Motivation and General Whining

[LizzieRickard]

Hey everyone,

Not really new to the site since I have been reading forums on here for around a year, but decided to finally make an account. Anyway, to get to the point...

I NEED MOTIVATION.

My semesters are broken up into quarters and next week is the end of my first quarter. I am passing, but only just. I am fine discussing terms and proficient in my skills, but the NCLEX style questions are confusing the hell out of me. I am not doing well at all. I have an 83% in my class (failing is 77%). I have a Unit Exam on Monday, Skills Test Tuesday, and Final Wednesday. I try reading the book but it is droning on and on. Any tips? My school doesn't do powerpoints or handouts. We take a few notes in class and all the rest is learning on our own. We get maybe 2 full class days to discuss 6-8 chapters then we test on it before moving on to the next Unit. I feel like I am suffocating under all the reading.

What can I do?

[Kuriin, BSN, RN]

I was going to post a long response until I noticed your school doesn't provide powerpoints. Are you in by chance an accelerated program?

[SopranoKris, MSN, RN, NP]

Can you record your lectures? I find hearing the information helps me remember it better. Also, any students you can study with? I find if I can "teach" the material to someone else, I can think through the test questions.

[mrsboots87]

How you study will depend highly on how your instructors test. Do they mostly test off what is gone over in lecture, or everything from the chapter including tables and obscure side notes? If they mainly test from lecture, then take better notes (which maybe you can do anyway, not sure how you note take). Even without powerpoints, you can write just about everything gone over, or draw pics, or whatever helps you remember. And see if you can record lecture for later listening. You may catch things that you missed before. Then use the reading as supplimental. If your intructors test everything from the book, then still take good notes to refer if confused on a topic, but read by skimming for the objectives. Every instructor has to give you objectives for what you are expected to know on each test. You dont have to read the whole chapters, because some of it wont be tested on or taught until later semesters. Skim the first and second sentace of each paragraph, if you need to read up then read the whole thing. If it is something your already understand or isnt an objective, then move on. This can cut your reading time down and help you focus only on what you need to know. And lastly, if you dont have an NCLEX book or a test success book, then get them. The test success book will help you learn how to break down each question to find what it is actually asking you. The NCLEX book will let you practice NCLEX style questions on each subject to get ready for thinking in the NCLEX world. Also, it will give you a rationale behind each right and wrong answer so you understand why that is the most right answer. GL. And honestly, and 83% isnt terrible. Of course there is room for improvement, but I would gather that there are currently students in your class either failing, or very close. At least you have a little cushion. Just looking at the bright side.

[caliotter3]

I found that recording the lectures was very helpful.

[lallybroch]

Get some books with NCLEX style questions. The more questions you do the better you become in answering them. My instructor let me borrow her book "Test Success" it explains how to break down the question and how to answer it based on the type of question. Once you understand how to do that, start doing content questions. I was told to do 20 EVERY DAY!!! Often, I do more than that because once I start, I can't stop. Practice makes (almost) perfect. Good luck!