How to be Successful in Nursing School

So you’ve made it into nursing school (or are thinking of applying soon) – let me start out by giving you a HUGE congratulations!! You’re well on your way to becoming the GREAT nurse I know you are destined to be! It may seem overwhelming or daunting at first to say the least, but I promise that with the right strategies and plan in place, you can and WILL succeed on this journey! One major thing you need to remember when putting a plan together to help you study for your exams is that nursing school is a whole different animal than the traditional college courses you may have taken in the past. You will have to rethink your strategies and HOW you learn in order to be successful. Below I’m going to highlight some of my top tips for studying in nursing school:

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Prioritize Your Time

This is probably the single most important tip on my list. I still remember this from my first day of orientation. My professor handed us a blank calendar and asked us to highlight the slots of time that we thought we would need to set aside for studying. It was extremely intimidating. Their recommendation was to study 6-7 hours a day, at least 5 days a week. That’s 35 hours a week, almost a full time job! This seemed like a lot at the time (ha!) but my classmates and I actually ended up studying more than that, on most (if not all) days. Don’t let this scare you though, studying just becomes a part of your life. And if you have decided to become a nurse because you are passionate about it, it can actually be exciting to learn everything and soak it all in!

Add to that taking care of your family and your current job if you have one. Not to mention any other responsibilities you may have and you will quickly start to feel overwhelmed. That’s why it’s so important to have a schedule in place. Even if it’s a loose one, setting time aside for each of your responsibilities and seeing it all laid out can be quite helpful when trying to juggle multiple things.

Stay Organized

I can’t stress this point enough. Nursing school is tough, and the last thing you want to do is worry about finding those notes you took during class last week, or losing those flashcards you spent hours making. Have your supplies ready before classes begin. I’ve always loved to go school supply shopping, so that part was a no-brainer for me. Be sure to head to Target or Office Depot before the first day of class to stock up on notebooks, binders, folders, paper, colorful pens, highlighters, pretty stickies- whatever you need to make note-taking fun and to help keep you organized!

Also, a bookbag is a must (this might seem like an obvious statement, but trust me, some college students don’t ever bring one). I’m not saying to go out and get a rolly backpack, although some people in my class did opt for these (hello heavy nursing textbooks!). But at the very least a Jansport or other sturdy, reliable backpack should be at the top of your supplies list. 

Join a Study Group

Don’t be a lone wolf when it comes to studying. Ok, I hear you.. you might be thinking to yourself, I’ve always studied on my own and been fine. I’ll be okay. I’m here to tell you to let this be your opportunity to change that. I studied alone for most of my school-age years and even throughout the majority of college. However, this all changed for me once I began nursing school and the path leading up to it. You may think that a study group isn’t for you, but in my personal opinion and experience it’s vital and will make studying so much easier and more enjoyable.

My study group would meet in different places daily, usually Panera, Starbucks, or one of our homes. We became such a close knit group of friends that two of the girls in my study group were my bridesmaids in my wedding! We would read our assigned chapters independently before class, take our own notes during lectures, and then meet up after class to go over everything, talk through concepts, share resources with one another, and do practice questions together. When one of us didn’t understand a particular concept, another person would be there to help explain it in a different way. And that also helped solidify what we were learning because the best way to really absorb something you’ve learned is to teach it. I cannot recommend a study group enough to anyone going through nursing school or any similar rigorous program!

Nail Down Critical Thinking Skills

Remember when I mentioned having to rethink how you learn in order to be successful in nursing school? Let me explain what I mean. Growing up we are taught how to memorize information for an exam. That concept is essentially drilled into us as students from the time we start kindergarten and are learning our ABC’s. Relying on memorization alone will not get you through nursing school. You need to make sure you understand the concepts versus trying to memorize your entire text book. Plus, spoiler alert, it’s impossible to do. Even if you were blessed with a photographic memory, have you seen the size of nursing textbooks? 

I personally had to relearn how to study and rewire my way of thinking. I won’t lie, it took some time and a lot of practice before I found my new rhythm. But once I found what worked best for me, it was just a matter of repeating that process with each new chapter, and each new class.

Critical thinking helps you to make educated guesses based on the information that you have. Perhaps you don’t know the answer to a question outright, but you can use your critical thinking skills to look at clues provided in the question in order to make your best educated guess. You’ll soon come to experience an infuriating scenario that all nursing students come across- a question on an exam that wants you to choose the answer that is the most correct. That’s right! All of the answers are correct but which one is the most correct?! This is when your critical thinking skills come into play! Looking at the “clues” within the question will help you find the best answer.

