How to Study in Nursing School

How to Study in Nursing School

Amanda Gamboa, RN, BSN

Updated

Reviewed by NursingEducation Staff

Nursing school can be challenging. It takes hard work, dedication, and drive to succeed in both the classroom and in clinical environments. Fortunately, there are proven ways to manage the stress and navigate the course load. Read on for tips on nursing lectures, study groups, using acrostics, and building habits that will increase your chance of success on exams.

Recognize Your Learning Style

There is no single “right” way to study – there is only the way that is right for you. A style that works for some students may not be as effective for others. For example, many people need to write things down to best recall course material, while others learn most efficiently through graphical or auditory methods. If you haven’t discovered your learning style yet, don’t be afraid to experiment and try different strategies to see which one makes the most sense for you. Take this opportunity to be creative: watch videos of lecture topics, draw diagrams on graph paper, reread your notes out loud, use simple flashcards as a study tool, or construct charts and build outlines on a whiteboard.

Even recognizing your own personality traits can help you study effectively. For example, if you consider yourself goal-oriented, view each topic or chapter of a class as a challenge to conquer. If you like to see your progress more often, make study checklists. Reflect on where you study best and what tools you frequently reach for. What distractions can you remove? Is using your laptop or tablet the best tool, or is it a significant source of distraction?

Preview and Review Lecture Material

Be ready for class by at least skimming the material ahead of time. By seeing the material before it is presented, you are more familiar with the content, can ask better questions, and are prepared for class discussion. Many courses utilize PowerPoint or Google Slides to share information. Review the slides or corresponding textbook chapter – or both! – before class and make a plan to take your own notes. To best retain the information you learned, you should review your notes within the next day. This increases your ability to retain the new information and will make studying for exams easier.

Once you have your syllabus, you can add exams and key due dates to your calendar. In the week leading up to an exam, you should also schedule time to study. While cramming the night before can be effective in the short term, the information you learn in nursing school will need to be applied later in clinical situations and during the NCLEX exam. To truly learn and remember key lecture points, studying should be an ongoing effort throughout the semester.

Focus on Class Material

Although your instructors will assign numerous textbook chapters and supplemental articles to read, most of your study time and attention should be dedicated to what is covered in lecture. The details the instructor shares should be the basis of what you concentrate on studying for that unit. Supplemental readings can add depth to your understanding of a topic. Textbooks can be an excellent source when you need more details or help on a topic. Remembering the content of all assigned readings may become overwhelming, so focus on retaining the material presented in lecture.

Join Study Groups or Create Your Own

Relationships with your classmates can be beneficial and important. Studying with your peers can be much more effective than studying alone. Some nursing students retain more information when reviewing course material with their classmates. Studying with others fosters an environment of support, encouragement, and accountability. A study group allows opportunities for sharing tips and strategies for performance improvement. It’s also a place to vent and release frustrations with others who are experiencing the exact same challenges. Some groups choose to work out loud and use a shared whiteboard to discuss topics. Other groups meet in the same location – or even virtually – but study silently unless a group member has a question. These quieter study groups can be very effective at increasing the accountability and focus of students who participate.

Additionally, study groups are useful in building real-world experience by mimicking team dynamics in the workplace. With common goals in mind, students can learn to delegate and cooperate on tasks, navigate interpersonal issues, and resolve conflicts. Forming a nursing study group, even with just one other person, can greatly enhance your nursing school experience and performance.

Make it a Habit

Sometimes the hardest part of studying is getting started. To develop a quality study routine in nursing school, the first and most important step is to create a study ritual that you can easily follow on a daily basis. Location, supplies, and schedule are all key to building a successful habit.

Find the Perfect Study Spot

First, choose an environment where you are comfortable. Depending on your learning style and personality, the place you choose could be your own room with music playing in the background, a bench in a tree-lined park, a bright but quiet library, or a bustling coffee shop filled with lots of ambient noise. Enjoying your surroundings while studying goes a long way towards retaining the material. And remember, there is nothing keeping you from changing your study environment occasionally if you would benefit from different sights and sounds. Wherever you go, make sure that your environment is free of unnecessary distractions.

