We are told not to

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Study the night before an exam. But who does it anyway? I know I do..actually I'm doing it right now:)

I like how you summarize that:)

I get what they are saying. But wouldn't it be better if they said something like:

Don't be an idiot. If you don't sleep well the night before, you won't do well. Don't stay up all night cramming. You should know this stuff already.

Get a good night's sleep, eat a good breakfast, and review your notes. The night before or the morning of a test is not the time to learn new material; it is a good opportunity to review, though. Just don't be a fool about it.

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Specializes in LTC, Nursing Management, WCC.

I do a quick review of the material... mostly read the summaries at the end of the chapters. If I try to read too much, then I find that the information kinda blurs together and then I have a hard time trying to remember what chapter said what.

The big thing with our tests are concepts and not immediate recall types of questioning... so I just try to focus on the big picture and not what leads up to it. For me, if I know the concept I can usually work backwards to the individual compenets.

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Specializes in FNP, Peds, Epilepsy, Mgt., Occ. Ed.

Don't be an idiot. If you don't sleep well the night before, you won't do well. Don't stay up all night cramming. You should know this stuff already.

Get a good night's sleep, eat a good breakfast, and review your notes. The night before or the morning of a test is not the time to learn new material; it is a good opportunity to review, though. Just don't be a fool about it.

:yeahthat:

You did summarize that well!

If you haven't learned it already, you're probably not going to learn it the night before. Review the night before, and right before if it helps you, but it should just be a review, to get things more firmly fixed in your brain.

Staying up all night the night before is a really bad idea. I've known of people falling asleep and sleeping through the test, trying to do that.

Sabby's suggestion of getting in some relaxation time the night before is a good one. So is the suggestion of getting a good night's sleep.

Good luck to all of you students!:studyowl:

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My exams aren't 'til 4:30 in the afternoon - no way I'm going to pass up studying the night before and the day of! And often I have found something on the exam and think, yeah, I just read that! So it can help.

I do think a good night's sleep is important too though - I can NOT imagine getting up at 3 or 4 AM to study under any circumstances. I also like to get some exercise before the exam - good for the stress level and the brain.

So far what I do is working for me, so I don't plan to change.

Kelly

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Specializes in ICU.

Study habits: Print out power points on 4X6 Index cards

Listen to the lectures (I record all of them, whether they want me to or not........I paid for them after all)

With book and cards out I re-listen to lecture and fill in information from lecture on cards and re-highlight in a different color in book areas stressed in lecture.

Burn lectures to CD (to listen to in the car)

All of the above is done prior to getting ready for test........

Day before test, pull out cards, re-listen to lecture with cards and book open. I usually take an hour break and then do it again (by this time I already know most of the material)

Day of the test 3 hours before the test I go over my cards and listen to lecture while in the car..............an hour before the test I try to think of nothing at all..........totally clear my mind. Then during the test the answers just pop into my mind.

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Who gave such silly advice? Get good sleep, study as needed, but why would someone say, "don't study the night before"??? As many tests as we have, I'd never get any studying done if I couldn't study the night before. We had a marathon session yesterday (sunday) before a Monday am test. It helped tremendously!!

Richard

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Specializes in ICU, Med/Surg, Tele.

i always study the night be4 the exam..and then wake up about an hour early and review so i can decrease my anxiety be4 bed.. i have realized i sleep better if i feel like i still have a chance to review in the AM..:)

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They do give you that advice. And mind you that this have nothing to do with cramming. We were told do not study the night before

Who gave such silly advice? Get good sleep, study as needed, but why would someone say, "don't study the night before"??? As many tests as we have, I'd never get any studying done if I couldn't study the night before. We had a marathon session yesterday (sunday) before a Monday am test. It helped tremendously!!

Richard

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We were never given that advice, and it doesn't make much sense to me either - study in whatever way and using whatever timing works for you! I try to only have review to do the day before an exam, but it doesn't always work that way - last summer we had an exam each Monday and Thursday, so you only had a couple days to get ready for each. Personally, I study pretty low key the day before an exam if possible, just going over my notes again in front of the TV or answering more NCLEX questions. I also get up really early (our exams are usually at 0730, before class) so I can look over my notes again while I get food and coffee in my system before the test starts. I absolutely hate mornings, but without putting some coffee in me I don't trust myself to be functional enough to take an exam.

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Specializes in RN- Med/surg.

I graduated in May. I had never been told not to study the night before..but it's a habit I adopted. I studied CONSTANTLY every day...but quit studying the 24 hours before the exam. The morning OF the exam...I DID review lab values and conversions..but that's it. I studied for every exam as if I were studying to remember it for the NCLEX.

Good luck to all of you. Relaxing the night before really does go a long way.

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Congratulations Aprilhere:balloons:

I graduated in May. I had never been told not to study the night before..but it's a habit I adopted. I studied CONSTANTLY every day...but quit studying the 24 hours before the exam. The morning OF the exam...I DID review lab values and conversions..but that's it. I studied for every exam as if I were studying to remember it for the NCLEX.

Good luck to all of you. Relaxing the night before really does go a long way.

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I do study the night before an exam, but it's mostly just reviewing the few concepts that I might still be a little shaky on. Other then that I try to do a bunch of NCLEX questions that apply to the material we covered. :)

My one friend told me she would spend hours studying the night before our exams for A&P until the early hours of the morning. I personally would never, ever be able to function, lol. She got wonderful grades, but then she had to withdraw for an entire semester because she developed mono and a severe case of strep throat.

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