Get into the mindset that you will do well in your courses. Caralee Bromme, RN and author of "Study Skills and Test Strategies for the New Nursing Student," points out that success in any nursing program starts with a winning attitude.
Develop an organization strategy to maximize your study time. Nurses discussing study time at AllNurses.com agree that in the beginning, you may need to study three hours or more daily. Use a day planner to mark the days and times of all your classes, the dates of all your exams and the due dates of your assignments.
Read all of the assigned materials and take your own notes before class. Use the lecture to add to your own notes and clarify concepts you don't understand. Ask question when you don't understand something.
Apply the skills you learn in the classroom to a hands-on clinical setting if your program allows for it during the first semester. Reading, then discussing, then doing will help cement the concepts and skills in your mind. Make notes about your clinical experiences and compare them to information you learned in your courses. Ask for feedback and revisit any topic area your clinical supervisor feels you should improve upon.
Create a study group comprised of other nurses in your program. Meet weekly to go over materials and study for tests. Assign each member a chapter to create flash cards, sample questions or skills assessments, and use them to study.
Hire a tutor if you're having difficulty grasping a certain concept or skill. Tutors can deeply enhance your understanding of the material, helping you master difficult subjects like pharmacology or chemistry. Some students just need things explained again in a new way to understand.
Keep in constant communication with your nursing professor, likely an experienced nurse herself. She will be able to point you to additional study materials or hands-on clinical opportunities if you need extra help.