Originally Posted: Apr 16, 2019
Last Updated: Feb 27, 2020
Paula is a Nursing student at Prairie View A&M University in Texas. It’s only been a few months since her program started, but she’s still been through a lot with the hectic schedule Nursing students have. And she has some things to share that she wishes she knew before starting this rigorous curriculum. Check out the video below!
There’s a lot of reading
Most professors in nursing school recommend that you read about topics you’ll cover in class beforehand. Your professors will expect you to have read and understand the topics covered in these chapters. A lot of classes have pop quizzes too, so do the reading and be prepared!
Sometimes you teach yourself
Those chapters of reading cover a lot of topics, and your instructor might not have time in class to go over everything. That doesn’t mean that information won’t be on the test though. Even if you don’t go over it in class, you should make sure you understand the material you’re reading.
Related: Why Every College Student Should Attend Office Hours
Follow the syllabus (even if the professor doesn’t)
Sometimes your professor will assign you reading in the syllabus but cover a different topic in class. That doesn’t mean the information you read about won’t be important or that it won’t be covered later. Stay on top of your syllabus, unless the professor tells you about a change.
Nursing textbooks are expensive!
Your nursing textbooks will certainly cost a lot of money, especially since you need to purchase access codes to certain sites to go with books sometimes. Stay clear of the campus bookstore when you shop for textbooks—you can normally find them for less on Amazon or other booksellers like Chegg.
Prerequisites are your foundation
Most Nursing programs have some set of prerequisites before you get into the more refined classes for the major. Don’t forget what you’ve learned in these prerequisites. Professors don’t reteach you anything, and they’ll expect you to comprehend and remember what you learned in your prerequisites.
Related: The Experts' Choice: Colleges Offering Good Preparation for Nursing
You get more time off (to study!)
Paula says many students in nursing school have classes only four days a week, then three days as an upperclassman. But those days off aren’t meant for you to relax or party—they’re built into your schedule so you have more time to get your reading done for class and for clinicals later on in your program.
Tests are different than high school
We all expect college to be different from high school, but sometimes it’s hard to know exactly how different ahead of time. In high school, you usually just have to know a singular answer. In nursing school, exams involve more critical thinking and problem-solving over direct answers.
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