Dos and Don'ts to guide freshman nurses

If you are one of the few — but mighty — starting your Penn journey in the School of Nursing, take a look at this list of Dos and Don’ts to guide your first year:

Dos:

1. Take the time to meet and really get to know people of varied interests. You’ll never get to experience the dynamic of freshman year again.

2. Take the writing seminar your first semester if you can and definitely take it in a topic you think is really interesting. I suggest "Beyond Will & Grace" or a "Craft of Prose" seminar.

3. Look into taking classes like "Medical Sociology" or "Introduction to Health Care Systems" to gain an understanding of health outside the clinical setting.

4. The second semester of anatomy and physiology is not the indomitable beast its reputation might suggest. It will be challenging, but doable and you’ll come out of the class with an unbelievable amount of knowledge.

5. In all, take advantage of the close-knit community within the Nursing School. These strong, compassionate peers truly care to change the world and will buoy you through it all.

Don'ts:

1. Envy your classmates for the free time you don’t seem to have. The hard work will pay off in the long run when you’re able to provide the best patient care as a working nurse.

2. Stress out if you don’t get a writing seminar first semester. You’ll just have more time to explore interests outside of requirements before you take it in the spring. Plus you’ll have your friends’ advice to see you through the seminar.

3. Feel the need to commit to a certain minor or set of classes right away — don’t get swept up in the frenzy of picking a track too soon. You have time to explore.

4. That being said, don’t wait last minute to start preparing for exams. Also, don’t be hesitant to seek a free tutor from the Tutoring Center — not just for anatomy, but for any class. Seeking tutors is one of the smartest decisions I’ve made at Penn so far.

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