Are you considering a degree in nursing but unsure of how to get there? Follow along with these tips for Pre-Nursing Students and you’ll be there in no time!
Set up Meetings with Your Academic Advisor
If you’re considering nursing school, you’re first going to want to research the requirements to be accepted. Set up a meeting with your academic advisor to see if there are any pre-nursing requirements. Is there a specific GPA you must maintain? Is there an entrance exam you are going to need to prepare for? All of these are questions to ask while you still have time during your pre-requisites. This way, if you didn’t have a specific class on your radar you can add it to your schedule without having to push back your potential start date.
Get a Jump Start on Your Learning Style
Most bachelor prepared nursing students spend about 2 years completing their pre-requisites before they start nursing school. Which gives them ample time to start developing their own personal learning style. Do you learn better in a study group with multiple people? Is independent learning in the library best for you? Are you someone who learns better by reading or by watching videos? Do you make flashcards or a study guide?
All of these are super helpful to know in determining what learning/study style works best for you. This way when you get accepted into nursing school and start your first course, you don’t have to spend additional time trying to figure this out because you already put in the work during your pre-requisites!
Visit How to Successfully Read and Understand Nursing Textbooks and Managing and Preventing Student Stress for more info.
Go to Pre-Nursing/Nursing School Meetings
Most nursing schools will have informational meetings for their future nursing students. In these meetings they will discuss things like the proper pre-requisites, specific requirements for their nursing program, and any important dates you may need to know. Such as application deadlines for applying to their school.
These meetings are super helpful in conjunction with regular academic advisor meetings so you can ensure you’re on the right path. Doing so will make the process much easier and less stressful. If you do it in this order, nothing should really come as a surprise to you since you already took the time to be proactive.
Prep for the Entrance Exam
Your school of choice may have an entrance exam, such as the TEAS, aka the Test of Essential Academic Skills. If so, you are going to want to make sure you are prepared for this exam. So purchase a study guide, like the ones below, and start reviewing content ahead of time. In addition to studying for this exam, you need to make sure you know when and where the test is held. Does your school offer testing dates? If so, make sure you know when you need to test and register for a testing date in advance, as seats may fill up quickly.
Set Goals
Along your pre-nursing journey be sure to set goals. For example, when do you want to apply for the nursing program? How many years do you plan on needing to complete your pre-requisites? What is your goal GPA to maintain when applying to nursing school? Where do you want to attend nursing school?
All of these are important goals to keep in mind and help motivate you on your pathway to becoming a nurse!
Have a Backup Plan
Sometimes through ones’ pre-nursing courses they discover that nursing may not be for them. Having a backup plan is valuable so that you aren’t wasting time scrambling to create a new plan. Maybe you want to consider being a phlebotomist, an EMT, a CNA, or an ultrasound tech!
Have a Nursing Student Mentor
As you get closer to applying to school, and then throughout the nursing program, it is such an advantage to have someone a few semesters ahead of you as your mentor. Since they’ve gone through their pre-requisites, nursing school application, and interview process recently, they probably have some helpful tips! So find a buddy who you can ask questions of and who is willing to guide you through this next season of life!
Find Friends with Similar Goals
Lastly, surround yourself with friends who have similar goals. Whether that be getting into nursing school or having a high GPA, having friends with similar goals will help to keep you both motivated. There are going to be difficult days in your pre-nursing and nursing journey, and having people there to support and motivate you really makes all the difference.
What are your Pre-Nursing Goals? Comment below!
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