Looking into becoming a nurse? Recently accepted into nursing school? Nervous about what being a nursing student means? The following are six ways to help you be successful in nursing school, so keep reading!
1. It’s Going to be Challenging
Nobody said nursing school is easy. And if they did, they’re either a genius or a liar because let me tell you, nursing school is hard! The sooner you accept that, the more successful you’ll be. It’s okay not to get straight A’s, in fact, most of us don’t! And that doesn’t make you any more or less of a nurse in end.
2. Stay Organized
The most important part of being successful in nursing school is staying organized. You’re going to need a good student planner and different colored pens to keep everything straight.
Once your professors send out the syllabi, print them out and transfer every due date, quiz date, and exam date into your planner. And of course, color code them for each class with your multicolored pens. Once you better understand your workload, I recommend writing in notes to work on assignments the week before they’re due so that you’re never working on something last minute.
Pro Tip: Always have an open to do list. Whenever you go to class, it’s going to seem like there’s more to be done, and that feeling is never ending in nursing school. To stay on track, always keep an open note on your computer or phone and add anything needing your attention that comes up. Doing so will help you keep everything more organized. It also gives you a visual of the things you need to get done. So if a friend wants to hang out, you can check and know right away if you have the time or not.
See more Nursing School Must Haves here! And for all you Pre-Nursing students, visit Tips for Pre-Nursing Students to be Successful in Nursing School.
3. Take Good Notes
During lectures it’s so important to take notes. This is what you’re going to be studying off of later on, so you want to make sure they’re good!
In most cases, professors will send out their lecture slides ahead of time. Which is great because you’ll be able to follow along on your computer and take notes on each slide. Then later when you’re reviewing the slides, you can hand write any notes on topics that you’re still unsure about. Handwriting notes has been proven to be a better mode of studying but sometimes that’s physically impossible during lecture. So be sure to do it during your study time to help improve your memory.
Visit How to Take the Best Notes in Nursing School for more information.
4. Studying
Finding your own way of studying in nursing school is crucial. And one way of studying isn’t going to work for everyone. For example, some people might find study groups to be super helpful while others find studying alone to be best. In order to prepare for nursing school, find what study style works best for you during your pre-requisites. That way you can focus more on the content you’re studying rather than how to study.
Wondering how to study out of those huge nursing textbooks? Visit How to Successfully Read and Understand Nursing Textbooks for some tips!
5. Don’t be afraid to ask questions
Whether it be in the classroom or at clinical, the only way you’re going to learn is by asking questions. So ask away! Even when you think you should already know the answer. If you don’t ask now, then you’re going to have to ask later! So ask those questions, no matter how ‘dumb’ you may think it is.
Also visit What to Expect Out of Nursing: Expectations Versus Reality.
6. Take care of yourself
And last but not least, remember to take care of yourself. You’re only going to get so far running on junk food with little to no sleep. Fuel your mind and body the right way! Go to the gym, run it out when things get tough. A little sweat does wonders for stress. Eat healthy. Wash your hands and take a multivitamin daily to help prevent from getting sick, you never know what you’re going to be exposed to at clinical. Take mental breaks and hang out with some non-nursing friends to help get your mind off school. And be sure to get a good amount of sleep, especially the night before a big test.
For more information, visit Managing and Preventing Student Stress.
Have more tips on how to be successful in nursing school? Comment below!
And be sure to visit:
- What to Expect in Nursing School: Expectations Versus Reality
- How to Survive Nursing School
- Medical Abbreviations You Must Know
- Top 10 Best Jobs for Students in Nursing School