Take Breaks

Long days filled with hours of studying can become mind numbing. On a day to day, be sure to stay hydrated. Always have your water bottle with you and refill it throughout the day. Make sure you stand up every once in a while to do a few stretches. Also make sure you celebrate your accomplishments along the way! Take the time to do something you enjoy during breaks between semesters to refresh and recharge. My friends and I used to plan an outing at the end of every semester to celebrate the success of passing and being one step closer to graduating. It was something that we all looked forward to toward the end of each semester as we grew weary from all the studying for finals.

Learn How to Take Notes Efficiently

This is a big one! Having the right kind of notes will help immensely when it comes time to reviewing your study materials. You might be the type of student who wants to write *everything* down or you may not write enough and when it comes time to review them you wish you had more. It’s important to find the right balance and to know what method will help you maintain that. Personally, I’m a very fast typer so I preferred typing my notes. If this is also you, ask your professors if they are okay with you bringing a small laptop or tablet to class to take notes with. I used to bring my iPad with Magic Keyboard.

Another thing that worked for me was printing my PowerPoints out ahead of time. Experiment with different page layouts to see what works for you, but my personal favorite was 3 slides per page with lines on the right for note taking. That way, once my professors began their lectures I could easily add notes from class discussions without having to worry about writing down the information from the slides themselves. Note taking will look different for everyone, so just be sure to try different methods until you find the one that’s right for you and then be consistent with it. It will pay off in dividends for you in the long run.

Figure Out Your Learning Style

There are four main learning styles: visual, auditory, reading/writing, and kinaesthetic. While you may have a general idea about how you learn best, you might be surprised to discover what your main learning style actually is. There is a free Learning Style Quiz you can take online here. Once you’ve completed the quiz, this website will give you a detailed breakdown of your results and provides tips for how to study in the most effective way for you.

It was a requirement for us to discover our learning styles when I was in nursing school and I feel that it helped me to think of new and different ways to study. After learning that I was 22% an auditory learner, I started to record some of my lectures with my professor’s permission to re-listen to as a way to study. I would also record myself reading my textbook and listen to the recordings in the car while driving. Being creative in finding ways to squeeze studying in is extremely important, especially if you have other responsibilities that take up your time during nursing school. This was something that worked extremely well for me and I would have never thought to do it without first discovering my preference for auditory learning.

Create a Practical Schedule

Having a schedule is extremely important when it comes to staying organized and prioritizing your time. Nursing school is very demanding and requires a lot of time dedicated. Putting together a practical schedule can help you feel more prepared and ready to tackle your weeks head on. I highly suggest buying some sort of planner to keep track of everything. Some things to include are class times, clinicals, study groups, assignments due, and any other engagements or responsibilities you may have. My absolute favorite traditional planners are by Erin Condren. She has an Academic Planner that’s made specifically for students you can find here. If you prefer a digital planner, Etsy has some great options here that can easily be downloaded onto an iPad or tablet.

Also, this may seem like a given but don’t skip class if you can help it. Missing even one class in nursing school can put you behind and struggling to catch up. Be sure to schedule any other tasks around your class times.

Become Close with Your Professors

This point might be debated by some, but I believe it to be tantamount to my success as a nursing student. I’m not saying you have to become a teacher’s pet, but do create some form of relationship with your professors. This could mean introducing yourself after class one day, and keeping the line of communication open. It could also be visiting them during their office hours if you need some extra help. Making sure your clinical instructors know who you are and know that you are ready to jump right in. Be sure to make your presence known and to ask for help when you need it. I have found that most college professors care about their student’s success and some are even willing to go above and beyond to help. Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask if you need it!

Prioritize Self Care

This might seem like it becomes the least of your priorities during this time, but don’t put it on the back burner to be completely forgotten. There is value in making time to care for yourself. Especially in highly stressful situations and time periods in your life, such as being in nursing school. Carve out 30 minutes – 1 hour a day to do something you enjoy or that relaxes you. The cliché that you can’t pour from an empty cup is true. Be sure to take care of yourself first and foremost.

All of these things helped me get through some of the most demanding years of my life. I hope these tips will help you along your journey as well! Nursing School isn’t for the faint of heart. But, if you set your mind to it and put these strategies into place, you can and will be successful. Best of luck to you on this new and exciting journey towards becoming a licensed nurse! You are going to do GREAT! 🙂

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