Nursing school can feel overwhelming, especially if you are simultaneously working and advancing your career. Regular students also have much on their plates because balancing school and personal life can be a significant undertaking. Without proper planning and time management, you can quickly fall off track or get confused amid everything. Studying is an essential aspect of nursing school, contributing to your overall performance. Although resources are necessary for learning, they are almost not functional if you lack critical study tips.
The following study tips can help improve your nursing school experience.
Study a little daily
Nursing students have a lot to cover, which is impossible to complete in a day. It is essential to study every day to avoid a pile-up of information. Learning a little every day helps you retain more information and feel less overwhelmed. It also cultivates a study culture, and with time, you may begin looking forward to studying time. You can make your learning experience a little bit easier by accessing free nursing notes.
Understand your learning style
It is no surprise that most students make it to the college level without knowing their learning style. Although there isn’t the right or wrong way, some study methods may work for you better than others. For example, some people learn best when they read, and others write notes in a study guide. Listening is also a learning style for some people, and others learn best with visuals.
Establishing your learning style goes a long way toward improving your study. Students who have mastered their learning styles may not dread learning and may grasp and retain concepts faster than students who don’t know their learning style.
Create a schedule
As you may already know, time management and proper planning are essential for any nursing student. The same applies to your study time. It is vital to schedule study time instead of waiting for when you will feel like it. A study timetable helps you intentionally study and therefore remain at par with your general coursework.
The schedules may vary from person to person, with some studying during early mornings and others late at night. For this reason, you must establish whether you are a morning or an evening person. A study timetable will help you be up to date with your general coursework, giving you a sense of confidence when you approach the NCLEX test.
Study in groups
Once in a while, you can form a group with your classmates to study. Group study helps you break the monotony of personal or individual study. You also retain more information – up to 90% when you learn in groups. You also understand information from different perspectives, making it easier to learn.
When choosing people to study with, it is essential to consider those you mesh well with to make learning as seamless as possible. Learning with your peers also gives you moral support since your school experience is almost similar, and you get to hear how each one copes.
Take a break
It would help if you didn’t stretch yourself beyond limits, especially when studying. If you feel like your mind is tired, there’s no harm in taking time to relax. Powering through exhaustion leaves you mentally and physically exhausted, which counteracts your studying. You are less likely to retain much information if you spend all of your time studying.
Regular breaks are also essential in maintaining the interest and enthusiasm of studying. They also help you prevent burnout. A break may look like a change of scenery or taking the weekend off to engage in non-study activities.
Develop a study ritual
Pay attention to how you feel each time you sit down to study. You may find that you dread it even before you begin, or you get exhausted just thinking about it. If that is the case, you may want to reevaluate your study environment. Study time doesn’t have to be boring, and you don’t have to dread it.
You can create a ritual before or as you study to spice things up a little bit. For example, lighting a scented candle in your study corner can make study time more enjoyable. You can also stash some of your favorite snacks by your desk to transform your study experience. Studying can be tedious but can be made easier when you form a study habit. Try getting some new sights and sounds by studying in a different place like a coffee shop or deli.
Use outside sources
Resources from your instructor or textbooks are great but supplementing them with others is even better. Don’t limit yourself to what you can and can’t read. There are tons of free learning resources online that you can benefit from. However, remember that your instructor and textbooks are final and correct authorities. It is especially true whenever there is conflicting information.
Nursing school can be demanding, but it is doable with proper planning, time management and the right study skills.
