Yesterday I spent the ENTIRE day in bed with a heating pad. During our flight home our plane hit an air pocket and turned completely on its side and then quickly flipped all the way to the other side…like a complete 180 in a plane…that was flying. The rest of the flight I was SOOO tense …my neck is all sorts of messed up as a result. I have a massage at 11am and I am PUMPED to get theses knots out before spin tonight. With school starting in just a few weeks I wanted to share with you some of my studying tips.
Nursing school is hard…really hard. If you aren’t a good student, nursing school will chew you up and spit you out in the first semester. Here is the thing with nursing, yes you are studying to pass the class but more importantly you are studying for a patient you will meet seven years from now. Everything builds on another so you can forget ANYTHING. Cramming just will not work.
Most of my tips will be geared towards nursing students but they will work for any major.
- Get a planner. As you know my favorite is The Purposeful Planner by Corie Clark, but I have also used Lilly and Kate Spade in the past. Come up with a system…I like washi tape…a different color for each class because if your professor changes exam dates you can just move the tape. You could use gel pens or highlighters if that floats your boat. The second you are handed your syllabus you need to go through your planner and add in due dates. Im tell you this is KEY! I swear that all my exams fall in the same week every semester…but I know that ahead of time so I can plan accordingly. GET A PLANNER.
- Pay attention in class. Take notes. Ask questions. You are paying for education so appreciate it. Record your lectures and listen to them…you will be surprised at the amount of information you missed while taking notes or while going to the bathroom or in the ‘two seconds’ you zoned out.
- Re-read your notes after class. You will forget what that little cartoon was about the next day. Clarify while the information is fresh.
- Find out the way you study best. Once you master a technique don’t challenge it or change it because something else works for your roommate. Do you boo.
- Get an old school kitchen timer…like the kind you physically have to turn…not digital. Time your studying/homework/shower/free time. I give myself 40 minutes on, 20 minutes off when I study. For those 40 minutes I have ZERO distractions…my phone is on airplane mode, my computer is off. Before I set the timer I make sure I have a warm cup of coffee, three bottles of water, a green juice and gum. During those 40 minutes I make sure to focus on rewriting my notes, making an outline or doing practice questions. For me, I need to hand write everything…It doesn’t sink in unless I write it out…and surprise each outline is a done with a different color combination and washi tape.
- Find a stress reliever. I need to go to the gym or the studio everyday. Find something that calms you and make you happy…trust me this might be the most important. If you aren’t doing something that is just for you at least 4 days a week you are going to be miserable and your grades are going to show it. Don’t be afraid to have fun. You won’t learn anything if you are a total basket case 24/7.
Can you tell I’m very particular about my study set up? It helps me stay focused and waste less time. How did you figure out how you learn best… You know that I WANT to know. Leave me a love note, kay?
xoxo,
K
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