How many hours should i be studying a day?

lklin09 · Aug 8, 2008

Well as a general rule, I try to study 1-2 hours a day per class. For my pharmacology class I devoted 2-3 hours a day. It was my toughest class. I work full time and attend school full time in the evenings. I do not study all at one time but rather I break it up through out my day. Study as much as you feel you need to do your best. Not everyone needs the same amount of time. I have some days I study more and some I study less.

Also for my pharm class, I got the mosby's memory cards. That really helped with memorizing/learning all the information.

Good Luck!!

Liz

Nurse K8 · Aug 8, 2008

Wow- did you say SEVEN hours a DAY??? That seems like a lot to me.

I just finished nursing school and my take on studying is that it kind of ebbs and flows. Some classes I found take quite a bit more studying than others. I also found that it was really hard to guage how much studyig was enough until you take the first exam. My strategy was to study really hard for the first exam, see how I did and then adjust my studying accordingly, seemed to work well. I got all A's in school except for one B in research (blech!).

You seem to already know that you need a bit more time to catch on, so do what makes you feel like you understand the material...

Good luck- nursing school is fun!

:nurse: Kate

classicdame, MSN, EdD · Aug 8, 2008

the quantity does not matter as much as the quality. Search the internet for advice on developing good study habits. I recommend studying with a friend or two, as long as everyone has the same commitment to focusing on the topic! Use all your resources, such as any free/cheap tutors offered by the school. I learned a lot about writing from journalism graduate students! If you have writing or math or computer labs, use those.

CuriousMe · Aug 8, 2008

I'm just starting nursing school in fall '08, but I've been told (and did this for my prereqs) to consider it a full time job. So, work from 8-5 at least 5 days a week. If you don't start class till 10, that might mean studying before class starts.

The other guideline I've heard is that you should be studying 2-3 hours a week for each credit....so for a 4 credit class that 8-12 hours a week.

Best of luck :-)

Peace,

CuriousMe

myhalo · Aug 8, 2008

Well....does that include time to write care plans??? Our care plans took 6 to 14 hours to write each week of clinical throughout nursing school. So if you have 7 hours a day devoted to school work you may sometimes use that for written work and reading as well as studying, very realistic I would say.

You do learn a lot in clinical and from the care plans so as long as your pt assignment is within the body system you are working on you will not be wasting your time on the care plans. I always tried to look ahead and choose a pt with a head injury for example if that was coming up in med-surg.

Good luck, let us know what works for you!

lvnandmomx3 · Aug 8, 2008

When I took a college prep course they recommended to take the total number of credits you are taking and multiply that by 2 and that is the avg amount to study a week. I know some classes may need a little more or less depending on the material.

RheatherN, ASN, RN, EMT-P · Aug 8, 2008

I think its funny when ppl ask that. i used to ask the same thing. everyone is so different- no one can tell you that. some things come easier or harder to some ppl, you never know.

you can follow the "rule"; 1-2 hrs for each hr of class.

gl!!

-H-

nessajune21 · Aug 8, 2008

as many as it takes!

NursingStudent-Tati · Aug 8, 2008

:up:Thanx for all of ur replys..yeah it might sound like a dumb question lol because we don't all have the same study habits :wink2: ..sometimes i wonder do i study too much, do other ppl spend as much time as i do on a certain topic..i wish things came easier to me..that i was a quick learner..i envy those who listen to something being lectured during class and then go home n study for an hour or so and boom they got the information stored in their minds! its not fair:( lol Anyway i will have to c what works best for me..i dont think an hour or two is enough for me, well i guess it depends on the amount of reading that has 2 be done n the memorization and all that.. for me an hour flys by! i try not to look at the clock so much anymore when im studying, because i start thinking ok ur taking to long on this one topic, u have to move on and i feel pressured by the clock lol .. do u know what i mean? i dont really like studying in groups too much, i have tried it and it doesnt work out for me 2 well..its distracting, u try to focus and study and sometimes the other people in the group start talking about other things and they throw u off, n then sometimes u get ppl that can be very pessimistic, and say things like this is ridiculous, we are never going to get this material, blah blah and its like yeah i know its hard, i might be struggling as well but don't make it worse by saying things like that..i don't know i have always studied alone and i find that generally it works better for me, but i dont know how nursing school will be, maybe sometimes i will need some motivation and studying with someone will be better..well this is going to be a whole different environment, most likely i will find a good study group who is dedicated n has their eye on the prize.. i want to have friends in nursing school, i don't want to be the isolated one, they told me that in the beginning most ppl start alone and then they start studying in groups because they later figure out that it works better for them..i guess i will have to see...ohh yeah i might consider breaking down my hours of studyin and not do them all at once, i do need 2 take breaks after all and i dont wanna become overly exhausted or fatigued from boredom..and i will study really hard for my first test and if i c that this works out for me, i will continue studyin the same for tests to come!

two more weeks for nursing school..wow!:heartbeat

NursingStudent-Tati · Aug 8, 2008

oh yeah one more thing..i will definitely dedicate more time to pharmacology..math is not my best subject

Vito Andolini · Aug 9, 2008

Study as much as you need.