Needs Help With Studying

Hi Blaze,

My school also used that grading scale--80% was a B- and anything below that was failing...and we used Potter & Perry Fundamentals first semester...I would recommend using the NCLEX questions at the end of the chapters to ensure understanding of the material as well as the CD that comes with the text. I would also suggest getting in the habit now of knowing WHY and not just memorizing facts because the test questions are geared to the hows and whys vs. easy multiple choice (and second semester is more difficult with alterations, etc.). In Fundamentals and Skills I made up index cards with the "expected outcomes" for each chapter on index cards with the answer, diagram, etc. on the reverse side and kept them handy for studying. Meeting with the professor to help focus your studying might also help (I never used NCLEX guides until I was preparing for boards--because I too thought that was way too much information). Lastly (sorry this has been so long) I strongly recommend study groups--talking through anatomy, physiology, etc. helped things stick a little better than just reading text, powerpoints, etc. over and over. Best of luck as you work through your first semester--it's tough but it's so worth it!!

Hello Blaze~

I just made it through nursing school. I was a tutor for for 5 semesters at our school's "Learning Center." That being said, I saw that there are lot of reasons why people have a tough time making the grade. My best advice is:

Network, network, network. Make friends with people in classes/semesters above you. Get to know people in your skills lab. Ask them the best teachers to take. When you find out your schedule, ask them tips on that teacher. Let's face it, not all teachers go by the book, sometimes they test more on lecture. Without cheating, you can find out A LOT about your professor's teaching style, test-writing style, and paper grading style. Insider tips can make or break your grade. It could even bump your B to an A in the end.

People learn differently... some learn better in study groups where you talk about what you're learning, some do best by burying themselves in books. Don't be shy!!!! Ask your classmates to meet for a study group. Chances are, they would like to but A) are also being shy, B) Aren't motivated enough and need a little push, or C) are already in a group and can invite you. Study groups can save you from HOURS of extra studying.

Be organized. By the time it is midterms or finals roll around you are BUSY!! If before/after every single class you spend a couple of minutes organizing your powerpoints in a 3 ring binder, this will save you significant time and stress by test time. Staple whole powerpoint lectures together so that you don't lose pages. Arrange papers in order of class. If you take notes on separate pages, put them next to the powerpoint for that lecture. Use something cheap like a sticky note to mark each week, the topic, and book chapters covered. This way, when you want to study a topic, or a friend asks you a specific question, you can turn quickly to it... stress free. This seems simple, but when I told this to students, their eyes lit up and they later gave me feedback that it really helped them.

Talk to your professors. Sucking up is not required. But if you come up with a question during class and do not raise your hand, see them after class and they will have more time to clear up your confusion.

Go to office hours. People always have questions about papers... a lot of professors told me that if students would have simply visited their office hours to review a paper before it was turned in, they would have gotten a much better grade. Again, this is not sucking up... it is just a part of going to school! An added bonus to this is if you get to know your professors, they can potentially be a great reference to you later for a job. Most professors love investing in people's success.

Go to a tutor. All schools have academic support, so check out that office. Check it out even if you don't feel like you need help. Get the name of the tutors for your class. If they have office hours, go to them. If they hold study groups, go to them. DO NOT FEEL "STUPID" FOR GOING TO A TUTOR!! As a tutor, I worked with students who had learning disabilities, people with ADD, students who failed tests, and fantastic, organized A+ students, and everything inbetween. People won't judge you for going to a tutor- chances are, they will admire your for working so hard and being dedicated to your studies. Tutors have the job because they WANT the job. They love to help people. The best part is, they can direct you towards what you need to be studying more, and tell you the information that you don't need to worry as much about. :wink2: They can also work with you on test-taking skills.

Well, I could go on and on, but I feel that's some of the best advice I have that would apply to any school. If you follow all of these, the next thing to do is to make sure you make yourself take some time to HAVE FUN!!

Best of luck

I would recommend highly using Saunders for supplemental material throughout nursing school. The rationales really help to expound on concepts in both an explanatory fashion as well as in application. If I can help you, please email me. I struggled until I found additional resources. As well, if your library has videos for assessment and safety as well as introduction to med/surg e.g., cardiac function etc., that is VERY helpful. Also, there are flash cards online that are absolutely amazing!! Believe me, I tried it all. Feel free to contact me. I am glad to assist.

I agree with Chocolateheals' advice as well. I took advantage of tutors (at my school, it was done by teachers too), and I think there were only 3-4 people who used them. My tutor would even formulate test questions at end of tutor session and help me think through answers when I had trouble.

Also if you are a visual learner, I would recommend the "Illustrated Study Guide for the NCLEX-RN Exam" by JoAnn Zerwekh and Jo Carol Claborn. These authors also publish illustrated aids. Check them out at your bookstore and see if these would be worthwhile for you.