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Specializes in Utilization Review.

I realize that studying the way we did in high school will not (and is not) get it in nursing. How do you study effectively to remember and understand soooooo much material in a short amount of time? :confused:

I realize that learning critical thinking is not necessarily memorization....but understanding.

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Everyone has their own way of studying that works best for them. I like to write out definitions severeal times, use flash cards, and memorize things.

Other suggestions include: recording the lectures and replaying them over and over.

Forming study groups with other classmates so that you can help each other understand concepts.

Utilizing any tutoring you school may offer. That helped me a ton with my math courses.

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Everyone has their own way of studying that works best for them. I like to write out definitions severeal times, use flash cards, and memorize things.

Other suggestions include: recording the lectures and replaying them over and over.

Forming study groups with other classmates so that you can help each other understand concepts.

Utilizing any tutoring you school may offer. That helped me a ton with my math courses.

I also write things over and over and make my own flash cards using index cards. I ALWAYS figure out a way to turn something into a question for a flashcard...even diagrams. I may end up with a 7 inch stack of notecards but I know that using this method will allow me to remember it all.

I always bring my little tape recorder for the first lectures in hopes that maybe this time it will help me, but it never does. I can't sit at home and listen to it. I space out and my mind wanders.

Reading the material before you cover it in class sometimes helps. Especially if you take a notebook and jot down the main ideas or things you don't understand.

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Specializes in Oncology, Triage, Tele, Med-Surg.

Don't move on, or away from, a chapter - concept etc., until you "get it." Getting down to the cellular level on things always took me extra time to figure out. If your lectures and text aren't helping then look things up on the web.

When you study, pretend you are explaining it to someone else. To teach you have to understand & explain things (yes, to yourself - or those in your study group) ... just this little change in mindset made a big difference for me. I studied alone... loved the concept and kinship that groups would bring, but needed a quiet place with no distractions for things to sink in. Having someone quizz me last minute was good though, but getting the concepts down had to be just me.

Upload any recorded lectures to an MP3 player. I loved listening to lectures this way & still listen to medical podcasts all the time. Even putzing around the house I felt like I was 'studying'.

I also had huge success by retyping all my notes in an order that made sense to me. Highlighting and bolding all that I felt were key points. Just retyping it added another layer, and some organization, to my thoughts.

Hang in there. Hope you soon find something that works well for you. :nurse:

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Specializes in Tele, OB, public health.

Hey there-

I'm a nursing student and peer tutor, and the best advice is to 1st figure out your learning style. For instance, I am visual, notes and anything wirtten down work best for me. Other people are audio, so they would benifit from taping a lecture and replaying it later- something that would do little for me.

try this link http://www.ldpride.net/learning-style-test.html

and this one for tips according to your style.

http://www.how-to-study.com/Improving%20Reading%20Skills.htm

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I only got a 76 on my first test and have been doing better since! thank goodness.... anyway I do my own chapter outline then compare it to the teachers lecture/powerpoint to make sure I got all the points...my teacher isn't good with saying this or that will be on the test so I better know it all! even though I know the disease I foucus on nursing interventions and what you would do in a certain situation....also I bought Saunders NCLEX and Mosby's NCLEX and the Elsevier Hesi book they are great for summarizing the chapters...this has helped too!! It takes plenty of time for me to study for an exam...I get to the library before classes, even 4 hours before class so there are NO distractions and I can get some real work and study time! and have progressed slowly, I got the following on my tests, 76,84,97,80,90 I know they are kinda all over the place but passing for me is 80% at my school and I strive for at least 80% on each test...small yet reasonable goals!!!

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

i try to find recognizable patterns in things that also apply the stuff i already know. for example, one of the analogies i post about the nursing process is an analogy on how we problem solve the situation of a flat tire. by recalling how to solve that situation, i can remember the steps of the nursing process and what is done in each of them. that, to me, is easier than just memorizing the 5 steps of the nursing process. this is an example of application. you need to discover what methods work best for you. analogy is not the only learning method.

see the weblinks for information on the different learning strategies on this sticky thread:

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Specializes in Emergency.
Hey there-

I'm a nursing student and peer tutor, and the best advice is to 1st figure out your learning style. For instance, I am visual, notes and anything wirtten down work best for me. Other people are audio, so they would benifit from taping a lecture and replaying it later- something that would do little for me.

try this link http://www.ldpride.net/learning-style-test.html

and this one for tips according to your style.

http://www.how-to-study.com/Improving%20Reading%20Skills.htm

Why post a stupid link that you have to pay for. ****** me off.

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Why post a stupid link that you have to pay for. ****** me off.

? You don't have to pay for anything. ?

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Specializes in Med/Surg, ICU, ER, Peds ER-CPEN.
Why post a stupid link that you have to pay for. ****** me off.

A little courtesy could go a long way, this person was trying to help you and for you to react in that manner is uncalled for, you could have simply asked if there was a way to obtain the information without paying for the full service, nursing school is also about professionalism and communication :twocents:

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Here's how I study...

1. Actively listen in class

2. Read my ATI book http://www.atitesting.com/onlinestore/default.aspx

ATI has been the best investment ever. It cuts out all the fluff and just gives you what you need to know.

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