Study tips...advice?

Nursing Students General Students

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I am sure this has been asked before but what are some helpful study tips? I need to LEARN how to study...I thought it would just come natural but even though I got all A's this last semester I struggled an insane amount.

I blame it on unmanaged gestational diabetes and being pregnant but I have a tougher semester coming up next and Ill take any advice I can get

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I always took notes in class and then compared my notes to what was in the book and typed everything up so that it would make sense to me. It always helped me through school. it is time consuming but I thought it was worth it.

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Specializes in Emergency, Trauma, Flight.

take this for what it's worth....

honestly...

don't try too hard.

study... but don't *over do it*

it will mess you up...

it also depends on what kind of *learner* you are....

do you do best by studying by yourself?

do you do best by studying w/ others?

do you do best by studying w/ other ppl and just listeneing./participating* thats how i do best*

do you do best by studying alone and writing down stuff..

do you do best by just doing it~~ FYI... can't do that in the medical field....

you can do it~~

there are many different ways of studying...

you just need to try em all and figure out how you learn/retain the easiest~~

you will figure it out in time.. which is what it takes....

especially in the medical field..

:cool:

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I agree with the above poster, figure out your learning style....there are lots of free learning style assessments online, just google it.

For me, I make flashcards of all my class notes. If there's stuff to memorize, that easily transfers to flashcards....but even conceptual things can go on flashcards. I just think of test questions that cover the notes and write the question on the front and the answer on the back. Truthfully, the process of making the notes is probably as helpful as going through them.

Best of luck!!

Peace,

Cathie

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Both above posters have it right. . .

my 2 cents, review class notes within 24 hours, if that's not possible, record the lecture and listen while you review your notes.

When you review the notes, you are actively engaging the information, however you need to. Notecards are great. I use my notes to write possible test questions that might appear on a real test. This may sound really odd or hard, but it works like this.

If you had a lecture on anemias, you get a powerpoint or whatever that says "Five major types of anemias." You ask yourself "What are the five major types of anemias" The powerpoint says "Causes of iron deficiency anemia" so you ask "What are the causes of IDA?"

Now, after you have gone through all the notes and finished this process of making up questions you put them aside. When time comes to prepare for the test, pull out your notes and questions, run through them and mark the ones you miss, then (and this is important) ONLY STUDY THE ONES YOU MISSED. All of the sudden you are studying only about 1/3 to 1/2 of the material (because you found out you already know the rest).

This is time consuming, but you are spending time earlier in the semester, rather than at crunch time.

Another benefit is, if you are working through the notes writing questions you will uncover stuff you didn't understand. So go to the professor THEN, not the day before the test.

Side note: get to know your professor early on, before any crisis emerges. If they first meet you when you call breathlessly to tell them about your flat tire on the freeway you will get very little sympathy.

One last word: NCLEX PREP BOOKS.

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I went to the local library and asked about memory related videos (at that time there were still videos, geez) anyway, I checked out one on Memory Enhancement, can't remember the title exactly, but it taught techniques to remember things visually and believe me it works. It has something to do with the brain and visualizing what you want to remember. I remember drawing little sketches of "ribosome man" and had him doing things in little cartoons I drew for myself, and I made the dean's list while cutting my study time down about half. I also made pre-tests of the material and then I had to "take" my tests. It was boring but it did work. Here's an example of the first technique, I bet you will remember it tomorrow if you hear it today...

you're leaving for work in the morning and the dh says, Oh by the way honey, can you pick up some milk, lettuce, tomatoes, ketchup, mustard and napkins on your way home tonight? Well, you don't need a post-it, you just go out and get in your car and imagine a big head of lettuce bouncing up and down on the hood of the car, with the tomatoes orbiting around it like planets, but the lettuce is splashing mustard and ketchup all over the hood when it bounces, and someone is pouring milk down the windshield, ooh no, there's even napkins stuck in the mess all over the hood.

The more emotional the reaction to the visual, the better you will remember it so it's good to incorporate something that will give you a strong reaction. when i read the above, I get mad cause I love my car and hate to imagine it that way. That reaction will also help me remember!! Humor also works very well. Make super heros out of your biology notes!!

Good luck. Remember we don't use our minds to their fullest potential, mostly because we don't understand how the neurons get connected the quickest. There are techniques that work and they will save you time if you check them out. Good luck!!

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Great thread for the General Nursing Student Discussion. I'll move it there. Carry on!

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I always read the chapters that would be covered before the lecture that way you won't be totally clueless about what's being said. I also recorded the lectures, took as many notes as possible. Then later that evening or the next day I would listen to the lecture and review my notes at the same time. It gave me a chance to write down any info that I missed. I looked at my notes daily, so that right before the test I only had to study the newest content. I also did NCLEX questions, even though it wasn't the same format that the test would be in, it helped me to check my understanding of the content. And a few days before the test me and a few of my classmates would get together and have a review session and quiz each other. It sounds like alot of work and it is, but it worked for me. I hope this will be some help to you or someone else.

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I found I am the type of learner that picks up information during the lectures. So, basically during the lectures, when others are taking copious notes, I record them instead and just pay attention to everything being said. Some of my classmates are so busy writing or typing up what is being said they miss sections. I then download the lectures to my IPOD and listen to them when I am commuting in the car, when I am waiting for my son's soccer game to start or when I am cooking dinner. I also an avid reader, so I can usually get through the reading. (Although there have been several times when I have fallen asleep face down in the book) I do not highlight, but I pay particular attention to highlighted words, any charts, pictures, tables, or graphs. I make sure I read any chapter summaries and that I remember the main ideas. I know there are many out there who are "highlighters" and it works well for them. It justn't doesn't work for me. The main point of highlighting is if you go back and reread the main points that you will have already have identified them. I rarely will read the information more than once. Of course, you will need to determine what is your own personal study style and I definitely don't want to imply my way is the right way for you or anyone else. Best regards, Jean

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

hi, natasha2011, and welcome to allnurses! :welcome:

there are two sticky threads on the student forums that you should check out because they have information on studying and test taking that you need to check out:

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Specializes in Oncology, Med-Surg, Nursery.

My school offered a 2 day class on learning strategies for nursing school and that REALLY helped me a lot! I think it is important to learn what kind of learner you are and then you can build from there.

Me? I do best by taking notes in lecture and then reading all of the content assigned in the book. Right before the test, I review the notes I have taken, but they are more of an outline to me. Other people in my class depend solely on their notes and never read a book assignment and do just fine. It is all about what helps you learn best.

Good luck!! :)

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I checked out one on Memory Enhancement, can't remember the title exactly.

:rotfl: I'm sorry this sentence cracked me up! It's late and I fried my brained studying for and taking finals.....everything is funny now!

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