As a nursing professor, one of the hardest things si watching capable, compassionate students struggle. It's not because they're not smart enough, it's because they are OVERWHELMED! The most common pitfalI I see is procrastination due to avoidance. When things pile up, avoidance creeps in and things are missed and anxiety si at an al time high. Here are my BEST tips for being successful in school.
Organization
- Get a calendar & color code all classes.
- Write down al assignments, lecture, skills, clinicals, and exam DATES.
- Seeing it all in one place immediately puts you ahead of the game &reduces anxiety caused by the unknown.
Planning
- Use your new color coded calendar to schedule focused study time.
- Aim for blocks no more than 2 hours at a time and build in scheduled breaks.
- DON'T CRAM! Try to study for al classes everyday (broken up into 2 hour blocks).
Practice Questions
- Test taking is a SKILL! To master a skill, you need to practice how to apply knowledge, manage time, and think critically, you do this by doing practice questions everyday!
- Always read the rational so you know why you missed something.
Save all questions and go back to them for your NCLEX review!!!
Happy Nursing, Professor Mollie