Nursing study groups - anyone NOT find them helpful?

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Specializes in Emergency Dept, M/S.

I'm reading an optional text book now entitled "Test Success for Beginning Nursing Students". I'm only on the 2nd chapter, but there are a lot of references to studying with others and nursing study groups.

I've always studied best on my own. I'm open to the idea of a study group, but I don't want to have to make a special trip to school or anything for it (I live an hour away, one way).

Did anyone not find them helpful? I can see exchanging thoughts and ideas during or before/after class or clinicals, but I'm hesitant to change my entire way of learning. I also don't want to join one, then have to back out if we are assigned partners or something.

I'd love to know everyone else's thoughts and experiences with them.

Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

I found them helpful to a point, if everyone involved participated. But it was hard because everyone had different work and home schedules.

I didn't see much of a difference in my grades if i studied in a group or alone.

Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

Not me. I'm definitely a solitary learner (which is probably why I do well with internet coursework). Get me with other people, and I just want to socialize.

I'm a solitary learner, too. I already knew this, but when I took the NET it came back saying I was an independent learner.

However, I did connect with a group of students and we would meet the morning of or the evening before an exam and study together. This was AFTER we had all put in our work independently so we were all pretty familiar with the material. I found these sessions to be very helpful as some people invariably focused on some things more than others. Questions were brought up that would spark my memory of something I'd read and I'd look it up for clarification, and then lo and behold, a question on the test would pertain to that very topic.

I never participated in study sessions before nursing school, and I never thought I would even when I started school. There are some students in my class who meet almost every day to study together, but I can't do that. I need to learn on my own. But meeting before a test can be very helpful.

You sound like me... I do my serious studying by myself, with my highlighter and flash cards! But I also meet with classmates the day of or eve before the tests to study and bounce last minute things off each other. It's more of a moral support thing; we studied, we know our stuff and we will do just fine. And, also, it gives us an excuse to get together in the library and eat junk food together! hehehehe

I'm a solitary learner, too. I already knew this, but when I took the NET it came back saying I was an independent learner.

However, I did connect with a group of students and we would meet the morning of or the evening before an exam and study together. This was AFTER we had all put in our work independently so we were all pretty familiar with the material. I found these sessions to be very helpful as some people invariably focused on some things more than others. Questions were brought up that would spark my memory of something I'd read and I'd look it up for clarification, and then lo and behold, a question on the test would pertain to that very topic.

I never participated in study sessions before nursing school, and I never thought I would even when I started school. There are some students in my class who meet almost every day to study together, but I can't do that. I need to learn on my own. But meeting before a test can be very helpful.

Specializes in Telemetry, Stepdown.

I used to study with one other person, but as the semester schedules got more hectic I prefer just to do study by myself.

When I was a student, I found that study groups were only useful if everyone in the group was on the same page. Same with group projects.

Specializes in Med-Surg, Psych.

I definetely prefer to study alone. The worst thing for me is right before an exam when people start asking each other last minute questions and everyone has a different answer! :uhoh21: I actually leave the room so I don't get confused.

Do what works best for you, Whitney.

Good luck!

I prefer studying alone with my taped lectures. The solitude helps me to absorb more of the lecture content.

Specializes in Med-Surg.

Wow, I feel better. I thought I'd pop in here and hear all these raves about study groups and discover that I'm the only anti-social nerd out there who prefers to study on their own... ; )

Actually, the only thing I have against study groups is that I've never (yet) encountered one in which the members had a burning desire to stay on track. When you're juggling family and school and oftentimes work, study time is precious and it would irritate me to no end to show up at study group and waste 3 hours (I could have spent learning or being with my family) listening to people swap recipes and talk about their dog's last visit to the vet.

Specializes in ER, Medicine.
12_4_68.gifi study on my own! the only time i studied with a group it didn't work out very well. it turned into an all night party. at 3:30 am we were so off we were throwing m&m's at each other trying to see who could get the most in their mouth without missing any that flew by. it was fun but a waste of time!
Specializes in Med-Surg, Psych.
Wow, I feel better. I thought I'd pop in here and hear all these raves about study groups and discover that I'm the only anti-social nerd out there who prefers to study on their own... ; )

Actually, the only thing I have against study groups is that I've never (yet) encountered one in which the members had a burning desire to stay on track. When you're juggling family and school and oftentimes work, study time is precious and it would irritate me to no end to show up at study group and waste 3 hours (I could have spent learning or being with my family) listening to people swap recipes and talk about their dog's last visit to the vet.

I feel this way too. When I want to study, I need to stay on topic!

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