What am I doing wrong when studying??

shay&lynn, ASN, RN · May 13, 2012

First things first...breathe!

Second, take a break!

I feel for you, I just finished 16 grueling weeks of my 1st semester of nursing school. This scenario brings back memories!

After the first test, I was in total shock...I had studied like mad, felt as if I was well prepared...sat down, wrote my name on the test, went to question one and my jaw had literally dropped. Whoa, what the heck was this?! What do I do if what? What is the best technique? Lord help me! I had spent all of my time studying fact based info, not 'what would you do...'

After that test I knew I had to switch up my studying habits...

To make a long story short, have you taken a test with this instructor before? If so, are all of their tests based the same way (example, what is priority, etc...). If so, I would look at the content that way. I hope this helps in some way :)

runforfun · May 13, 2012

I'm so sorry. You ARE cut out for this. Think of all the work you've put into studying, all of the work you put in even before you started nursing school. Just remember to relax. How many times have you been over the information? Just because you've been over it a million times doesn't mean it has stuck.

Here are a few study tips I've gotten that have been really helpful to me:

When you are studying, don't just read your notes. First, look at the topic, and try to re-create your notes or what is in the book, powerpoints, etc. Then, go back, fill in any gaps, and really pay close attention to what you missed and how it fits into the big picture. Make a point of repeating it a few times, or re-writing it.

Also, try to review a little bit after each class, and make a list of questions. If you don't have any questions, you are doing great! If you do have questions, either get a group together to answer each others questions, or become a regular in your professors' offices. Remember, you profs are there to help you, and they want to see you succeed. You also might be able to explain to them how much you are studying, but still feel like you are struggling, they will probably have some tips (the above tip is from one of my bio professors, and is the best study tip I've ever received).

One more: Try some exercise. It will not only help clear your mind, but it will help you feel better, sleep better, and will relax your muscles once you are doing it regularly. Long hours studying can tense your shoulders and neck, I find swimming is the best to relax them-so long as they aren't already too tense! Additionally, if you can't justify exercising because you don't want to miss out on study time, you can study while you exercise! I personally don't get much if I do something like taking my notes on a treadmill or stationary bike, but I find that going over what I already know while I'm exercising is a great way to reinforce my knowledge and make sure I don't lose it!

I hope this helps. You've looked at the material, and you've studied it. Somewhere in your brain you know it, and that is the important part to remember. Good luck to you!

Kaysmom8 · May 13, 2012

Thank for the advice, i think part of my problem is studying the facts, when we have lecture the teacher may through out a few things like bronchospasms are commonly seen in asthma pt's and when I go to my med surg book they list different respiratory problems the signs and symptoms etc... but they never mentioned half of them during lecture?? Each lecture is taught by a different teacher and the test is a combo of their taught lectures so I have no idea how each teacher bases their questions but I wish I knew how.

Double-Helix, BSN, RN · May 13, 2012

It's difficult to say how you should study without knowing where the instructors get the questions from and they she organizes the tests/information. My best suggestion would be to go to someone in the class who is consistently scoring well on tests. Ask them how they study.

We all have different tricks and techniques that we use to study to help us retain the information better. If your current method isn't working for you- try something different. Rather than reading the text book and lectures and power points, focus on really studying one of them and just briefly review the others. Or try taking notes during lectures. Sometimes writing the information can help. Make flash cards. Read out loud. If you're an auditory learner, reading aloud can really help the information stick. It also forces you to slow down and really think about what you're reading.

But I still think your best bet is to ask someone in your class how they study to be successful.

HealthyFuture · May 13, 2012

It comes a point in the semester where you have to tell yourself "Either I got this by now or I don't" If you have made it this far into the semester then surely you got it by now. Relax.

What I did for my exam is just went back through my book and made sure that I glanced at every box, I made sure I knew Maslow, ABC, RACE and PULL, I made sure I understood any skill I checked off on, I also looked back over nutrition, Age related changes, and then I glanced over my weakiest chapters from past test. I started a week before the exam doing this.

At this point you shouldn't overwhelm yourself with everything you have learned. Just glance back over things for an understanding. If you have any lectures recorded listen to them too! Last if you have a higher power then PRAY!

I spent the day before the final relaxing. My glancing over was done by 4pm and I cooked a big beautiful meal for my family and I walked my dog and I went to bed by my regular none study time which was 10. Wake up early and get to school early. Glance for about 20 minutes if needed and then take your test. And you will do great!:w00t:

Sand_Dollar, BSN · May 13, 2012

I used to read the text then realized it was a waste of study time, the profs never test us on stuff that was not covered in class. I would make handwritten notes in class using the powerpoint printouts but I never liked how the lecture flowed. So I learned to make my own study guide using Word (lots of colors, different fonts...I'm a visual learner). I would also find pictures and stuff off the net to reinforce a concept and because of this Pinterest is my new favorite study tool! Because I spent so much time organizing the notes and finding pictures, all I would have to do is glance over the notes before class. And, when it comes time to study for finals, I already have a set of guides to study off of.

Oh, and for supplemental studying when I had time I would review Saunders NCLEX questions using the CD. It not only helped me with a generalized review (can test by system, ie. Peds, GI), but it helped me become very comfortable with NCLEX style questions. May times I have been able to work through a question, even if I didn't know the answer off the top of my head.

Good luck!

European · May 14, 2012

Many questions on tests are going to be about interventions meaning what you should do first.Always keep in mind the ABC's and Maslow's hierarchy of needs or write them really quickly on your test before starting. At least 50% of the test is going to be about these.Good luck!

SENSUALBLISSINFL, BSN, RN · May 14, 2012

How about meeting with the instructors?

Some of them even send a blue print and some do not.

I found meeting with some instructors in their office time very helpful I have approached the meetings honestly, telling them my study habits and what I concentrated on studying for the exam that I thought I would ace but did not when I thought I knew the material so well :banghead: I also reviewed my exams when I could with them to learn where my rationale was in picking the answers went wrong.

Good Luck...

fleur-di-lis-RN2b · May 14, 2012

I am going into my last semester, and I will tell you that I have had to adjust how I study for each class and teacher, based on how they present the material. But mainly, I now record each lecture and then go back and type notes based from the lecture, and this has helped me tremendously. The teachers at my school pull their test questions based on everything they said in lecture, and I only use the text book as a reference source if I don't understand the lecture material. A few of my teachers have said they don't agree with the information in the textbooks and may even given contradictory information to what the textbooks states, so this is why using the textbook as a reference source makes more sense. Let me tell you that I wasted so much time trying to read the textbook, and study my notes taken during class, then doing NCLEX question, Reviews and Rationals questions, HESI questions, Straight A's in nursing questions....I was spinning my wheels and burning out. Now I don't study as much each day but when I do it's focused only on what we are taught in class... I do try to keep my head from exploding if I can! But seriously, overstudying can be just as bad as understudying, so it's really to your advantage to figure out what your comfort zone is as far as how much studying you need to do.

Good luck, you have made it this far and when all of this starts getting you down, look at the big picture for inspiration and remember that every nurse has struggled with school....you got this!!

freeornearly · May 14, 2012

Try not to memorize word for word powerpoints. If your program is like mine, the questions are more general application questions to the concept. Try to focus on the more broad picture, not the tiny details. Pay attention in class too. The teachers are likely giving hints on test questions, based on what areas they focus more on.

shay&lynn, ASN, RN · May 15, 2012

Kaysmom8-

How did your test go today?