A & B students!!!

premedturnednursing · Nov 17, 2008

Well...I'm in an accelerated program and I finished the summer semester with all a's. Don't know how fall will end.

I studied every day except Sunday afternoon; it was just the nature of the beast. For pharmacology in particular, I read EVERY WORD of assigned text, made notecards, and reviewed, reviewed, reviewed.

My professor recently told me that one other approach is to figure out how many pages of text will be on the next exam. For our purposes, let's say it's 200. Then figure out how many days you have to study...and make sure you take some days off cause you can't study every day! So let's say you have 10 days to prepare for an exam. Well, that's about 20 pages to study every night. On night one you will read and study your 20 pgs. Night 2 you will read the next 20 pages, but review the previous 20, night 3 you will read your 20 pages, but review the previous 40 pages and so on.

I hope that makes sense. Good grades can be made in nursing school, but it does require some amount of diligence and a lot of learning your professor/NCLEX since that is how most of the questions are worded...learning how to anticipate what the doctor will order/needs for patient education/nursing interventions etc.

Hope I helped...it's late and I"m a little delirious :)

fiveofpeep · Nov 17, 2008

I used to get all A's from studying psychotically and now I get all A's from studying more mildly. I used to make f/c for everything and practice tests with practice questions for everything but that all took so much time and having class over the summer taught me how to be efficient.

I try to read before class for the classes that really need it (Coughcoughnotpsych). Then I make flashcards of the material when it's convenient, using the book to go over it a second time. Then I try to study them. IF not, I have two days off before my tests so I just study allllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll day those two days by taking practice tests, making my own practice tests, using saunder's practice tests, and using ignatavicius' study guide (sometimes it is applicable to critical care stuff).

I recommend using the saunders NCLEX book throughout nursing school because for me, what helps so much and requires me to study less is being able to answer the questions. That and I love to learn so try to soak up as much knowledge as I can. IF you live that way you usually turn out with an okay grade.

Good luck

PS I am a big advocate of making your own practice tests because that really helps with learning how to take nursing school style tests.

RhodyGirl, RN · Nov 17, 2008

I am getting A's (so far). I re-type all of my notes, read and highlight assigned chapters, work through objectives for the unit, then do practice questions. The practice questions I use are from a Test Success (for nursing students book), and also from my Saunders NCLEX book. Sometimes I will do the questions at the end of each chapter from the main text, and that has helped too.

Another tip....I do NOT stay up late the night before an exam. 10 pm is the latest.

eyeball · Nov 18, 2008

I have an A average.

I do all of my printing of on-line materials on Saturday to avoid last minute "my printer wasn't working I don't have the lab handout problem". My program relies heavily on printed materials and we are responsible them. Not having them when you need them can really impede you.

I make a list of all required reading for the week, all lab requirements, all clinical requirements and post it on a bulletin board that is in my view in my study space so I can reference it quickly. As i get things done, I cross them off. My goal is to complete it all by the time I print up the next week's work.

I read assigned chapters and highlight important points. I re-read/skim the same chapter and take notes.

I do all practice questions at the end of each chapter and practice quizzes from the CD that comes with the text.

I show up on time and don't skip lecture even though we're not "required" to be there. (Lots of people do, I notice.)

In lab, when new procedures are demonstrated, I take very careful step-by-step notes because when it comes time to practice at home, I've usually forgotten a fair bit. (I do rehearsals at home before my sign-offs.)

Stay organized and don't fall behind! Show up and engage yourself in every aspect of the learning. Ask questions! And of course, Good luck!

emtb2rn, BSN, RN, EMT-B · Nov 18, 2008

First of all, everybody has a different study style. You need to figure out what works best for YOU.

I was a B student. Had a steady 93% average, but an A was 94%, so there ya go.

My method was to understand how the body works and that in turn allowed me to figure why things would happen (S&S) and what needs to be done to fix those things (TX) and what I would need to look for to determine if the TX worked (evaluation). In short, know your A&P cold.

That said, I never missed class. Never.

