How many hours to study in a day?

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Hi everyone:

I just got accepted into nursing school. I do have to work while I'm going part-time. I'm trying to make out a good schedule. How many hours a day of studying is good if I'm in class all day Saturdays and in clinicals two evenings a week?:studyowl:

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I was told by my instructor last year, for every 3-credits, you need to study 15 hours a week.

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Nursing school is much different than regular school. Taking 8-10 SH is considered full-time. Days that I was going to clinicals or lecture I would study for about 4 hours a night. On my off days, all I did was study (about 12 hours/day). Discipline and determination will get you through nursing school. Good luck!

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Specializes in Emergency.

The amount of study time needed is unique to every individual. Some folks need hours and hours while others need, well, none. The key is to find out what works for you. I would say to err on the side of caution until you figure it out. Personally, I studied about an hour a day 3-4 days/week during my 1st 2 semesters and have maintained a low 90s average without any stress.

Oh yeah, what Daytonite says below about NCLEX prep really helps. I use Davis RN Success regularly and it helps a lot.

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

from my first days in college back in 1967 we were told that 2 hours of study for each hour in class was what you needed to at least get a "c". what's more important, i have learned over the years, is that you learn to study efficiently. we each have ways in which we learn more effectively. your job is to discover what works for you. it may take years to do that. the more techniques you are aware of that you can experiment with, the better off you are going to be. many colleges have a class in how to organize and study. it may be listed under the counseling department. to save you the time of doing this, many other colleges also have much of the information online. here's some of the websites with information on how to study, take tests and assess your abilities.

finally, many nursing programs recommend that students buy a copy of a nclex review book to help them study their nursing and prepare for their tests. the better books not only include questions, but also review the information you will be tested on. there are a number of books on the market. this question of which book is best gets discussed often on the general nursing student discussion forum. each book gives advice on how to answer application type questions which are the kind of questions often asked on nursing school tests and on the nclex. you'll also see posts with samples of these questions as well where students ask for opinions on the correct answer.

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I can tell you what works for me. I try to read the chapter(s) we will be covering in lecture before I get to class. I just read them, not study them in detail. I then take good notes during the lecture, and then re-read the material again as soon as possible after the lecture, using my notes as a guide on what to really focus on. All total, this can take anywhere from a couple of hours, to all evening, depending upon how much material we will be covering. When I stick to this routine faithfully, I generally end up with high A's on my exams. When I don't, I can usually still count on a high B or low A. Your mileage may vary, but this works for me. The real benefit of this method, though, is that because of the additional reinforcement, I have found that the material stays with me long past the day of the exam. That saves me a lot of time not having to look a bunch of stuff up while I am on the floor during clinicals. Good luck!

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Thank you.

All of those suggestion and personal expressions were very helpful.

I guess when I get into it, I will find my niche.

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you will totally find your niche when you begin classes. daytonight's resources were wonderful-- i'd check each of them out. and... whoever mentioned getting an nclex-rn book was right! it really reinforces the information in your class book and the practice tests are the bomb-doggity. i have 3 books and i've noticed that some of the questions are almost exactly the same on my tests.

i took a class called "nursing test taking success". it was an awesome class and we explored all different learning styles. i highly suggest a class like that.

personally, i study 2 hours per evening, from 8-10pm, and run a study group on sundays from 5-8. my schedule is blocked out for this every single week, like it's an appointment. most people do not need to do this, but unfortunately i have to do it to stay on top of my game.

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Specializes in Ante-Intra-Postpartum, Post Gyne.

For me it depended on the day (I am on summer break now). On clinical days I did not study as much. But this is about how it went.

Study time

Mondays: 12-2:30, 7-9

Tuesdays: 2-5ish

Wednesdays: 12-7ish

Thursdays 8-5ish

Fridays 1-6 or 7ish

Sat and Sun 8-5 (0r8-8 when I needed to catch up)

Some days I studied even more depending on if a test was comming up:

On days of tests I usually go to bed at 10pm and get up at 2 am and do last minute studying

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Specializes in PeriOp, ICU, PICU, NICU.

I am in my last semester of nrsg school.......I do about 15hrs a week including preping for NCLEX, I work full-time though

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Specializes in Peds, PICU, Home health, Dialysis.
I was told by my instructor last year, for every 3-credits, you need to study 15 hours a week.

Whoa.. what?? I have 15 credit hours which means I should be studying 75 hours a week!? Holy hell.. lol. That seems very very steep.

I personally spend roughly 30+ hours a week reading, going over notes, studying, and whatever else needs to be done.

I think sitting down for a few hours every day should be fine for most people. I personally need to sit down for at least 3 - 5 hours a day aside from classes to get everything done.

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I'll be starting my 3rd semester this fall. I usually study anywhere from 2-3 hours a day. More right before a test. Usually the 2 days before a test I study 8 or more hours :uhoh3: . I'm proud to say at this point, I am at the top of my class :yelclap: . I hope to keep it that way. One thing I think is VERY important though, is to always take time out for yourself, no matter how busy you are. It's crucial to avoid burnout. There are days I just do not feel like studying and if I'm not falling behind at that point, I take the day off and do something fun. Your studies are important, but so is your well-being and sanity! So, study hard, but know when you need a break and take it! Good luck!

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