How to study for my final exam, help?

[hkqueenx3]

Hi all :)

(side note: I am in my first semester of nursing!)

So my final cumulative exam is in 3 weeks, and I want to start studying tomorrow. I have all the powerpoints with notes we discussed, etc and everything. I'm just getting overwhelmed thinking about how to study efficiently for this exam? It's just a lot stuff (obviously, right? haha) I know to read my powerpoints from the beginning and read any info further in the book of only the stuff discussed in class, and to practice nclex questions (I have 2 nclex books!) But any tips on organization/methods or whatnot to approach this whole thing would kindly be appreciated!

Thank you!

[cecile9155, BSN, RN]

I always look back at my test scores from the unit tests throughout the semester and put them in order from worst to best. I would start with studying the worst unit first and go in order and do the best unit last. That way I would be sure to spend the most time on the areas I was weaker in.

[Summer Days]

I like the point suggested above. The secret is to take small steps and truly overlook the mountain of studies you have to do. First, decide how many hours to allocate for studies per day and how many days/week you will study (x3 weeks). Block these hours on your calender and stick to the plan. Then break down your study materials into small segments such as studying by body systems. The rule of thumb is to study your weakest points first and allocate more time for them. An example; if I decide to study for 6 hours per day, I study 3 hours in the AM and the other 3 in the PM. When I sit down to study, I have a goal in mind; to finish a particular topic then I cross it off from the list.