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!

Here's my two cents about what works for me. I find it very effective to go over several topics or facts and then review them while applying them to the nursing process, then write the topic down on a piece of paper with no other information, then look at the topic name and state everything I needed to know about it a few minutes later, that way, if I could derive it completely from my memory with no que at one point in time then I could definitely pick it out of answer choices on an exam. I only had to review one other time. Note cards were great for me in A&P and micro, but in NS with a job and a 3 year old it became more time consuming then anything. Recording lectures seemed to waste my time also because it took time away from reading the text book and doing practice NCLEX questions relative to what I was learning. I study in an atmosphere similar our exam lab to relieve anxiety and it helps a lot. And like RB2000 said, location location location ... if you aren't comfortable and focused where you are studying, you are wasting your time. Good luck!

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Depends on the type of class.

For patho and pharm I used colored index cards to memorize everything.

For nursing classes, I wrote in the book and highlighed the most important parts, or wrote notes/keywords near them. Since there was a lot to learn, I didn't have the time to write that stuff on index cards always.

I like to make and use flash cards.

Also, I am very visual so in my notes or on flashcards I draw pictures with colored pencils (don't have to be detailed pictures, and you dont have to be an artist...sometimes funny ones to help remember and sometimes accurate pictures. Then when the topic comes up on a test I can see the idea in my head. Does anyone else out there do this?

I guess it works....I have a 4.0 to show for all my drawings. hahah:yeah:

1. Doing tons of NCLEX questions (buy several books like Saunders,incredibly easy series, Mosby's, etc.)

2. Get in a study group (My group each takes a section of the notes and breaks it down into charts which are a lot easier to read)

3. Record lectures and listen to them whenever you have a chance (which for me is in the car)

4. Re-write your notes

5. If you have time after all that read the book (or buy a condensed book like med-surg made incredibly easy)

Thank you!

I agree...flashcards don't work for me... you have to UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPTS... NOT JUST MEMORIZE THINGS!!!!! At my school our tests are very similar to the NCLEX (2 of our instructors have written for the NCLEX). So it's very important to understand things and not just MEMORIZE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :yeah:

So true

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