Calling all those at the top of their class!

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I will be entering a BSn program on Aug 27. I know many awesome students that do not get A's. But, since I want to get into a masters program that is highly competetive eventually, it is important for me to be in the top 35% of my class. So, for all of you out there that are at the top of your class, what are your study techniques? I am already an excellent student, but I am not in the nursing program which I understand to be a whole new ballgame! Any advice would be greatly appreciated! :)

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Specializes in NICU.

Hi there tahliasmommie! I had a 4.0 all through nursing school until my 3rd semester. I made all Bs in those classes...I think mostly because I just got burnt out and wasn't studying like I had been or should have been.

I don't know if I have too many specific things I do but here goes:

Nursing school is very different from practically any other classes you have taken (at least in my case). You can't just memorize things and expect to do well. You have to be able to put all the pieces of the puzzle together to make a complete picture. So what I do is firstly show up to class. It seems to me that in general, those that don't come to class are the ones struggling more. So after lectures and honestly paying attention (most of the time anyways) I go home and read about the things I didn't understand from lecture. If, after reading I still don't get it, I ask the instructor and other classmates. Then when I feel i have a good grasp on things I talk it throughto myself or some willing person. I don't just read pages and pages of notes or pages and pages from the book. I talk everything out and make sure I can explain it. If I can explain to someone else, then I know I have it.

Now comes test day. I know a ton of people who study their behind off and don't do very well and this is the conclusion I have come to. They try and analyze every itsy bitsy thing in the question and read into it way too much. Read the question to find out what it's asking and make an answer for yourself first. Then look at the answers provided (if multiple choice). If your answer is there then most likely that's it. Just use the info provided in the question. If it doesn't say the patient has an increased heart rate, don't assume she has an increased heart rate. So many people do this (make assumptions) and that's not even what was being talked about and is irrelevant to the question. All through the test I'm thinking through everything and if I had a patient that kinda sounds like the question, I think about what we did for them or what their labs were, etc.

Whoa, sorry for the novel, but mainly just wanted to say to think through things....don't just memorize bits & pieces. Try and piece the puzzle together. Oh and one more thing that I do that I think helps is when you get to a test question you don't know, skip it. Another question could help you to answer it. Also I know a few people who just sit there and think about it FOREVER if they they don't know so a)they run out of time & b) their self confidence drops so they answer more questions wrong. Nothing wrong w/ skipping a question and coming back to it later....just make sure you really do go back an answer. Anyways, best of luck!!

ps, I'm starting my last semester in about 2 weeks so I hope I can get back in the groove of school :)

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the key to my success is studying from different nclex books. i have 6 that i practice questions out of.

good luck!

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You should go to: www.lionden.com/learning_styles.htm

You can click to take a learning test to see how you learn easily. I has helped me tremendously! After the test it shows you the ways you would benefit to increase your knowledge intake and studying habits. It's great, go check it out!

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I just wanted to say thank you for replying to my message!!! I have heard that the multiple choice questions give you a couple scenarios that seem as though they both fit, but only one answer is correct. Is that what the NCLEX books will help me with? I am a big supplement person. :) Also, thanks for the testing site--I will check it out in a few.

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My school uses a lot of the books from Elsevier/Evolve. The have an online resource that you can use with sample multiple choice questions. I often find the exact same questions on my instructor's tests. I think the instructors must get a free 'testbank' of questions from the publisher, and they incorporate those into their tests. It is a big help to practice the same type of questions that you will likely have on your exams.

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i just wanted to say thank you for replying to my message!!! i have heard that the multiple choice questions give you a couple scenarios that seem as though they both fit, but only one answer is correct. is that what the nclex books will help me with? i am a big supplement person. :) also, thanks for the testing site--i will check it out in a few.

you're exactly right. typically the questions are multiple choice; 2 answers are totally wrong, but then you have two answers that are both right. you have to choose which answer is the best out of the two. if you get a good nclex book, they give tons of practice questions that provide excellent rationales behind why the answer was correct. it's all about prioritizing.

i highly recommend the following books. some people may disagree, but i personally love them (i'm in a adn program, so it may differ from a bsn program; i have a 4.0).

saunders comprehensive review for the nclex-rn examination, 3rd ed. (ibsn- 1416031995).

mosby's comprehensive review of nursing for the nclex-rn examination, 18th ed. (ibsn- 0323039017).

nclex-rn q&a made incredibly easy, 3rd ed. this one is for the 'basic' type of questions, but it's still a good study source (ibsn- 1582554501).

i also use sandra smiths review for the nclex-rn, 10th ed. i don't use it as often as the others, but its still a good resource (ibsn- 0130891215).

someone said they use online resources such as evolve. :yeah:i can't stress how great these online resources are. i have also noticed that there are quite a few questions on the instructors tests.

good luck!

