This past semester, I had the opportunity to tutor seven nursing students. In July after my freshman year, every upcoming sophomore was invited to apply for a tutoring position within the College of Nursing. After a rigorous process, I was one of the three sophomores out of 120 students to be selected to tutor the pre-nursing students. Since this has been my second year (or third semester) tutoring the younger nursing students, I had many goals in mind.
What did this experience all entail?
Five of the students were freshman. I generally helped these four with Anatomy and Physiology lecture and lab, Microbiology lecture and lab, and General/Organic/Biochemistry lecture and lab. The other two students were sophomores. I generally helped these two with Pathophysiology, Genetics, and Fundamentals of Nursing.
I generally met with each student for an hour or two on a weekly basis to discuss how their classes were going, how to prepare for a specific professor’s exam and to review content learned that week. I also often offered to re-explain a concept in a different way if the student did not fully understand a particular concept during lecture. However, my job did not stop there. Most students were looking for advice on how to study for a particular class. For example, a few of the students were particularly curious on if they should focus on the book or the power points for Anatomy & Physiology since it is such a complex subject. Since I have had that class before with that same professor, I was able to offer them guidance on how to succeed in that particular professor’s class. On top of the academic portion, I had a goal to help the students to be more involved on campus. For example, I always suggest to the freshman that they get involved with the Student Nurses Association or Nursing Tribunal so that they are more involved in the College of Nursing. Also, I showed a few students how to sign up for a sport at the recreation center or club. I also explained to a few students how to register for classes next semester, what their upcoming classes are like next semester, how to balance their time between studying and having a social life, etc.
Basically, it seems as if most pre-students are looking for advice on how to be accepted into the nursing program while still being able to be involved with campus-wide clubs and activities. Being a leader and support system for them has allowed me to become much more involved with both UC and the College of Nursing (CON). It has also made me much more appreciative that our CON has such a great program that can offer guidance and support to our nursing students.
I generally met with each student for an hour or two on a weekly basis to discuss how their classes were going, how to prepare for a specific professor’s exam and to review content learned that week. I also often offered to re-explain a concept in a different way if the student did not fully understand a particular concept during lecture. However, my job did not stop there. Most students were looking for advice on how to study for a particular class. For example, a few of the students were particularly curious on if they should focus on the book or the power points for Anatomy & Physiology since it is such a complex subject. Since I have had that class before with that same professor, I was able to offer them guidance on how to succeed in that particular professor’s class. On top of the academic portion, I had a goal to help the students to be more involved on campus. For example, I always suggest to the freshman that they get involved with the Student Nurses Association or Nursing Tribunal so that they are more involved in the College of Nursing. Also, I showed a few students how to sign up for a sport at the recreation center or club. I also explained to a few students how to register for classes next semester, what their upcoming classes are like next semester, how to balance their time between studying and having a social life, etc.
Basically, it seems as if most pre-students are looking for advice on how to be accepted into the nursing program while still being able to be involved with campus-wide clubs and activities. Being a leader and support system for them has allowed me to become much more involved with both UC and the College of Nursing (CON). It has also made me much more appreciative that our CON has such a great program that can offer guidance and support to our nursing students.
What was the most significant part?
The most significant part of this experience was not re-teaching students the stages of mitosis or teaching a student the five types of bacteria. Instead, the most significant part for me was being able to be a mentor and to guide these students into having a more successful semester without any unneeded stress. I remember I had a hard time my freshman year adjusting to college life and learning how to teach myself the complex nursing classes I was taking. I also wanted guidance on how to join a club, how to study for a specific class based on the professor, how to get more involved within the campus, etc. This is where my nursing tutor came into play. Even though she may not of realized it at the time, my tutor for my freshman year was one of my biggest role models. Without her guidance and support, I would not be as involved with the UC community and College of Nursing as what I am today. I wanted to be a leader for other students just as she was a leader for me. That’s why I applied to be a tutor within the College of Nursing after freshmen year.
What have I taken away from this experience?
This experience has impacted my academic, professional, and personal development. Academically, tutoring me has challenged me to re-learn the material that I have learned freshman and sophomore years. In a way, it was a nice reminder so that the information that I learned stayed fresh in my head. I believe that this will help me when I take my NCLEX after graduation. Professionally, tutoring has helped me to get another job at a hospital. I work at a hospital back at home (which is two hours away). Since I only work there during winter breaks/long weekends, I decided that I wanted to get another job down here in Cincinnati. My manager stated that one thing that helped me to stand out from other nursing student applicants was the fact that I tutored. This made my day since doing such a little thing made such a big difference to a nursing manager. Personally, tutoring has challenged me as well. Tutoring has challenged me to be more patient with my students. I especially had to learn this with the freshman since the freshman are not used to studying so much. Therefore, I had to be patient with the freshman and explain to them that even though nursing sometimes requires you to stay in on the weekends to study for an exam, it will all be worth it in the end.
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