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Spring Semester

This has been the hardest few months on me so far. Throughout the past couple of years I never stressed out in my life as hard as I did in Nursing School. That being said I ended up getting extremely sick every few months, getting me to a point where during spring break I will be getting my thyroid removed for hyperthyroidism. I’m extremely scared, anxious and nervous to even do this or think about the pain after because I thought I would be able to relax this spring break but I after my surgery I hope too for a little. From December 23-28th I will be going to see my family in Wisconsin, my sister just had a baby also so I’m excited to see her and the kids. I hope this spring break new positive energy is around me and I’m able to feel better before next semester. I really hope this does not happen to me ever again throughout nursing school and I’m able to go through it healthy and happy. Although spring break is great it might be difficult to come back and prepare for school again here are some tips by NursingCas.org “ Look closely at the end-of-semester assignment. If your classes are like mine, there is often a huge paper due at the end of the course. START EARLY!!! I have learned my lesson on this one. Make sure to dedicate time to start your projects early so you are not in a mad rush for the last week of the semester to finish.“ https://www.nursingcas.org/how-do-you-get-ready-for-the-spring-semester/. I think it’s very important to start final projects or assignments right away so we are not behind or struggling to get them done while finals or midterms are approaching. - Kamelia Elbassiony

Finals preparation

As we prepare for finals things are all over the place because everyone’s very stressed out at this point of the semester. Studying is about finding a balance between rest and concentration. It is very important to rest because without it you can end up getting extremely sick or worse even miss your exam from lack of sleep. Some tips I read for studying is sticking to a schedule where you’re not just studying you’re also including breaks, snack time, bathroom time and just clearing your mind for a little so you don’t lose it. Another tip I saw was “make sure you don’t not studying on your bed, Studying in sleeping areas is the very definition of NOT maintaining a clear separation between work and rest, and most often leads to increased levels of stress and insomnia. This, in turn, can decrease your concentration and ability to study in the long term.” https://blog.prepscholar.com/how-to-study-better-in-high-school. I think these tips are very useless written by blog, popscholar that offer 16 different tips on how to study for finals. GOODLUCK ! https://blog.prepscholar.com/hs-fs/hubfs/feature_study.jpg?width=1473&name=feature_study.jpg Kamelia Elbassiony

Spring Semester

Spring semesters are personally my favorite semesters. There are like the final stretch of the school year. However, registering for classes is always a hectic time. Every students is trying to get the best classes with the best professors. Some get their way and others do not. Finishing one semester and starting a new one makes me feel like I am one year closer to working in my dream career. However, just because the end is near, doesn’t mean that you slack off. In the spring semester I will be taking policy, research, fundamentals and clinicals. From my understanding, being a nursing major is only going to get harder. In my first semester, I feel it is safe to say that it is all about discipline and dedication. Things don’t happen unless I work for them. In my spring semester I hope to be a more focused and have a set schedule. I found myself struggling with time management, so I hope to excel in that this spring.

Below are a listed of ways you can have a successful semester provided by Chamberlin University.

Mattison, Molly. “18 Tips for a Successful Semester in Nursing School.” Chamberlain University, 8 Sept. 2012, www.chamberlain.edu/blog/18-tips-for-a-successful-semester-in-nursing-school.

-Maria Bueno

Spring semester

I cannot believe the semester is leading to an end already. As we are thinking about finals and how to do good in them, we are also thinking about classes we are going to take next semester. Next semester I am going to take fundamental, research and policy. I am so excited for next semester but when I think about how hard the fall semester was, it makes me wonder how the spring semester will be. Student that already took these classes are scarring me because all I heard is “it not going to be any easier, it only gets harder and harder to be ready”. This sentence right here makes me have sleepless night. After all, I did not expect nursing program to be easy. I am expecting more work and sleeplessness night. Hopefully next semester ends up well just like this one is about to. On the website allnures.com, I see they talked about what is the fundamental class is all about and what to expect in the class.

this link talk about what to expect in the clinical part of fundamental course.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwiyjPuVhojmAhUVITQIHZMOCjIQjRx6BAgBEAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kaptest.com%2Fstudy%2Fnclex%2Fwhat-to-expect-in-clinical-rotations%2F&psig=AOvVaw39PIUhWhLcO-5b98RIZAWe&ust=1574863574885185

Froudaous Tchitchri

Spring

With the fall semester coming to an end, we have a lot to look forward to for spring. For the spring semester, I am enrolled for 4 classes and the beginning of clinicals. I feel excited and nervous about starting clinicals. I always hear such mixed reviews. I’m excited to be in the hospital setting. Clinicals are the perfect opportunity to learn new skills and to perfect the skills we learned in class. I am nervous because this is a new experience for me so I hope hospital staff will be understanding of my adjustment and as eager to teach as I am eager to learn. To combat my feelings of nervousness, nurse.com lists helpful tips on how to survive clinical. I think an important tip is “never do something if you're uncertain of your skills”. It is crucial to be confident in how we provide care, uncertainty can lead to errors. To avoid uncertainty, we can review steps and even ask questions.

