Study Skills and Test Taking Strategies

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Study Skills and Test Taking Strategies

• Kathy Alden, RN, MSN, IBCLC
• Academic Counselor

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Preparing for Class

• Look over chapter
• Read outline and course objectives
• Do readings, make notes
• Look up new terminology
• Write down ?s to ask in class

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Getting the Most from Lectures

• Sit near front
• Change seats occasionally
• Focus on content, not on instructor
• Be alert for repetition of concepts

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Getting the Most from Lectures

• PAY ATTENTION TO VERBAL TIPS
• reading from text
• enumerations
• terminology
• OBSERVE SUBTLE CUES
• louder voice
• repeating idea
• pausing for you to write
• hand gestures
• END OF LECTURE STAY FOCUSED

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Tips on Taking Notes

• Clean paper, one side only
• Wide margins
• Powerpoint slides
• Date, title, and number pages
• Use abbreviations
• Write legibly
• Highlight important points (COLOR)
• Retype on word processor
• Compare with others
• LISTEN!!! LISTEN!!! LISTEN!!!

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Study Groups

• Forming the group
• Conducting the group
• Assign tasks
• Test each other
• Practice teaching
• Compare notes
• Brainstorm questions
• Set an agenda
• Pair off to do book reports
• Prepare study questions to teach others in group

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Memory Techniques

• Organize the info
• General to specific
• Meaningful
• Associations

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Memory Techniques

• Use your body
• Learn actively
• Be relaxed, but mentally alert
• Picture it
• Recite, Repeat, Write

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Memory Techniques

• Use your brain
• Reduce interference
• Use daylight
• Overlearn
• Distribute learning

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Memory Techniques

• Recall it
• Remember in association
• Notice remembering
• Use it or lose it

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Before a test

• Manage review time
• Daily, weekly, major reviews
• Create review tools
• Checklists, mind maps, flash cards
• Plan a strategy
• Study guides, dry test run, instructor
  expectations
• Join a study group

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Before a test.

• Avoid marathon study sessions
• Dont review right before a test
• Get a good nights sleep two nights before a test
• Dont work the day before
• EAT BREAKFAST!!!

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During the test

• Arrive early
• Avoid discussing habits with other students
• Jot down memory aids
• Scan entire test
• Use memory techniques when stuck
• Pace yourself

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Multiple Choice Questions

• Answer easy ones first
• Answer each question before looking at answers
• Mark a question if you are having trouble and
  come back to it
• Only if you have misread the question should you
  change your answer

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Guidelines for Test-taking Success in Nursing
School

• Know the parts of the question
• Background, stem, options
• Read carefully before looking at the options
• Key words except, primary, initial,
• best, most

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Guidelines for Test-taking Success in Nursing
School

• ID theme of item and use info given
• Answer difficult questions by eliminating
  obviously incorrect responses first

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Guidelines for Test-taking Success in Nursing
School

• Always select the most therapeutic and respectful
  response
• Eliminate bizarre, inappropriate, and punitive
  responses
• Know basic nursing principles

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Guidelines for Test-taking Success in Nursing
School

• Manage time
• Do not change answers without good reason
• Choose options within realm of nursing judgment
  vs physician judgment

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Priority Setting

• What action takes priority?
• What should the nurse do first?
• What should the nurse do initially?
• What is essential for the nurse to do?
• Look for key words.
• All, nothing, every, always, only, rarely, never.

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Sample

• All of the following behaviors are typical of a
  three year old except
• Putting on make up and playing grown up
• Reciting address and phone number
• Throwing a ball about 5 feet
• Identifying animals from a picture book

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Sample

• A husband was admitted to the ER in DTs. This
  admission is his third visit in two weeks. While
  waiting to see her husband, the wife said to the
  nurse What in the world can I do to help my
  husband get over this drinking problem?. The
  best initial response for the nurse is
• Dont feel guilty. I know this must be difficult
  for you.
• Lets go into the lounge so we can talk more
  about your concern.
• You need to convince him to seek professional
  help.
• How long has your husband been drinking?

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Sample

• A 58 year old is recovering from a prostatectomy.
  His urinary output in the past 2 days has been
  satisfactory. However, the nurse now notices that
  it is becoming increasingly bloody. The nurses
  first action is to
• Irrigate the foley
• Notify the physician
• Take vital signs
• Empty the drainage bag

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WHEN THE TEST IS OVER

• REWARD YOURSELF!!!!