I am finally deep into the second week of second semester {and already obtained that lovely back-to-school sickness}. My schedule is simple this year - one online class, two hybrid classes, and two all face-to-face classes. My only class on Mondays is in the evening and is a mini-course so after fall break, it'll be over. Also, I don't have any classes on Fridays which gives me the chance to catch up on that online class. Other than A&P 2, I think my hardest course will be Healthcare Economics simply because I don't really understand that kind of thing. So far though, I have an A and the course load seems easy for a 400-level class!
Because I've been so sick, I haven't really cared about what I wear to class as much - jeans, sandals, and a t-shirt have been my go-to. I don't like dressing down for class, especially at the beginning of the semester {unless I'm in lab - then tennis shoes it is!}. The graduate students are in one of the classrooms before my section and they all wear business clothes to class! I told my hubby this and he says his grad school will be the same way. That is very interesting to me because I can't imagine having to dress up for work and school.
Until next time!
Showing posts with label student. Show all posts
Showing posts with label student. Show all posts
Thursday, September 4, 2014
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Everything You Need to Know About...
A&P!
Y'all, I was seriously dreading this class. To make it worse, we have to take TWO semesters of it! I eventually gave in and got a tutor who took it at her previous college. She told me she despises the way Dream School has A&P set up because the way she learned it was she had 1 semester of Anatomy and then 1 semester of Physiology, not combined like some colleges do.
Honestly, it isn't that bad.
I took A&P1 at the same time as Microbiology and although that was a huge stressor, a lot of the material we covered in one class was also taught in the other!
Science courses at Dream School are rigorous: we have to have an average of 75% on the quiz/exam portion of the course in order to pass. Meaning, you can have perfect attendance, get 100% on the homework assignments, but get an average of 73% on the quizzes/exams (meaning overall grade in the class is maybe an 80% or 85%!) and still fail the class. Say what!? This is meant to ensure students actually know the material because it is extremely important to not just skim through these gen eds.
Well, on the first exam, I got a 74%. Not too bad, right?
Second exam? Yeah, totally failed.
I knew I had to get help ASAP so I went to our academic counselor and got assigned a tutor who was the bomb! On the 3rd exam, I got a 100%. I saw the grade and I cried and cried because I didn't believe it!
Bottom line, do not be afraid to get help. I met with three of my nursing school friends and we all studied together and did the homework assignments together. THAT helped tremendously because if there was something one of us didn't really understand, there were three more explanations that were available.
A&P is typically at least 4cr because there is a lab portion. That means you should be spending at least 12 hours studying outside of class per week. That's a heck of a lot of A&P!
I invested in thousands of flash cards because A&P is all about memorization. Sad, but true.
Before each lecture, I printed off the PowerPoint notes my teacher provided online. Each lecture had anywhere from 20-100 slides… yep. It's a lot of material. I went through lots and lots of paper. I print my slides like this:
Y'all, I was seriously dreading this class. To make it worse, we have to take TWO semesters of it! I eventually gave in and got a tutor who took it at her previous college. She told me she despises the way Dream School has A&P set up because the way she learned it was she had 1 semester of Anatomy and then 1 semester of Physiology, not combined like some colleges do.
Honestly, it isn't that bad.
I took A&P1 at the same time as Microbiology and although that was a huge stressor, a lot of the material we covered in one class was also taught in the other!
Science courses at Dream School are rigorous: we have to have an average of 75% on the quiz/exam portion of the course in order to pass. Meaning, you can have perfect attendance, get 100% on the homework assignments, but get an average of 73% on the quizzes/exams (meaning overall grade in the class is maybe an 80% or 85%!) and still fail the class. Say what!? This is meant to ensure students actually know the material because it is extremely important to not just skim through these gen eds.
Well, on the first exam, I got a 74%. Not too bad, right?
Second exam? Yeah, totally failed.
I knew I had to get help ASAP so I went to our academic counselor and got assigned a tutor who was the bomb! On the 3rd exam, I got a 100%. I saw the grade and I cried and cried because I didn't believe it!