May your preceptors be kind and willing to teach and may your clinicals be the best learning experience.

-Jaime

https://www.nurse.com/blog/2017/02/06/10-tips-for-making-the-most-of-clinical-rotation/

Spring Semester

The semester is almost to an end and I am in shock at how fast the time has flew by. The holidays are around the corner, everyone is preparing for thanksgiving and 2 weeks of school until we are free. I wish the break would last for at least 4 months, but unfortunately not. Next semester I will be taking the classes called Fundamentals, Policy, Research. I am pretty nervous but at the same time I’m not. I feel like I am more prepared for next semester since I already experienced the slap in the face this semester. I feel like I would know what to expect and how serious nursing school is. I also know that each semester is going to keep getting harder so I have get mentally prepared for it.

I was curious and wanted to see how fundamentals is and how to study for it . On the registerednursern.com I seen they spoke about fundamentals, what I would expect entering the class and how to study for it. “ Don’t let test style trick you, but learn how to answer NCLEX style questions! See this video on how to successfully answer NCLEX style questions. Nursing fundamentals exam questions can be tricky and sometimes there are two “best” answers and you must determine which one is the best for that particular scenario.”. I feel like this advice is very important because the testing style is super hard to get use to so we need to make sure we are prepared for that.

-Amaya Espinal

final preparation

Finals are around the corner waiving at us. It is just unbelievable. Final weight so much that there is no room for mistakes. Finals in most of my classes are like 30% out of 100%. They weight so much so I have to be focus. To get ready for the final, I am going over all the previous quizzes and exams questions and adding new materials that we went over in class. All the finals are cumulative, so it is going to be heavy because you have to know everything you learn from beginning of the semester until last day of class. According to fasweb.com, one way you can prepare for the finals is to organize a group study and ask each other’s questions. I really like group study because, there might be information that you did not pickup by yourself while studying but you get them while in group study. Another way is to attend review session. I believe once we focus more, we will be alright because we have come a long way.

Following link gives 6 tips and tricks for final weeks.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjlzIzF8_blAhXjdN8KHcHfA38QjRx6BAgBEAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Da9FduCpUhoI&psig=AOvVaw3hetO2I0T_VGwPgvIlDJtx&ust=1574274462896403

#Froudaous Tchitchri

Preparing For Finals

Woah, we are almost at the finish line! Can you believe it? Time has went by fast but those tears and sweat because of all this school work didn’t! Now its the season of finals, right before Christmas and New Years. As everyone knows, finals are a HUGE deal. They make up a big part of your grade and is an exam you can NOT retake. Sounds pretty scary, trust me I know! But there are plenty of resources that can help you be more prepared for your finals.

Elizabeth Hoyt in 20 Study Strategies for Finals Week (Sept 2018) had gave many of her readers helpful advices for finals week. One major tip I would highly advice would be start! “If you always start ahead of schedule, you’ll never be cramming the night before an exam. You’ll almost always perform better in doing so!”. Which is totally correct because from my personal experience, studying days before an exam is way more helpful than cramming the night before. Personally, when I cram I tend to become more frustrated and forget the topic more. Another tip she gave was to quiz yourself “If you think about and create actual exam questions, you will likely become more familiar with what you need to study and, in the meantime, familiarize yourself with the type of language that will be on the exam. Draft potential exam questions and quiz yourself so that you can set expectations of what you need to focus on.” Which is another advice I also agree with. Being well rested boost up your confident and helps you be more relaxed for the day of the exam. I hope this help you guys feel more prepare for the finals that are soon to come. GOOD LUCK!

-AMAYA ESPINAL

https://www.fastweb.com/student-life/articles/the-20-study-tips-for-finals

Finals

Finals are a bittersweet feeling. It is a time to celebrate the end of the semester, and also the time to panic because the most heavily weighted exams are about to come full force. Finals is defined as “A series of examinations at the end of a degree course.”. Finals can either be a benefit to student’s grades or impact them negatively. From experience, the best way to excel in your finals is to plan study time ahead! This allows you to equally divide your free time to prepare for each class and not feel overwhelmed and under a time constraint. It is vital that you also give yourself breaks and be well rested. Not eating right, getting enough sleep and cramming will fatigue your mind and body. Finals can be overwhelming, but if you take the right precautions, you will feel more at ease and feel confident that you will perform to the best of your ability. Nurses are constantly challenged with new obstacles everyday. The way they over come challenges is by believing that the can find a solution based off all the knowledge they have acquired in their learning. Similarly, we must have faith in our studies, put the work in and do our best.

