Help!!! How to study properly

[nurse_to _be]

Hello everyone,

I feel sooooooo overwhelmed. I start in a week my first semester, and we were given an outline, to study before each class every week. Its about 10-12 chapters required to read before each class, or in one week. I thought of reading the chapters and based on what I read I type up an outline of my own following the direction in the school outline. But there is a huge problem!!!!! I end up typing about 5 pages per chapter, and there is 10-12 chapters per week. And school hasn't started yet, and I am sure I'll have much more workload ahead of me.

So what would you advise, how to read these chapters, what to focus on and what to do????

Totally confused:o

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

please go to and read the "how to study" tutorial links on post #15 of this sticky thread:

• https://allnurses.com/forums/f205/study-strategies-254733.html - study strategies (in the nursing student assistance forum)

[NoviceRN10]

I thought that was a good strategy too, I planned on looking at the objectives and making study guides off of them. But then I realized some of the objectives were pretty complex. It would take a long time to do what you are doing. I would just read the material and maybe highlight the points that stand out as important to you. Then after you are lectured you will know what you should focus on. I have my first real exam on Monday, and I am studying the power points the instructor used during lecture (she just read them, didn't elaborate much, which was quite boring!) and the study guides she gave us to fill out (which are practice questions pertaining to the material). Maybe doing the practice questions at the end of each chapter will give you an idea of how well you retained what you read.

[locolorenzo22, BSN, RN]

yep....and NCLEX questions over your subject help you retain as well....so, there you go....

I study book and after 1st test I know how instructor makes her tests....so it's good to go...

[nurse_to _be]

Thanks for the help, I'll definetely just read before the class and then focus on what is important.