How much do you read and or study?

Alternator81 · Dec 20, 2007

I don't read much at all. If I do, I skim and find the important information. It has worked well for me so far. My school even suggests learning how to read nursing books-- don't read them like a novel.

Good luck on your final.

nikki_nurse · Dec 20, 2007

I would agree. I don't do much reading for my classes. I mostly just look for the information that I need. As for studying, it all depends. A lot of my time is spent working on assignments and essays. And then intense studying right before the exams.

catzy5 · Dec 20, 2007

I was looking over the first semester thread and noticed that a ton of people were talking about all the reading they had to do. Are most people actually reading?? In my class (just finishing 1st semester) just about everyone admits to not reading the texts but merely using them as a reference. I'm in that boat as well and have all As so far. There are a few that read and study ALL THE TIME and get worse grades.... It's almost like if you know just barely too little your critical thinking is improved.
So I got off subject but I'd love to know what the norms are regarding reading and studying in your programs.
Last final tomorrow!! Yipeeee!

people do this in my pre reqs and claimed to do well. I am a reader studier, I have to read the material on my own, I am an independent learner. I don't know maybe I will be more overwhelmed in nursing school but I atleast plan to read everything and hopefully ahead of schedule hahahahaha... It's my goal anyway. I would be very srressed if I didn't read thinking there was something that instructors haven't lectured over but is in the book.

krenee · Dec 20, 2007

I do all my readings, and study ALL THE TIME as you say, and I have had straight As since beginning my prereqs a couple of years ago. Maybe I could still get As without doing the readings, I don't know. But I need repetition to learn, I'm not going to go over the material one time and remember it; so I read, then go to the lecture (which I record and listen to at least once), then I make flash cards from the lecture notes, and if I have time I make flash cards from the textbook. I go over the flash cards at least three times before the exam, but sometimes a lot more than that. I would say on average I study 3 hours per day - less on days where I have more classes, and more right before an exam.

But if you can get good grades without doing the reading, that's fine . . . it's whatever works!

Kelly

fmrnicumom · Dec 20, 2007

I haven't started nursing classes yet, but one of the prerequisites (Intro to Nursing) was taught by one of the nursing faculty. She told us several times that in our clinical classes, we should not read the books like novels. Up until now I have been one who just skims and uses what we've gone over in class, and reads more in depth if I feel I don't understand something, and have gotten all A's so far. Based on everything she said, I think that is what she meant by not reading the books like novels. I'm not sure if that will work or not and I would hate to miss something that wasn't covered in class but that I am responsible for knowing.

Tiffany

catzy5 · Dec 20, 2007

I haven't started nursing classes yet, but one of the prerequisites (Intro to Nursing) was taught by one of the nursing faculty. She told us several times that in our clinical classes, we should not read the books like novels. Up until now I have been one who just skims and uses what we've gone over in class, and reads more in depth if I feel I don't understand something, and have gotten all A's so far. Based on everything she said, I think that is what she meant by not reading the books like novels. I'm not sure if that will work or not and I would hate to miss something that wasn't covered in class but that I am responsible for knowing.
Tiffany

I have heard this several times, don't read the text book like a novel, well when I hear that I take it to mean, you would read it even more indepth, when I read my text I highlight eact section/paragraph even. I highlight what I feel is the main point of the section, I also take notes while reading, outline the important parts from one heading to the next, this is more indepth then reading a novel and that is sort of what I get from that phrase, "don't read your book like a novel". It seems others interpret it to mean skim, maybe it's in the context the phrase is given.

fmrnicumom · Dec 20, 2007

I can see how you would interpret it that way if that was all that was said. When I have heard it said by nursing faculty, they have always qualified that with not needing to read every page, or if you dissect every page you will go crazy and not have enough time to learn everything. I apologize for not clarifying that in my previous post. I'm not saying that you shouldn't read in depth or outline or take notes or any of that. I am simply relaying what I have been told by nursing faculty.

Good luck to you!

Tiffany

Oz2 · Dec 20, 2007

I'm a reader. I find it helps me to see the big picture and know where everything fits and why. It makes it easier to organize the material in my brain. Kinda like seeing a completed puzzle rather than a puzzle with missing pieces where you can tell what the picture is, but are missing detail.

Sometimes you just can't due to time constraints and writing assignments. That happened a couple of times over the summer. But as a general rule, I like to read the book.

Imo, the more different ways you are exposed to the material, the better.

mysterious_one, ASN, RN · Dec 20, 2007

I think it depends on your instructor, too. Usually after the first test you will find out how in depth you should have read the book;). Some instructors are very good, some not so good. Then they come back later, and throw in a question that was very specific from the fine print in the book that was never mentioned in lecture. Their argument: It's in the book, you are responsible for it.

I try to read everything and make my own notes from the book. It is very time consuming, but it has paid of so far.

For NCLEX of course, you will have to have the general understanding or critical thinking knowledge. The specifics of the books are then not that important.

beck_79 · Dec 20, 2007

I read, study and, when necessary, outline. I'm glad I kept up on my readings because there were quite a few questions on the final exam that weren't discussed in class, but were in the textbook. It does take alot of time- fortunately I work nights so I get lots of downtime to read when at work. I also do alot of independent reading and learning, because I find that the more variety of books I read, the better the information "sticks" in my brain.

angel_blue_rn · Dec 20, 2007

Maternity and Peds. were the only classes I did not read a lot from the book, but I always referred to it if I wasn't getting the concept of what was being taught. That being said, med-surg does require that you read from the book, just reading the powerpoints won't cut it.

Cheryl