Ok so I know everyone has said it before but DANG am I skerred!! Today was my first Patho class & to say it was overwhelming is probably accurate. It wasn't so much with the amount of content, but with the WAY you're supposed to learn it. I am MUCH better at memorization, but this actually applying it, I don't think I've got that yet. Of course at this point, ON THE FIRST DAY, I don't even have anything memorized & I probably should have. But I went ahead & printed off all the power points, so now I can go ahead & go through the chapters & do some outlines & make some flashcard, which I've never used before but I think will greatly help me. I'm thinking flashcards with the definition on the front & an application of it's use on the back will probably benefit me the most. Another thing I'm not used to is the lack of information on the power points. They're more like outlines themselves. I guess they're like guides & I need to use those to search out the information in the book & then add to them, which is ok with me too, I don't mind that at all. Another thing I'm kind of concerned about, which I'm going to email the professor, is my online class. It's my elective class & part of the class is that she split us up into groups & there's a leader, the rest of the group & a summarizer & it's exactly how it sounds. The leader starts the conversation, everyone else chimes in & then the summarizer "sums" it up. Well I just happen to be the summarizer this time and what's worrying me is that the only person that's posted is the leader!! Tomorrow is the LAST day for everyone to post. What do I do if I'm stuck with a bunch of duds in my group??!! I guess I'm going to go ahead & post to the group urging everyone to post, but this doesn't seem like a good way to get started :(.
I guess we'll see. Tomorrow is another day of getting up early, parking in BFE & getting my nursing degree on, lol. Woohoo!
Do you have to take the elective class at this time? I think with the way that you described your Patho class, the fact that you aren't "good" or practiced yet with application type questions, you may have all you can handle with that class and your nursing classes. The exams are ALL about application and rarely about just memorizing. You want success, do not over burden yourself with an extra class you could take in another semester.
ReplyDeleteMany a shocked 4.0 student does a nursing exam make.
With those silly postings you're going to have that each time. One thing I've found is that people in class are procrastinators. They most times will wait up until the LAST minute and hit post, not caring about the summarizer's job. Either way whether they post right before the deadline or even after the deadline you just post when you're supposed to. No need to urge anyone along because they'll be graded or docked by the professor in their own time. You just make sure to do your job by your deadline. If the leader is the only one that's posted then summarize what they wrote and be done with it. No sweat.
ReplyDeleteOh and that applying stuff doesn't get any easier, I'm still puzzled. :-)
Hey Candi, I think I just read your blog for the first time, but I'm not sure! A tip for nursing school~THROW out any idea you have about how to take a test! If you read in my blog a couple of months back you will see exactly what I mean! NOW, don't throw out normal test taking skills for patho, because that is pretty much memorization. But when you start nursing fundamentals, they are essentially trying to get you to "think" like a nurse. It is crazy, I know.
ReplyDeleteOn our required book list we had a book called "How to Survive Nursing School" and one by a name that I do not recall about how to take tests in NS. When I started making C's on my exams I started reading these and they helped. Another great source is the Saunder's NCLEX Review. The first two chapters are designed to teach you some test taking skills. SO...I highly recommend that one out of the three because it IS an NCLEX prep book.
I took a summer Patho class in 10 weeks (last summer) and made an A. It is doable. Now all these quizzes you have...that is a bit mind boggling to me!
I would love to hear from you! I have got to start updating my blog at least twice per week to get back in the swing of things. Let me know if you have any questions!
Az - No I didn't have to take this elective class this semester, but the admission's lady kind of pushed me into it. She said I should go ahead & take it that way I don't have to worry about taking a class this summer & also something about having a full load. I don't know.
ReplyDeleteZazz - That's exactly what I did. I posted on the board, a few more people posted something and I told them today that I was going to give them a few more hours to post & then I was going to do my thing :)
Melissa - Girl I'm pretty sure I need to get that NCLEX book b/c this Patho class SUCKS!! First of all the teacher isn't "teaching" anything. She is going through some power point slides & talking about some things in the book, but there is ZERO actual explanation about how anything works. She said she has confidence as our abilities as "adult learners" to basically teach ourselves the things we need to know. Next week she's not even having class & but we are to teach ourselves the content & then the next week is our first test. Ummmm, I'm PRETTY sure I PAID for someone to teach me something. If I am supposed to just go through the book & teach myself then what am I paying HER FOR?????