Tips for studying

[Hollie1490]

Im in my 2 8 week class for LPN school and not doing so well, anybody got any good study tips and study habits they like to share. My test are what is getting me i know the information but when i get the test i go blank. I have 1 more unit test and an exam left to see if i can make the grade for spring.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

Hollie, you may want to check out the Study Tips for Nursing Students forum, where many students have already posted what tips they've found work for them.

[h=2]What Test Anxiety Is and Is Not[/h]Test anxiety, simply defined, is when your anxiety prevents you from showing the professor what you have learned and know. It is not the same as being anxious during a test because you are unprepared or do not understand the material. Although both the test anxious and the unprepared student will be anxious in the test situation, the causes, and therefore the solutions, differ.

Unpreparedness anxiety is best addressed by better preparation, e.g., improved study habits and time management, tutoring, appropriate course selection, etc. Bona fide test anxiety, on the other hand, can be lessened by behavioral relaxation techniques and cognitive strategies (i.e., changing self-defeating thought patterns), as well as by improved study, time management and test-taking skills.

Source: Understanding & Overcoming Test Anxiety – Resources for Students – Area Mental Health Agencies – The Counseling Center – Minnesota State University, Mankato

If the issue is test anxiety, you may benefit from searching for test-taking strategies and test anxiety, although there are many included in the link following the quote above. There are many options out there offering these types of situations.

[nursej22, MSN, RN]

Everything Rose Queen wrote!

Are you able to review your tests with your instructor? Many students struggle with answering NCLEX style questions. When I have done this with my students the issue is often not reading the question correctly and missing a key word.