Here are some tips that should come in handy for all you students.

Classroom:

Remember, some teachers are just jerks. Deal with it. Learning how to deal with jerks is a good skill to cultivate. Introduce yourself to your instructors. You don't want to be a 'face in the crowd'.

Bookwork:

Read nursing journals and magazines. Current articles will often compliment text, and make things easier to understand.

Use index cards to make a file on different diseases/conditions and their treatments. List etiology, s/s, diagnostic tests, interventions, etc., and keep in a binder for present studying and future reference. This works for lab values and protocols, also.

Use NCLEX review material as a study guide. Sort questions by topic, and study those that pertain to your current lesson. This will also help you with ‘the Big Test’.

Turn course objectives into study questions! You know, what’s in the front of the chapter or the class syllabus. Instant study guide!