BAD at studying

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Nov 4, 2005

Instructors follow some sort of outline for the classes they are teaching. This outline should kind of be reflected in the notes you take during class. If you can figure this outline out it will help you organize your notes better. They may also give you some form of the overall outline of the course when they hand out a syllabus on the first day of class. When you feel overwhelmed then look at the subjects the instructor is covering in class to help guide you on what is important to read. It helps if you can find a couple of other students in your classes with whom you can exchange notes. There's usually a Kinko's around the corner from every college and they now have customers use individual smart cards to activate the copiers. Sometimes when a couple of students put their heads and notes together the material starts to have more sense. What you might have missed during a lecture another student might have picked up. Reading and listening to an instructor lecture are only two techniques of studying. Some people learn class material better if they speak it and repeat it to another person (or talk to yourself in your car!). When some information seems like it is more suited to a list or just outright memorizing the information, then flash cards you create for yourself on 3 x 5 cards help. When you are reading a textbook you should always just flip through the pages you are going to be reading to get an idea of how it is organized--there are definite outlines to material presented in textbooks. Look at the tables and read the captions under the pictures before you even start reading any of the text. Look at headings that are bold faced or italicized to get an idea of how this material is being organized in the pages you are reading. It gives you an idea of just where the information in the actual paragraphs fit into the entire picture. Then begin your reading. Listen for instructors emphasizing information they tell you is important, note it on your notes and mark it with a large star or some other symbol that will catch your attention. When you hear an instructor say something like, "this would be good to know" you can pretty much bet it's going to be on the next test. Almost all instructors will include questions on their tests that are based on information directly out of the textbook. They do this to separate the A students from the rest of the pack. There is so much information in nursing textbooks that you cannot possible read and memorize it all. So, if you are getting lectures on diabetes, you want to use the index at the back of your textbooks and look at what is presented for diabetes. Utilize any nursing journals that are available in the library or nursing lab. A quick look up of specific information on the Internet will help with some subjects. Like any other subject, nursing is learned by being exposed to the material repetitiously. You can't know just the most important things about diabetes at one reading--it has to be done by reading over the major information a couple of times over days and weeks.

Most schools have a "How to Study" or study tips class or program for students. Look into what your school has to offer. The counseling office or student affairs are places to start looking for these offerings if you cannot find them in the class schedule.

I would seriously be looking to gettin a study group of two, three, four or even five students started. Don't be too quick to do this. Take a few weeks to learn a little about your fellow nursing students so you can find people who have the same thoughts and feelings about it as you. Get together at least once a week. Each person should make a copy of their class notes for everyone else in the study group over at Kinko's. At my weekly meetings we split up the material we were supposed to be learning so we each were responsible to concentrate on one particular disease and it's nursing actions each week. Then at our weekly study group meetings we each became a mini-instructor and informally lectured the others in the group on our subject. You will be surprised at how knowledgeble you will become on some subjects when you do this.

RNSuzq1, RN · Nov 4, 2005

Hi Italian,

First - you said you're terrible at studying. Hint, Hint, Hint - Make studying your new favorite hobby!!! While in Nursing School, you will spend the majority of your "free time" Studying. You will soon find out that "free time" is a rare thing - so you have to make good use of every minute. I'm near the end of the 4th of a 5 semester program - our clinical hours were doubled this semester, so I'm often studying way into the night just to keep up with it all. If you get behind, it can be very overwhelming, so the trick is to study each day, so you'll be prepared for tests and anyone will tell you - Nursing tests can be pretty "painful".... :uhoh3:

Several people in my class have study groups and they say it helps them.

We usually have such a short amount of time between lectures and tests to actually study and read over the material - it would be impossible for me to discuss new material with other people until I really understand it myself, so I do much better studying on my own. You'll find out what works best for you.

During lectures, we usually get power points with the highlights, so they're pretty helpful when studying or we take pages of notes. I keep my books open during lecture and put the page #'s on my notes, so I can go back and re-read in the text. Before a test, I begin by reading over the power points and my notes several times until "I really understand the material". Then I read the chapters in the textbook and charts, etc. that correspond with the material. We had to purchase a series of NCLEX Review and Rationale Books and that's what I go over next because they break everything down and have lots of NCLEX type questions you can answer (get's you prepared for similar questions that might be on the test). I'm in an ADN Program, it's incredibly fast paced, we usually only have a couple of weeks to digest mass quantities of material before we are tested on it - so the only way you can pass these tests and stay in the Program is to be reading over the material every chance you get.

After I feel as though I've studied all I can for a test - I do a lot of "Praying". Even people in my class who said they never prayed before - have discovered the power of "Prayer" since being in Nursing School. Our Instructors always tell us to take deep cleansing breaths to release all our stress before taking tests - but most of us are having mini-anxiety attacks, so that really doesn't help, hee, hee... Just realize that for the next couple of years, this will be your main focus. I have a husband and children (like most in my class) and we've all had to give up tons of "family time", but sadly, that's what it takes to do this, but it can be done, Just remember, when it's all said and done and you're a Nurse, you and your family will benefit from all that studying and the sacrifices you had to make during school... Well, I'm off to study for a major test we have on Monday - Peripheral Vascular Disorders and Diseases of the Integumentary System - honestly, can you think of a more exciting way to spend your entire weekend? Best of Luck To You - Study Hard and seriously, if you need any advice or help along the way, please feel free to ask me, I'd be more than happy to help you out. Take Care, Sue

IrishItalianRN · Nov 4, 2005

Thanks a bunch!!!