How I did it:     Immediately after I got out of the Army, in October of 2005, I moved back to my home town and enrolled at one of the local colleges. I began classes January 2006 and started getting my generals out of the way. 
    It took hard work, plenty of studying, and support from my family and friends. There's no easy way to get through nursing school...sorry.

Lessons & tips: Generals
   
It took me that Spring semester and the Summer semester to get all of my generals for the associate program and two of the prerequisites for the bachelor's program out of the way (the nursing program didn't start until the Fall semester). This made nursing school so much easier. Trust me, it is hard enough without worrying about which generals you have to take on top of the nursing classes. 

Study Groups

      In nursing school I worked along with several others in study groups every day we had classes and even some days that we didn't. We would meet at someone's house or wherever we could find a quiet place with as few distractions as possible. 

How Long Should I Study at a Time

Some studies suggest that you shouldn't study for more than 45 minutes to an hour at a time without a break. I would caution you that, at times when you are tired, you should not study for more than 30 minutes without getting up and taking a few minutes (about 10 or 15) to get something to eat or just clearing your mind. Do something else for a few minutes. Taking these breaks will best serve you if you take them in between topics or sections. This will help to separate the content in your mind, give you mind a chance to digest the material. Then when you come back, very briefly skim over what you've just read and then move on to the next.

Lots of Reading

I'm not going to lie, there is a lot of reading. I have read other studies that stated it is ineffective to read every word. That isn't to say that there won't be times when you really DO need to read it all, but in general you shouldn't read every single word. When you have a reading assignment that spans 300+ pages...learn to skim and pick out the main topics to read more thoroughly. Brush over, but don't skip, the rest.

Sit Up Front

    One thing that I think really helped me was sitting in the very first row of the class. That way I didn't see what everyone else was doing in the lecture hall. I was right in front of the instructors. I had to pay attention...and that made me learn and remember what they were teaching. I did this in every single class that I have taken...even now in the bachelor's program I sit in the first row. I have to give my mother all of the credit, she told me to always sit right in the front. Another good thing about being right there with the instructor is that they know you're there, they see you all the time and it helps give you credibility with them (the instructors).

Be Early -- Extremely Important

    Most instructors do not like stragglers walking into the classroom after they have already started lecturing. It's a distraction to the class and you have already missed some of the material. If you have no other option, then so be it. Some instructors don't care...but they are the exception, not the rule. Be at least 15 minutes early for class, if possible. Sometimes the college will schedule classes ten or 15 minutes apart and you have to go from one building to another in that time. That's not your fault. But be early for everything that you can. You never know what you might have to do, or remember that you have to do for class.

Resources: Fill out the FASFA as early as possible...as soon as you get your income taxes filed. The sooner you fill it out the more you will get in financial aid...first come, first serve. Look into scholorships at the school and other places. If you have to write an essay about why you need the scholorship, do it. It's a small price to pay in writing compared to the thousands of dolors you'll have to pay back after school if you don't.

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Nov 25, 2008, 02:08AM PST | 1 comment | 9 cheers