Below are eight ways to prepare for final. It provides do’s and dont’s and tips on how to carry them through.

“Dictionary.com.” Dictionary.com, Dictionary.com, www.dictionary.com/.

Alston, Shaniese. “Scientifically, The Best Ways To Prepare For Final Exams.” Big Ideas Blog, 4 Feb. 2015, blog.suny.edu/2013/12/scientifically-the-best-ways-to-prepare-for-final-exams/.

-Maria Bueno

Finals

I can’t believe finals are right around the corner. Currently, we are preparing for our first ever finals of nursing school. Its exciting and nerve wrecking. Finals mean that the semester is coming to an end. We made it through our first semester of nursing school. however, the most finals are cumulative. This means we will be tested on everything taught to us from the beginning of the semester- NERVEWRECKING. According to Nate Kornell, PHD, cumulative testing can be beneficial. For example, cumulative testing promotes “longer-lasting learning” that leads to improved education.

Luckily, the holidays are also around the corner. Our first time off since September that I have been looking forward to. But instead of relaxing and celebrating, I'll be studying. So I guess its not really “time off”.

-Jaime

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/everybody-is-stupid-except-you/201012/study-better-the-benefits-cumulative-exams

Group projects/ presentations

I hate group projects and presentations. I think group projects are unfair because many people do not contribute the appropriate amount of work to the group and still get the same grade as others. Recently I had a group project and it was a mess. Many students acted out in inappropriate ways making things more difficult for us to complete. Group projects are also difficult because many people in the group have different opinions so maybe disagreements will erupt. Also this makes presentations difficult because difficult viewed can also cause the presentation to be weird due to one not wanting to talk about what he/she doesn’t believe in. Here are some tips from study.com on how to survive group projects and presentations. https://study.com/blog/how-to-survive-group-projects-in-college.html To avoid this nightmare, be clear about everybody's role from the beginning. You'll probably need: * A leader, to help make sure everybody gets along and fulfills their responsibilities * An organizer, to keep everybody in contact and track tasks and outcomes * Group members, whose main focus will be to complete work * A presenter, to combine the work into a presentable final product It's probably best to let people volunteer for the more involved roles, since some people have the natural tendency to want to do more work and some, well…. don't. It's also important to make sure that the leader, organizer, and presenter also contribute to completing tasks. It's only fair. Kamelia Elbassiony

Group work

Professors assign us to group work so that we can learn how to work together, develop different skills and come up with different ideas that can be share among ourselves. It looks like this skill is easy but in reality, it is not. Not everybody can work in group. Some students are better off working by themselves than in a group. Others will preferer working in a group. Me personally, I do not have a preference. I enjoy both group and by myself. However, if I want to work in group, I like to do my own research and know the stuff before coming to the group. The reason is because I will want to contribute something to the group discussion rather than siting and listening. I also like teaching others because that is how I remember the materials. As future nurses, we have to learn how to work with others now so that it does not become a challenge when we start working in the future. Health professional always work as a team, listening to each other and making decision that will be best for the patients. For this reason, we have to start learning how to work with other, how to respect others opinion, and ideas. We also have to learn to listen to each other and respect each other now that we are in school. Overall, I will say the benefits of working in a group outweigh the disadvantages. On the website “weareteachers.com”, there are 5 different tips on how to make group work effective.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjvu4ayiublAhUv11kKHSAsCCMQjRx6BAgBEAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.123rf.com%2Fphoto_27508551_diverse-group-of-young-students-working-together-on-school-assignments-multiethnic-people-studying-t.html&psig=AOvVaw2bCT1_zbOWCEyzdCkrQhWi&ust=1573696214522674

#Froudaous Tchitchri

Working in Groups

In college, partnerization and group work is very rare. So in the occurrence that we get to team up, I find it as a reward. I feel as if it is an opportunity to share thoughts, bounce off ideas and input different ideologies from different perspectives. For example, in health assessment lab we are constantly working together to visuialize how it would be in the work force. This allows us to already have some experience on how to perform different assessements. Some individuals dislike working in groups because it requires socialization. However, socializing is a great skill to have in college and even in life. Sometimes it not about what you know but who you know. On the other hand, the downside of working with others is the hassle of arranging alike schedules, having a member in your group that isn’t pulling their weight or even having conflicting ideas. Either I personally believe that working in groups is beneficial. In fact, my first group of friends in college was because we were placed in a group together. As future nurses, we are going to be required to collaboratively work together to nurse patients back to health and that isn't achieved if interpersonal communication is not practiced.

