Pre-Nursing courses are challenging, but you can tackle them!Â
Hello prospective nursing students! My name is Abbey Bahmiller and I am a current pre-nursing student here at North Dakota State University. Being a college freshman is a new, exciting and challenging experience. As a pre-professional student, you will learn to juggle a new environment while also pushing yourself to succeed in your courses. I’ve learned a few things along the way that have helped me out, and I hope these tips will do the same for you!
Use a planner or calendar- I know using a planner may seem unnecessary, but it might save you once or twice! Many of your first-year courses will have daily assignments that can pile up, making little things easy to forget. Writing each assignment down, big or small, prevents the panic of a forgotten assignment. At the beginning of the semester, I highly encourage you to take a look at the syllabus for each of your courses and mark your calendar for paper or project due dates. This serves as an excellent reminder for big assignments that may sneak up on you! I have also found that having a weekly calendar in your dorm room is a very useful tool for planning when you will work on your homework. Plus, crossing tasks off as you complete them is a pretty good feeling!
Form study groups-Â Many of your courses as a freshman will be very large lectures with large exams covering several chapters. Forming a study group with your peers is an excellent way to get a better grasp on the material that you may not understand. Also, explaining material to those in the study group is one of the best ways to study. Slowly chipping away at the abundance of content with your peers makes exams less overwhelming, and you will likely make a few friends along the way!
Make meaning out of the material- In your college courses, it is immensely beneficial to form a true understanding of the material you are learning, rather than simply memorizing it. Many exam questions require the application of topics and terms that can be quite challenging to deduce from the simple memorization of definitions. Furthermore, many of your courses will touch on similar topics, just with focuses on different areas. Possessing a concrete understanding of the material allows you to draw connections and supports your success in other courses as well!
Utilize office hours- This is a very commonly-shared tip, but many students still do not take advantage of it! Meeting with a professor can be very intimidating, but it will ultimately encourage your success. Directly communicating with your professor in this way allows you to see what is important to your learning, as well as what you will likely be tested on. Going the extra mile shows your professor the motivation you possess and your dedication to performing well!
Organizational skills and hard-work are crucial to pre-nursing students. In the end, your motivation to succeed will shine through in your work. Plan ahead, focus on your goals, and believe in yourself!
