It’s important to set aside time every day to study, but knowing how to study for nursing school is just as important. Some helpful nursing school tips include: Use active study techniques, participate in study groups, do NCLEX practice questions, connect with instructors, and use nursing mnemonics.
Nursing school is a uniquely hands-on experience with a curriculum that challenges you to push past your comfort zone. Nursing school will require daily studying to stay on top of assignments and pass exams. Earning your Bachelor of Science (BS) in nursing is not easy, but knowing how to study for nursing school and following some time-tested nursing school tips can help.
The University of Mount Saint Vincent’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program provides support from our dedicated faculty to help you navigate nursing school and find success. Through our comprehensive coursework, nursing skills and simulation labs, and clinical rotations, you can earn your BS in nursing in as few as 16 months.
Passing nursing school requires you to understand the material rather than memorize facts in order to put it into practice. While this makes nursing school more challenging, with preparation, you can meet this challenge.
It’s helpful to review how to study in a nursing program before you start school, but if you’re already a nursing student, you can begin incorporating these tips right away. Strategies like using a nursing school study guide, using active study techniques, and using nursing mnemonics can all help you succeed.
1. Use Nursing School Study Guides
Nursing school study guides are available online, and your school likely will recommend resources. These materials typically summarize important nursing concepts. It’s also helpful that study guides often organize information into different nursing specialties, such as pediatrics. While you shouldn’t rely exclusively on study guides, they can help you prepare for school exams and the NCLEX-RN.
Follow these 14 tips to prepare for nursing school.
2. Set a Studying Schedule
In nursing school, studying isn’t limited to preparing for assessments. You must consistently review material to prepare for simulation labs, clinical rotations, and the NCLEX-RN. Establishing a consistent study schedule is just as important as knowing how to study in nursing school.
Consider your school and personal commitments to find windows of time you can dedicate to studying. Committing to a study schedule holds you accountable, ensuring you remain organized and meet nursing school’s demands.
3. Don’t Cram for Exams
It’s natural to feel as if you need to cram before exams; after all, nursing school is a fast-paced environment. Cramming before an exam, however, can have the opposite effect. If you stay up late studying before an exam, the sleep deprivation and stress can make it difficult to recall information. Instead, plan study sessions ahead of time, so you can calmly review information in a relaxed setting, and then get a full night’s rest before the exam.
4. Get Ahead on Course Material
Take advantage of any opportunity to get ahead on your course material. Nursing school moves fast, especially in an accelerated program, and getting ahead when possible is the best way to keep up with the pace. Review the syllabus for each course to determine where you can work ahead and block out time in your schedule.
You should also consider due dates for writing assignments and other projects and start them as soon as possible.
5. Review Notes Before Class
Reviewing your notes before class is one of the most effective nursing school tips. Doing so supports learning retention and helps you prepare to tackle new information. Take a few minutes before each class to review the previous day’s notes to refresh your memory.
6. Try Active Study Techniques
Nursing school is challenging, so you may need to experiment with different study techniques to make your sessions more productive. Knowing how to study for nursing school requires more than memorizing definitions and facts; you must fully understand the concepts to apply them to nursing practice.
Passive studying is an activity like rereading the material. While you need to read the material, you should also use active study techniques, which are defined by cognitive engagement and interaction with the material. Some examples of active study techniques include:
- Explaining the material, out loud, in your own words
- Teaching a concept to someone else
- Answering practice questions
- Relating theoretical concepts to real-life case studies
- Participating in group discussions
7. Get and Stay Organized
Organization is one of the simpler nursing school tips. Being organized makes it easier to find notes and assignments. Additionally, keep your old exams in a folder to review problem areas and assess your progress.
Organization also applies to scheduling. Keep assignment due dates and exam dates in a day planner or a calendar app so you don’t lose track of your commitments. When you remain organized and plan your weeks ahead, you will feel less overwhelmed and can strategize how to stay on top of your commitments and improve your study habits.
8. Form a Study Group
Study groups are a great way to hold yourself accountable while making studying feel less like a chore. When you study in groups, you can bounce ideas off each other and gain a deeper understanding of the material.
Study groups can be as formal or informal as you’d like. You can meet in student centers, libraries, or wherever is most convenient. It may help to designate someone as the coordinator to set the meeting times and develop an agenda to help participants arrive prepared.
9. Use Nursing Mnemonics
Mnemonics can help you recall information more easily and quickly. For example, IMAGE helps you remember how to organize your nursing tasks. It stands for: Introduce yourself, Medications, Assessment, Goals, and Explain and educate.
Other mnemonics include:
- ADPIE for the nursing process: Assess, Diagnose, Plan, Intervene, and Evaluate.
- OLD CART for symptom assessment: Onset, Location, Duration, Characteristics, Aggravating/associated factors, Relieving factors, and Treatment/timing.
- The 6 L’s for the symptoms of hypokalemia: Lethargy, Leg cramps, Limp muscles, Low, shallow respiration, Lethal cardiac arrhythmias, and Lots of urine.
10. Try Practice NCLEX-RN Questions
You can begin studying for the NCLEX as early as your first semester. It’s helpful to answer a few NCLEX practice questions every day, reviewing the explanations for each, even when you answer the question correctly. Plan on taking several full-length exams during school and after graduation.
11. Beat Procrastination With the Pomodoro Technique
If you find yourself procrastinating on your studying or assignments, try the Pomodoro technique. Named after tomato-shaped kitchen timers, the Pomodoro technique involves these steps:
- Set a timer for 25 minutes.
- Work on one task or area uninterrupted until the timer rings.
- Take a five-minute break.
- Repeat four times and then take a 15- to 30-minute break.
12. Connect With Your Instructors
Your nursing instructors are a wealth of information. Connecting with your nursing instructors gives you access to their experience and ultimately helps you become a better nurse.
Ask questions and seek advice. When you build a relationship with your instructors, you become a more proactive student. Your instructors may even be able to provide you with letters of recommendation or internship opportunities.
13. Take Breaks When You Need Them
Taking breaks is one of the best ways to defeat burnout. It is important to rest your mind so you can return to your schoolwork feeling refreshed and ready to work. During your breaks, try to get outdoors and enjoy a nature trail or a park. Connecting with friends is another way to make the most of your breaks.
Explore 8 tips for promoting self-care for nursing students.
Earn Your BS in Nursing at Mount Saint Vincent
Mount Saint Vincent is dedicated to facilitating your success and preparing you for a nursing career, supporting you from the admission process to graduation. Some of the reasons why our students choose the Mount include our small class sizes, attentive nursing instructors, Academic Success Coaches, and clinical placements at some of the top healthcare facilities in New York City.
Reach out to our admission counselors at Mount Saint Vincent today to learn how you may be eligible to graduate from our ABSN program in as few as 16 months.