Passed, barely

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Ok, I passed ob and peds. As some of you might remember, I was not getting good grades on tests and needed to good on the finals to pass. I did bad on the ATI's (72 & 65), but with some help from my gf, and with a remedial ati, got just enough to pass. I'm disappointed my sister and a few of our school friends did'nt make it though. I should be happy, but I know this last half of the semester is going to be real tough (med surg) and I know I need to change my study habits and do better in clinicals. I think I finally figured out I need to copy down all the notes on my own instead of just reading them and not relying on note cards as much. Any other ideas to help me learn and retain things better?

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Can you tape record lectures so you can go over the material and "clean up" your notes after the class? We were allowed, most of the time, to do this when I went to nrsg school. I was surprised at how much I found in the tapes that I had missed during lecture while I was writing down my notes. I was even aware when I was missing things as I was really concentrating. In class, most people are too shy to ask the instructor to repeat or explain. Even if you ask for clarification, you can't get the instructor to repeat themselves all the time. Good luck.

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I verbally talked thru things.. Pulmonary was one of our "grim reaper tests" the let us know more than 45% failed it last year.. badly.. I studied w/ someone and did all the study guides.. but then I sat there and went through each disease (Pneumonia, TB, COPD, ect) and explained it to my partner like she knew nothing.. I figured if I could explain it and everything about it to someone that knew nothing, I would be good. It really helped because I wasn't trying to remember cue cards but really thought things through.. got a 90% so I am sticking w/ this system!

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

medsport. . .we are all unique individuals and learn in different ways. what works for your girlfriend and sister may not be what is going to work for you. i really, really recommend that you go through the pages of these two websites and follow the advice presented. if you are not already doing some of the study suggestions they give please follow their advice.

http://www.accd.edu/sac/history/keller/accditg/ssindex.htm - strategies for success, an online primer and tutorial on how to study for students from the alamo community college. this is a pretty extensive resource with links on the right side of the page to click into the following subjects: learning styles, note taking, memory techniques, time management, overcoming procrastination, sq3r (a method for getting the most out of reading your textbooks), study tips, critical thinking, preparing for tests, and oral presentations. also, take a look at the faq's (frequently asked questions).

http://www.ucc.vt.edu/stdysk/checklis.html - this is a study skill checklist for you to go through and inventory your study habits from virginia polytechnic institute and state university. at the bottom of the form is the link to "study skills self-help information" which is all kinds of information to help you with areas you were weak on in the checklist. if you want to bypass the checklist and just go into the information section, go to this link http://www.ucc.vt.edu/stdysk/stdyhlp.html

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Specializes in ER.

I just finished Med-Surg I with a 92. I learned that a good study group is essential for passing and comprehending the material. My study group would make up scenarios where one of us is the patient presenting with symptoms of a disease that we happened to study. Then we would go through each step of the nursing process on how we would provide care for this patient. We found out that it works well on understanding and remember the material and application of the material. I hope that this helps.

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