LPN School: How Many Hours Did You Study Per Day?

Jules A, MSN · Jul 2, 2008

Hi,

We did clinicals and lectures during each semester so no differences there but I'd say I averaged 2 hours a night during both LPN and RN school. It depends on the student of course. Good luck.

DaniLPN2RN · Jul 2, 2008

I am currently 4 months into my program. I study between 3-6 hours per night and on the weekends. I do take frequent breaks - 10-20 minutes or so. This pattern works best for me and has helped me to maintain As throughout. We have clinicals during each semester and we have projects to keep us studying the material.

It is a lot of work, but every person is different. There are people in my class who barely study, but they are barely passing too. So, it's up to each person what works for them and how well they want to do.

Good luck to you on this new adventure.

rndavu729, ADN · Jul 2, 2008

I just graduated in May. For me I had no other life. When I came home from classes I ate dinner and studied until 9 pm, sometimes later and got up and did it again the next day. During clinicals, there was paperwork and more paperwork...plus studying for the next tests. It was only a year....worth every second! Best wishes!

bluegeegoo2, LPN · Jul 2, 2008

I would review my notes after supper, but wouldn't kill myself studying. I would hit the highlights, which were adequate for me. Our instructors were good about letting us know what was really important, so we didn't have to pour over every word in every chapter. Good luck!

CT Pixie, BSN, RN · Jul 2, 2008

I am the odd ball student that doesn't really study in the traditional way. I learn by listening, so I attended every single second of class lectures. I'd repeat that info in my head on the drive home and "talk to myself" in my head about it. I'd then relay the info to the poor soul in my house that I came into contact first (even the dogs and cats weren't safe) and I'd say "hey did you know that the blood enters the inferior vena cava and then from there....." If I could explain it out loud to someone and could do it so they understood somewhat, I knew I had that info.

I never really studied my notes or the book. I'd pop on the computer and do NCLEX type questions that pertained to the subject matter I'd be tested on. I think maybe an hour to 1 1/2 hrs per night just doing ?'s. The night before the test, I'd grab my notes, skim them over looking for the starred items (teacher would give us a "hint" to know this) or highlighted info. I'd do the same thing the morning of the test.

My study style doesn't work for a lot of people but it worked for me. I ended up with high honors when I graduated.

All in all I'd say I "studied" between 1-2 hrs close to every night.

You will know once you start classes which ones you personally need to study more or less and can arrange your time to be able to study those areas.

Best of luck. its a long hard journey but so well worth the end result.

kat7ap · Jul 2, 2008

I had clinicals every quarter except the first one where we had a "skills lab". They told me when I entered the program to expect to study at least 4 hours every evening.... Yeah I usually only did 1-2 hours, maybe less. I still earned a 4.0 and was salutatorian of my class. Since my classes pretty much followed the exactly how the text book went, I would highlight in the text every thing in class that they told us that was important and then go back and read and focus on those areas. Before the lectures I would also read that chapter so I would have a better understanding. The thing that was most time consuming in the beginning was the drug cards - I hated those!

Plagueis · Jul 2, 2008

Thanks for answering, everybody. Another reason I asked was that I am constantly told by some nurses that studying for nursing school takes up so much time outside of nursing lectures and clinicals that it is "impossible" to work, spend any time with your family and friends, or watch American Idol. Therefore, I was picturing going to school for 6 to 7 hours, and then coming home and hitting the books for 7 to 8 hours, then going to bed with no time to eat, shower, or go to the bathroom. (Slight exaggeration on my part!) I'm glad to see that my doomsday scenario is not accurate.

pagandeva2000, LPN · Jul 2, 2008

Well, I studied about 3-4 hours a day, but took off Sundays and the day after exams. It was partly because it was a voluminous amount of information for me and (while I hated school immensely), I did enjoy what I was reading. I just don't like school politics. I used red pens and yellow highlighters-in fact, this is a habit that I still follow to this day. In retrospect, I shouldn't have killed myself so much, but, my frame of thought was that I needed to know as much as I can to pass NCLEX and retain what I could for the workforce.

Irish Nurse 89 · Jul 2, 2008

I studied for 2 hours each day. I had a part time job, and found that anything more than 2 hours above the time that I spent in school, just wasn't manageable.

GeauxNursing · Jul 8, 2008

i study maybe an hour a day. sometimes more, sometimes less. i have a life. school isn't that hard for me. (not, by any means, tooting the horn.) when i have a test, i study for a couple hours a few days before. i listen very closely in class, highlight and take notes. when i study, i go over the notes i made in class, and i make outlines of the stuff i highlighted.

school is what you make of it. there are some girls in my class who study for hours every day just to keep their 75 average. some people don't have to do that. i think i have a "see it, remember it" mind. When taking tests, I can see the pages of my notes where the information is, in my head.

i have plenty of family time, and also time to watch my baby shows on discovery health and TLC.

i graduate in January.

Strawberrykool · Jul 8, 2008

We had to take a small course in the beginning about time management. Study for a max of a hour in one sitting take a break and then go back. If you sit for 3-6 hrs without a break you don't retain all of the information. I learn by short spurts tell me something and make me repeat it and I'll remeber it