I would pre-read the chapter(s) like a novel, not studying but simply reading. In class I noted in my powerpoints brief comments that re-inforced what the instructor said and listened for anything repeated twice (there's your test material). I would then re-read my powerpoints after class and if necessary go back through the applicable chapter(s). Never spent more than 2 hours a day reviewing class material. I also did a ton of NCLEX style questions. Davis RN-Success is an excellent resource. More down in the weeds than true NCLEX but a great way to build on specific knowledge. My study group consisted of 2 other people. We would meet for an hour the week before the test and bounce questions off of each other, then meet for an hour the morning of the test and bounce questions off of each other. Very little stress involved. Skied every weekend during nursing school, saw my friends & family.

Hope this helps......

9livesRN, BSN, RN · Nov 19, 2008

First of all, everybody has a different study style. You need to figure out what works best for YOU.
I was a B student. Had a steady 93% average, but an A was 94%, so there ya go.
My method was to understand how the body works and that in turn allowed me to figure why things would happen (S&S) and what needs to be done to fix those things (TX) and what I would need to look for to determine if the TX worked (evaluation). In short, know your A&P cold.
That said, I never missed class. Never.
I would pre-read the chapter(s) like a novel, not studying but simply reading. In class I noted in my powerpoints brief comments that re-inforced what the instructor said and listened for anything repeated twice (there's your test material). I would then re-read my powerpoints after class and if necessary go back through the applicable chapter(s). Never spent more than 2 hours a day reviewing class material. I also did a ton of NCLEX style questions. Davis RN-Success is an excellent resource. More down in the weeds than true NCLEX but a great way to build on specific knowledge. My study group consisted of 2 other people. We would meet for an hour the week before the test and bounce questions off of each other, then meet for an hour the morning of the test and bounce questions off of each other. Very little stress involved. Skied every weekend during nursing school, saw my friends & family.
Hope this helps......

Although this is not my thread, i want to thank you for the information, your study techniques are veeeeeeeeeery simmilar to mine, i was actually wondering whether or not it would be applicable to the core classes, but if it worked for you, it must work for me too!!!

i use those techniques to make my way through A&P I and A&P II, and also micro!!!

i feel more confident now, and will apply the same!!! thanks man!

locolorenzo22, BSN, RN · Nov 19, 2008

I'll be honest, 9 times out of 10, I would skim a chapter before class....and then I would actually read the chapter after. It helped me understand a lot better. I spent 2-3 hours studying each night(could have been at work with downtime, or at the bookstore, or between classes, etc.)

I got a good NCLEX book after 1st semester and that helped based off the systems...etc.

Just put in the work and you will be fine. Good luck!

kikibibi · Nov 19, 2008

First of all everyone has a different style. So you have to figure out what works best for you. Since English is my third language, I have to read... read.. several times. I always recorded the lecture and that helps me a lot. Because where ever I go I can listen to it. Since nursing is about critical thinking, practicing questions over and over helps a lot.

Good luck

:heartbeat:heartbeat:heartbeat:heartbeat:heartbeat:heartbeat:heartbeat:heartbeat

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Nov 19, 2008

Study every day, even if some days it's only for 15 minutes.

Study whenever you can: several 5 and 10 minute study breaks during the day can add up and are often more effective than trying to study for 4 hours straight.

Do tons of NCLEX questions, the questions in your textbook, and the questions on the website or disk for the book.

Challenge yourself when reading: don't just passively read but think about what you're reading.

Listen to the cues that instructors may drop in class. If they tell you something will be on the test, PAY ATTENTION. If they keep stressing a point or tell you that something is important to know, consider that another hint that you may see that on a test.

Do not cram the night before. You need time to relax and sleep.

Most importantly, find the way that YOU study best and work with it. What works for someone else may not work for you.

sunshine_star · Nov 21, 2008

I read my notes every night before I go to sleep. I also study every Saturday afternoon for about 3-4 hours with breaks in between. Study groups also help out alot, especially before a test. So far I have gotten A's in my classes. I hope this helps. Good luck with nursing school :nuke:

mlee9985 · Nov 21, 2008

I have a 4.0 so far in nursing school and I study as soon as I get home from lecture. I try to not get behind because there is a lot of information to obtain. I also sacrifice a lot "fun time" to get studying done, but just think of it as only a 2 year type of deal. =) Hope that helps.