How do you "keep up"?

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So we get a LOT of assigned readings, tests and assignments. How do manage it all? Do you skim your readings? Go by lecture points? What? How do you decipher what is important? What works for you?

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Specializes in ER / Critical Care.

Lecture power points. Study guide (that goes with the texts). I don't read the chapters, I look at /read the charts, diagrams, highlights etc. within the chapters and focus on nursing considerations/prep/safety.

With regards to pharmacology: know the formulas for dosage calculation. Focus on drug classes rather than each individual drug BUT know the unique things about certain ones eg: makes urine bright orange....

Complete assignments when they are assigned, don't wait till the last day.

That's what works for ME. I've had no issues with my grades thus far and I graduate in May :)

Find what works for you! Good luck!!!

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So we get a LOT of assigned readings tests and assignments. How do manage it all? Do you skim your readings? Go by lecture points? What? How do you decipher what is important? What works for you?[/quote']

Do your books have end of chapter reviews or objectives? I make sure to review lecture notes, and read the chapter/material thoroughly at least twice. If there are any terms that are bolded in the chapter, I highlight them. Also, there are "boxes" with pertinent information in each chapter and I have found our instructor gets a lot of test questions from those. If there are a set of terms or acronyms to learn I make flash cards, or insert the info into the quizlet.com website/app and study when I'm waiting during the day or sometimes before bed. Eventually you will pick up on your instructors way of doing things. It doesn't hurt either to ask the instructors what they recommend when it comes to studying. All of the studying and reading doesn't leave much time for anything else, but hey, it's just for a couple years!

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Specializes in Critical Care.

All of my instructors provide power point outlines for each lecture and use the same syllabus format with clearly stated "learning objectives" for each week along with the assigned reading, homework, quizzes and exams. I skim the assigned chapters, only closely reading the sections that correspond to the learning objectives. Before exams I just look over my lecture notes and then go through the list of objectives; if there's something I'm unsure of I go back to the book(s) and look it up. I know some of my classmates read every word of every chapter but I've found that a more targeted approach works best for me.

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Specializes in CVICU.

I read by the objectives. For instance, for Thursday's lecture, we were assigned six chapters, and the lecture had 10 objectives associated with it. I just looked at the objectives and studied the sections in the chapters relevant to those objectives. My instructors lecture around the objectives too, so anything I wasn't too sure on is reinforced during lecture. This is what I did for the first test and I made an 86%. Flashcards work for fact based information, like what certain nursing theories cover.

As far as assignments go, we only have those in Communications/Skills labs. I do my assignments as soon as they are assigned, even if the due date isn't till a month away. This way I have no surprises later on because I forgot about something.

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Specializes in Hospice.

My instructors go by objectives. There is tons of reading, but if you focus on objectives you will probably do well on your tests. They also made a point of mentioning that the "Clinical Alert" text boxes in the textbooks are uber important for us to know. We'll see how this method works next week when I have my first two exams. :nailbiting:

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Great advice! I am thinking that working by objectives will be the way to go. At first, I started reading every word of the chapters. I am not a slow reader but quickly realized that this approach is not working. I am already a bit behind. I have a study day today and am going to try your suggestions. Thanks all!

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Objectives all the way. My teachers even told us that is how we need to study.

My fundies professor broke down our lectures too. She spent 3 hours lecturing the nurse process, but only 1 hour on ethics. She said this will focus our studying better.

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Specializes in Oncology/hematology.

I go over powerpoints with book open skimming. If I don't understand a concept, then and only then do I read the book. There's just too much and not enough time in the day. Plus, I really don't need to read something I completely understand.

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I was never one to read the book. I literally fell asleep a few times doing that! I read other thing (pathophys made incredibly easy, med surge success, Straight A's books, stuff like that) which is a condensed version of the text. I also studied my notes/powerpoints, and referred to my text book if I had questions on them. Also any charts/diagrams in my text, and also looked over the objectives.

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I skim the chapters, but focus on my notes and the lecture powerpoints and the objectives. I typed a study guide from my notes, read over it several times over a few days and I made an 87.5 on the first exam. I found this works best for me. The first few days of the semester, I tried reading the chapters word for word and taking notes as I read, but that was literally impossible!

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Specializes in Adult Psych.

When I was in school (New grad here) I had a method. Review the ppt before class, ask my questions in class if i had them and take notes in lecture. Then I would go back, and read the chapter. This is often a luxury because we don't always have time for it. I tutored for nursing for 2 years and the advice I gave my students is to read the chapter sections which were relevant to them. If they were studying Endocrine and they felt comfy with Diabetes and not with Graves dx, skip Diabetes and only read Graves. If anything the text will describe in more detail or in a different light than your prof, which may be what you need to understand the concept.

Also, do your PrepU! SSU assigned certain amounts of prepU for us to do and it helped SO MUCH for out ATI end of term exames!

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