Study Habits

gonnabeanurse2 · May 18, 2003

MMN: I have just finished up my first yr of nursing and it is true (for me at least) that the studying was much different than with the prereqs. There is much more reading involved and you can't rely on memorization to get you through. Like in A&P you could get away with memorizing facts but not in nursing. Forget cramming...won't work. You just have to make studying a priority...set a time and place to do it everyday and do it. Don't put off reading the material...try to always stay just a little ahead so things are familiar to you while your instructor is lecturing. Take good notes but don't rely soley on them to get you by. And during all this don't forget the most important thing..take care of yourself first! Eat well, sleep well, and get some excercise. I find it helps me to study a bit then do some stretching then go back to the books...gets the blood flowing and relieves stress. I hope this helps...Best of luck to you!!

maire, ASN, RN · May 18, 2003

I couldn't have said it better myself...listen to Sheila.

And good luck! :)

Jennerizer, ASN, RN · May 19, 2003

Yep...I recommend getting a book that teaches study skills for nursing or an nclex review book. The questions in nursing require critical thinking.....not simply memorization. You will have questions where there is more than one right answer, but given the situation, you have to decide which is best. So it definitely takes more than memorization. I didn't find it to be more difficult, just different. Of course there are those questions that end up being controversial, but you have to make the best of it.

jschut, BSN, RN · May 19, 2003

Alot of nursing is common sense. When a question pops up with about 4 different answers, I always crossed out the ones that I KNEW were wrong, then began to deduce as to where I was going with the others.

Yea, nursing school is alot of reading, and alot of study, but take your time, and get it embedded into your head, and you'll never go wrong.

Personnally, I think nursing school was ALOT harder than being a nurse! :)

Good Luck!