How can I ace nursing school?

Everyone knows how hard nursing school is. You basically stop having a social life and start giving all of yourself to your education to really ace nursing school, and sometimes this can be very challenging. You feel tired, have a lot to do in the house and still need to go to work. How are you going to pull this off? It won’t be easy, so here are a few tips on how to get good grades in nursing school.

Planning

First things first, start by planning. In any nursing program, be it ADN, BDN, or RN-to-BSN, you’re going to be short on time. If you’re wondering how you’re ever going to pull off graduating from nursing school successfully, grab a planner, a journal, a big chalk board, or even a simple sheet of paper. Start writing down all the things you need to do the following week and make a weekly calendar. Schedule from the time you wake up till the time you go to sleep, and stick to it. Don’t forget to plan breaks throughout the day so you don’t get too overwhelmed. Our recommendation is to dedicate at least four hours a day to studying to really learn and understand concepts and skills.

Keeping Up Your Health

Good health includes physical, mental and emotional health. All of these are essential to acing not only nursing school, but life. Many nursing learners live off coffee and redbull, but this leads to poor health. Use meal-prep strategies to help save time during your busy week. Maintaining a healthy diet and staying active throughout the day will make all the difference.

Remember those four hours of studying you’re supposed to be doing? Every hour, get up from your desk and walk around the house, or run up and down the stairs a few times. This will help get the blood flowing, think clearer, and help you get through nursing school successfully. Now, let’s chat about mental and emotional well being. It can be hard for some people. Everyone needs some time for themselves, to reconnect their mind with their body. Take some time during the week to do some meditation, yoga, or even read a book that you like.

Studying in Groups

Some people can be more productive being alone, others do better in groups. We can always use a little help from each other, right? Having someone to review the subjects with and practice the traditional question-and-answer exercise can help some learners grasp difficult concepts and skills. However, it is important to note that not all learners work well in a study group environment, so if it’s not working, do what YOU need to do to ace nursing school.

It is important to understand your specific learning style. It may take a bit of time to find your best learning style. If you struggle with ADHD, read this blog.

Wanting to ace nursing school = loving to study

Are you wondering how to get better grades in nursing school? You may think you know something 100%, and then take that test to realize that you should have studied more. How do you know when you’re prepared for a test in nursing school? Before, it was so easy! You don’t have to be in nursing school long to realize that keeping your good grades might be more difficult than you found it before. So, keep studying, triple check and meet one more time with your study group. Re-read, write down, complete all exercises and even find outside sources to test your knowledge level. Work hard and be proud of yourself for accomplishing your study goals. Getting ahead is not easy, if you want to ace nursing school, you’re going to have to make sacrifices.

Preparing for nursing school? Speak with our admissions advisors about best practices for nursing learners.

Communicate, Communicate, Communicate

If you’re struggling, reach out to a counselor at the school. Talk to your professors. Talk to your work and be transparent about your capacity levels. This will help reduce stress and help you get ahead in studying for nursing school.

Act with love

Nursing is all about love.  John Ruskin said, “When love and skill work together, expect a masterpiece.” Dealing with patients, understanding their needs and taking care of people should all come from the heart. Our three guiding principles here at Nightingale are Confidence, Competence, and Compassion. When we act in love, we serve a hundred times better, and believe us, the difference is easy to notice.

Everyone has a different style of learning and studying, so find yours, adapt these nursing school study tips to your daily life, keep a good health and rock-and-roll through nursing school. Remember that you can do it! Keep positive thoughts on top, and don’t give up. Nurses change the world and can make a huge impact in people’s lives, and we want to help you ace nursing school in any way we can. Reach out to Learner Services if you need more help!

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