Study Tips for Pre-Nursing Students

So, you've decided to pursue a career in nursing. This means lots of late nights, early mornings, and study filled weekends! Before you can even begin nursing classes you may be required to complete some of your core classes. These classes are called prerequisites. Prerequisites help to prepare you for all of the information you are going to learn in nursing school. These classes are also sometimes known as the "weeding out classes". If you can't make it through A&P or pharmacology then maybe nursing school isn't right for you. However, don't let struggling through your prerequisites stop you from pursuing your dream. Just reevaluate your studying methods and put 100% into your studies.

1. Find a study buddy! Having a study buddy basically guarantees that your notes will be solid. Sometimes with lectures going by so quickly, you can miss an important concept or fact. By having a study buddy, you lessen your chances of missing something. You can also quiz each other before any tests.
2. Exercise and eat healthy foods. You have to fuel your body properly to make it through those long days of studying human anatomy. By putting whole foods into your body you can receive all of the nutrition you need to keep your body energized throughout the day. 
3. Study in small increments. What I have found to help me is to break up my study sessions. I try to study for about 35 minutes at a time with a break in between each session. During these breaks you can grab a snack, walk your dog, or do some laundry. Anything to help you relax and get out of study mode for a few minutes will help. 
4. Take very thorough notes and spend time rewriting those notes! You could rewrite your vocabulary on index cards or even draw diagrams to help you remember what was discussed in lecture. 
5. If you don't understand it- look it up! You can always ask your teacher as well if you don't understand something, but when your sitting in your room at midnight studying your professor may not be easily reached. This is when Google and YouTube become your best friend. There are so many informational videos out there. I've even watched dissections on YouTube. So if you don't know it, find it.

These are just a few tips that have helped me in preparing for tests, quizzes, and eventually- nursing school. It is very important to find a study method that works for you. Just because these are the things that helped me, doesn't mean that they will get you an A. Good luck!