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A nursing exam is a thing of nightmares. Meals have been missed, sleepless nights are countless, and the stress level of every student increases ten-fold. Walking out of one exam for me meant the start of reviewing for the next test since some material had been taught already. In preparing for each new exam or quiz, there are several methods used in studying. Not every student learns the same way. If you, as a student understand which type of learning style works best with you then finding a method of studying that accommodates will be the most beneficial.
#1 Listening to the Lectures
Listening to your lectures. If you understand better by auditory means recording your lectures will help. I personally purchased a digital voice recorder before the nursing program began. In my experience to get a crisp sound without background noise, place the device by the podium. This although, can intimidate some lecturers. The lecture from a seat in the back of a classroom will still give you good quality but make sure conversations are at a minimum around you. I brought a recorder, but many other students used their smartphone to record lectures. These recordings you are able to listen to in the car, at the gym, really whenever you have the free time. There were some of my classmates who did not listen to the radio in the two years of the program, they only listen to lectures.
#2 Outline the Reading
There is an ample amount of reading and although some student claim to not have opened a book, I found that outlining gave me the best comprehension. The actual act of writing and reading worked best for me. Let me speak with caution. Nursing textbooks are full of so much information, attempting an outline might end more with a rewrite of the chapter than an actual summary. Keep it simple. Definitions and main ideas are what should be in an outline. The outlines were also what helped me keep track of what was read. Reading needs to be kept up with to fully understand all the lecture materials. Reviewing the passages were done the week the coinciding class was held. As a way to divide the reading, I would get the page count needing for the week and get through so many pages a day.
#3 Study Guides
Outlines and study guides may be thought of as the same. An outline is a formal organization of a section of reading. A study guide is based on a topic or group of topics. The study guide may not have a format at all or a self-made form. The information is from multiple sources, including the textbook, reputable online sources, and blogs. Study guides can also have diagrams and pictures. Study guides can also dive into more intricate details, details that might not have been fully understood in the lecture that you, the students can get from other sources.
#4 The Study Group
Study groups can either be a great learning tool or a massive waste of time. For a positive experience find a group that has similar study goals and learning styles or at least a method that works well off one another. A group could delegate reading sections or topics to each member. They could meet up to talk over the material and teach each other the information. A study group could be a complete waste of time if not all the members are willing to put in the work and motivated to work and keep a time limit to the socialization. The success of these methods depends heavily on the group and the individual.
#5 Flash Cards
When studying information for a test, this is my constant go-to method. The student wants to make sure the card is done as soon as the information is given. Flash cards can be digital and used off an app like, Quizlet. I personally like to use3×5 index cards. A good practice is to review the cards at least once a week. The constant review will aid in retaining the information in long-term memory. This is a long-term study method. If you cram making and studying the cards 48 hours before the exam, the cards will be a waste of study time. During nursing school I worked as a cashier, notecards were quiet and small enough to use between customers without upsetting the management. I always had the cards on me, before class, or inline the cards would come out and I would be able to do a short study session whenever and where ever.
#6 Questions
The most important thing a student can do is purchase an NCLEX preparation book and answer questions within the material content. The two more popular sources include Lippincott Q&A Review and Saunders Comprehensive review, there are others, but these two are also the ones found on my bookcase. Answering questions reveal information about your own understanding of the topic. Answering the question will tell whether you have a full comprehension or partial. Both Lippincott and Saunders provide rationales to the answers. Reviewing the rationales, they will explain why the answer is correct but also explain why the other answers are incorrect. The wording of the questions will be similar to the way the questions will be represented on the exam.
To read about the Pros and Cons of the two NCLEX Preparation books read: Review of Lippincott and Saunders
Every student learns differently, it’s important to know how you learn and find a study method that works best. Is there a study method that you use not listed, put it in the comments. Happy studying!