I'm really stressing, I'm in my first semester of nursing school, and I'm doing pretty good in all my classes except pharmacology. We only have 3 tests, two regular then a comprehenisve final, and i got a 59 on the first test, so now i have a 61% overall. I've been trying to study and i cant find anything that really helps me remember. Sometimes i can read it and not 2 minutes later remember what i read! I've tried the quiet room, no distractions but i always get distracted! any input is welcome. thanks!

Shockergirl

Have you tried rewriting your notes? Sometimes that helps me. Good luck to you!

I'm really stressing, I'm in my first semester of nursing school, and I'm doing pretty good in all my classes except pharmacology. We only have 3 tests, two regular then a comprehenisve final, and i got a 59 on the first test, so now i have a 61% overall. I've been trying to study and i cant find anything that really helps me remember. Sometimes i can read it and not 2 minutes later remember what i read! I've tried the quiet room, no distractions but i always get distracted! any input is welcome. thanks!

Shockergirl

maybe you should try to do drug cards? if you already do not have one. do it by categories: beta blockers, ace inhibitors.... etc.. then some of them have endings so you can remember: april for ace inhibitors, olol for b blockers.

i put on my cards then: action, indication, side effects and adverse effects, nursing implication and pt teaching; you can pm me if you want to. good luck and do not give up.

Some rewrite notes, flashcards are key for me. You don't put the card away until you know it cold. I have a prior degree and NEVER had to do flashcards, nursing, I do. Good luck!

try too have research re: the lessons, it will help you..,,,another is try to relax whenever ur having a hard time....

flash cards worked for me

when these drugs are indicated

heart disease

1

2

3

anitibiotics

etc etc

ran across this website the other day. hope you can find some helpful tips that you can use from the information on it.

http://students.uab.edu/services/show.asp?durki=54709 - a list of 20 memory techniques from the university of alabama to help you with memorization

Definitely ditto on the flashcards. Make flashcards for all the drugs and concepts you need to know, and review them thoroughly. Once you've mastered a card, put it in a separate pile and keep reviewing the cards you don't know yet.

Another idea that worked for me was to pay attention to the mechanism of action to help me understand why a drug has certain indications, side effects, etc. My brain works better that way and I retain the information more than if I had just memorized drug cards.