So as I'm a year into my ADN program, curious if anyone else has study "traditions" that work for them?
For me, I always take the day off work the day before, I get up at 8-9am, eat a good breakfast, make my area on the couch. Books, laptop, notes, etc. I'm in very comfy clothes. Red Bull is my best friend and I push until 4pm, going line by line on my study guide. At 4pm, I order pizza (same place, same kind). I eat dinner with my hubs and kiddo. At 6pm I review practice questions one more time and I'm in bed by 9pm at the latest. Solid 10-11 hours of sleep. I don't touch any notes that AM. Test goes at 8am. I haven't failed a test yet and I think it's the mental comfort of a routine.
I always listen to music, same album or same playlist over and over again (sometimes just same song). Can't do another way when studying. Had this habit since ninth grade.
I can relate to this, I have a bracelet that my daughter made for me that I have to wear before every test, along with using the same mechanical pencil since my first day of college and I am going on my 3rd year. But the one superstition that most people find strange, I still have the same book bag that I had in high-school, I graduated in 1991 plus I used the same book-bag during my twenty years of work as a NYC paramedic.
The noise thing was a must for me but it wasn't really a superstition thing. I had a rule for the night before consisting of being showered and in bed to guarantee at least 8 hours (during school i lived off of 4 hours/night on average).
The superstitious stuff was the day of the test. My classmates would even joke to me about my "rituals."
My outfit had to be jeans, a white gap tee, with my north face fleece pullover with running shoes. oh, and I had to wear a pair of pearl earrings, but not just any pair.... nope, they had to be the ones my husband gave me.
What we brought into the testing room had to be in a clear zip-lock bag. All the contents of the bag then had to be neatly place on the table around me. These items were: my luck brand of mechanical pencil x3; tic-tacs which also held 2 Excedrin tablets; a pack of gum; my lucky hat; a stress ball; carmex lip balm; a bottle of water; a set of keys that had my favorite picture as a key chain; and last but not least- NOT KIDDING- MY HUSBAND'S NEAR EMPTY BOTTLE OF MENS AQUA DI GIO (um, yeah. looking back now, I was totally nuts. but at the time the cologne thing started the husband was oversees and he's always smelled lucky to me...lol.).
Looking back now, it's no wonder why my friends in class gave me a hard time.
I think it's awesome your hunny's smell gave you luck. It would've weird if it was his dirty t shirt or socks! Haha
I totally have superstitions! My classmates think I'm crazy but they work for me. First, I have to wear a particular necklace with a star pendant to every exam. The only time I didn't wear it was to my first attempt at TEAS which I failed. I have worn it since and never failed a regular lecture exam. I also have a tiny cat figurine that one of my instructors gave me after not doing so hot on a math test. She is a crazy cat lady and has (I'm not kidding) literally thousands of little cat figurines in her office. She says that's what her students need to pass as their good luck charms. I must have these things on my person during each test. I once had a math exam during clinical where we cannot wear jewelry and I still had my necklace in my pocket right next to the tiny cat figurine. It's actually funny because I don't like cats but I absolutely have to have this on me otherwise I panic.
Leave my house. go to the library or some place that gets me away from temptations of procrastination. Read everything. God help me the chapters are less than 50 pages and only 4 chapters on the test.
Use review questions from every source: workbook, evolve, Saunders, ati.
My daughter gave me her 'lucky' eraser and her 'lucky' pencil. I used both during my LPN schooling as well as my RN program. (yes, I kept it between LPN school and RN school..3 1/2 years). By the end of the RN program..the pencil is now but a nub..LOL. I still have it..sitting next to my framed degree, my Nightengale lamp and my framed license :)
Pink Magnolia, BSN, RN
314 Posts
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