Best way to read text books

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To everyone who has been through or is currently in nursing school, what is the best way to read the text books? Do you read what is assigned? How did you go about it? I hear they are very long and detailed

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Specializes in PACU.

I don't start my nursing program until January, but what I've always done is read the section first, then go back and take notes so I don't spend time taking notes of material that ends up not being all that important for the bigger picture. That and essentially I read the section twice.

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Specializes in PACU, pre/postoperative, ortho.

Our instructors would post power points 2-3 days before starting lecture. I would use those as a guideline & do focused reading. I rarely ever read everything which would have been 10-30 chapters in multiple books.

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Do a search for "reading textbooks"....this is a frequent topic and you'll find a lot of good answers. I personally do not read a chapter front to back. I go by my notes, read sections that I need more information on, and skim the rest. Good luck!

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Specializes in L&D, infusion, urology.
I don't start my nursing program until January, but what I've always done is read the section first, then go back and take notes so I don't spend time taking notes of material that ends up not being all that important for the bigger picture. That and essentially I read the section twice.

You won't have time for this in nursing school. The volume of reading is SO much more than for any other class I've ever taken, and no one I know has ever actually completed ALL of the reading for nursing school.

I would generally skim through and try to focus my attention on the stuff that really needed it. Some sections required more than others, of course. One tip is to read the first sentence of each paragraph to get a sense of what it's covering, and determining from there whether to read the rest of the paragraph. Bolded words and overall concepts are key.

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What helped me in nursing was to read the objectives, key terms, summary and then I would go through the chapter and read all of the boxes (they have lots of information). Then , if I have time I would go back and try to read the chapter, focusing on the objectives.

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Specializes in Hospice, Palliative Care.

Good day,

The following was shared in one of the Facebook nursing groups:

"1. First, find either the chapter preview (in the beginning) or the chapter summary (at the end) and read it. The author is telling you right there how they’ve organized the big bullets and even thrown in some clues to “must know” lower level bullets.

2. Next, go back and read nothing but the ALL CAPS, the bold faced, or the italicized terms. Be disciplined; don’t get sucked in, read nothing else.

3. Next, go back and read anything in a box or table. Be disciplined; don’t get sucked in, read nothing else.

4. Next, go back and read only the first and last sentences in each paragraph. Be disciplined; don’t get sucked in, read nothing else.

5. Next, go back and fully read any paragraphs that didn’t register.

Next, repeat #’s 1-5.

Only as a last resort, if you still feel like you need it, read every word.

I suspect you can accomplish several cycles of steps 1-6 in less time than you could have read the chapter word for word, start to finish.

What this does is repetitively repeat your exposure to the information in a stepwise manner according to the way the information is organized. Not only is this more efficient as far as storing the information, but it tends to store it in an organized pattern that facilitates recall as well as understanding. Going through a chapter this way is far easier to endure, is far more productive, and leaves you far more receptive (OK, not excited, but at least more receptive) to doing it over again."

These may also be of interest:

]SQ4R Study Method

]Note Taking Systems - Academic Skills Center: Study Skills Library - Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo

]

Cornell Notetaking System Explained--Textbook Study Strategy--Academic Support

Google Image Result for http://kenpitts.net/images/cornell_note_how_to.jpg

Time management

Reading University Level Materials--Textbook Study Strategy--Academic Support

How to Read Effectively in the Sciences--Textbook Study Strategy--Academic Support

How to Read and Study Medical Texts--Textbook Study Strategy--Academic Support

More About Effective Textbook Study--Textbook Study Strategy--Academic Support

An Effective Textbook Study Strategy--Textbook Study Strategy--Academic Support

How to Mark a Section of a Textbook Chapter--Textbook Study Strategy--Academic Support

]

Thank you.

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Very much informative and highly useful for studies. Revision, diagrams, videos, short summary with key terms are quite helpful in learning . Thanks.

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Specializes in Nasty sammiches and Dilaudid.

Best way to read textbooks? With your eyes in a well-lit room... ;)

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Best way to read textbooks? With your eyes in a well-lit room... ;)

I knew the eyes were used for something. Lol. Classic

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Read the first two sentences of each paragraph. If it is new material read the whole paragraph, if you at familiar with it move on.

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Specializes in Oncology/hematology.

I hate to admit it, but I didn't read any textbooks in nursing school. We had our power points. If, during lecture, a teacher said that a chart or something would be important, I would look at that, but I never read a single chapter. I don't recommend this as a way to go through school though. ;)

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