I am 2 months away from being done with nursing school and I feel like I have just been getting lucky getting through all my classes in the past and I need some help because my teachers do not like to teach or help at all.
Too often, nursing students are content to simply survive nursing school and there’s nothing necessarily wrong with that. I say ‘necessarily’ because I believe that merely surviving nursing school should not be how things are.
I mean think about it. Why be okay with merely surviving when you could be thriving?
Let me tell you about nursing school.
Sure, we all know that nursing school is hard. But the thing is, if all you can remember from nursing school is how insanely hard it is, then something is amiss. It really shouldn’t be that way. Nursing school should also be a fun experience. After all, it’s the magical place where all the baby nurses are made y’all!
I’m not going to sugarcoat things because that’s only going to mess up with you. Nursing school is not for the faint of heart. It takes a lot to become a nurse and yes, there are times that nursing school can be very overwhelming. It certainly is no Hogwart’s but you can make it even more fun. In fact, you can devise a plan to take nursing school by storm and be the ultimate survivor, err a fully-fledged nurse!
So here’s some stuff you can do to make your nursing school experience a lot better:
Say my name, say my name…
That’s not a case of echolalia (nor palilalia, if it matters) but you would really want to make sure that your professors know who you are right from day one. I don’t suggest that you do something so unforgettable that you’ll never be able to live it down, but do something that would make you memorable in a good way.
First off, seat yourself at the front of the class. This alone makes you ‘someone’ in the professors’ mind and not just someone that they can vaguely see at 10 meters away.
To step up your game, you can either look up, make eye contact, and smile when the professor calls your name (if roll calls are still a thing at your school). Either that or ask the professor a meaningful question, such as asking for a list of suggested resources for his or her class.
Look, I’m such a good student!
Seating yourself in the front of the class also lets you see presentations much clearer and helps you focus on days when you’re just too tired or too sleepy, or if the lecture is too boring.
It’s not just that either, remember the previous tip about making sure your instructors or professors knows who you are? Being in front of the class and making sure the professor can see you also ensures that they see how diligently you’re taking notes. This makes them nicer when you do approach them to ask for help or extra notes. Yep, that’s guilt-tripping at the very least and oh so badddddd but also really good as far as your grades are concerned.
Take note of this: professors either love or hate a brilliant student (believe it or not some professors hate it when they have a very smart student because they probably feel that they’re being watched) but they have no choice but to have a fondness for students who put in effort to listen to their lectures. Don’t you just love it when someone listens and pays attention to you? The same goes for your professors because they’re simply human. Work that knowledge to your advantage!
Professors ain’t your momma
Some nursing students still think that teachers and professors are there to ‘help’ them. This may be true for real educators whose passion is truly in teaching, but keep in mind that helping you doesn’t mean treating you like a helpless baby.
You should not expect your professors and instructors to spoon-feed you. In fact, it is unfair for you to expect any ‘help’ from them. Their job is to educate you and transform you into a nurse. Your job is to help them make you achieve that.
As you go through nursing school, you’ll have professors who are into #ToughLove and some who are into nurturing and caring for a fledging baby nurse that you are. Both types of instructors/professors are good. It’s just that they have different approaches to help you become a great nurse.
I am not denying that there exists a certain breed of professors who takes glee from flunking students that they feel are not good enough to pass their class. These are the horrible professors who treat their exams as though it’s #TheReaping. There are also teachers in nursing school who have no right to be called educators at all. The types who simply show up in class to read off of their slides.
So yeah, in some cases, using survival methods to stay sane and alive in nursing school is necessary. Here’s how you can ace a class with a professor like that:
Be Mr or Ms Congeniality, with a twist!
Befriend students who have previously taken the same classes you currently have. Not only are they a good source of notes, but they can also give you a #BeenThereDoneThat take on what works best for a particular class.
Don’t expect anyone to give you straight-up exam copies (hey, cheating is for losers!), but knowing some insider tips such as “professor B takes exam questions from his slides’ side notes” would certainly prove invaluable in the long run.
Yes, I know befriending other students to get some passing tips sounds slightly diabolical, but I promise it only sounds awful in here. You’re not really just befriending people just to get something from them, you’d also be blessing them with your eternal gratitude and the privilege of being graced with your presence! #SorryNotSorry
Seriously though, there is nothing stopping you from returning the favor and bestowing other students with your own insider tips. You can even send a link to the NURSING.com blog to your new friends! C’mon don’t be greedy! #SharingIsCaring you know.
To summarize…
Remember, we can all use a little help in nursing school. Understanding that and accepting the fact that a little help won’t hurt can take you miles forward unto graduation day.
The nursing school tips discussed in here is focused on acing your classes but you can also take a look at our nursing school tips for new nursing students.
If your #NursingSchoolSucks, then you can always take advantage of cheat sheets and supplement your studies with materials found online. Hang on until graduation, or better yet, own your nursing school #LikeABoss by making use of some tips in this blog.
Got some #NursingHacks of your own? Then feel free to share down below!
