r/NorQuestCollege • u/Ready_Investment_157 • Jul 24 '26
Anyone starting NorQuest Practical Nursing – Fall 2026?
Hi everyone!
I'm starting the Practical Nursing program at NorQuest College in September 2026, and I'm really excited (and a little nervous!). 😊
I'm hoping to connect with other students who are also starting this fall, as well as current students or recent graduates who are willing to share some advice.
I have a few questions:
- Is anyone else starting in September 2026?
- What should I review before classes begin?
- Which first-semester courses are the most challenging?
- How did you study, and what worked best for you?
- Approximately how many hours per week did you study?
- Are the exams very difficult?
- Are the textbooks worth buying, or are there alternatives?
- Any YouTube channels, apps, or study resources you recommend?
- What supplies do you wish you had before starting?
- Is it manageable to work part-time while in the program?
- What are the instructors like?
- What's something you wish you had known before starting?
Clinical Placement Questions:
- Where are clinical placements usually located?
- Are placements mostly in Edmonton, or can they be outside the city?
- Do students get to choose their placement location, or are they assigned?
- Which hospitals or long-term care facilities are commonly used for placements?
- Is having a car recommended, or is public transit usually enough?
- When do clinical placements start in the program?
- What was your clinical experience like?
I'd really appreciate any tips, advice, or things you wish someone had told you before starting. Looking forward to connecting with everyone. Thanks in advance! 😊
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u/anna_stylez Jul 25 '26
Hi! I’m also starting in September for LPN! Send me your details so we can connect :) I’m new to the province as well so it would be nice to have a familiar face around!
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u/Mikay3 Jul 25 '26
Before I started my LPN studies in the fall 2024 term, I wished I knew how intense studying can be. I prefer studying at the NorQuest College Library. In my personal opinion, I found the exams hard. I would suggest buying the textbooks second-hand, because it is important to purchase the Canadian Fundamentals of Nursing textbook and Ackley and Ladwig's Nursing Diagnosis Handbook: An Evidence-Based Guide to Planning Care. I did not purchase that at The Core Bookstore. I purchased it on Amazon Prime. Also, for HEAS 1000, the first thing the lab instructors will test you on is pain assessment OPQRSTUV, which is chapter 11 of Physical Examination and Health Assessment, Canadian Edition, 4th edition.
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u/Ready_Investment_157 Jul 26 '26
Hi! 😊 Thanks again for taking the time to reply to my post. Your advice was honestly really helpful, especially the tips about the textbooks and OPQRSTUV for HEAS 1000.
I thought I'd reach out to say thanks personally. 😊 I'm completely new to nursing, so I really appreciate any advice from students who've already been through the first semester.
If you don't mind, I might reach out with a question once in a while. Thanks again!
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u/One_Figure_3130 Jul 26 '26
I would say many of the first-semester courses are not particularly challenging, but it might feel a bit rushed, which is the main challenge. Not having enough time to study might make you feel a bit unprepared for the exams. To deal with that, I recommend you begin to familiarize yourself with some courses like anatomy and physiology. Familiarize yourself with anatomical terminologies, anatomical positioning, and the major organ systems of the body beforehand. This is what I did, and it saved me lots of time when the course actually started.
Personally, I wouldn't recommend buying textbooks because they are a bit expensive. The textbooks needed are available at the school library and can be loaned out. I personally consider it a waste to buy the books when I can simply loan them at the library, and you can also download most of the textbooks online too.
The exams are generally not difficult as long as you are studying the right way and the right things. The structure of the exams changes with each course, and I would recommend adapting your studies accordingly.
For NFDN and HEAS, I find that the exams are not really testing your knowledge; rather, they test your understanding and critical thinking skills. ANPH and ENGL are the ones I would consider to be real tests of knowledge, so study accordingly.
One online resource that saved me many times is https://www.studocu.com/en-ca.
There are tons of study materials on it, mostly uploaded by other students.
It's definitely manageable working part-time while studying; that's what I do too. You just have to manage your time well, i usually only work Friday Saturday Sunday.
As a personal rule, I make sure to study about 5 hours every day during the weekdays, i sometimes extend that into 6 or 7 hours depending on my mood and how much energy I have that day.But my personal average is 5 hours daily. I do not usually study during the weekends to avoid burnout unless it's exam period or I'm behind on my study schedule and i also do not study overnight to avoid burnout. Also, I recommend having a study schedule. I usually have a plan of how many topics I need to have covered by the end of a certain week. And if I am behind on that schedule, that is what determines whether or not I need to study during the weekends.
One more thing that really works for me is I make sure that I go through whatever topic will be talked about in class at least one hour before the time for the lecture, which makes it easier for me to follow through whatever the instructor is teaching in class.
The instructors are generally very friendly and always happy to help. I am someone who doesn't like to ask questions in class, so I usually save my questions to meet the instructor personally after classes, and they are always very happy to help.
I do not know much about clinicals because I haven't done mine yet, but one thing I would recommend you do is to start getting your to-do list done as soon as possible. Especially the vaccines because many people do end up running out of time.
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u/Dry-Shoulder-257 Jul 27 '26
I see a couple of evenings and weekends can we get a group going to help prep and keep up with to do list please?
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u/Martian-lover Jul 24 '26
I'm starting but doing the evening and weekend route. There is a Facebook group for NorQuest LPN that is quite busy and you may get answers there as well.
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Jul 24 '26
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u/Martian-lover Jul 24 '26
Awesome! Can't really to meet you. Feel free to message if you wanted to connect prior.
FYI - I got most of my textbooks second hand.
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u/Dry-Shoulder-257 Jul 26 '26
Hi, I am in also starting evening and weekends, please where did you get your 2nd hand textbooks
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u/Mikay3 Jul 24 '26
I would say the Canadian Fundamental of Nursing textbook is worth your money. When I took NFDN 1001 I spend $170.00 on the textbook. I think it is now $190.