Tips for sucessful study habits

[ajs08RN]

I was accepted to the May ADN class . But now I'm nervous because I know I don't have good study habits. I just wanted to get some input from some people that are the totally opposite. What works best for you? Taping lectures? Reading chapters, and highlighting? Index cards? I feel like sometimes I read the entire chapter and I absorb absolutely nothing. I listen to the lectures and try to write down everything that was said instead of the key points. I want to do my absolute best in the program, and I don't want this to stop me. Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.

[tencat]

Hello! Congrats on getting into the program! First off, STOP writing down everything the prof says. If you have done the reading beforehand, that will give you some idea of what will be important information to write down. When reading, don't re-read and re-read chapters. Look at the headings of each topic. Anything in large print, bold letters, tables is the important information. Concentrate on that information. Highlight as you read and when you go back to the chapter, focus on what you've highlighted. But only highlight the important information. I hope that helps some.

[healer27]

Hi,

Just a couple of thoughts.

Before you start maybe print out some motivational sayings or reasons why you want to be a nurse ; to have in front of you when you don't feel like studying. Sometimes this helps me even though I know it may sound a little corny to some.

I think school is easier if you can get your self to study a little every day instead of trying to cram for a test at the last minute. With the amount of information given to you in nursing school this is almost impossible anyway. I often have a hard time starting to study to BUT I find starting is the hardest part and once I get started I'm fine. I also like to study first thing in the morning on the days I don't have school; that way I get it out of the way. It seems if I don't do that then I get busy with "life" outside of school, (I need to exercise, clean house, go here, go there..).

About reading - I don't retain alot the first time I read a chapter either, for me it usually takes reading the chapter and reading and re-reading the notes as many times as possible. Also, I do make notecards with questions I'm not clear on and review them so I have them concrete in my head. I have also used the "Nursing Made Easy NCLEX" review books and I'll do questions out of that book pertaining to the area we are covering to test myself.

I really think the biggest thing though is not putting off the studying or you'll dig a hole for yourself. It does seem to take alot of time (at least for me..)and personally no matter how much I've studied I never feel i've studied enough.

So those are my 2 cents. Hope it helps. Sorry for such a lloonngg reply.

Best of Luck!

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

checking these links out on studying, test taking and time management will keep you busy until may!

http://www.accd.edu/sac/history/keller/accditg/ssindex.htm - strategies for success, an online primer and tutorial on how to study for students from the alamo community college. this is a pretty extensive resource with links on the right side of the page to click into the following subjects: learning styles, note taking, memory techniques, time management, overcoming procrastination, sq3r (a method for getting the most out of reading your textbooks), study tips, critical thinking, preparing for tests, and oral presentations. also, take a look at the faq's (frequently asked questions).

http://www.psych.ucalgary.ca/students/ugrad/test-taking_advice.html - although this is from the psychology department of the university of calgory, there is very useful information here on studying and test taking.

http://www.oakton.edu/resource/iss/testsvy.htm - there is a study skills checklist at this site. at the bottom of the page are links into information on test taking and test strategies that you should check out.

http://www.glendale.edu/new/services/counseling/tests.htm - strategies for test taking from glendale community college. note, especially, the section on solving problems which is what most nursing exam questions are often asking of you. other information at this site (click on the links at the left side of the page) are time management, note taking, study skills, writing skills, relaxation techniques, building self-esteem and relating to instructors.

http://www.ulc.psu.edu/studyskills/test_taking.html - test taking and anxiety from penn state university learning centers. there are also links here to note taking, reading comprehension, and time management.

http://www.byu.edu/stlife/cdc/learning/strategy.php - test taking strategies and guidelines from brigham young university. good advice on answering true/false, multiple choice, matching, sentence completions, fill in the blank and essay questions.

http://www.academictips.org/acad/multiplechoiceexamstips.html - multiple choice exam tips from academictips.org

http://www.academictips.org/acad/ - main study tips page from academictips.org. lots of good advice on studying and test taking here

http://www.ucc.vt.edu/stdysk/stdyhlp.html - study and skills self-help information from virginia polytechnic institute and state university. this is a very nice site with a lot of information on how to study, take notes, time management and many others.

http://www.gwc.maricopa.edu/class/bio201/index.htm - tips on writing answers to essay questions

http://student.ccbcmd.edu/~gkaiser/goshp.html - click on the link at the left side of the page for "study tips" advice from a microbiology professor

http://www.gwc.maricopa.edu/class/bio201/index.htm - click on the link at the left side of the page for "survival tips" advice from and a&p instructor

http://www.wadeb.com/cuecard/ - on line flash card maker and quizzer

http://www.accd.edu/sac/lrc/john/lresproc.htm - from san antonio college, "the library research process" a short tutorial on using library resources to help with researching information for papers you may need to write. http://www.accd.edu/sac/lrc/gis/ is the home page for "library instruction" at this site with gobs of information and links to finding information.

http://go.dbcc.edu/hhps/nursing/study_skills.html - study skills for the nursing student from daytona beach community college nursing department with some good advice.

http://go.dbcc.edu/hhps/nursing/test_taking_skills.html - test taking skills also from daytona beach community college nursing department. a couple of sample questions and how to chose the correct answer for these application type questions.

