I am in need of tips on good studying habits

Fun2, BSN, RN · Sep 9, 2005

........GO TO TUTORING IF IT IS AVAILABLE!!! That is my biggest point of advice!!!

........Next, make flashcards, study them!

........Read, read & read your notes over and over again!!!

........Outline your notes as soon as you get home.

........Make a CD of your notes (read out loud) and listen to the CD anytime you get in your vehicle, or listen to it in a CD player when not at home.

........Form study groups

........Utilize open lab times

........Take photos of your lab stuff, and study those.

........Look online for different quizzes, photos, lecture notes, etc.

........Don't be afraid to ask your instructor questions!

........Don't be afraid to join the Allnurses.com A&P club thread & ask other pre-nursing students questions!

http://www.nursingjourney.com (my site I made) has powerpoint quizzes, study from those, and anything else you can find online. The more you see of different tissues, etc, the better you learn them.

DETERMINATION * MOTIVATION * DEDICATION

Good luck!!!!!!! :)

Mudnuri · Sep 10, 2005

I'm going to think straight on A/P not on general study habits.

Flash Cards.......once you get your chapter outlines- they should have important things to know....use flash cards!

Coloring Book........get one....when you start the bones, muscles etc. it will help (so I've heard LOL)

tutoring......if your school offers it, START before you think you need it. One thing I have heard everyone including my professor say- if you get behind, your going to end up farther and farther behind...dont wait until you dont get it....

My professor offered a chemistry brush up for 1.5 hours today, it was not mandatory but she stressed the importance of it...so I went. And I'm glad I did. Very easy terms to understand it all....See if your professor has/will do this. If not, head to the "learning center/tutor" area and see if they have info on Chemisty.

Here's a few things my professor offerd us for extra help....not sure where you can find them, but maybe the library at your school will have them....

I'm going to quote what she has typed on this review activities

"A good knowledge of chemistry will make the entire semester make much more sense. If part 1 of this chapter is confusing to you, it will be good to do some extra work in this area......."

"Check out other text books. The Essesntials of Human Anatomy and Physiology by Elaine Marieb is the text used for Basic A/P, the one semester course we offer. It has a similar but simpler chapter reviewing basic chemistry, reviewing this may help........."

"Chemistry for Biology Students is a short review of basic chemistry. It's not carried by our bookstore, but is available online...."

"Take in a Movie. In our library you will find Basic Chemistry for Biology Students , 29 minutes.

Above all else, the one thing I need to repeat, with A/P is do not get behind. Once you do it will just continue to spiral out of control until you are so far behind you can not catch up.....

Also if you have questions, post them here, we will all try to help as best we can.

Brandy

Boink · Sep 10, 2005

I'm new to this as well. It's been 10 years since I've set foot in a classroom. What I've found that's helped the most is filling in the blanks -- over and over and over. I do the same with practice tests. I also read my notes over and over. I record my lectures and listen to them over and over.

My school offers tutoring but only during the hours that I'm already in class! So I just try to make the best use of my time. Repetition really helps, making connections does as well (for some wacko reason I could not remember the name if the serous membrane around the heart and then I stepped away and realized, PERICARDIUM! Cardium, cardio, heart! Making connections has helped me a ton.

Good luck!

Fun2, BSN, RN · Sep 10, 2005

HERE'S SOME MORE!

........Turn your chapter objectives into questions, and make sure you can answer them.

........Make sure to study diagrams in your book

........Make sure to answer & study the questions at the end of each chapter

........MAKE SURE YOU TAKE YOUR TEST WITH A POSITIVE ATTITUDE!!!! If you have a "I'm gonna fail attitude, chances are, you probably will!"

