Keeping your head in the books - what do you do when your brain isn't in it?

Nursing Students General Students

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I'm in a ABSN program and I have a tremendous amount of material that gets covered every week, but after long marathon study sessions and three tests a week (ugh!) I find it hard to keep my head in the game. Sometimes I plan study time and can't keep focus and will have to read the same paragraph over and over again or I get distracted by the most minor things And when I can't pull it together I get into a freak out loop about running out of time that makes it even harder to stay focused. How do get back on track during those times your brain tries to make a run for it?

Oh, and it goes without mentioning: I really need to be working on a paper right now and I keep getting distracted ;) Ooh, look - a shiny object over there!

does anyone know of any websites where you can download fundamentals of nursing or any other nursing text book for free

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Having gone back to school as a second career student, I can tell you that I worked at a very stressful job (I worked at a major university in the dental school in the Department of Oral and Maxilofacial Surgery) There was no down time, we only got 30min for lunch, and we worked our butts off,between our student clinic, our emergency clinic, our oral surgery residents, and our private faculty practice. Not once did I need to take a nap, nor did I have to go for a run or anything else to keep my focus on my job. I went in, did my job, and took excellent care of our patients. It was a non-stop day,every day.

Now that I am in nursing school, I can tell you it is impossible to sit for hours studying without a break. It is also a proven fact that you retain information much better if you take a break to exercise. Sometimes my brain gets so tired, I have to take a nap, just to be able to digest the information, and I am always surprised at how much I recall after the break. You cannot compare school to actual work, where you are up and moving all the time, instead of sitting staring at a book for hours.

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It is really hard to focus for so long. I feel that I get distracted easily. I let myself get distracted, because I get tired and don't feel like studying after a while. When this happens I either take a break, or force myself to keep studying. I remind myself of how bad I want to become a nurse and think about all the students here on allnurses who have said how as a nursing student you will cry and have sleepless nights; it motivates me. You have to work hard for your grades and I don't want to hurt any of my future patients. I want to become a nurse!

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Specializes in NICU.

If I really can't study, I stop and go running. This really helps with stress and clearing my mind. I can usually get some good studying done after this bc I feel more focused. Maybe something like this or going for a walk? Good luck!

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Having gone back to school as a second career student, I can tell you that I worked at a very stressful job (I worked at a major university in the dental school in the Department of Oral and Maxilofacial Surgery) There was no down time, we only got 30min for lunch, and we worked our butts off,between our student clinic, our emergency clinic, our oral surgery residents, and our private faculty practice. Not once did I need to take a nap, nor did I have to go for a run or anything else to keep my focus on my job. I went in, did my job, and took excellent care of our patients. It was a non-stop day,every day.

Now that I am in nursing school, I can tell you it is impossible to sit for hours studying without a break. It is also a proven fact that you retain information much better if you take a break to exercise. Sometimes my brain gets so tired, I have to take a nap, just to be able to digest the information, and I am always surprised at how much I recall after the break. You cannot compare school to actual work, where you are up and moving all the time, instead of sitting staring at a book for hours.

I agree! I'll study for a while and then take a break and hang out with my kids or take the dog for a walk and come back to studying. I tried the reading while walking someone suggested and I just couldn't retain anything. It took more concentration NOT to trip or run into something than it did to read. It cracks me up on here sometimes when someone posts a question or wants suggestions and you get responses about how since you can't sit for hours and study then you won't be a good nurse. Or I posted a question about what class I should pair with another class and someone posted that since I couldn't make up my mind then I wouldn't be a good nurse. Seriously? I feel we come here for support and suggestions and nobody really knows any of us well enough to question our abilities. Especially when it's pursuing your dream job:)

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Specializes in surgical, geriatrics.
I agree! I'll study for a while and then take a break and hang out with my kids or take the dog for a walk and come back to studying. I tried the reading while walking someone suggested and I just couldn't retain anything. It took more concentration NOT to trip or run into something than it did to read. It cracks me up on here sometimes when someone posts a question or wants suggestions and you get responses about how since you can't sit for hours and study then you won't be a good nurse. Or I posted a question about what class I should pair with another class and someone posted that since I couldn't make up my mind then I wouldn't be a good nurse. Seriously? I feel we come here for support and suggestions and nobody really knows any of us well enough to question our abilities. Especially when it's pursuing your dream job:)

Ha, thank you for saying this, I couldn't help but roll my eyes. You know, I'm "only" putting in 80-90 hours a week in nursing school with no days off, how dare I get a little tired or distracted here and there--that must mean I'm a lazy person and will be a terrible nurse :roflmao: , I mean OBVIOUSLY I have no commitment to this field. I really hope I never become the nurse who feels the need to lash out at people who are just doing their best and trying to be better.

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This is great advice. I would often use the time to put in a load of laundry, load the dishwasher or even go outside and throw a ball for the dog. I have borderline narcolepsy too (self-diagnosed) and this would really help.

Oops, reply didn't show who I was replying to: poster recommended getting up for 5 minutes of physical activity every 20 minutes or so.

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