Help! I've Fallen Behind in Reading and I Can't Get Up

[ArrowRN]

Ok so it's a mere 10 days into the summer and I don't believe that I've already fallen behind in my reading. What is wrong with me? Where did the time go? Wasn't I up until 3 am last night, I mean this morning, what did I do? I missed Memorial Day, family day get together for what? To be 10 chapters behind? What did I achieve besides nursing school sucking me dry of all my energy?

Does it seem like you are spending hours on end studying just to get B's and your friends are driving a Ferrari F430 zooming by passing classes with A's, while you're stuck in a 1930's hotrod? Sure it looks nice but you are getting nowhere fast!

There has always been a big contention as to how a nursing student should learn best. Some say you've absolutely got to read because without reading you simply won't know the foundations of the nursing practice. However, others say to heck with reading! "Just do questions at the back of the book," they say or use the study guide or follow the lecture and record them onto your iPod and just listen to that and you'll pass the test.

" Yes!!! I passed the test!"

...that all every nursing student wants to yell at the top of his or her lungs. Just enough to get by until it's all over. But when will it ever be over? I'll tell you when...NEVER! because nurses are always learning. So the question remains; is it a matter of passing the test or becoming good nurses?

I've been through enough schooling and other careers to know that sometimes school is just that...school! And sometimes it has no bearing whatsoever on the real world career that we end up doing and I guess that is why so many end up being disappointed with their chosen careers.

For me, however, nursing school seems different. I am not just training for a job or to make a quick buck, even though that maybe some people's motives. I am training for a career in which if you simply stick a needle in the wrong place, that person can die. Or if you don't use the right precautions, you could end up taking some disease back to your family and they can get very ill.

I don't want to be the second best nurse in my class. I don't want to be the nurse who goes about aimlessly like a robot doing a bunch of procedures, looking at my watch every 15 minutes wondering when I get off, I want to be the best! And in nursing school that unfortunately means I got to read those 1000 plus pages of the textbooks one way or the other.

Chapter by chapter, I will get it done somehow. Of course that is in addition to all the other stuff I have to read, plus assignments, group work and so on, in any case, what it comes down to is not a pop quiz or midterm or a final exam, not even an NCLEX exam...what nursing school comes down to is literally life and death.

P.S I'm sorry, I total ignored the never-ending question as to which is the best method of study, to read first or to do questions first?

I'll tell you that one and a half years from now when I pass the NCLEX. Be sure to leave any comments or study tips for us nursing students. Now, what was I reading...?

[Mrs.Louanna Sidi]

I have that same tactic, but I walk away to grab a snack and think about what I just read, and then I jot down an outline usually with index cards attached to a binder. It takes longer but I have been more successful with exams using this method.

[sillypuddy143]

The only time I ever read the books was if there was a topic I didn't understand or needed clarification on. Otherwise I stuck to the power points/notes from class and for the day or two before an exam I would just do practice problems.

I think the most important thing is understanding the material, understanding how the body systems work. Don't memorize for tests, you need to really get it, or later on you will have an even harder time with the more complex systems and material. It seemed to me that the people who did the worst or failed out of our class were the people who spent "8 hours every day" studying. I think they were wasting too much time studying or reading things that weren't important instead of really trying to understand the information.

[kz020]

The best class period I had in school was one of our professors teaching us how to read a textbook. If you don't know how you could probably find it on line. But start with the summary after each chapter and focus on those points along with any figures/tables.

I will admit that it was a rarity for me to open my book and read. The only books I ever read were pharmacology and fundamentals. Our instructors focused more on their lectures and powerpoints. If there was a section I was a little hazy about I would read that specific section in the book. You've got this! Good luck!

[elprup, BSN, RN]

One of my professors told me to make charts for everything (so you can cover stuff in one area while trying to remember/study it). Also flashcards, I guess the process of turning them over for the answer helps our memory retain the info. Associations really helped me (example, my sons initials are T.A. so it reminded me that Tylenol is Acetaminohen). You will find what works best. :)

My high school daughter puts gummy bears after every 3rd paragraph. When she gets to the gummy bear she eats it! We go through alot of gummy bears.

I also read a post on here where a student removed part of book she was supposed to read, 3 hole punched it & put section in her binder. Genius to not carry HUGE books all over and have the info handy for lecture! And read it anywhere.

[RN2Be77]

I'm just starting my accelerated BSN program. Its very intense, due to so much material in a little time frame.

I have a test at least once a week. For me, the best way to study really depends on your instructors teaching methods. My instructors tell us to focus on her notes and lecture. So that's how I study. For this class anyway. I reference the books for concepts I didn't quite understand.

There is no way you can read all those pages and retain it. I've already obtained a bachelors and I've read texts front to back, but I couldn't tell you everything about the book verbatim.

Just do the best you can, try to focus on key points and main ideas. Don't beat yourself up too bad. You will be fine. As you know nursing isn't about reading every page, its clinical application.

Were gonna do thing together. Hang in there. I work so I know what you mean by trying to catch up and read. Its crazy.

As someone told me, take it one day at a time. Good luck bro!

Good advice! I will be starting my accelerated program this fall and I'm starting to prepare my mind for what's to come by just expecting the unexpected but also not falling into a fall behind category.