Bottom line, do not be afraid to get help. I met with three of my nursing school friends and we all studied together and did the homework assignments together. THAT helped tremendously because if there was something one of us didn't really understand, there were three more explanations that were available.
A&P is typically at least 4cr because there is a lab portion. That means you should be spending at least 12 hours studying outside of class per week. That's a heck of a lot of A&P!
I invested in thousands of flash cards because A&P is all about memorization. Sad, but true.
Before each lecture, I printed off the PowerPoint notes my teacher provided online. Each lecture had anywhere from 20-100 slides… yep. It's a lot of material. I went through lots and lots of paper. I print my slides like this:
For the layout, I print handouts with 3 slides per page, that way there are lines next to each slide in case I need to write my own notes. (This is a PowerPoint for Statistics - I couldn't bear to open up my A&P folder during summer ;))
During the lecture, I took any notes and highlighted my PowerPoint slides as the professor went along. Also, I got permission from him to record the lecture with a mini-recorder. Then, I uploaded the recording to my iPhone and listened to the lecture again while working out! When I met with the academic counselor, she had me do an array of tests to see what kind of learner I am… turns out, I am a bodily/kinesthetic learner. All along, I thought I was more of a visual learner, which is why I wasn't doing so well on my tests. After I got this bit of info, my test scores went up dramatically because I was absorbing the material in a way that works for me. She also advised me to get a stress ball or something I can squeeze while in class and although that might seem like a distraction, doing something with my hands helped! I'll make a post about these types of learner tests in the future. :)
After the lecture, I went back through my notes just to check if there was anything I missed or had further questions about. Being a kinesthetic learner, I have a hard time reading a text book. Instead, I keep the book on hand to go back through and fill in the missing information. I also make a ton of flash cards with vocabulary I might see on future quizzes or tests. Lastly, I invested in some colorful paper that I use to draw diagrams, make charts, etc that also helped me learn.
There were a few concepts I just couldn't grasp. One of them being everything that has to do with the nervous system. My husband knows nothing about A&P so I tried to teach the material to him and found this really works. Trying to teach someone something you aren't very confident about helps you to retrace your steps, especially if they ask questions. Even if he wasn't listening very intently, I still was able to put the knowledge in my head onto paper, then speak it out loud. Ironically, I aced my nervous system test ;)
The internet is fabulous. I used countless YouTube videos, Pinterest boards, and A&P blogs to get through my first semester of A&P. When there is something you just can't understand, try a search and find someone who does understand and learn it that way.
A&P2, ready or not, here I come!
Getting Ready for B2S!
Hi everyone! Today I'm going to share with you a few tips on getting back into the swing of things for next semester. It seems like just yesterday I was taking my last final and smiling as I scurried out of class. Before you know it, it's going to be August and you'll be faced with heading back to school.
1) Buy a great planner. I never used a planner through high school and barely used one at my other colleges, but this past semester [first semester of my BSN program] I heavily used the same planner from the first day all the way until finals week! I was so proud of myself because not once did I fall behind and deadlinessometimes rarely snuck up on me. Late June-early July is when companies come out with 2014-2015 planners. I've used a variety of planners in the past including Lilly Pulitzer, some from Target, and the one Dream School gave to us, but this year I plan on investing in a planner from Erin Condren. They are a little pricey but I've never heard anything bad about them and they are extremely cute. Once you have a planner, USE IT! A great planner will include both monthly and weekly views. I will post about how I organize mine in the near future.
2) Stock up on school supplies. This time of year is great for buying school supplies because they are incredibly cheap compared to during the semester. Also, nothing is worse than running out of lead or computer paper when you are right down to the deadline. My pen bag usually contains 3-5 mechanical pencils, 3-5 pens [a couple ball-point and a couple of inky ones], 5 highlighters [one of every color so I can differentiate things in my notes], a chunky pink eraser, and a couple of black sharpies. If you buy spiral notebooks, college ruled often works better because you can fit more notes per page. These notebooks from Target come in adorable prints or this Etsy shop can even monogram your notebook.