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Specializes in Maternity, quality.

We had this book recommended to us. Sadly I did not actually have time to read it, so I had to figure out a lot of the stuff on my own, but I tend to be a good test-taker anyway... some of my classmates had a much harder time adjusting to nursing tests as they were used to (and good at) the regurgitation tests you've likely been exposed to up until this point. So while I'm not a big advocate of reading ahead of nursing school (I think you are much better served by relaxing and enjoying your time while you have it) I would suggest skimming through that book or something similar before school starts to help you understand how to read the questions and evaluate the answers. That way you will understand why two answers might be right, but one is MORE right...

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you're exactly right. typically the questions are multiple choice; 2 answers are totally wrong, but then you have two answers that are both right. you have to choose which answer is the best out of the two. if you get a good nclex book, they give tons of practice questions that provide excellent rationales behind why the answer was correct. it's all about prioritizing.

i highly recommend the following books. some people may disagree, but i personally love them (i'm in a adn program, so it may differ from a bsn program; i have a 4.0).

saunders comprehensive review for the nclex-rn examination, 3rd ed. (ibsn- 1416031995).

mosby's comprehensive review of nursing for the nclex-rn examination, 18th ed. (ibsn- 0323039017).

nclex-rn q&a made incredibly easy, 3rd ed. this one is for the 'basic' type of questions, but it's still a good study source (ibsn- 1582554501).

i also use sandra smiths review for the nclex-rn, 10th ed. i don't use it as often as the others, but its still a good resource (ibsn- 0130891215).

someone said they use online resources such as evolve. :yeah:i can't stress how great these online resources are. i have also noticed that there are quite a few questions on the instructors tests.

good luck!

thank you for the wonderful website. great stuff!

i also agree with the nclex review recommendations. in addition to the ones you listed, i like lippincotts. it is broken down by subjects. i also use mosby flashcards. so far, i have an a- average going into the third semester of nursing.

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

Learning information is one thing. You will find lots of threads on allnurses on how to prepare for nursing tests. Psyching out an instructor is another matter. Grades and testing have a big subjective component to them. My suggestion, along with doing your best to learn the nursing knowledge, would be to get comfortable with chumming up with the instructors. Visit them in their offices. Find out what subjects in nursing they are gung-ho about making sure gets learned. Look at the supplemental books in their office and ask about them. Ask them for tips or advice on other nursing literature that you could be reading up on. Chances are they will tip their hand and unwittingly reveal some things that will give you an advantage as to what they might be inclined to ask on their tests or how they may focus the brunt of their grade on essay-type assignments. Most instructors have some practical experience as working nurses and it is only human nature for them to put a focus on the things they found important in actual practice. The only way you, as a new comer, are going to ferret that out is to listen to them very, very carefully. Don't be quick to think that some of the things they seem to be harping about are trivial. They may seem so to an inexperienced student, but have a much different meaning to the experienced nurse. Outside of that, I would also check the Master's program you are interested in and see if the GRE is a requirement. It still is at some schools and a certain grade is expected to be achieved on it. Start preparing for that test a couple of years ahead of time.

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First of all I have a 4.0 and I do study hard. One thing I would like to say is that having a 4.0 in Pre Req's is COMPLETELY different that having and maintaining a 4.0 during the actual "nursing" portion of your studies.

You have to throw out old study and testing ideas once you enter the nursing portion because testing, at least in my school, is as different as day/night. For example, during one of your math classes you might have encountered a question like this:

What is 1 + 2?

A. 4

B. 6

C. 3

D. None of the above

Obviously in math class the answer was C. In nursing class, however, the answer you will find out is not always the most obvious. Critical thinking is the name of the game in the Nursing classes. Scenarios, scenarios and more scenarios until you are dreaming scenarios. You will encounter questions where all the answers are right, but which one is the best for the patient's immediate needs and your abilities.

So, I had an adjustment to make with my studying habits because now I HAD to think outside the box.

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