Wrapping up my first semester

[aeris99]

It's a week before finals in my BSN program. And man is my head spinning!

I lurked here on AN all through my pre-req's, reading articles and posts. I watched YouTube videos. I read a few of the "what to expect" type books. All that prep still left me open to being blinded sided by the madness of nursing school. (I mean I'm super smart and special. It should be a breeze for me!)

I knew it would be hard. I also knew it would be a ton of work. I figured into my calculations that some kind of major "something" would pop up (My life tends to look like a Murphy's Law picture book) and it did.

(Yes it really IS that hard. No you have never submersed yourself in something quite like this.)

I transferred programs right before starting my core classes. I left an ADN program for a BSN program when all the negative talk about the program's approval status freaked me out. (That talk seems to be the same no matter where you go to school.)

I then spent the entire semester trying to recover from a botched quiz in fundamentals that tanked my grade and searching for a study method in pharm. that didn't leave me feeling like I was drowning in flashcards.

I've figured a few things out the hard way. Mostly I've figured out what doesn't work for me.

Here are the few positive gems that I've dug out so far.

1) If arriving early to class means that you are in a room full of stressed out, negative people...walk in 5 minutes before class starts. -there is just no reason to steep yourself in that kind of environment. And I don't mean get to campus 5 minutes before class. I like to put on headphones and sit on the floor in the hallway until I see the professor walking in. Or if I'm feeling extra peppy I'll dance around.

2) Comparing your grades to the rest of your groups grades will only cause bad feelings for someone, maybe you. But don't be surprised if declining this type of conversation gets you some side ways glances. -It does not matter how you stack up. We are not competing with each other. We are all swimming against the same current.

3) If your program/professors/lab group seems disorganized, figure out a way to just work around it and move on. -Set your school email to forward to your personal account. Mine goes right to my phone. No missed announcements.

4) Use ONE calendar for everything!

-I have kids, a husband who works out of town and full time school obligations as well as SNA meetings and events. Whatever method you like (electronic, paper planner, wall calendar) use only one. Every calendar that you have to update increases the odds of missing something. (Like an early release and your son calls wondering why you haven't picked him up)

We've all read the suggestions. Get organized. Plan your time. Stay ahead. Yadda yadda. For me that didn't really help much. I want to know what you've found that helps that's not the standard nursing school advice.

But please, please, PLEASE, keep it positive!! Because I have enough grey hair coming in as it is!

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

Stick around, aeris99. I like your style.

[aeris99]

Thank you! That means a lot coming from you Grn Tea!

[kalycat, BSN, RN]

I knew it would be hard. I also knew it would be a ton of work. I figured into my calculations that some kind of major "something" would pop up (My life tends to look like a Murphy's Law picture book) and it did

1) If arriving early to class means that you are in a room full of stressed out, negative people...walk in 5 minutes before class starts. -there is just no reason to steep yourself in that kind of environment. And I don't mean get to campus 5 minutes before class. I like to put on headphones and sit on the floor in the hallway until I see the professor walking in. Or if I'm feeling extra peppy I'll dance around.

2) Comparing your grades to the rest of your groups grades will only cause bad feelings for someone, maybe you. But don't be surprised if declining this type of conversation gets you some side ways glances. -It does not matter how you stack up. We are not competing with each other. We are all swimming against the same current.

Your post really nailed some key points....I just picked these because they were also my strategies for success....and my life is also like Murphy's Law! :)

Headphones and skipping the before test/after test witch-and-moan session made my time in school much more successful. And speaking of dancing around, I've been known to do yoga in the halls or on the patio before exams. I was 42 in a "traditional" school full of 22 year olds....and didn't care who was watching! :)

Some tips from me:

If you're a "strong" student who frequently gets stuck with a bunch of the work in those dreaded group projects:

1) plan ahead and try to budget your time for those last minute emergencies. You know they're coming, you just don't know what they will be.

2) use some psych and volunteer up front to do a difficult piece of the work (if you can). Then at least you know what you're up against and can budget your time more effectively...and there are fewer fires to extinguish.

Really rock those clinicals; do whatever you need to do. Arrive early, be prepared, be as flawless as possible on all the little things you can control, like paperwork, uniform, and professional communication. Spend time in the lab, as much as you need, until your skills are sharp. Do this until you can perform any basic skill with someone breathing down your neck/looking over your shoulder/critiquing you in front of the patient.

Be positive, and have faith not in luck or fate, but in your preparation and your ability to learn. Learn from everyone if you can, even if you don't like some aspects of their practice, personality, or communication style. There is always a takeaway. Be open.

Sounds like you got this, OP! In all honesty, it will be over before you know it. Rock those finals. :)

[aeris99]

Kalycat I'm also a non-traditional in a traditional school. I'm 33 and most of my class mates are in their 20's.

Having kids of my own and the life experiences I've had really sets me apart. Mostly that's a great thing!

I should try yoga before exams. I bet it helps a lot!

[NuGuyNurse2b]

I just graduated and I'm turning 35. It definitely was not fun being one of the "elders" - and here's the killer - one of the clinical instructors was probably only a few years older than I am. Way to remind me of how many wrong turns I took in life LOL. Just kidding, but it felt like I was in a different world most of the time. I remember when people asked each other for phone numbers...now they just ask if you have facebook and they contact you through there. I was constantly reminded of my age in other areas too...everybody had a tablet or PC...I was taking notes by hand.

Regarding the negativity, I'd like to self-report that I got sucked into it. Well, because it was kinda fun ******** about the exams. Especially the ones where everyone pretty much bombed. We laughed/cried, but at the end, most of us made it out alive. There were the typical cliques that were very high-school, but I'm older and I didn't care so it didn't bother me so much. I would be the one with the cooler bag of treats/snacks/sandwich while everybody else ransacked the vending machines because at my age $1.75 for a Coke seemed ridiculous when I can buy a 12-pack for a little bit more and stretch my hard earned money.