3) Check local ads and listings. I've heard of several states that do a tax-free shopping weekend in August so any school supplies, books, backpacks, and clothes can be purchased without having to pay tax. This saved me a ton of money when I purchased my graphing calculator (~$120) and medical dictionary (~$60). Also, many stores do price matching including Walmart. If Office Max is selling spiral notebooks for 20¢, Walmart can give you the same sale price even if they are priced at $1 there. This is a wonderful way to save on purchases!
4) Get back into a normal routine. When I was growing up, my parents always put me to bed earlier each night just to make sure I was able to wake up early for the first day. College is no different! We get into such a routine during the summer whether we're staying up late watching Netflix or sleeping in, so a couple weeks before your first day, try to train yourself to fall asleep at a decent hour and actually getting up when your alarm goes off in the morning. A few tips to have a better night sleep include not eating or drinking before bed, listen to soothing music while trying to fall asleep, and relaxing before bed (I like to do yoga or stretch, followed by a warm shower).
5) Organize your office or study space. This was huge for me when I lived in the dorms. I hated having so much clutter on my desk because when I would try to study, all I could think about was getting the mess cleaned up. To fix this, I try my best to keep my area organized. The dollar stores have tons of cute bins and containers that can hold all of your desk supplies. I prefer to do a deep inspection of everything I have and figure out where to put it so when school starts back up, I'm not stressed with a huge mess or forget to get anything (see #2!).
See you next semester!
-Leigh
1) Buy a great planner. I never used a planner through high school and barely used one at my other colleges, but this past semester [first semester of my BSN program] I heavily used the same planner from the first day all the way until finals week! I was so proud of myself because not once did I fall behind and deadlines
2) Stock up on school supplies. This time of year is great for buying school supplies because they are incredibly cheap compared to during the semester. Also, nothing is worse than running out of lead or computer paper when you are right down to the deadline. My pen bag usually contains 3-5 mechanical pencils, 3-5 pens [a couple ball-point and a couple of inky ones], 5 highlighters [one of every color so I can differentiate things in my notes], a chunky pink eraser, and a couple of black sharpies. If you buy spiral notebooks, college ruled often works better because you can fit more notes per page. These notebooks from Target come in adorable prints or this Etsy shop can even monogram your notebook.
3) Check local ads and listings. I've heard of several states that do a tax-free shopping weekend in August so any school supplies, books, backpacks, and clothes can be purchased without having to pay tax. This saved me a ton of money when I purchased my graphing calculator (~$120) and medical dictionary (~$60). Also, many stores do price matching including Walmart. If Office Max is selling spiral notebooks for 20¢, Walmart can give you the same sale price even if they are priced at $1 there. This is a wonderful way to save on purchases!
4) Get back into a normal routine. When I was growing up, my parents always put me to bed earlier each night just to make sure I was able to wake up early for the first day. College is no different! We get into such a routine during the summer whether we're staying up late watching Netflix or sleeping in, so a couple weeks before your first day, try to train yourself to fall asleep at a decent hour and actually getting up when your alarm goes off in the morning. A few tips to have a better night sleep include not eating or drinking before bed, listen to soothing music while trying to fall asleep, and relaxing before bed (I like to do yoga or stretch, followed by a warm shower).
5) Organize your office or study space. This was huge for me when I lived in the dorms. I hated having so much clutter on my desk because when I would try to study, all I could think about was getting the mess cleaned up. To fix this, I try my best to keep my area organized. The dollar stores have tons of cute bins and containers that can hold all of your desk supplies. I prefer to do a deep inspection of everything I have and figure out where to put it so when school starts back up, I'm not stressed with a huge mess or forget to get anything (see #2!).
