Am I learning? Or just memorizing? HELP!

SarasotaRN2b · May 8, 2006

Unless you keep building and learning about courses such as our prereqs, it will be more short-term. If you've done well in school with your prereqs, I am sure that you will do fine in nursing school. What'll happen is that you will continue to build, and the more and more you use it, the more it will go into your long term memory. Just recalling things studied in A&P or micro is going to get more difficult as time passes if you don't go further. However, you will probably find that as you start studying your actual nursing classes, I believe that you will have those little lightbulbs coming on and you'll say, I remember that...and the more and more you build, the more it will come clearer. Also, nursing will put a face on some of the things that you are only recently read in books...I think you will be amazed.

llg, PhD, RN · May 8, 2006

I have a terrible short-term memory and was never good at memorizing things in school. Fortunately, real nursing practice does not require that you remember all those things you learned to pass specific tests in nursing school.

What counts most in real-life practice is your ability to problem-solve -- to assess a situation, identify possible interventions, and choose a good course of action. You'll remember the important stuff as you see it again and again and use it in your practice.

Don't worry about it. Focus on understanding the material you cover in school. If you understand it, then you'll "re-connect with it" quickly when you see it again later in your career and do just fine. Understanding is the key.

llg

GooeyRN, ADN, BSN, CNA, LPN, RN · May 8, 2006

You will be suprised how much you actually remember when it comes time to bring that information back. I had the same concerns. I quick review brings it all back. Dont worry. :monkeydance:

Daytonite, BSN, RN · May 9, 2006

if i had to name all the muscles or parts of the brain or what certain hormones do i'd be in big trouble too! one of the things about getting older is that you finally develop wisdom. it wasn't until i was almost 40 and graduating from my bsn program (i had already been an rn for 11 years) that after many discussions with my professors about this very thing i finally realized what the true reason to attending classes and taking tests was. i'll save you years of seeking and anxiety. are you ready? it's nothing more than exercises to stimulate the little gray cells, to get you to think creatively. the trick to all the learning is not so much that you remember it all, but that you remember, or have a pretty good idea, where to go to look up and seek the answers you don't know or have forgotten. ta dah! that's it. yes, you could learn all this stuff on your own, but part of the learning is the challenges of getting through the rules and conditions placed on the assignments. did you know that we learn and remember better when there is some sort of emotion attached to the item? if you ever get to see or meet someone who suffers with torticollis, you will never forget where the sternoclidomastoid muscle is, i guarantee it, because the emotional shock you experience will forever connect the two things in your brain. seeing patients as a student nurse is going to help cement these things you learned in your basic sciences into your brain.

so, set your mind at ease. i promise that when you take your nursing classes and you get to various diseases, you will do reviews of the anatomy, physiology, biology, and chemistry that is necessary. it's built into the program. it will be a nice review for you. and, it will help you understand the disease so-o-o-o much better. sometimes you'll pick up a book on your own to refresh your memory. (gasp!) keep on doing what you need to do to get your grades. when the time comes you'll have a pretty good idea how, or where, to retrieve any information that you need. just to set your mind at ease, however, you student you, here is a link to some information on studying.

http://www.accd.edu/sac/history/keller/accditg/ssindex.htm - strategies for success, an online primer and tutorial on how to study for students from the alamo community college. this is a pretty extensive resource with links on the right side of the page to click into the following subjects: learning styles, note taking, memory techniques, time management, overcoming procrastination, sq3r (a method for getting the most out of reading your textbooks), study tips, critical thinking, preparing for tests, and oral presentations. also, take a look at the faq's (frequently asked questions).

http://www.ucc.vt.edu/stdysk/checklis.html - this is a study skill checklist for you to go through and inventory your study habits from virginia polytechnic institute and state university. at the bottom of the form is the link to "study skills self-help information" which is all kinds of information to help you with areas you were weak on in the checklist. if you want to bypass the checklist and just go into the information section, go to this link http://www.ucc.vt.edu/stdysk/stdyhlp.html

chris_at_lucas_RN, RN · May 9, 2006

I have a terrible short-term memory and was never good at memorizing things in school. Fortunately, real nursing practice does not require that you remember all those things you learned to pass specific tests in nursing school.
What counts most in real-life practice is your ability to problem-solve -- to assess a situation, identify possible interventions, and choose a good course of action. You'll remember the important stuff as you see it again and again and use it in your practice.
Don't worry about it. Focus on understanding the material you cover in school. If you understand it, then you'll "re-connect with it" quickly when you see it again later in your career and do just fine. Understanding is the key.
llg

This is so word-for-word what I was going to write. I too have some difficulty with memorizing versus learning, and I had some difficulty with the high pressure, detail learning required to get through A&P. But what I noticed is that in practice, I remember plenty. And more, while I was learning the more nursing oriented stuff, the basic understanding I had from A&P, Micro, etc., helped cement that in.

You'll do fine. No one expects you to know it all, ever. If you are that kind of student (and I'm one too), you'll be able to bring up what you need.

I wonder if your anxiety about this memory thing is because you are a very responsible, conscientious learning, and that spills into nursing big time because of the nature of the profession? It seems to me, after the fact, that that was a lot of my stress in nursing school--entirely self imposed, I might add.

cjog · May 10, 2006

I just want to say THANK YOU! to all that have posted so far - you have made me feel so mcuh better. I think my largest concerns revolve around the fact that I am going to have to learn so much in such a short period of time (accelerated program) and I worry that I won't retain any of it when it comes time to study for and take the NCLEX. Daytonite - thanks so much for adding the links into your great reply - I'll be sure to check them out. You have all reassured me (once again) that I am putting way to much pressure on myself. Warped perfectionism can do that to you!

sddlnscp · May 10, 2006

Oh thank you all so much for this thread! I just got my acceptance letter yesterday and I am thrilled to death! However, I was just panicking about the exact same thing because what the OP described is me to a tee.

Thank you all, I feel much better now and I am soooooooooo excited! WooHoo!

Andolicious · May 11, 2006

Cjog, I feel the exact same way! A couple of weeks ago, my boyfriend was asking me questions from my first test in A&P2 and I couldn't remember some of the answers! I felt sooo stupid! I feel like I just memorized things and put it into my short term memory as well. Luckily, I got a 4.0 this semester, but still, do I remember things I was tested over this past semester? No, and I hate that. I told my mom about it. She got her BSN 14 years ago. She said that you just have to reinforce the information, and go over it time to time to get it stored in your brain. What she said somewhat helped me, but I'm still scared about not being able to retain the information. So don't feel bad that you're not the only one. :) Good luck!!

MJJFan1, BSN, RN · May 13, 2006

We had some neurologist come speak at our school. It was really interesting because he said he really believes there should be a five hour degree and I was like what? Well, he starts asking questions like what do you remember from spanish? psychology? nutrition? etc... He gave us his Five hour college degree: For spanish he taught us "Como esta" Psych, "Freud was sexual" Nutrition, the six essentials "carbs, lipids, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and water" . Things like that. I mean, we even had like a 10 minute spring break because he said we do nothing with it anyway. He then went on to say that students graduate college with memory of about 5 minutes of lecture from each class and that only hands-on activities and curriculums are the ones that sticks with us most because it's done repeatedly. And you know what? I've come to find that it's so true! So I say don't worry too much about Nursing because we will be hands on, seeing the same things a lot and when something new pops up, It should be an experience/problem that we would never forget because it's that serious. I don't think I'm afraid but deep down I am because I don't know what to expect. I can memorize anything, that's easy! Let's see how well I do when we put it all together.