What should you know when taking nursing?

As someone who is 5 weeks away from completing my nursing degree, I will try to share everything I can that I wish someone would have told me when I started. When first starting nursing school it helps if you've had some type of experience (ER tech, CNA). Going into school, there isn't much of a requirement to know anything as the classes are provided throughout the program. It helps if you are good at math, but that is my weakest subject and I'm still doing great figuring out med math. There are coloring books out there on anatomy and physiology for nursing students. They are in with the nursing books at borders, and these would be very helpful to start memorizing anatomy. There are also books of cartoon characters with different symptoms for the disease (ie- a cartoon character of hyperthyroid would be skinny while eating alot, sweating, have a fast heart rate, high temperature, and so on). These books really help with memorization. Basically you need to read. There is ALOT of reading involved. I have not read a book for pleasure in 2 and a half years. It's worth it though. An important thing to focus on is why things cause the symptoms, instead of just trying to memorize the symptoms. It's much easier to understand that someone with hypothyroid has brittle hair, weight gain, slow pulse because of decreased circulating thyroid hormone (which translates to a high TSH level) and because of the function of the thyroid hormone of keeping metabolism up, everything in the body slows, or becomes hypo. Therefore, a decrease in blood flow = decreased pulse, decreased oxygenation = fatigue, and so on. I cannot stress enough not to focus on symptoms and more so on why those symptoms exsist. There are days I wanted to quit. If you are not in it for the patient's, then maybe you should. Nursing requires a sincere care about patient well being because even if some way you make it through nursing school, you will become burned out after a short time in the field. Nursing needs more caring professionals though. I wish you well!