Nursing School Tips

I’ve settled through my first full month and first cycle of tests with nursing school now and all I have to say is…. WOW. There’s been many times in the last two weeks where I wanted to just cry and scream (the screaming I have done in a room alone). There was a struggle of feeling alone without really having anybody else to really lean on or study with - because as much as they tell us that we are all supposed to be besties now that we are in the program...it’s just not that simple. People are still getting a grip on how to study, some have cliqued up immediately, and honestly a lot of us just have weird schedules outside of our class schedule.

But, aside from that struggle, the main reason why my nerves were on edge was the abundant amount of lost sleep. They tell you every day from jump to remember to get sleep, but I’ll be honest with you: that’s just not possible. I mean, I probably get about 4 to 5 hours of sleep a day, which I fight for. On a bad day, I’ve gone about a minimum of 2 to 3, and have to grab a quick nap on a lunch break if I can.

Don’t let me scare you. Nursing school is totally doable and nothing lasts forever. (The stuff I have to tell my own self every time I feel too tired or too burned out to do ANYTHING). 

So, I have a few tips for anybody interested in going into nursing or who may be starting soon and needs some advice! I will try to offer as many tips as I can whenever I can, because why not? I would have loved to know as much as possible before taking a leap into a professional program!

TIP 1:

Before applying, understand the list of pre-requisites and plan to take them seriously.

Your science GPA is your guiding light. Take all pre-requisite courses seriously and make sure you understand them! These are literally going to be the foundation of your nursing classes moving forward. You’ll learn things and think back to that A&P course or microbiology and feel so lost for not having taken it seriously and really understanding everything. 

A’s are definitely better than B’s and C’s, but don’t be defeated if you don’t earn an A. You’re not the first and most likely won’t be the last. Just don’t make it a habit.  

Also, If you are currently in your prerequisite stage, I’d suggest looking into the program of choice to see if pathophysiology is a course you can take before applying or if it has to be done as a part of the nursing curriculum. 

I am currently in pathophysiology and it can get pretty hectic having this course on top of the other nursing courses. Some of my cohort does not have to take patho because they were able to take it at a different campus prior to coming to our campus. So, they get one week of “freedom” and one less test than we do. Can you imagine the relief they probably get for their first semester?

More than likely, though, most campuses will have you taking pathophysiology as a part of their curriculum and not beforehand, but it literally does NOT hurt to check into it. Anything that can make your life less stressful once IN nursing school is worth a try.

TIP 2:

 Know your study habits and learn some time management. I laughed whenever I heard people say that I’d probably never see my friends and family again, but here I am laughing at myself for laughing. I say the best thing here is to know yourself. Know your study habits and know what allows you to really focus. Basically, know what works for you that way you aren’t scrambling once you’re IN nursing school and falling behind on tests because you haven’t found your study style.

Once you know your style of studying, you also will be able to know how to manage your time. Do you need a week before a test? Do you need three days? Can you study better at night or morning? Do you need absolute quiet, or what? Learn yourself before you hurt yourself (lol).

When I say study style, aside from the obvious scenery you need, I also mean: flash cards, notes while reading, talking everything out loud, drawings. Think about all of those and think - “What do I usually have to do in order for me to really learn something?” Once you answer that, you’ll be able to plan out your studying better and know exactly how much time you’ll probably take up each day for each class.

TIP 3:

Get out of the habit of cramming. There is really no use in cramming in most of the subjects you are required to take as pre-reqs, so don’t assume that cramming will work once in nursing school. There’s literally no sense in cramming because you’re just asking to suffer and be confused once you get to the test. Plus, who wants a nurse who crams and doesn’t ACTUALLY know their material? I know I don’t. I don’t want Nurse Google when I go into a hospital, I want a nurse who knows their s*$t.

TIP 4:  

Make yourself a worthy candidate. Get some volunteer work in dealing around healthcare, or even find a way to work in a hospital. Depending on what kind of program you're applying to - there will be an interview or a requirement for a certain amount of hours spent in healthcare before applying. Make sure you're looking into all the different things that schools are looking for. There are plenty ways to get experience, but don't feel defeated if you haven't racked up many in-hospital hours with volunteering. There are other ways to still be a philanthropist, boost those.  

The idea behind being a good candidate isn't just good scores, because a lot of people are book smart, but you should also present characteristics of a well-rounded invididual who cares. Can't be a robot and expect to take care of patients. Also, volunteering in or around healthcare could help you focus in on whether or not nursing is for you and possibly open your eyes to other aspects in healthcare.  

Anyways, those are MY four tips. A few of the tips can be applied before and once in nursing school. Understand that being in nursing school is about discipline, as well as knowledge. It's easier than it sounds if you're really willing to sacrifice a few weekends (all of them). 

 - Begum, Over and Out!  ;)

(I don't own any copyrights to any photos/graphics used in this post)

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