Tips To Survive Freshman Year Of Nursing School

Friday, August 05, 2016

I guess this is sort of a uni guide, but a little more specific, to Nursing in NUS Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies. I'm about to start Year 2 next week, so I figured I'd just make a little post with some info and I hope this helps y'all out at least a little!

#1: Food

I'd consider us lucky because most of our lessons, labs, lectures are at MD6 (a building that's very new) and it's close to the Science Canteen, NUH Kopitiam, and NUH Medical Centre. 

Science Canteen, after going down the steep stairs of doom, is usually very crowded during lunch hours so you can just hope for an earlier/later break so it isn't as crowded and the lines aren't as long. The only stall I've ever tried is the Ayam Penyet stall and I only ever eat the Dory Penyet, it's delicious and the portions are huge. There's a froyo machine as well and it's $2 with no topping so you can try that out.

NUH Kopitiam, is my favourite place to eat at. In the first few months of school I only ate the chicken wraps at the It's A Wrap stall, it's halal and affordable and healthy. Then my friends sort of begged me to eat a proper meal so I gave in and had Hotplate Chicken at the Japanese stall. There's an Indian stall which occasionally sells prata but I haven't tried that out. There's the drinks stall which sells the usual toast sets as well, if you're into that. I haven't tried the other stalls. Oh!!! There's Swee Heng Bakery, I LOVE the buns and doughnuts and sandwiches there. LOVE.

NUH Medical Centre. Llao Llao. Llao llao for breakfast, lunch, dinner??? Kidding but how nice. There's Subway, Ya Kun Kaya, Burger King, another Kopitiam on the top floor, Fairprice/Cheers if you need anything urgently.

At NUH itself there's Coffee Bean, and Qiji (BEST NASI LEMAK) and Mr Bean!! There's also Starbucks at MD11.

For snacks, you can get some from either the Swee Heng Bakery or drop by Dily's at MD6!!! Try out the Cheese Toasties or any of the other toasted sandwiches, or the salads (ew veggies) or the cheesecakes or cookies at the stall opposite or get your coffee fix or tea or iced milo at the drinks area. I think there's also proper food like briyani (idk if I'm remembering this right)

#2: Study Areas

  1. Medical Library (Obviously) (Aircon, power sockets, proper tables, chairs, sofa, conducive environment, just five floors above Dily's so you can buy snacks)
  2. In your classrooms or the rooms at 02-01 (if they're open)
  3. MD1 Tahir Foundation Building MPH (if they're open) (not a lot of people know this) (super quiet, has aircon, power sockets, a LOT of tables and chairs)
  4. UTown (a bit too far for me, but you can try studying there)
  5. Starbucks at MD11
  6. Benches at Level 2 of MD5
  7. Tables and chairs outside MD6 (vv hot though and very few power sockets)

#3: Nap Areas

Lecture theatres... during lectures... obviously. Actually do people even need advice? Just nap anywhere anytime anyday.

#4: Studies

Study consistently!! I have an issue with motivation which causes me to be a very last minute mugger. Some people can retain the information they memorise last minute, some people can't. So try your best to consistently make notes so you don't have to rush them in the last two weeks before exams, and don't be like me and study only two days before the exam....... Seriously, don't.

There's no webcasts for our lectures, unlike other courses, so try your best to attend lectures and not fall asleep. I have, without fail, fallen asleep in every lecture and really you shouldn't be wasting your time like that. Pay attention, audio-record the lecture or stay home/go to the library and study from the slides. Write notes and explanations. Unless you're cool with using an iPad or any other way to type notes on your slides, print your notes and have your notes handwritten. Some teachers give useful hints/tips in lectures closer to the exams so DON'T MISS THOSE.

As for lab practices, pay attention in class and do your hands on stuff as much as you can, so when SDL comes, it's really up to you if you want to stay for the extra practice or not. A tip is to write down every single step for a procedure (eg, NG Tube Feeding, SC/IM Injection), it'd be so much easier to revise and practice when a practical exam comes.

#5: Notes & Textbooks

You have the choice of either printing your notes (which you can do in school ((at the library, pay by ezlink)) or at home) OR just have it on your computer. Most, if not all, of your exams will be using your laptop. So choose whichever way you prefer!! I stopped printing notes in semester 2 of year 1. As for textbooks, if you like to highlight stuff and have hardcopy textbooks then go ahead and buy them at the co-op or secondhand from seniors. I think there'll be a sale for secondhand books so don't buy them too early!! If you're a .pdf kind of student then ask any of your seniors and they'll share a whole bunch of the necessary textbooks you'd require.

#5: Clinicals

OH MY GOD I CAN'T STRESS THIS ENOUGH. Get good shoes with a lot of cushion. I mentioned in an old post that I got the Skechers Performance Men's Go Train-Ace and it's seriously the best. Do your research and get good shoes. Clinicals is tough enough on its own, you really don't need to suffer with shitty shoes.

Any other stuff I forgot??? Ask me any questions or leave a comment or whatever

Love,
T x

taken by shafiq!!

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