Cramming?

[asittema]

I am generally pretty decent at studying. However, it can be very overwhelming when I have multiple classes to study for in a short amount of time. Any ideas for effective cramming?

[cracklingkraken, ASN, RN]

Effective cramming = oxymoron

Usually, the purpose of cramming is to retain maximum info in a short amount of time and forget it once it's been used. You're doing a disservice to yourself by cramming. Your future classes will be founded off of your previous classes.

[cocoa_puff]

Best advice for cramming: Don't do it

Here's what to do: Start studying ASAP, review frequently in small amounts, break things up in little chunks, make a "study calendar," even if you only have 5 minutes - skim your notes, and do NOT wait until the last minute. I know it's hard when you're taking 15+ credits (trust me, I'm there), but you can't possibly do well if you wait to study everything the night before the test.

Please remember that in nursing school, you're not just studying for a test, or even just for the NCLEX. You're learning for the rest of your career and everything you learn will build on previous material. So make sure you understand it, and that doesn't happen with cramming.

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

I am an expert at cramming. The problem is, it's gone pretty darn quick.

I wouldn't recommend it for a profession in which you are expected to build your knowledge over time with a strong foundation. Forgetting the wrong thing could result in a major disaster.

[NurseSpeedy, ADN, LPN, RN]

Cramming is typically a bad idea because most of the information 'remembered' for the test will not be learned and retained in the future. Now, there are a few general ed classes that you can do this with, but do not make them your science classes. Your nursing classes will build off of them and if you cannot remember the gist of how it all works you'll be revisiting that book when you really don't have the time to do so...as for remembering everything about Othello for a general ed humanities class, that one I wouldn't bother devoting too much study time.

Honestly, its planning and time management. Figure out how much time you have before the semester starts. When you find out when your exams are plot them on a calendar. Keep up with your class syllabus and set a reasonable amount of time aside each week at least two or three days for each subject and study the stuff in small chunks so that you aren't overwhelmed when the exams all of the sudden seem to creep up on you and you only have a few days before the test. This seems to help me. I'm an online student in an accelerated program so everything is kind of 'crammed' to begin with so time management and spacing it out are my best two pieces of advice to offer. Good luck