Study tips/Exam help!

If your book has learning objectives I would try to answer those and if you can't ...refresh your knowledge for those topics. That has helped me!

I had the same trouble with nursing. I was an honor student in high school and had a 3.5 for 3 years of college. Got into nursing school and it was like slamming into a brick wall. Struggled my first and second semester. My third semester i got through 2 tests and was not passing. I was told about this guy who is a nurse and teacher who takes complex subjects and makes them fun and easy to remember. He made a song about cirrhosis which helped me tremendously. Finishing up my final semester

I believe in trying a variety of methods. I take notes during class, read the charts & key points in the textbook, write concept maps and try to place myself in the situation when reading about how to care for a patient with asthma (example). I would assess for what, get this diagnose, plan for whatever, implement it through these actions and evaluate the effectiveness. I use Saunders and the questions in my text book as practice questions and read the rationales for each.

I hope this helps. Good luck this semester!

Thanks for the posts!! I think that if I'm going to read the book, I'll need to do it in a timely fashion otherwise it's too difficult to try to read the book a few days ahead of the exam. That was probably mistake number 1. I should also go through my notes soon after class to reinforce the lecture, then try to do questions. I just want to see an upward trend in my exam scores and i'll be happy. Plus we're doing more babies/v*g*n*s this semester!!

I had a teacher tell me when I was struggling that it is best to study in short periods, take a break, then study, take a break and continue with this pattern. It has helped tremendously. She said it is counter-productive to sit and study for hours on end because you remember the first part and the last part and forget everything in between. My grades have gone up since I changed the way I study.

Hey jetsy62! I have a professor tell us the same thing...she said we should take a break every hour. I probably do that instinctively though.

study for an hour... take a half hour break listen to music workout do something you like and is relaxing set a timer then go back do this 3 times a day during your study time and the learning just happens

I talk through difficult concepts, even if it's to myself. It's like re-teaching the material to someone else after I've read it, helps to reinforce it. Gotta do it in your own words, not just read it to yourself.

Took a test Friday. Grade went up 11 percentage points. There might be something to this studying for short periods of time, breaking, studying, breaking. Now, if I only knew that from the get go.

Thanks for this thread. I am also typically an A student but am currently failing my 2nd semester of nursing school. I did great on the first test and quiz but last week I bombed a test (D-) and today I straight up failed a Pharm test worth 30% of my grade. I've been in with the teachers and they tell me to re-learn how to study. I'm kind of freaking out because we have a test every single week. I'm going to try this and if you have any other specific tips for studying these vast amounts of material in 4-5 days in between labs & clinicals.. please share!!