NSG 211 and 212 Study Tips
1. Study every night – these are six-credit-hour courses so you should be studying at least 12-18
hours per week as a general guide (two to three hours per credit):
a. Study the PowerPoints
b. Make notes from the PowerPoints
c. Take notes from the lectures and reviews
d. Make flashcards using index cards, PowerPoint, Quizlet, etc.
e. Review the Key Points and Skills sections in your textbooks
f. Review the ATI Skills Modules
2. As you learn the material, try to make connections between and among the concepts, with focus on
nursing assessment, prioritization, and intervention.
3. Make and organize notes of the pertinent points; you might try grouping concepts together based
on what they have in common or separate them by what makes them different.
4. Use color in your notes… it excites your brain! Different-colored index cards, ink pens, and
highlighters are great for that. Even if you type your notes, you can use colors and highlighting!
5. Draw out what you are learning, in a diagram or concept map… drawing out a concept you are
trying to learn may help you make connections and make it “come alive.”
6. Practice applying the material in critical thinking/decision making scenarios:
a. Practice with NCLEX-style questions in your
i. textbooks (end of each chapter)
ii. free textbook resources (online in thePoint; visit http://thepoint.lww.com/gateway and
use the code from inside the front cover of your book, if your book is new)
iii. ATI Review Modules (paper books or ebooks in your ATI account) for Fundamentals and
Nutrition (outlines and review questions at end of each chapter)
b. Read the Critical Thinking/Clinical Reasoning sections in each chapter
7. Study with a classmate or small study group (no more than 3 or 4 members) to talk about what you
are learning and how it applies to your nursing care. This can be face to face (such as in the library
study rooms, with whiteboards – physically distancing and wearing your mask, of course), during a
walk, or via Zoom/other medium. Quiz each other… The memories you make will help concepts stick!
8. Try to teach what you are learning to someone who is not in nursing. Teaching the material to
someone else is a great way to hold you accountable in learning the material and build your
confidence with the material.
9. During the exam
a. Pace yourself… it is not a race! You usually have one minute per question, so keep track of
your time.
b. Flag a question of which you are unsure but allow yourself time to revisit it. Pacing yourself
will help. Don’t spend too much time on one question… this may cause you to run out of
time before you have even read all the questions or miss several questions that you knew over
one that you didn’t know.
c. Do not change your answer unless you are absolutely sure you marked it wrong. Something
in your mind/gut led you to the answer the first time, so don’t change it unless you are sure you
marked it wrong.
Please share any helpful hints that work for you and we will expand this list!