Summer Study Spots

Not everyone is off from classes this summer! So where will you study? 

In a loud and crowded city like NYC, it can be hard to find a nice spot to study. Check out some suggestions below and don't forget to ask the Student Resource Center for additional tips!

On Campus:

• There are available NYU Student Lounges, some of which are set aside for graduate students too! 

• Elmer Holmes Bobst Library, which is located at 70 Washington Square South. You can study in open areas on the lower levels of the library or on various floors. Individual cubicles are available too! View their summer hours here. 

• Washington Square Park: It's summer - study outside! Grab a blanket, a bottle of water, some sunscreen, and your books.

Near Campus:

• Esperanto Café on MacDougal between 3rd and Bleecker. It has a cozy vibe with yummy paninis and it’s usually pretty quiet.

• McNally Jackson on Prince Street between Lafayette and Bowery has a nice café area and a great selection of books to browse.

USA Today also has an excellent article on quiet places to study in NYC. Check it out here: USA Today's Study Spots!

The NYUCN Advising team wishes you a successful summer session!

Remember to Make the Most of Bobst!

The semester is well underway - so don't forget how to make the most of Bobst library...

Bobst Library may seem like a large, crowded, busy building to navigate but the staff and resources will prove very useful to you in your studies!

As a nursing student, I'm sure you understand by now that you need to devote a lot of time to studying. Explore the library to find a spot that you feel comfortable studying in on a regular basis and try to build a routine study schedule.

The hours of Bobst this Spring 2013 semester can be found here: http://library.nyu.edu/about/hours/spring.html

Some convenient features brought to you by Bobst:
1) IM With a Librarian! Go to http://library.nyu.edu/ask/ and IM a Bobst libarian for help with finding a source, APA formatting, etc.
2) Group Study Rooms - Do you prefer to study with a group of classmates? Reserve a group study room here: http://library.nyu.edu/services/group_study.html
3) Take advantage of the Health Sciences Libraries too! Find more information here:  http://hsl.med.nyu.edu/
4) Use NYU RefWorks! This is a web-based tool, free of charge, that helps you manage and organize your research. Import references directly into a bibliography and save some time! Click here for more info.

There is a wealth of information on the library website.

And don't forget - if you need help with time management or study skills - talk to your Academic Advisor! email us at nursingadvising@nyu.edu.


Best of luck this semester!
The NYUCN Advising Team

Time Flies By....

When you're a nursing student! 

Does the day seem to fly by and you still have plenty to do? Can't find enough time to study, spend time with friends, read for class, prepare for the next exam, or even cook dinner? Try some of these time management tips and be sure to attend one of our workshops for more information:

1) Write down where you are spending your time. For example, on average how many hours per week do you sleep (including naps)? Commute? Spend with friends, going out, watching tv? Getting ready? Add up the total hours. There are 168 hours in a week, subtract your total from 168. How many hours are remaining? This is how much time you have left to study. Do you need to make any adjustments to your schedule? 

2) Use a time management tool such as your NYU google calendar. You week should look something like this: 

Notice all the different color blocks? Each color represents an activity. For example: Yellow - Breaks/out with friends, Green - Extra curricular activities, Red - class. This way you have a visual of how much time you are spending. The calendar is an excellent tool to organize your time and it sends you reminders!

3) Use SMART goal setting to manage your time too. For example: S for SPECIFIC: "Read for Actute Psychology for two hours" This is NOT a specific goal because it does not tell you what you are going to read and how much. A more SPECIFIC goal would be: "Read and take notes on chapter's 7&8 in 60 minutes. Complete 5 NCLEX questions in 10 minutes." Refer to our previous post about SMART goal setting for more information. 

These are just a few suggestions. Contact our office at nursingadvising@nyu.edu if you would like to set up an appointment with a professional academic advisor to chat one on one about time management. 

Get the Most from Bobst!

Bobst Library may seem like a large, crowded, busy building to navigate but the staff and resources will prove very useful to you in your studies!

As a nursing student, I'm sure you understand by now that you need to devote a lot of time to studying. Explore the library to find a spot that you feel comfortable studying in on a regular basis and try to build a routine study schedule.

The hours of Bobst this Spring 2013 semester can be found here: http://library.nyu.edu/about/hours/spring.html

Some convenient features brought to you by Bobst:
1) IM With a Librarian! Go to http://library.nyu.edu/ask/ and IM a Bobst libarian for help with finding a source, APA formatting, etc.
2) Group Study Rooms - Do you prefer to study with a group of classmates? Reserve a group study room here: http://library.nyu.edu/services/group_study.html
3) Take advantage of the Health Sciences Libraries too! Find more information here:  http://hsl.med.nyu.edu/
4) Use NYU RefWorks! This is a web-based tool, free of charge, that helps you manage and organize your research. Import references directly into a bibliography and save some time! Click here for more info.