List Necessary Tools

Imagine claiming your favorite table at the library and sitting down only to discover you forgot your laptop. Or your textbook. Or those pages you just printed. Save yourself time and prevent frustration by creating a list of the supplies you need when studying, such as:

Add Studying to Your Schedule

For many nursing students, the trick to success is studying throughout the semester instead of just the night before exams. If you can study for at least an hour or two every day, you will be more successful. Please note that studying here means reviewing past lectures and content, not completing homework assignments or preparing for class. Schedule studying at a regular time so it becomes part of your routine. If your schedule doesn’t allow you to review at the same time every day, consider building your study routine based on your daily routines. For example, after your morning lecture on Tuesday and Thursday, you can study at the nearby student union for two hours before you need to go to clinical. On the other days of the week, maybe you have a couple of free hours before your evening lecture. By creating a routine and sticking to it, studying will come naturally, and you’ll feel much more prepared as exams approach.

Use Acrostics and Acronyms

Acrostics and acronyms can be great tools for studying and medical communication. An acrostic is an easily-remembered phrase or sentence, where the first letter of each word stands for a word or phrase. You can use these to recall lists and sets of data, and even the arrangement and positioning of anatomical parts. Many students create their own acrostics, no matter how silly, for content or lists they find tricky to remember. Some examples of acrostics commonly used in nursing school are:

An acronym is typically an abbreviation formed from the first letters of a series of words and is often pronounced as a word. You’ll soon be very familiar with a multitude of acronyms; healthcare is full of them. In studying, you can use them to shorten your notes and capture information more quickly. When starting school, it is best to clearly highlight what the acronym stands for at least once in your notes. You can create your own for common phrases used in lectures, but take care to record their meaning. Examples of common medical acronyms are:

Ask Questions

Asking your professors questions shows that you are taking the initiative in strengthening your education. While it might be intimidating to ask for help on a particularly challenging topic, it is well worth reaching out to your instructors as soon as possible. Either during office hours, via email, or in the classroom, your professors will offer their support. They are very familiar with addressing study issues and want you to succeed in school. Stay in communication with them throughout the course, and be sure to thank them for their time.

Remember that you are likely not the only student with questions about the material, so talk with the members of your study group as well. There’s a good chance that your peers are encountering their own challenges, and you can work on them together. Finally, utilize the vast network of nursing school discussion boards, forums, and chat rooms online, where past and current nursing students have asked for – and received – help from around the globe.

Reward Yourself!

Nursing school is quite an undertaking. Plan small rewards for achieving specific goals and celebrating milestones. It can be motivating to have something to look forward to once you are done studying for the day or have completed your semester exams. Doing something relaxing just for yourself or eating out with classmates can help you mentally recover and reset before taking on the next project or exam.

But don’t wait for big milestones to take care of yourself. You can also build self-care and mindfulness into your routines during nursing school. True success in nursing school requires a lot of balance. Between all the different components of school, a student is also growing as a person and handling other responsibilities of adulthood. Constant studying without creating time for yourself, your friends, family, and hobbies, can lead to a loss of interest and enthusiasm, decreased information retention, and eventually burnout or depression. It is essential to take regular breaks to stay focused and to recharge. Here are some suggestions for quick breaks during nursing school:

It’s also important to take advantage of the longer breaks weekends and holidays can provide. While you will most likely need to study or complete some assignments, schedule time to relax for several hours if you can, or at least get a full night’s sleep. However you take your breaks, don’t forget to enjoy and appreciate them. Your brain and body will thank you.

Finally, pay attention to how you are generally feeling, and take time for self-care if you don’t feel like yourself. Tips like exercising regularly, sleeping well, and taking study breaks can be helpful, but please reach out to a professional healthcare provider if you are feeling too overwhelmed. Many schools offer counseling options, or you could talk to your primary care provider. Please tell a trusted friend, family member, teacher, or therapist if you feel like your mental health is a concern or is interfering with the goals you want to achieve. For more information, please visit the following resources or contact your school’s student health department:

Additional Resources for School and Beyond

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