Anyone who is a practicing nurse will tell you that although they enjoy what they do, the pay is great and their schedule tends to be pretty flexible, when it came to doing all that was required in order to earn their nursing degree, there were moments when the demands of nursing school left them completely overwhelmed. Indeed, out of the school curriculums, there are, doing the work needed in order to earn a nursing degree is one of the most challenging.
So, if you happen to be a first-year nursing student and you’re already experiencing moments that have you wondering why you enrolled in the first place, you’re not alone. But hopefully, by the time you finish reading this article, you will have a few helpful tips that will show you how you cannot just survive but also thrive during your first year in nursing school.
Don’t be afraid to speak with a guidance counselor
Every college campus has guidance counselors that are there specifically to help students during their collegiate career. If you find that you’re extremely exhausted or even that nursing school isn’t quite what you thought it would be, don’t hesitate to set an appointment with a counselor to talk it over. They can help you come up with some ways to make the process easier.
Manage your time wisely
Nursing school is definitely not the place where you want to procrastinate. That’s why it’s important that you make sure to manage your time wisely. Create a schedule that includes your classes as well as your other activities. This will assist you in making the most of each day.
Find a study group
If you ask a lot of nurses about what tended to wear them out the most, we’re willing to bet that one of the first things that they will mention is the fact that all of the required reading sometimes made them feel like they would never be able to keep up. Something that can help to give you the support that you need is to get into a study group with some of the other students in your classes. That way, you can share notes and prep one another for tests.
Get some sleep
Whether you’re in the process of going through your CNA certification training, you’re about to graduate from nursing school or you’re somewhere in between, one thing that you’re going to need is sleep. Sure, that might seem like an impossible feat but sleep is something that helps to keep you alert, improve your memory, and also keep your immune system in top condition. So, don’t look at getting 6-8 hours as a luxury, but an absolute necessity.
Set a budget
Nursing school can be pretty expensive which is why you need to be sure that you are responsible when it comes to your finances. You can do that by setting a budget. Designate how much money you will spend on your rent, utilities, entertainment, and even clothing and make the commitment to yourself to not rely on your credit cards but to only spend cash as much as possible. By doing so, you can graduate from nursing school with a degree but not so much debt. Good luck!
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