Please Share Your 5 Most Effective Study Strategies

Nursing Students General Students

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I'm starting a 12-month ABSN program in January 2010 and I would like to know what works best for studying in nursing school. In my pre-requisites I have found that reading the book is pretty ineffective and that I learn the material much better by actively engaging with it (study group, flashcarding, watching educational videos on CD, using practice study figures...you get the idea). All ideas appreciated!

Another thing that really helps me is repitition and continuously studying, not just when there's a test coming up. I originally started doing this for A&P when we would have to memorize all the muscles or bones or something but I've found it works really well for me in my nursing classes too. After we go over something in class I'll read over and review my notes every other day (or every day if it's something I'm having trouble with). I'm not trying to beat it into my brain and I don't spend a whole lot of time; just simply read over it to keep it fresh in my mind and making sure I understand it. Then usually by the time we have a test on it there's a lot less pressure and I feel a lot more confident. Hope that helps

1) Read ahead, just the chapter you will be going over, so you will have an idea of what the teacher will be going over and you will already have info on it.

2) NCLEX books help alot, but they are pretty expensive. My school library has multiple NCLEX books, so I just use those instead of buying them.

3) I use a color system in my notes, like one color for notes taken in class, one for notes I got out of the book, and a bright color when she gives out a test hint.

4) Study groups can help too, but they are only effective if people come prepared, have some knowledge about what is going on, and is not there to chit chat.

5) I like to make mind maps if there is alot of info. For example, in pharm you learn side effects, uses, dose range, mechanism of action, ect. So I will put the drug name in the middle and branch off of that. I always have "side effects" on a certain part of the page and same with the other categories. That way I always know where to look and I can picture it in my mind on test day. Plus I use the white boards on campus and re-do the map on the board and compare it to the one I made on the piece of paper. That way I can see what I am not retaining.

6) I try to take a least one day a week off where I do NOTHING related to nursing or nursing school. That way I can re-focus and catch up on everything I have neglected (laundry, dishes, food shopping....).

Good luck!

:specs:

1. Printing PowerPoint notes that my Professors post online beforehand, and then during lecture I write notes in the margins of the slides to pick up anything extra not in the slides, or explain things that aren't clear.

2. Rewrite notes after class. I try to sit down after class and write out all the powerpoint notes plus my extra notes. And then highlight them.

3. Flashcards! They're great because you're writing the information again, and you can take them anywhere.

4. NCLEX books and other study guide books. I use those "lab" or "workbooks" that go with the textbook. They're great practice once you've studied a bit to kind of test yourself to see what else you need to work on.

5. The night before an exam, GET SOME SLEEP! For me at least, a good night's sleep makes a huge difference in how I perform on the test. The extra couple of hours you spend cramming instead of sleeping just aren't worth it. I'd rather be well-rested :)

i'm just finishing up my first semester in an adn program , and i do agree on the good night sleep that's for sure!!!

when i began in august, i made sure that i went into this program with an open mind, eager to try any type of study habits since i had heard how difficult the program would be. i have to say that you can over study. i was always a person to write notes, rewrite my notes and study by myself. well i did buy a voice recorder, flashcards and joined a study group....even went to the tutor now and then! truly, i know these things work for others but i found the most help in the voice recorder, i would listen to the lectures again before bed, and you really can miss some things while in lecture. i also felt that it helped recording lectures because i could pay more attention to the instructor as opposed to frantically jotting down notes.

the study group really didn't work for me, maybe next semester i'll try again but really, i felt like we focused on some certain subjects too long and some not enough. it got a bit chaotic and my test grades really reflected that. i do best on my own, studying the same way i have through all of my pre-reqs.

i really think as a new nursing student it would be good to try various ways to study--but also dont be afraid to stick with the things that brought you to this point !

sleep is important, and also i have bought some nclex study guide books, i do think they give you a different angle on the same subject and are a great help on those exams!!!

i have a husband who works nights and is never home and 4 sons...and i have to say it is doable!!! take one day to be with your family/friends and get that sleep! :) good luck and congrats!!! :)

welcome to nursing school, you'll never be the same:yeah::yeah:

the best advice i can give you is to record the lectures. sometimes even hearing it twice makes a huge difference. anything that you have to know, put on flash cards, seeing it a million times help to drill it in to the ole tired brain. do the reading before class because so much more of it will actually make sense to you.

good luck, i am sure you will do just fine

I became a nurse in my 40's, going to nursing school full time while working a full time job. Here are some of the ways I found effective for my studying:

1. Take good notes in class. Rewrite them, listen to them on tape, whichever way you retain best.

2. Re: Reading-try to determine what you can skim and what you really need to read.

3. study what is in the "boxes" in your reading. These boxes usually highlight what the author deems important.

4. I didn't have time in my schedule for a study group too often, but when I did, I found it helpful, especially in quizzing each other for A & P exams.

5. When we would get an exam back, I would make note of the questions I missed, so I could study them more later on.

Best wishes to you!

Thanks a lot everybody! So much useful information!

1)I make my own study guide out of the notes.

