Studying Techniques

allnurses Guide · Nov 23, 2007

Some techniques I am using in nurse anesthesia school: Highlight the important information, make question & answer note cards, read/reread the information, try to imagine how the information will be used in a question, and if their is a large chart to memorize write the info. over and over.

Study groups help some people...another option is to type up your question/answer note cards and then switch with one or two other people.

Good Luck!

ericalynn, BSN, RN · Nov 24, 2007

here's how I got through nursing school.

1. Find a good study group, people you get along with, who have the same work ethic as you. Try to keep the group small, no more than 4 people is what I found works best.

2. While studying, each person in the group focuses more intensely on a specific part of the chapter/lecture. Then at study group (mind you the rest of the group member have also studied the material but not as intensley) the member who did the focus will "teach" the other members. Soemtimes it is earier to learn when it is someone on your own level teaching you the material and then you can ask the same stupid question 500 times and they won't get mad

3. Flash cards that I WROTE OUT MYSELF! I tried buying them and just reading them but actually writing them out and looking up different terms that I was unsure of really helped.

Hope this helps some! Good luck!

pagandeva2000, LPN · Nov 24, 2007

I was famous for using yellow highlighters, red pens and sticky pads to rewrite concepts or make concept maps in my own words. There was something about the colors yellow and red that made me remember well.

Also, for breaking down material, I would first want to know when the exam is, and from there, break down how much of the chapter I wanted to study for the days, and made sure that I had at least 4-5 days before the exam to re-read and then to practice NCLEX-styled questions. I also has a Comprehensive Review Book for NCLEX which really summarizes the information VERY well. FOr the few days before the exam, I reverted to that book and wrote on my sticky pads things that I gained from the actual textbook. Worked like a charm for me, because I graduated top of my class.

I would consider purchasing Saunder's Comprehensive book for NCLEX, because each chapter also included all of the medications used for the particular diseases. That was important to study as well, in case you get a question on that. Word associations work well, also. I was not a study group person, because they really distracted me. It works well for some, however, try not to count on them alone. Bottom line is that you have to know the information for yourself. Best of luck to you!

MQ Edna · Nov 24, 2007

Use all your notecards up (flash cards) like they are going out of style and just keep quizing yourself whenever you have extra time or during your regular study periods. Also a study group is an awesome idea, make it into a game so everyone enjoys themselves and you will learn better this way as well.

empress04 · Nov 24, 2007

in order to memorize normal values i write in colored papers and stick it all over the walls of my room so that where ever my eyes go i can see it...

study group is also great!

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Nov 24, 2007

hi, wi5eguy. . .studying is like any other skill you learn in life. you get better at it with more practice. i can honestly say that at your age i was not as good at studying as i am now and a few college degrees later. i am giving you several websites of study information that have been put together by various colleges around the country on how to study. read this material. some of the techniques may strike your fancy and you might want to put them into practice. some may work for you; some may not. you won't know unless you try them out. at another time one or more of these techniques may work better in another situation. as i said, experience helps you learn what works best for you.

http://www.studygs.net/ - study guides and strategies
http://www.accd.edu/sac/history/keller/accditg/ssindex.htm - strategies for success
http://www.howtostudy.org/
http://www.vark-learn.com/english/page.asp?p=helpsheets - how do you learn best?

a great deal of what you will learn in nursing school will be brand new information that you have never been exposed to before. new information is always a little harder to assimilate than when we are building upon information we have already had some exposure to. therefore, repetition is important is learning.

as a nursing student you should be checking out the student nurses threads on allnurses. you will find lots of support there when you get into your nursing classes as well as lots of helpful weblinks to help you with your studies. you can get to these forums by clicking on the "students" tab at the top of any page you are on when you are on allnurses. there are even a couple of sticky threads there on how to study!

biker nurse · Nov 24, 2007

What I found to be a life saver, was a CD I bought from the Discovery store that was made especially for studing. (check the Discovery store on-line) also meditation CD's. Good Luck!!

Conrad283, BSN, RN · Nov 24, 2007

Read first and then study first. You can't study it, if you don't understand it. Once you understand it, it gets much easier.

HM2VikingRN, RN · Nov 24, 2007

Get into a study group

Read the introductory paragraphs to chapters and then the summary points. Then read the material in between. This helps you learn to recognize the "must knows" from the chapter.

Depending on the type of classroom syllabi use that as a reading guide for each chapter. At my school the syllabi are very detailed and this helps me to recognize what is important to really nail down in my brain.

Also really study the concept maps in the text.

Best of luck!