. As horrible as nursing school is I want it to be this hard because frankly someones incompetence may lead to death in extreme cases so it needs to be this hard.

7. Have fun, clinicals are awesome, exciting, nerve racking, however I have never felt so alive.

8. Do not challenge an RN's competence as a student nurse. Thats just stupid and arrogant.

9. NEVER over think a question, pick the simplest answer and stick with it, often times changing answers prove fatal to a test.

10. Dont be a wuss and stick with it!

Well this isnt everything but some of the things that come to mind when looking back. I have my hardest semester coming up and can feel that knot in my stomach already rising thinking of whats to come. Enjoy school, they beat you down to bring you up, in a sense its like bootcamp all mental!!! Enjoy, hope this helps.

Nate

thank u for this advice. i will also start in Jan 2010 and i will definitely yield to ur advice

thanks again.

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