Not Studying & Passing NS

Editorial Team / Admin · Nov 12, 2017

The key is to study in the way that works for you. It is quite possible that as you move through nursing school and the info becomes more complex that you will need to study more. However, if it works for you, don't try to fix it.

allnurses Guide · Nov 13, 2017

Everyone is different. I honestly feel like I mostly breezed through nursing school,

at least as far as the classroom and book studying went. I didn't get all A's or

anything, but mostly A's and B's, a couple of C's. I honestly don't feel like I

had to do an unmanageable amount of studying. That's not to say that I

didn't study! I guess I just absorb and retain information better than a lot

of people. Or at least I used to.

Now, once I graduated and actually got out there into the clinical world...

I struggled more than many of my classmates. My nursing career was one

big struggle for years, to find myself and find what I was good at.

School doesn't really teach you how to be a good nurse. You learn

things that yeah, you will need to know when you are on the floor.

But you learn to be a good competent nurse with a willing "can do"

attitude and a willingness to learn even more, a lot of things that

you didn't learn in school.

I don't know what was wrong with me. :) I know that I tried to

be an RN on the same floor that I had worked as a CNA for four

years, and the transition was incredibly awkward for me and

just didn't go well and I struggled for many years after that.

Sour Lemon · Nov 13, 2017

Hi, everyone. I'm almost done with my 1st semester, I joined my classmates on an FB group and I realized everyone studies so much more than me. They have a bunch of note cards, study 5 hours a day, and do group study. I don't really do much at all, I study like 3 hours before a test and I get A's and B's, and everyone else gets C's and D's. I really can't study for long because I'm so easily distracted and I have chronic fatigue. I know I should be happy that I'm doing well with not much work, but I'm worried that I'm somehow doing something wrong. It feels weird to me that it's coming so easy to me but not for the people who try. Is this going to be bad for me in the next semesters when I really will need to study, or does it not get much harder? Should I break the habit even though I'm doing well?

If you're a CNA, a lot of the first semester should be old news to you. I actually found the bed-making and vital signs more difficult than critical care because it was all completely new to me. I'd say keep doing what works for you and only change if you feel the need.

I've always found it more beneficial to listen in class than furiously scribble notes. Beyond that, I just read my books and tried to think about the "big picture". I doubt that "everybody else" is making low grades while only yours are super-high, though. Maybe they exaggerate a little bit about their difficulties- like you're doing here about your successes.

Future-NurseRedHeart · Nov 13, 2017

I'm in an accelerated program so we're 3 months in doing med administration, NG tubes, foleys, injections, wound care, etc. Being a CNA didn't do much because we finished all of the CNA stuff in a a few weeks. Our school director had a meeting with us because 52/68 students were failing, so yeah some other people are passing too but the majority of my class isn't doing well. I'm just worried that I'm doing something wrong because it seems like all nursing students struggle and study for hours, I'm just not sure how it's gonna be later in school if it'll get harder, because it'll be hard for me to break that habit

Quota, BSN, RN · Nov 13, 2017

I'd only really worry if you aren't retaining the information and forget it all by the time you take the NCLEX. People study and learn differently. I'm sure some of my classmates spend less time studying than me, and others spend more time studying. All that matters is if you are learning the material or not not just spitting it back for an exam and forgetting it the next day.

blondy2061h, MSN, RN · Nov 13, 2017

I found in nursing school a lot of the people with piles of flash cards and spending hours a day studying were studying "dumb." They were focusing on memorizing facts and statistics rather than on understanding concepts. Or maybe they were studying for hours but doing on on not enough sleep or in a distraction filled environment where they weren't retaining any information.

elijahvegas, ASN, RN, EMT-P · Nov 13, 2017

what the...no.

if it aint broke dont fix it. as long as you get the material--and it appears that you clearly do--what everyone else is up to shouldnt affect what works for you

Trauma Columnist · Nov 13, 2017

Moved to student nursing forum

Shawn91111 · Nov 13, 2017

Do whatever works for you. I need to study 4 hours or so a day, always have, and thats fine for me. I'd be happy if I studied less and got the same or better grades, but I just do not work that way

Future-NurseRedHeart · Nov 13, 2017

I think this comment is the best... That makes a whole lot of sense, thank you. I just felt weird not being in with the crowd, you know? I guess whatever works for me is OK. I just felt ashamed not putting a lot of work in and still doing well, I don't think I'll ever be the student who studies a lot, uses flashcards, and takes a bunch of practice tests, and that's okay.

Future-NurseRedHeart · Nov 13, 2017

@blondy I think this comment is the best... That makes a whole lot of sense, thank you. I just felt weird not being in with the crowd, you know? I guess whatever works for me is OK. I just felt ashamed not putting a lot of work in and still doing well, I don't think I'll ever be the student who studies a lot, uses flashcards, and takes a bunch of practice tests, and that's okay.