Excelsior Study Tips NEEDED!

[Mrs.Mc,LPN217]

I am new to the site, I posted a few days ago under the lpn-rn board. But I want to join the rest of you on the journey to becoming RN's thru Excelsior! I need all the advice, encouragement, and motivation that I can get!

In LPN school it seemed that all the information we needed to know was handed to us on a silver platter! I rarely ever studied and when I did it was for about 10 minutes before the test, and I made straight As. It has been 3 years since I took a traditional college course (all of my prereqs) and I dont really remember how I studied for them!

I am always asking other nurses that I work with how they went about studying in school, and I see my husband studying day in and day out on his journey thru Accelerated Nursing School (RN in 10 months *previous bachelors in another field*) But the fact is our studies are so COMPLETELY different than those who go sit in class everyday and get to study their recorded lectures and notes that they took themselves!

I have taken the health safety and transitions and passed both of them, but I still don't feel as if I have a good routine for studying! I just cant get in the "groove"! I mean what does everyone else do to retain all of this information?! I have the notes from Lisa Arends & SG101 and its so hard for me to just sit and read all of this. I feel like I'm not retaining much info by just reading. I also have tried flash cards, I mean they were alright for transitions bc it was mostly memorization type info, but honestly they take forever to make (even on flashcard exchange) and most of the time after I make 100 flashcards, I dont have time to go back thru and memorize all of them!

I am currently studying for Chronicity and I am scheduled to test on 12/19. I have taken the first practice test before I ever opened a book and made a 53% with my poorest subject being the Sensory System.

Anyway....I really want to know what everyone's input is on the subject!!

P.S - Anyone on the site live in Southeast Louisiana, I am very interested in finding someone to study with!

[Nervous1]

Its going to take time, even with me as I am 3 exams from being done, I have had to learn a new study method for the last 3 exams (2 of them I failed last month). Initially, I did SG101, Saunders and the practice exams. But I failed Chronicity & LS3. So I've had to figure out a new way to study.

This time, I'm taking my own notes from various resources. SG101 is pretty good for the first few exams but once you get into the LS series, its more about the nurses approach to care of the pt with disease X. You really need to know the specifics of the disease in order to care for them. I don't know if what I am doing is working yet, I take LS2 later this month. For it, I am using an earlier edition of the recommended MS text (cost me $20) and the psych book + SG101 and saunders. I start with the recommended readings, take notes on disease, s/s, treatment, meds, labs, nursing care etc (using the content guide to make of template of what I need to be looking for), then fill in the missing areas with SG101 and Saunders.

I've been using flashcard xchange also. I haven't taken the practice exams yet but I most definately will before I test and I will memorize them also (however this was not beneficial for me with LS3 but it was on all of the other exams I had taken).

[KassieLPN2RN]

I have a friend who has been a med-surg RN for several years (an LPN for 20 before). Once a week we get together for coffee and go over one SG101 practice test - depending on which exam I'm workin on. We discuss each question and she gives me much needed insight by being able to relate to a disease or situation and talk about what to do or not do etc. I'm getting so much better at answering questions and 'deductive reasoning'!. I actually got an A on LS1 last week by studying the SG101, looking up anything I missed on the practice tests, and talking over the subject areas with my 'mentor' coffee buddy. I was just praying to pass! Oh and I took twice as long to study for this than I did the others - just over 2 months, I'm gonna do that with LS2 and 3 also because they are harder exams. But I will definately take that A!! If you don't have anyone who can discuss the material with you, maybe someone on the board here would be willing - you could ask for a buddy!

[Mrs.Mc,LPN217]

Thanks so much for the advice, these both sound like great techniques!

[vindy]

Have you tried recording your readings as you study? I always fall asleep while reading so I started recording voice memos on my iPhone to help me stay awake (although you hear an occasional yawn, lol) and then I can replay it throughout the day. That helped me in LPN school. I am also getting ready to start EC's ASN program, so I am so excited!!! Good Luck!