Do you read the book before or after material is covered in class?

Published

I'm in the middle of my second semester of an accelerated BSN program and I've been doing well so far. But I still can't figure out the best way to approach the readings. "Everyone" says you should do the readings before class so you have an understanding of what the teacher is talking about and can ask questions on the material you don't understand. But I feel like if I'm going to spend the time learning the material on my own, then what's the point of going to class?

I've been doing the reading after the teacher covers the info and then working through the study guides to make sure I understand it, and as I said, I've been doing well. But I'm wondering if now that we're getting into harder stuff (med surg), am I going to run into problems doing it this way.

So I'm wondering how everyone else does it. Do you do the readings before or after the material is covered in class?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Cardiac Care.

I think if what you're doing is working for you, then there is no compelling reason to change your process.

But, since you asked...

When I was a student, I always tried to read the material before the lecture. My primary reason was that I didn't want to be surprised during lecture. I wanted to have a handle on the material beforehand. If I had questions on what I read, they would usually be covered in lecture. I always saw the readings and the lecture as two different processes, really. Same material is covered, of course, but they would be in different "voices". Sometimes, hearing another way to present the material would hammer key information into my brain. I remember this to be particularly true during the study of ABG's, Fluids and Electrolytes, etc. Going into the lecture prepared always worked better for me.

In whatever you decide works best for you, I wish you all the success in the world!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

There's a test always looming and that test involves material covered from last week. Students were usually at the point of studying last weeks materials before the upcoming test and letting the new info just "fly by" so to speak for whenever the test that covered those topics was to come up.

So in essence ... it made no sense to study (ie sacrfice study time for reading time) when we weren't going to be tested on it for another week or so.

Time was always well spent ... just not on the "current" material.

Well that was my observation

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I don't start my nursing classes until this fall so this is just my previous experience in pre-reqs. I don't read the chapters before classes per say, however I do look through and see what the chapters entail so I am not going to lecture blind. After lecture I compare my lecture notes with the book as I go along in my reading. Works for me. I will see how it will work this fall with my actual nursing courses.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

In my program, you have to read ahead of time and actually retain some of the information. We have pop quizzes (8% of course total) relatively frequently, and if you just looked over the PowerPoint without reading (that is, if the instructor opened it up before the lecture) you aren't going to do very well either. I tried to just glance over the chapters or notes before class, but it didn't work very well for me. I hated the fact that I couldn't simply skim over the notes prior to class and do well on the quizzes. However, I found out that actually reading through the material before class helped me quite a bit on the exams (since I didn't have to cram right before the test), where it counted for the other 92% of my score. :twocents:

Of course, every program is different as is every student. You're the only person who can really know what will work for you. Good luck!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

I never read before lecture prior to nursing school but I always do now that I am in it. Always. Then when studying, I study my notes/power points/chapter summaries/NCLEX questions after the lecture and prior to the exam. It isn't so much teaching myself as it is providing my brain with several different avenues of exposure to the material. The more often and more varied ways in which the brain is exposed, the greater the retention and comprehension of the information. Our nursing instructors held "how to study" tutorials at the beginning of nursing school for us and stated it takes a minimum of three exposures for material to stick in long term memory. I am finding this is very true. It works for me. Best of luck to you!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Both.

I usually read it fast before the lecture....if I don't understand something, I just write down questions. I then go to lecture (generally questions are cleared up by lecture, or I ask questions when appropriate) then after the lecture I read and take notes on the text.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

During all of my pre-req classes, I never read the material before the lecture.

Nursing school is different though. Here are my reason for reading the material PRIOR to the lecture.

1. We had a quiz every week on the assigned reading. We did the quiz PRIOR to the lecture on the material. These quizzes counted for 25% of our grade.

2. Nursing school moves too fast to get behind in the reading. If you don't stay up, you're likely to be left behind.

3. It is better to get your questions answered in the same lecture spent going over the material. Next week's lecture was 5 more chapters ahead of where are still trying to figure it out. For instance, if you have a question on chapter 10 because you are behind in your reading, we are already on chapter 15.

4. It is a proven method, that if you read ahead of the lecture, you will likely have a better hold of the information.

Hope this helps! Good luck!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in MICU, SICU, and transplants.

This may sound lame - but honestly it depends on the teacher and how much the material parallels the book. In med-surg, most of the books are designed entirely around prepping you for NCLEX so it is worth while to read the material before and after.

The closer I get to starting my nursing job (I'm a tech in the ICU where I will work as an RN), the more I realize I have to study like a maniac because the information is truly relevant. I've also noticed that the more exposure I get to the material, the more details I pick up (details I never noticed before).

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion