I'm Still New at This

Hello fellow Nursing students, Pre-Nursing students, thinking about Nursing school students,

How are you guys doing?? As you can tell, it is Tuesday...and not Wednesday or Thursday. In my previous (very first post) post, I said I would be back Wednesday (3/19) or Thursday (3/20) to discuss my finals of the first quarter of Nursing school and study tips...

Obviously, that did not happen...I am still very new at this, but I am going to do my best at keeping current and up to date with my blog. I want to see my progress and how I grow. I also want to help as many as I can along the way.

Anyways, let us move on to our scheduled programming.

First, let's talk about my finals -- this will lead us into study habits. Crazy enough, I finished with an A- and a B! I am super proud of myself because honestly, the moment you get into the program the concern should be to pass. Achieving an A is a great goal, but a C >75% works just fine. Once you're in the program, there is no school that needs to be impressed anymore. This was my mind set and these are the tips I gathered during my first quarter to help me:

1. DO NOT PROCRASTINATE: This is number one because it is one of the most important things to remember. I know for myself before getting into the nursing program, I could procrastinate a day or even hours before something is due. The same can not be said for nursing. There is too much information to remember to procrastinate and wait last minute. Keep up with reading assignments because the last thing you want is to fall behind on your reading. Also, know when test are a week in advance to give enough time to study and do well. This leads us to our next point
2. Time Management: Make a schedule for studying for a specific class, when you'll do homework, hang out, watch tv, recreational reading, etc. Whatever it is you need to make time for, designate times for it. I did this slightly, but did not keep up with it.When times are set aside for a particular task, it can make some things feel not so overwhelming. Also, learning now how to manage your time will not only help in class but also during clinical. A big thing is managing your time appropriately and prioritizing (this word is used quite a bit during nursing school). 
3. SLEEP: I can not express just how important this is. Towards the end of the quarter, I was feeling the effects of not sleeping enough. I was waking up later and later, I was falling asleep in class and during a test, I was getting sick physically! Sleep is your best friend and along with time management and prioritizing your day, schedule when you sleep at night and when you take a nap (if you need one). Do not stop your self from sleeping. Like I learned from a classmate, no matter how much or how little she finished she went to bed by 10 each night no matter what. 
4. Study Guides: For myself, this was key. Many people have their own ways of studying but I need study guides. It focuses my attention on the key parts. In nursing, everything that you learn is important but prioritize and and decide what is most important and needs more of your focus. In one of my nursing classes, I realized pretty quickly my teacher was not going to give out a pre-made study guide, but she made it clear many times in the class to focus on the objectives and look at the objectives. It became pretty clear to me that the objectives was going to become my study guide for the quarter. If you're reading this and asking, "what the heck is an objective?" The objectives are the focus of topic each class day. Making study guides for each test makes prepping and studying for finals so much easier. Objectives can also serve as a reading guide as well. Also, study guides are only effective if made early enough to actually read thoroughly and study the material.
5. Skim through the Reading: My final tip (unless if I think of anymore a long the way) is to skim through the reading as much as possible. When I say skim, I do not mean to read quickly without absorbing the information. Use the objectives to guide your reading so you do not have to read through every 100 pages the teacher has assigned because it happens.

Oh my goodness! We made it. I'm sorry for the length. I want to get out as much information as possible and I know there are more tips to give, but these have been detrimental to me. These tips are ones I have implemented or am going to improve on starting this next quarter. If any of you have any more tips, I would love to read them!

I hope I was able to help someone get a head start and begin to prioritize their learning.  

I'll see you guys at the finish line!