Studying Tips for Nursing Students

I think I’ve finally learned how to study for my exams in nursing school (it’s taken 3 semesters, but its totally fine *insert dreadful cry*). Last week I had my last final exam for level 3, and I managed to get a 95% on it. I flew through the exam, and I wasn’t second guessing my answers because I actually knew the information. It was the best feeling ever! Here’s what I did:

• Began studying about 2 weeks before the exam. Cramming for exams may work for some, but for the majority it’s not beneficial at all, especially for nursing students because you wan’t to leave your class at the end of the semester actually knowing what the heck you even talked about in that class. 
• Used quizlet. If you like flashcards but don’t want to spend the time making flashcards, quizlet is your friend! I had over 100 quizlet flashcards for this final exam. I would start with the term, and then on a separate piece of paper I would write out the definition/answer. This was super helpful, as it helped me to instill the answers in my brain. 
• Studied in groups! I find that when you talk with someone about the material that you tend to retain it a lot better. I found myself actually running a study group the day before the exam, which has never happened, but because I was so confident in the material I felt comfortable enough to question people on it and help them out to learn the info. 
• Used my professors powerpoint and then went back into the book and read every topic that she had in her powerpoint. I have never done this before. I hate reading! But I found it extremely beneficial to go back into the book and read the topics that my professor had discussed in lecture, as it further explained a lot of the topics we discussed. 
• Dirty Chai. These were my lifesavers during long days of studying. The shot of espresso really helped to keep me awake, and I liked that I didn’t get the jittery feeling that coffee gives me. 
• listened to my brain when it was tired. Studying when you are tired is the most un-beneficial thing you can do for yourself. Your brain won’t retain a single thing if you are tired. I went to bed super early some nights, but it was worth it because I was able to wake up early the next morning and get right to studying.
• never just keep studying, take breaks! The day before my exam I took a three hour break. I just laid in bed, watched The Office, and went to dinner with Scott. Not thinking about the material gives your brain some downtime. It is possible to overstudy, so taking study breaks is really useful! 
• when i was studying and started to get things wrong and started getting frustrated, I stopped, went to my room, watched Netflix for an hour and a half, and then went back to the library to study some more. Your brain WILL reach a point of just, “I GIVE UP and I need a break”, so listen to it! 

I hope these tips help you ❤ If you have any questions, comment down below and I’ll get back to you!