[syin]

Based on my experience, most of the exams are based on lecture. For this semester, my professor told us exactly that and some specific reading from the text. I religiously record all my lectures. I attend all my classes and write down everything. A week before examination, I go through all my class notes again and listen to the recorded lectures. I study the summary of each chapter of the text and all the figures/charts/illustration. I have a great textbook by Martini, but the details are intensive and by the end of the chapter, I am unable to remember everything. I feel this method is great for me 'cause I always get an A.

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

As we get older, memorization of facts becomes easier when they are repeated. So, repetition is very important in learning. Reading a chapter of your textbook once just isn't enough. You don't have to re-read the whole chapter at once, but while you do any related questions asked at the end of the chapters or answer the class objectives your instructors have given you on your syllabi you pick out specific areas of a chapter to re-read. That way, you are being exposed to the important concepts. The more you read about them, talk about them, answer questions about them, play around with any games on the internet with the companion web site for your text book, talk with others about them. . .the more likely it is that you will remember and begin to understand these things. Don't miss opportunities to get into discussions with other students about some tidbit of a subject you are all studying. Hearing things or repeating to someone something that you learned is another way we reinforce our learning. It is important to hear the concepts stated in different ways to help cement it in. So, the textbook is only one way of viewing the information. Don't be afraid to look at other sources for the same information. Sometimes another author can write information in a way that just clicks in your brain. Your textbooks are merely starting places to learn information. Don't restrict yourself to just that one source. It is also very helpful to ask "why" questions in order to establish the rationale of some things. By understanding "why" the rest of the information falls into place much easier. Our minds love to organize information even though we may not think we're much of an organizer. Cramming at the last minute is not learning for the long term. You have to start from Day 1 making an effort to learn information for a class. At first your efforts may seem kind of lame, but it all adds up. For straight memorization, flashcards and mneumonics work very well.

[KungFuFtr]

I was accepted to the May ADN class . But now I'm nervous because I know I don't have good study habits. I just wanted to get some input from some people that are the totally opposite. What works best for you?

Guess what...

YOUR STUDY HABITS GOT YOU ACCEPTED!!!!

So, you're doing something right...right?

:biere:

[Elizabeth Hanes, BSN, RN]

I firmly believe a student needs to "redevelop" the information, especially in courses like A&P and microbiology, in order to make it "stick" in the brain.

What I mean by redevelop is...

- make flashcards

- using your class notes covering one textbook chapter, comprehensively outline the material

- create charts

- make drawings with appropriate labels

- talk through concepts and material out loud, as if you're teaching it to someone else (I find this extremely helpful!)

- ask yourself "why?" and then provide a comprehensive answer (for example, don't just memorize the fact that simple epithelial tissue is found in the linings of the arteries; ask yourself WHY simple epithelial tissue is found there, and then respond, "Because simple epithelial is the thinnest tissue, and thus it allows oxygen and nutrients to easily cross from the artery into surrounding tissues." This technique will really help the material crystallize in your mind.)

One thing I have found for science courses, in particular, is that just reading the material over and over does not help me remember it. However, if I instead redevelop the material in some new way, I can easily recall it at test-time. Plus, the fact is I don't want to just be able to remember this stuff long enough to pass the test -- I want/need to remember it for the rest of my career!

Good luck!

[allthingsbright]

I just read somewhere about a nursing student getting big sheets of butcher paper and making "maps" of all the info she was learning--she integrated it all onto the paper and she had like these huge set of notes to look at. Kinda sounded neat.

I read my chapeter before the lecture, tehn again after lecture. I rewrite my notes, make not cards, do the study questions, and get together with a study group. I am managing A's--but get B's if I slack off. I make study a daily habit-everyday for at least and hour I read through my notes, etc. It works for me.

