Study Tips

Study for a predetermined amount of time, say, 30 minutes, and set an alarm. When the alarm goes off, put the books down. Take a 10 minute walk, make a phone call, pay a bill, pet the dog, etc. Don't look at your cell phone or computer on your break Taking breaks from studyimg can improve your retention of what you study!

Stop and kick a concept around. Think about it. Ask yourself questions about it. Does it make sense? If not, stop studying and investigate what you don't get. Read more about it, call a friend, do NCLEX questions, until you get it.

The surest way to forget what you studied is lack of sleep. Commit to 8 quiet, comfortable hours of uninterrupted sleep, even if if means cutting a study session short. Your brain needs to be healthy before it can learn, analyze or remember. Sleep hygiene is huge!

Your brain relies on good nutrition. Take small steps every day to make healthy foord choices. Try having some protein before a test or going to bed so low blood sugar doesn't distract you or make you wake up to eat. Consider a multivitamin and carry high protein snacks.

If you've never doodled, try it! Doodle while listening to lectures, and while studying. Doodling has been shown to improve mood, focus and memory. It increases brain engagement and offers a different "way" into your head.

Rewriting your notes has been shown to improve memory. Write more neatly to spend more time with the information, paraphrase, write summaries, draw diagrams, etc. Writing outlines of chapter material is also helpful.