There is a wealth of information on the library website.

And don't forget - if you need help with time management or study skills - you can attend one of our workshops. For more information click here.


Best of luck this semester!
The Office of Academic Advising and Learning Development

S-M-A-R-T Goals for the New Year

Winter break is a great time to think about setting goals for the new year and semester. As the semester approaches, the Office of Academic Advising would like to remind you of a strategy that we strongly support. Often, we encourage students to make use of S.M.A.R.T. goal setting! Not sure where to begin? Think of the acronym:

S-Specific
Being specific is helpful because it forces you to clearly define what is you want to do, why you want to do it, and how you are going to get it done. Specificity focuses your efforts, which is essential in the NYUCN program because there is a lot to do and not much time to get it all done. 


M-Measurable
Setting measurable goals is tied closely to your goal being specific. You want to ensure that you can have a means to measure progress and watch the change happen. Then, you can determine if the goal you set needs to be adjusted or if you were able to successfully complete it. For instance, when studying, you could include the chapter numbers as well as the number of pages you want to complete within a given time (ex. I will read pages 127-145 of chapter 7 in one hour).


A-Attainable
When setting goals you want to make sure that you are able to keep yourself motivated to continuously achieve. Setting goals that stretch you slightly is the best way to do it. If you set a goal that you know is unattainable you won't be motivated to achieve it--your commitment to the goal will be hard to maintain. In contrast, setting attainable goals helps you develop a skill set to make the impossible possible by way of small, measurable steps!

R-Realistic This is not to say that the goals you set should be easy . Much like setting attainable goals, your goals should also be realistic. You want to ensure that you are challenging yourself enough but that you also have the support in place, currently, to be able to meet the challenge/goal you set for yourself. Set goals for where you are and as you meet them, adjust them and set new goals.

T-Timely
Be sure that you set a clear time frame with an endpoint to work toward. Based on the goal, give yourself a period, one week, two weeks, etc. Make sure the time frame you choose is measurable, attainable, and realistic!


As you can see, many of the steps in this method are interrelated. They all work together to assist you in setting excellent goals so that you can  meet your mark and excel in school and in nursing.

If you have any questions about how to set your goals or develop study strategies to implement these steps, make an appointment with a member of the Administrative Advising Team! We are here to help.

Remember S for Nursing Success!!

As a nursing student in a rigorous program, we have no doubt that your goal is to be academically successful and land the job that you want after graduation!  Students are continuously seeking mentorship and often secret tips for success from top nursing leaders who they trust. These 5 Tips for Success from our very own NYU College of Nursing Dean Eileen Sullivan-Marx will definitely assist you!

Sleep

Getting the right amount of sleep is essential to good health and doing well in class, so make sleep a priority! Adults require an average of 7-8 hours of sleep a night – every night – but everyone is different. Some people need more sleep, while others need less. When you don’t get enough, your body keeps a tab of how much you owe! This cumulative lack of sleep impacts your alertness, mood, attention, and cognitive functions. The more you owe, the worse your performance will become. Establish a sleep schedule that works for you and stick to it!

Shine

What do you feel passionately about? What are you really good at? When you focus on those questions and pursue the answers, the rewards are limitless. Nurses are very fortunate in their ability to focus their careers where they find inspiration, which is why you find nurses engaged in such an incredible number of exciting areas. Dr. Emerson Ea was recently featured on this blog about his book, 201 Careers in Nursing. If you haven’t done so already, I encourage you to read that entry and think about where you want to go with your nursing degree. Find where your passion and profession intersect and you will find yourself ideally positioned to become a shining example of nurse leadership!

Study

There is no way around it – successful students study. Study, study, study! I cannot stress that enough. You are working to enter a field where a solid understanding of science, ethics, and sound judgment are critical. Balancing these elements to care for others is what Martha Rogers (who lead NYU Nursing for many years) called the art of nursing. Mastering this art demands continual study. Nursing science is ever-evolving, which means nurses are always learning new and better ways to deliver care. Establish good study habits now, don’t waste a moment of your time at NYUCN.

Search

Remember – your education doesn’t stop at the classroom door. Much of what you learn happens throughout the course of your time in this remarkable city. Make the most of where you are! Seek out opportunities that compliment what you learn in the classroom and that inform your understanding of nursing science and practice. From global opportunities to one-of-a-kind clinical sites, inspiration and opportunities to learn are all around you in NYC! So get out there!

Stay Connected

College is a busy time. Just tackling the other Ss can fill up your day! With so much to get done, it is important to remember that you are not alone! You have a support network of family, friends, fellow students, advisors, and professors who want you to succeed and who are there for you. Keep in touch with your network. Tell them how you are doing and reach out to them when you need encouragement or want to celebrate a success. Having good people rooting for you can make all the difference!