Below is a website that list “5 Key Benefits of Teamwork and Collaboration”

https://welldoing.org/article/5-key-benefits-teamwork-and-collaboration

-Maria Bueno

Group Projects

In some of the classes, the professor assigns the class to work in group projects/assignments. Working in groups are very beneficial because each student can learn better from their partner. Usually, there may confusion between the professor and the classmate about a topic. If the classmate and his or her partner were to discuss it, it is possible that that person who was confused can understand the topic way better. Working in group assignments in the nursing programs makes me feel as if I am not alone. Being a nursing student can be quite overwhelming, with the work that needs to be done, new assignment every week and new test every week, being surrounded by other students going through what you are going through, makes you feel more comfortable.

The benefits of working in groups outweighs working alone. Don’t get me wrong there are people who do like working alone which is fine, but if you are confused and don’t understand a topic, discussing it with your classmate/friend can help. In “The Benefits of Group Work” (https://www.le.ac.uk/oerresources/ssds/studyskills/page_85.htm it discusses the benefits of working in groups. Some of the benefits listed were the “increased productivity and performances” “skill development” and “knowing more about yourself”. Each benefit listed I would have to say I agree with because I personally experience the benefit as well. Increased productivity is true because group projects are done quicker and efficiently if everyone is ambitious. Skills development is also true because it improves your group working skills. Lastly, knowing more about yourself is also true because you get to realize what you need to work on, ‘Enhanced self-awareness will both help your approach to learning and will be invaluable when you come to write your CV or complete job application forms.

- Amaya Espinal

#school #projects

Group Projects

Among all the various assignments for nursing school, group projects by far are the most annoying. Especially if the group has more than 5 members. There are many pros and cons to group projects. Pros include the social aspect of meeting new people and learning to work with others. The cons of group projects include difficulty communicating, creative differences, conflicting schedules, and not being able to pick your own group members. What really bothers me about group projects is when a member procrastinates. There is always that one person in the group that will do their part at the last minute or the person who is lazy and expects to be carried by the group by doing the bare minimum. If you’re like me, someone who get their work done ahead of time and puts thought and effort into assignments, group projects seem unfair.

Central Michigan University lists some tips on how to work efficiently for group projects. the tip I like most is appointing a project coordinator. project coordinator is responsible for making sure deadlines are met and everyone is equally participating in an organized manner. This is a tip I plan to use for the next group project!

-Jaime Joseph

https://www.cmich.edu/global/News/Pages/Group-Project-Success-Tips.aspx

Classes...

Every student has that one class that they dread going to and the one that is pleasurable. Personally for me the class I have trouble with is pharmacology and the one I enjoy is pathophysiology. Pharmacology “...is the science of how drugs act on biological systems and how the body responds to the drug. The study of pharmacology encompasses the sources, chemical properties, biological effects and therapeutic uses of drugs.” Often times it is difficult for me because it requires a lot of memorization in different aspects and also mathematics which I am not the best at. I also find it difficult to study for this course since it involved numerous information. On the contrary, pathophysiology is defined as “The abnormal physiological processes that cause or are associated with disease or injury.” according to the Oxford English dictionary. Pathophysiology is interesting to me because you get an understanding of the root, journey and conclusion of the problem. I also enjoy it because it sometimes intertwined with pharmacology and helps me better understand. In nursing school, nothing comes easy and you aren’t always going to like a class, however it will make you more knowledgeable. So in order to succeed, you must just do your best and make the best of it.

“About Pharmacology.” ASPET, www.aspet.org/aspet/education-careers/about-pharmacology.

“What Is Pathophysiology?: LSUA Online.” Louisiana State University of Alexandria Online, 30 Aug. 2016, online.lsua.edu/articles/healthcare/what-is-pathophysiology.aspx.

-Maria Bueno

Pharm vs Informatics

Patho vs contemporary Pathophysiology is my least favorite class out of all my classes. It’s on a Monday evening at 3pm until 6pm when I start at 8am. By that time, in this month of the semester and the amount of hours I’ve spent up I’ve been extremely drained and listening to my professor lecture Pathophysiology seemed to be the least of my favorite things to do. I absolutely love the topic but I guess the time of the day becomes very draining on a Monday morning and I just can’t get myself to get into it as much as the other courses I’m taking. That being said I still do my best to keep up with the course and chapters and manage good grades I am very happy for. It’s been such a tough year so I’m happy we have classes like contemporary topics to give us a little break from life and a little laugh with Professor Cheeky since shes so funny and makes the topic fun. https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwiQicz14tPlAhWDAGMBHcAkCCQQjRx6BAgBEAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnurseslabs.com%2Fnursing-school-tips-strategies%2F&psig=AOvVaw1H9J_tajznB9Vk6SC3G3ci&ust=1573067316317019 The following is a link to some tips to help you get through nursing classes that you might struggle with. - Kamelia Elbassiony

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