Nursing students need to learn to study the material on their own. In fact, most studying should be done on your own, and the other methods should supplement this one. Since you are ultimately responsible for mastering the material, you must make the commitment to study on your own if you want to succeed. Moreover, other students are often unavailable for group or pair study, so you must be self sufficient and not need to rely on anyone else to learn the information and skills. Use methods such as flashcards, outlines and highlighting in order to help you get the most out of your solo studying sessions.
While individual study is essential, group studying is also an important aspect for getting through nursing school. Whether you have a group that you meet with before tests or on a more consistent basis, it is important to have someone else to bounce ideas off of. Other students are likely to have insights that may have eluded you, ways to study things you haven't thought of and notes you may have missed. A well run group study session is ideal for getting to know complex material because everyone helps in the understanding. Groups make nursing school easier.
It is never too early to start studying for the state boards or National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). One way to do this is to get a NCLEX book and start working through it. You can structure your studying around the NCLEX book to make sure that you are hitting the important points the book recommends. Another way to study with NCLEX in mind is to take an NCLEX preparation course. These classes usually provide a thorough overview of the nursing material necessary for the boards.
Technology offers useful tools when studying to be a nurse. Use the Internet to connect with other nursing students around the world to get help with difficult nursing concepts. Many schools now offer a majority of the classwork online, so use the computer to get in touch with classmates and professors. Use high tech recording devices in the classroom to capture what your instructors are teaching. Some students find this helps them to learn the information better if they can listen to it again at a later date.