NYU Resources Update: The Academic Resource Center (ARC)

As an update to the post from October 2011, The Office of Academic Advising wanted to encourage you to get familiar with your campus resources. The Academic Resource Center is a great campus space on the square! Now that the semester is upon us you should check out the new ARC website!

The New York University Academic Resource Center offers excellent services to the Traditional and Transfer undergraduate populations. Some of which include:

• Cross School Advising
• Study Spaces
• Argo Tea Cafe
• Tutoring (in conjunction with the University Learning Center)

As a nursing student, you should always communicate with the Office of Academic Advising and Learning Development if you are having and issue. We work very closely with the ARC and will be able to make a referral if needed. When you have academic navigation questions and you are not sure where to go, you may need to try the ARC! From the SMART Bar to the peer tutoring services, the academic assistance you need, in addition to the services we offer here, may be at 18 Washington Place.

Feel free to reach out to Donald Brown, Academic Advisor, with any of your ARC related inquiries.

S.M.A.R.T. Goal Setting!

As the semester approaches, the Office of Academic Advising would like to remind you of a strategy that we strongly support. Often, we encourage students to make use of S.M.A.R.T. goal setting! We want you to not only plan to set goals, but to apply this strategy to your study habits as well as you are managing your time this semester. Not sure where to begin? Think of the acronym.

S-Specific
Being specific is helpful because it forces you to clearly define what is you want to do, why you want to do it, and how you are going to get it done. Specificity focuses your efforts, which is essential in the NYUCN program because there is a lot to do and not much time to get it all done.


M-Measurable
Setting measurable goals is tied closely to your goal being specific. You want to ensure that you can have a means to measure progress and watch the change happen. Then, you can determine if the goal you set needs to be adjusted or if you were able to successfully complete it. For instance, when studying, you could include the chapter numbers as well as the number of pages you want to complete within a given time (ex. I will read pages 127-145 of chapter 7 in one hour).


A-Attainable
When setting goals you want to make sure that you are able to keep yourself motivated to continuously achieve. Setting goals that stretch you slightly is the best way to do it. If you set a goal that you know is unachievable you won't be motivated to achieve it--your commitment to the goal will be hard to maintain. In contrast, setting attainable goals helps you develop a skill set to make the impossible possible by way of small, measurable steps!

R-Realistic This is not to say that the goals you set should be easy . Much like setting attainable goals, your goals should also be realistic. You want to ensure that you are challenging yourself enough but that you also have the support in place, currently, to be able to meet the challenge/goal you set for yourself. Set goals for where you are and as you meet them, adjust them and set new goals.

T-Timely
 Be sure that you set a clear time frame with an endpoint to work toward. Based on the goal, give yourself a period, one week, two weeks, etc. Make sure the time frame you choose is measurable, attainable, and realistic!

 
As you can see, many of the steps in this method are interrelated. They all work together to assist you in setting excellent goals so that you can  meet your mark and excel in school and in nursing.

If you have any questions about how to re-work you goals or your study strategies to implement these steps, make an appointment with a member of the Administrative Advising Team! We are here to help.

Study Strategies: NYUCN OAALD Endorses the 5 Day Test Prep!

The Stanford University Center for Teaching and Learning offers a review of what students should be doing to prepare when they are a week away from their exams. This strategy should be used in conjunction with sustained, structured study time, and offers a set system that you can use to keep your self on the right track until exam time comes.

5 Day Test Prep

Five days before: Organize

Organize and review your class notes and text notes carefully. Prepare a list of all topics that will be on the exam. List them in order of importance so you can focus your attention accordingly.

Four days before: Review and Recall

Review your notes thoroughly, but don’t just look at them. Explain them to yourself. Don’t mistake familiarity for comprehension. Concentrate on the topics that are more difficult for you to understand. Use mnemonic devices or visualization to organize the material as a “breadcrumb trail” back to the big ideas.

Three days before: Rewrite

Briefly rewrite all important information. Review these notes repeatedly. Trying to recall your own explanations will be more effective than trying to recall what the text and your professors have said.

Two days before: Question

Make a list of questions that might be on the exam and answer them in as much detail as possible.

One day before: Prepare
Review your notes and rewritten notes a few hours before the exam. Take time to relax before the exam. If you are afraid you will forget information or "blank out" when you receive the exam, write reminders on the back that you can come back to during the exam.

A handout with this information is available for pick up in the Office of Academic Advising, it is also available here: Stanford 5 Day Test Prep

The Office of Academic Advising & Learning Development is here to support you! If you want to discuss more study strategies or have a question about the 5 Day test prep method, feel free to reach out. You can make an appointment with a member of the advising staff as well as speak to your assigned academic advisor.