What to Get the Summer Before Your First Semester
My little sister is going to nursing school in the fall so I started to think what can I do to help prepare her! Here is a list that I came up with!
- If you don’t have a laptop get one! Do some research into the program or shoot some emails out to your advisor, some programs recommend windows. But if they don’t I would get an the Mac Book Pro from Apple. https://www.apple.com/macbook-pro/. If you show your student ID you get a discount! https://www.apple.com/us-hed/shop. I went with the macbook air and it didn’t have quite enough memory to last me all through college so I had to get an external hard drive. ( That was 5 years ago i’m sure they have updated their air’s by now) What’s great about Mac is you don’t have to worry about virus protection. They’re great for studying because your texts come right to your computer so you don’t get distracted by your phone you can just quickly type your text and continue studying. HANDS DOWN THE BEST!
- Microsoft 365! You can get it here free with the use of your student email! https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/education/products/office
- Get a good back pack! My recommendation is LLBean <3 https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/121112?page=l-l-bean-deluxe-book-pack&bc=50-816&feat=816-GN1&csp=f You will need a good backpack thats strong and going to last 4 years. LLBean makes the best backpacks, anyone with one will agree! You need one that will fit a laptop, textbooks (trust me nursing textbooks are HUGE), Note books ect. I was always the type of student that carried everything in my bag! I still have my LL Bean bag!
- 3 inch binders for your nursing courses. 1.5-2inch is probably enough for general courses.
- Dividers for your nursing courses will be helpful so you can quickly turn to sections in your binder. My professors used power-points so it was easy for me to turn to specific sections for studying when I had dividers.
- Note books. You may not need a bunch specially if your professors use power points
- Flash cards, I liked using colored ones it helps with memory recall… “I know it was a pink card… what about ventricular tachycardia… hmmm… oh yeah check for a pulse!!!” If anything get ones with lines on them!
- Calendar or planner. To mark all your syllabus and due dates in it. (this will be your life!)
- Highlighters/Pens/Pencils.
- Make a space at home thats quiet for you to study. I converted a spare bedroom to my office. You’ll need a desk and a comfy chair, you will be spending a lot of time there! I also one of these so i could study in bed or on the couch. Loved it. https://www.amazon.com/Folding-laptop-Breakfast-Table-Serving/dp/B01NBTRGDH/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=lap+desk&qid=1560354611&s=gateway&sr=8-4
- Sticky Notes to flag important pages.