6th Week of Nursing School! Help! Failing test!!!

NICUplease · Oct 11, 2008

I am in my 9th week of LPN school and have found the things below very helpful. I have a 2 yo so I have to manage my time wisely! I study almost every night depending on whats going on... maybe 2 hrs. Then another 2-3 hrs on Sat and Sun with or without a study group.

1. Flashcards

2. Study group (no more than 4 - more than that can get rowdy and off track)

3. Highlighting as you read and then go back and write your notes (on paper or comp) - rewriting your notes can help the material stick

4. Practice the NCLEX or ch review questions at the end of the book... it really helps. If your prof is anything like mines, she likes to take questions from the book. Your textbook should have a CD rom with practice questions.

5. Do NOT cram the last minute... this makes it worst and can cause you to panic and doubt the info you already know. I usually give myself a break the day of the test or at least the last couple hrs before the test.

6. If you're down to two questions, go with your 1st gut instinct... DO NOT CHANGE YOUR ANSWER unless you are 110% sure!

7. Take your time with each question. Read the question slowly and know exactly what is being asked before you try to answer. NCLEX questions are tricky. I have scored >95% on all my tests so far... but I 'd have to say that at least 80% of the questions I got wrong was because I didnt read the question thoroughly and thought it was asking something else.

Hope this helps!

Tolle_lege · Oct 11, 2008

It also helps to know what your learning style is. Do you remember things you see, or things you hear, do you need to touch and feels things for it to sink in? I often make questions out of the text while I am reading. Like what nutrients are restricted on a cardiac diet? And then write the answers on the back an quiz myself later.

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Oct 12, 2008

see the study links on this sticky:

https://allnurses.com/forums/f205/study-strategies-254733.html - study strategies

and the test taking help links specifically for nursing students on this sticky:

https://allnurses.com/forums/f50/looking-test-taking-stratagies-224581.html - looking for test taking strategies

pagandeva2000, LPN · Oct 13, 2008

The above suggestions are great. In addition, consider using yellow highlighters and red pens to write notes. I would also use post-its on the pages you are studying from to rewrite things in your own words, or have a list of questions to present to your professors. Check out their conference hours and arrange to make an appointment with them. They can or should give you hints on what is troubling you. Usually, the first semester or two is the hardest, because it takes time for people to figure out how to answer nursing questions...they are far different from other courses. Best of luck to you!