Prior to getting into my nursing program I had ZERO study skills. I thought effective studying was trying to memorize all of my notes, re-reading chapters and power points the night before the exam.

It wasn’t until I started doing some research that I learned there were actually 2 different types of study methods. One of these methods is more effective and time-saving than the other.

If you are used to studying for an exam by re-reading your notes or the chapter over and over, what you are doing is called ROTE REVIEW or as I am calling it PASSIVE STUDYING.  This type of studying is not effective unless you literally need to memorize information such as drugs or vocabulary. The reason this method isn’t effective is that it doesn’t actually test your knowledge of the information. Meaning you don’t actually know what you know until you take the test, which is a bad time to find out.

In order to make your studying more effective you need to study in a way that actually tests your knowledge of the information.  What is the easiest way to do this?  Ask yourself questions while you are studying.

How to Study: Active vs Passive Studying

You should preferably test your knowledge in the same fashion as your test.  For example, if your exam will be multiple choice after you have written your notes and reviewed them, take some multiple choice questions to evaluate what you have actually learned.  If your exam is essay based try to think of questions the professor might ask on the exam and practice writing your response in an essay format.

Learning this method of studying was a game changer for me.

Leave Me A Comment:

1. What method of studying do you currently use?