6) Buy your books, get new scrubs, and find your ID badge. Although I'm not in clinical until 3rd semester (Spring 2015), I have already purchased my scrubs, shoes, and stethoscope required for it. Luckily, my tuition reimbursement I get through work came in early so instead of buying random stuff I don't need buying new clothes refilling my Starbucks card splurging on a new pair of shoes putting it all into savings, I decided to go ahead and get the required uniform. It was so nice doing it that way rather than waiting until the last minute, especially because that will be the Holidays, finals, etc! Also, I would have had a breakdown if they were sold out of my size at the scrub store and missed the first couple of weeks since my uniform would be backordered. Talk about a nightmare!
7) Have fun while you can! Seriously, nursing school is stressful as it is. One or two summers, Dream School makes us do a practicum so this is probably my last summer to just relax and hang out. Plan a mini vacay before it's back to school. You deserve it! :)
See you next semester!
-Leigh
Sunday, January 19, 2014
iPhone Apps
A few years ago, I purchased my first smart phone - an iPhone - and immediately fell in love. I had always been the owner of a "dumb phone" so I was set once I was able to have the internet at my fingertips. While I admit I am on my phone a little too much, there are plenty of perks to owning an iPhone. Over the last several months, I have been accumulating different (FREE!) apps that could potentially help me with Nursing School! Here is a list of what I've come up with so far. If you have any other suggestions, feel free to comment below and I'll look into it.
iTriage - It can be very frustrating at times to feel awful and not know the cause right off the bat. This app is good for everyone, not just nursing students. It can be used as a starting point when it comes to starting care plans and also has a medication database.
Resuscitation! - This is a virtual patient simulator where you get a case and have to diagnose and treat the patient. It is geared more towards medical students but I have lots of fun trying to figure out what orders are important. I've also learned a lot about different radiology imaging and lab tests. The app itself is free but to buy more cases, you have to pay a small fee. It gets fairly addicting, so be careful ;)
BlackBoard - Dream School does not use BlackBoard but my previous college did. I included this in the list because many people don't realize they have an iPhone app :) Notes, PowerPoints, and communication functions are readily available and you can even set push notifications to let you know when announcements and grades are posted.
Lippincott's NCLEX-RN Review - When I was doing research on what new nurses should do, I frequently read to start studying for the NCLEX the first semester. I only have this app for now until I learn more about different study books and which program is the better choice for the way I study best.
Figure 1 - Healthcare professionals use this photo-sharing app to learn and share their experiences. I have seen photos ranging from amazing to gross to how-are-they-even-alive. Best of all, there are editing options where you can crop or cross out any PHI to keep patients protected. Categories allow easy searching. I have learned so much from this app and seen many things that students don't get the chance to see during clinical.
Epocrates - I haven't messed around with this app too much but I have only heard good things.
8tracks - This music app contains user-submitted mixes rather than app-created playlists. You select what you are in the mood for to narrow down your options and I haven't really found a playlist that wasn't on point! For the time being, there aren't tons of ads either. I use this much more than Pandora, especially when I'm burning off stress at the gym. You can also go to their website on their computer to listen too!
Hippo Remote - Y'all, I can get really distracted sometimes. I love my laptop, but it's so easy to switch from PowerPoints and Bing to Facebook and Pinterest while studying. It got to the point where I would put my laptop on the coffee table, sit back on the couch, and use my toes to click through the PP. Seriously. I discovered this app that uses your iPhone as a clicker remote for PowerPoint so you can give presentations easier. I use it while studying! It's perfect in that I can't physically get distracted.
iTriage - It can be very frustrating at times to feel awful and not know the cause right off the bat. This app is good for everyone, not just nursing students. It can be used as a starting point when it comes to starting care plans and also has a medication database.
Resuscitation! - This is a virtual patient simulator where you get a case and have to diagnose and treat the patient. It is geared more towards medical students but I have lots of fun trying to figure out what orders are important. I've also learned a lot about different radiology imaging and lab tests. The app itself is free but to buy more cases, you have to pay a small fee. It gets fairly addicting, so be careful ;)
BlackBoard - Dream School does not use BlackBoard but my previous college did. I included this in the list because many people don't realize they have an iPhone app :) Notes, PowerPoints, and communication functions are readily available and you can even set push notifications to let you know when announcements and grades are posted.