2) www.studytips.org

3) Read over notes daily.

4) Read over chapter daily.

5) Study group. I start back 1/11/10 and we already have Sundays mapped out as study group day.

GOOD LUCK!!!!!

Specializes in ob, med surg.

My kids made up flash cards with questions on them and the answers on the back. Especially things I was having trouble memorizing like the names of the nerves and what they do. They put a "money" level on them. If I got them right , I got chocolate kisses or m&m's or choc chips-yeah chocolate being my weakness and I got lots of hugs and kisses-which may or may not be applicable in your situation-LOL and we all jumped around like crazies when I scored. I have been out of school for 4 years. I am a slow student (but I get there in the end). I graduated with honors and I STILL remember those answers on those flash cards!

So much is going to depend on your school and instructor... plus your own individual strengths and weaknesses.

If I had to sum up the 5 most effective for my situation:

1) MEMORIZE every word, every phrase, every little procedure in the book, every tidbit mentioned in class. Memorize not only the generic drug name but all the trade names. Learn all alternate names for body parts because if you know the earlobe is a pinna, they'll ask about auricles on the exam. If you're not so good at mass memorizing (like me), find ways to get it done. There are some good (free) online "how to study" courses. I did the "how do you learn" quizzes first, found out I'm a visual learner, and shifted my memorizing tactics to match.

2) My school teaches to the test, not to a more general understanding. So in my school the students doing the best are those doing NCLEX review books over and over and over. There are at least a half dozen good ones I know of. Grab one or two and muddle your way through it. Get GOOD at taking the nclex-type questions. Some feel like trick questions. It's nothing like any other standardized test you've ever seen. I came in with an almost 4.0GPA and scoring 99th percentile in my TEAS exam, and I couldn't do those crazy nclex-type questions to save my life at first.

3) Don't rely on anyone else or let anyone else hold you back. I've been badly burned by a lab partner who didn't prepare, gave me wrong info, and was a nervous wreck. I've also had study buddies not call back, despite us setting up times to meet. In my class, everyone is out for themselves, so they don't think twice about not returning a phone call if they're busy with their own stuff. So I stopped waiting for the magical study group, and I focused on *my* success. Now when classmates see me getting a good grade, they want my help. LOL

4) Be very detail oriented. Listen carefully on HOW they want the assignment, when it's due, where to submit it, what format, what APA/MLA format, what kind of paper, what forms, etc etc etc. They were nailing my classmates big for forgetting little things such as including a blank Grading Sheet. Be organized and thorough every day; don't wait for something to be due to scramble around and fill in the little details.

5) Everything is going to take longer than you expect. Homework is going to be more hours / week than any other class. Papers take more hours to write than any other class. My Care Plan for one patient turned into 60 pages and took probably 20 hours to put together, not including time spent getting assessment data. We're flooded with weekly busywork, everything from APA Format quizzes to hours online MedsPub to writing essays on what we think it's like to be elderly or a different race.

Other than that, overall just try not to stress out, freak out, shut down, or give up. Some days you will ask yourself "why the heck am I doing this" but you'll get through it.

1. BUDDY UP! you need to share your stress and overwhelmed feelings with other nursing students. you are not alone. this is important for your success. also to help keep you focused on important materials and study together for the first tests.

2. DON'T READ THE TEXT BOOKS! They are confusing and overwhelming. Focus on the powerpoints, then Read the chapter end summaries (our teachers get a lot of questions from the pharm textbook summaries). Read the review book they recommend, it has a simple summary breakdown of important topics in multichoice. Our teachers use the "Med/surg reviews and rationales". Usually by touching on the topics 2-3 times in different resources it sticks in my mind. Only for Intro to Prof Nursing do I read the book, it is like a history book, small and thin...you will figure out what you need to do for each of your classes.

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3. BE a NERD! sit in the very front right in front of the teacher. it keeps you focused, engaged, answering questions. my friends who sit in the back text and zone out. I am happy by all the "passive learning" class time gives me.

4. DO NOTHING THE FIRST FEW WEEKS. Get your sea legs, just get organized the first few weeks! don't try to do EVERY reading. in my school we had so many websites to visit, so many books (it took me a while to figure out which book went to which class!). a lot of students were soo harried and overwhelmed. i just tried to get organized and only did reading if we had a quiz. i fared better! someone made a list of DUE DATES for every class on ONE piece of paper. That was AMAZING! i just focused on that to keep me on track.

5. THINK LIKE A NURSE. a lot of nursing school they try to stress Accountability. Don't be late, do what you say you will. etc. Also they stress the NURSING THINKING PROCESS!! a lot of students were getting questions wrong because they couldnt understand the best way for a nurse to act. Just think, what is logically the best for the patient (Maslows Heirarchy)...safety always first. Also the nurse always assesses first, she asks questions, she always lets the patient direct the conversation, trying to be honest, supportive. Questions are multi choice, and you need to choose the BEST RIGHT ANSWER. yep there is more than one right answer!!

I am in the B/A cusp range ;) so it works for me! Good luck!

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