Good luck! :)

kpmadonna · Oct 19, 2005

With A&P I had a tough teacher too. What I did to prepare for tests like the bones test(which in my day was killer, it took a lot of my time studying) I spent several hours in the lab with a skeleton and went over everything, and if I could I would make up a little saying to help me remember. I am not the person who can open a book memorize it and then take an exam, I had to learn to picture everything, and close my eyes and have that mental picture in my head. Recently I have learned to apply things to everyday life, and it has seems to help, for example if I knew someone in my family who fractured their femur I can picture that person and know where that bone is at. One of the main things I can tell you is dont stress out, as soon as you do you are going to be lost, I stressed out all the time and I found I struggled more when I told myself I couldnt do it rather than just sit down take the time and get it done. I think in the big picture this is a good first class to take, it will help you later on because it gives you a baseline for body systems!! Best of luck always tell youself that you can do it and memorize memorize memorize!!!!

sunnyday1 · Oct 20, 2005

Thanks for the replies everyone. I have actually ended up doing really well so far. It has taken tons of time and effort but at the end the payoff has been great, good grades and I just can't beleive how much I have learned so far.

Now I just have to keep it up to keep my grade up.

gauge14iv, MSN, APRN, NP · Oct 20, 2005

Logging off the pc is the one thing that makes me study - I tend to check the boards and email frequently if I am sitting in front of the pC to study...

karmyk · Oct 20, 2005

I'd say one of the best things to do:

Try to look at what you're learning from an angle that you can understand.

I think that's the huge difference between my study habits now and my study habits about a decade ago when I was a college freshman. Back then, I was memorizing things... Looking at charts and seeing them simply as charts. With words. And stuff. Back then, anything scientific without math was jibberish to me.

Now, after working as an electrical/network engineer for about 5 years, I have a completely different perspective when studying material for my science classes. I think problem-solving, design, and troubleshooting skills gave me a different appreciation for the way things work in nature and in the body.

Another thing I do is bring back the basics that teachers tried hammering into our heads as habit from elementary school.. such as..

- Going over the vocab for whatever chapter I'm studying... writing not only the definitions out but also adding in how the word applies to what I'm learning

- Reading the chapter... and then going back again over summaries.. This especially works well if you read the chapter before class.

- Asking questions.. tons of questions. If you don't understand something, ask. If you don't want to bug your classmates by taking up valuable class time, then ask before or after class. The interested few will be around anyhow to hear what the teacher has to say...

- Quiz/Review.. review questions are always good, too. On weekends, if I'm not bogged down with work, I'll treat myself out to a coffee shop or the library, and I'll sit there and do review questions.

A neat thing to also do with vocab and flashcards is to punch a little hole in the corner and put them on a keychain... then take them to the gym and study them while you're on the stationary bike.

Another silly thing I did at work when I was taking A&P and Micro was I would hand out index cards to random people in my general office area (who I interacted with regularly), and I'd make them randomly ask me a question from the index cards I gave them whenever they saw me. Hehehe. That's a ton of fun.. and they get to learn a little, too (you'd be surprised how many people would actually find that stuff pretty interesting).

Nurse-To-Be-Joy · Oct 20, 2005

:) Get a study partner and meet together once a week. On the weeks we have a test, my study partner and I get together twice that week, as well as arrive to class early on test-day to review.

:) Go to the tutoring center if you need to. There are some perks to this. In my A&P, the teacher is letting the tutor borrow a few bones for the next 2 weeks to let students revire the actual bones (not just pictures) with her.

:) Ask lots of questions. If you don't understand something, be sure to have the teacher clarify it.

:) Bringing a tape recorder to classes may help. You can go back and listen to the lecture. You may even catch something you missed before due to a distraction, or while you were writing notes on the lecture.

:) Look into supplemental texts for your class. Maybe reading something somewhere else will help you better understand the material.

:) I type up my notes for each chapter. This way, I review my notes again as I type them and later on, it's a lot easier to read my notes.

:) Use flash cards. Making your own is usually preferable because you can get the answers directly out of your textbook.

:) Keep the chapters. I find that so many people don't, especially in classes where the instructor only uses the book for the diagrams in class. Answer the questions at the end of each chapter.

:) Tape record yourself reading your notes, so you can listen to them in the car.

:) Keep a positive attitude. I was always told that negative thinking sets you up for failure. Be confident! Go into each quiz and tests knowing that you will pass. Good luck!