Lippincott's NCLEX-RN Review - When I was doing research on what new nurses should do, I frequently read to start studying for the NCLEX the first semester. I only have this app for now until I learn more about different study books and which program is the better choice for the way I study best.
Figure 1 - Healthcare professionals use this photo-sharing app to learn and share their experiences. I have seen photos ranging from amazing to gross to how-are-they-even-alive. Best of all, there are editing options where you can crop or cross out any PHI to keep patients protected. Categories allow easy searching. I have learned so much from this app and seen many things that students don't get the chance to see during clinical.
Epocrates - I haven't messed around with this app too much but I have only heard good things.
8tracks - This music app contains user-submitted mixes rather than app-created playlists. You select what you are in the mood for to narrow down your options and I haven't really found a playlist that wasn't on point! For the time being, there aren't tons of ads either. I use this much more than Pandora, especially when I'm burning off stress at the gym. You can also go to their website on their computer to listen too!
Hippo Remote - Y'all, I can get really distracted sometimes. I love my laptop, but it's so easy to switch from PowerPoints and Bing to Facebook and Pinterest while studying. It got to the point where I would put my laptop on the coffee table, sit back on the couch, and use my toes to click through the PP. Seriously. I discovered this app that uses your iPhone as a clicker remote for PowerPoint so you can give presentations easier. I use it while studying! It's perfect in that I can't physically get distracted.
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Gift Guide for Your Nursing Student
Christmas (and graduation for some!) are right around the corner. If your nursing student is hard to shop for, here are eight fabulous gifts that will surely put them in the holiday spirit.
These syringe pens from Amazon are literally adorable and for only $19, you get 60! There are also syringe highlighters and nursing students can never have enough highlighters.
Marley Lilly is one of my favorite online shopping destinations. A girl can never have enough monograms! My husband bought me one of these for my birthday last month to carry books and other supplies to Dream School. There are a variety of colors and monogram options to suit your student.
I came across this book at Barnes and Nobel last week and instantly became obsessed. Although it's $40, it is worth the price. It gives a history lesson of nursing and includes amazing photos of famous nurses throughout the eras.
I have the most perfect phone charger that I can throw in my backpack and carry around with me in case of an emergency. The chargers that come with the iPhone get the job done but come on, the cord cannot be any shorter! This phone charger takes batteries so if the power goes out, you're not stuck with a dead phone. It would be great for long nights in the library when you forget your 12" cord charger from home.
Nursing students lack a very important thing for doing well in school: sleep. With papers and care plans and clinicals, coffee becomes a student's best friend. This chevron mug from Starbucks keeps coffee warm and looks cute at the same time. Bonus points if you include a $500 $25 gift card!!
It's important to stay hydrated and this adorable tumbler from Etsy certainly will do the trick. This particular shop also puts your student's name on the other side which is included in the price.
I got a Jewel Scent candle for my birthday and I LOVE it. My mom got me the calm lavender scent because I work night shift and sometimes have trouble falling asleep during the day. Lavender helps calm the body but also smells wonderful. Every candle comes with a beautiful ring worth up to $7,500 inside the wax (it's wrapped in plastic and foil - no worries!). Obsessed!
I found charMED on Twitter and followed them because they give these things away on the regular. These charms hook onto stethoscopes and are too cute. They have all different colors, styles, and limited edition options for charities. Buy one or five or 10 or whatever! The more bling, the better! :)
None of these suit your nursing student? Your pesky family members asking what you want but are not computer literate enough to send them to Amazon? How about a gift card? Some clinicals are in the next city over, so a gas gift card is a great choice. A gift card to a salon or spa is a dream come true to relieve stress and feel human again. Think about a deluxe pedicure or a relaxing massage for your student. Lastly, all students are POOR. Nursing school ain't cheap, y'all! What I would give for a grocery store gift card or a certificate for my favorite restaurant... Gonna go eat some Ramen and think about the steak I can't afford! Yum!
Happy Holidays :)
-Leigh
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