[sdmommie]

I tape lectures, (of course) write lecture notes, do the study questions at the end of every chapter. What helps me the most is integrating what I've learned. I always try to ask myself, "Why is this important? What does it do? What happens when this doesn't work?" etc. Get the bigger picture. I'm not a big fan of flash cards for everything. When I do use them, I use them like a stack of questions and answer them by writing it down. Cognitively, writing helps input the information in your memory.

[karmyk]

- Pay attention to unit/chapter objectives and information deemed important by your teacher

- I find it useful to stick to some of the old-school things our teachers made us do in elementary school, such as:

-- doing a vocabulary list (and writing out definitions) for key terms in the section

-- doing the review questions (this REALLY helps)

-- paying extra attention to the first and last paragraphs in a long chapter

- I find index cards are useful for remembering major information... but best utilized for compacted information. In other words, quality is more important than quantity on index cards.. Quite often, I'll just put single words or short phrases that remind me of the bigger picture.

- I like to study with other people... not necessarily in a study group, but surrounded by people who are also concentrating on studying.. It's like I'm almost leeching off of their intense study-auras

- For courses that force you to learn a lot of information in a week, make a study plan for the week, and STICK with it.. If I take a class that covers multiple chapters in a week, I divide the week into chapters AND schedule in an extra day for review.. This is crucial when you're taking a LOT of units (When I did my undergrad as an electrical engineering major, my typical semester was basically filled by 22+ semester hours, a job, AND athletics... scheduling, for me, was crucial... and scheduling in some cushioning time was crucial, too)

- Figure out what study techniques work best for you and stick to them... because everyone is different (which is what makes us all awesome!).

[nicholrwalker]

checking these links out on studying, test taking and time management will keep you busy until may!

http://www.accd.edu/sac/history/keller/accditg/ssindex.htm - strategies for success, an online primer and tutorial on how to study for students from the alamo community college. this is a pretty extensive resource with links on the right side of the page to click into the following subjects: learning styles, note taking, memory techniques, time management, overcoming procrastination, sq3r (a method for getting the most out of reading your textbooks), study tips, critical thinking, preparing for tests, and oral presentations. also, take a look at the faq's (frequently asked questions).

http://www.psych.ucalgary.ca/students/ugrad/test-taking_advice.html - although this is from the psychology department of the university of calgory, there is very useful information here on studying and test taking.

http://www.oakton.edu/resource/iss/testsvy.htm - there is a study skills checklist at this site. at the bottom of the page are links into information on test taking and test strategies that you should check out.

http://www.glendale.edu/new/services/counseling/tests.htm - strategies for test taking from glendale community college. note, especially, the section on solving problems which is what most nursing exam questions are often asking of you. other information at this site (click on the links at the left side of the page) are time management, note taking, study skills, writing skills, relaxation techniques, building self-esteem and relating to instructors.

http://www.ulc.psu.edu/studyskills/test_taking.html - test taking and anxiety from penn state university learning centers. there are also links here to note taking, reading comprehension, and time management.

http://www.byu.edu/stlife/cdc/learning/strategy.php - test taking strategies and guidelines from brigham young university. good advice on answering true/false, multiple choice, matching, sentence completions, fill in the blank and essay questions.

http://www.academictips.org/acad/multiplechoiceexamstips.html - multiple choice exam tips from academictips.org

http://www.academictips.org/acad/ - main study tips page from academictips.org. lots of good advice on studying and test taking here

http://www.ucc.vt.edu/stdysk/stdyhlp.html - study and skills self-help information from virginia polytechnic institute and state university. this is a very nice site with a lot of information on how to study, take notes, time management and many others.

http://www.gwc.maricopa.edu/class/bio201/index.htm - tips on writing answers to essay questions

http://student.ccbcmd.edu/~gkaiser/goshp.html - click on the link at the left side of the page for "study tips" advice from a microbiology professor

http://www.gwc.maricopa.edu/class/bio201/index.htm - click on the link at the left side of the page for "survival tips" advice from and a&p instructor

http://www.wadeb.com/cuecard/ - on line flash card maker and quizzer

http://www.accd.edu/sac/lrc/john/lresproc.htm - from san antonio college, "the library research process" a short tutorial on using library resources to help with researching information for papers you may need to write. http://www.accd.edu/sac/lrc/gis/ is the home page for "library instruction" at this site with gobs of information and links to finding information.

http://go.dbcc.edu/hhps/nursing/study_skills.html - study skills for the nursing student from daytona beach community college nursing department with some good advice.

http://go.dbcc.edu/hhps/nursing/test_taking_skills.html - test taking skills also from daytona beach community college nursing department. a couple of sample questions and how to chose the correct answer for these application type questions.

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