How to Study for Exams Part III
- AUSNA Officer
- Jun 1, 2020
- 2 min read
Now that you have a study guide, what should you do with it?
Step Four: Testing Yourself on Content
The single most peer-reviewed, best practice, evidence based way to learn content is to test yourself. Simply re-reading your study guide, notes or textbooks is the least efficient and effective way to try to learn information.
And the easiest way to test yourself on content is to use flashcards.
The main goal here is to use your study guide, make questions for yourself, and get them done early enough so you have time to learn them (around 2-3 days). Some exams, I have around 2-300 flashcards to review depending on the content.
One of the best videos I've seen regarding what content should be on flashcards is this one by Long Beach City College (it seems boring but if you have time to view it, I highly recommend the whole series).
Advanced tip: I also add a lot of images, memes and mnemonics into my flashcards as well (some studies have shown that images can help with long term retention).
I think it's also worth mentioning that I make flashcards while I'm in class, just like I work on my study guide while I'm in class as well. If you're able to multi-task, I highly recommend getting as much study-related grunt work out of the way during class as you can.
Below I've listed the three most common programs/options for making flashcards. This is not an in depth review by any means, just a brief overview.
Quizlet
Pros: easy to use, you can share them, you can review all of your flashcards at once
Cons: you have to pay to add images, you run the risk of a copyright claim or getting your cards taken down if you've just copied over text from your books
Hand-Written
Pros: there is a lot of evidence suggesting handwriting is the most effective way to memorize/synthesize information, it's easy to add information and images, colorful index cards are fun
Cons: they take too long to make, you run the risk of losing or damaging your cards and not having backups, it isn't convenient to carry around like a phone app/website
ANKI (my personal favorite)
Pros: the website is free, it's free to add images, you won't receive a copyright claim because they are private unless you choose to share them, spaced repetition software is built into the program
Cons: there's a steep learning curve and you may need to spend some extra YouTube time to learn how to use the program, the app is expensive if you don't want to use the website
Random pro-tip because I don't know where else to put this: when I am studying, I always burn a candle with a scent that I like. Right before I go into the exam, I try to use a hand sanitizer or a lotion that is in that same scent. It sounds a little woo-woo, but the more senses you get involved in learning, the better your brain is at remembering information. And believe me, any edge that you can get in nursing school, you might as well try it. My personal favorite is the Hot Cocoa & Cream candle and matching scented lotion from Bath & Body Works.
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