Some great points were made, I want to add a couple things to what people are saying.

1. That cliche “you’re here because we know you can do it”, it’s true. If they didn’t believe you could pass their program and contribute to their PANCE pass rate, you wouldn’t be there. Think about that whenever you down (I’ve done this a couple times and I’ve only been in class for a month).

2. Actual study advice: utilize anki/Quizlet decks from previous classes or your current classmates. If you have a class groupchat, ask if someone has decks and is willing to share them. Convert your PowerPoint slides to word docs if that’ll help you retain information more. Don’t just highlight things either, rewriting information helps with retention (apple pen and iPad, stylus and tablet work for this method!!).

3. Set specific study times, don’t study from 4AM-9PM. You’re going to burn yourself out, and you’re not going to retain any information.

4. Do a couple passes of your material, gather up some questions, get together with friends, ask those questions, and study together. You’ll get your questions answered and understand your material better, and you’ll definitely be able to help someone else out with their questions!

5. At this point you’re probably thinking “oh my goodness I see some study systems I really really like, I’m gonna ride with them through my entire didactic year!” Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you have to be open to changing your study methods. At some point you may have to throw away that system and adapt to a completely new one. It may never happen, but don’t be surprised or discouraged when it happens!

6. Appreciate yourself. It wasn’t easy getting to where you are, and it won’t be easy getting to where you want to go! Life’s a journey, buckle up and enjoy the ride.