What do you wish you were told before nursing school?

Sparrow91 · May 24, 2014

1) Make a commitment to do NCLEX questions daily: start off slow and add. Start with 20 per day, then 50, then 100. This will help you in getting to know NCLEX style questions as well as increase your stamina for answering large amounts of questions.

2) Careful who you pick as your nursing school friends. Make sure you find a group that is as committed to this as you are, and are responsible. A good group of friends with push you to do your best but will also support you when you stumble. Good friends can make a huge difference in how well you cope and succeed in a nursing program.

3) Get a good planner that works for you and use it!!! Do not just write down what needs to be done this week or next. Sit down at the beginning of the semester with you syllabuses and write EVERYTHING out. Assignments, tests, and clinicals can all bottle neck in a 1-2 week period. By looking ahead you can maybe do papers earlier in the semester when there is less going on and make a plan to start studying sooner to help alleviate some of the stress.

4) Learn to say no! During nursing school we sometimes get the supperman/woman complex. We think that we can do it all or should do it all. Between balancing family, friends, work, and school it is easy to get over whelmed. Sit down now and think what things in your life should be placed on the back burner and what things can maybe be delegated to another person. This is called triaging. LEARN IT! Also talk to your family and friends and make sure that they are aware of this life change and that they are supportive and on the same page. If they are not supportive it is better to know now than later when you are in the thick of it!

5) Try to have one afternoon a week to not do anything. Watch your favorite shows, go out to eat with friends, vegg. out on Netflix, whatever makes you relaxed. It's a tough program, you really need to have a little R&R in order to keep your sanity.

6) Finally laugh! Laughter can be the best medicine. Learn to laugh at yourself and some of the crazy twists and turns that nursing school will lead you through.

Good luck to you and your new amazing journey!

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · May 24, 2014

If you have children, have LOTS of plans/backup/support for when you need to study and can't make dinner, or can't stay home with a sick child, or can't be home in time to get them off the bus....you get the idea :)

windsurfer8, BSN, RN · May 25, 2014

Be prepared for not getting an A on everything. You may, but if you do not it is ok. I did ABSN and I was used to getting all As in first degree. Nursing school was hardcore and I actually studied non stop basically. The key is if you don't do well on a test to brush yourself off and get back to it. I would change the ways I studied based on my scores. If I was where I wanted I studied the same way. Bad grade I would adjust. The main thing I remember was once I was accepted into nursing school I knew the part I couldn't control (being accepted) was over..so I knew I would make it because failure was not an option.

chelseagirl5 · May 25, 2014

Congrats in starting nursing school. This is going to be a challenge but it will be worth every minute in the end. I'll be honest there will be days you may have a breakdown and that is perfectly normal and acceptable.

My advice is to really make sure you understand the basics as that will be your foundation for the rest of your nursing career. As cheesy as it sounds you really should study every single night/day depending on your schedule.

Stay focused throughout and remember you do need a break at times (a little you time) for your own sanity. Breathe and take a deep breathe and tell yourself you can get through it.

MrsICURN14 · May 25, 2014

Wish they would have told us to get jobs as PCA/PCTs and how important that would be upon graduation.

When it came time to graduate all the students who worked as techs got jobs.

LoriRNCM, ADN, ASN, RN · May 25, 2014

Do any and every "optional" assignments that add points, even one or two points. It may make the difference in passing/failing the course, or as was my case, the difference between a final grade of A or B. Case in point, I neglected to attend an "optional" support group meeting of my choice for any illness such as DM or HTN or Alzheimers. It would have taken about 2 hours, then a short little discussion board post on my experience. It was worth 2 points. It made the difference in my getting an A in the class, as I finished one point from an A. Live and learn.

MrsICURN14 · May 25, 2014

Do any and every "optional" assignments that add points, even one or two points. It may make the difference in passing/failing the course, or as was my case, the difference between a final grade of A or B. Case in point, I neglected to attend an "optional" support group meeting of my choice for any illness such as DM or HTN or Alzheimers. It would have taken about 2 hours, then a short little discussion board post on my experience. It was worth 2 points. It made the difference in my getting an A in the class, as I finished one point from an A. Live and learn.

Wow that's nice! We didn't have anything optional, and they had a strict policy of no extra credit for anything in my program. No extra assignments, no extra credit.

But if your program offers that, def do it! That could have really helped me!