I'm Feeling Very Stupid

Rewriting the notes like someone suggested helped me a lot! And if you're dealing with a ton of definitions to learn, keep filling out the notecards and take them EVERYWHERE with you. It takes a second to look at them in the grocery store line, while folding laundry, etc.

I always found I couldn't focus to study if I already knew some or a lot of hte information. When I had to memorize a lot of information and wanted to focus on what I didn't know this is what I would do:

I would read through my notes and highlight everything I already knew (the opposite of most highlighting suggestions)
I would re-read my notes skipping the highlighted parts except on the 3rd or 4th time reviewing.
The next day I would use a different color to highlight what I remembered from before and again re-read my notes. 2 times skipping all highlights, 3rd time reviewing with newest highlights and 4th time all notes.
I would repeat each day, highlighting what I remembered in a new color and focusing on what I didn't remember.

Hey S., in classes like that where I could memorize to pass a test and then forget everything I learned ten minutes later (lol), I would write all of the information neat and organized on as few pieces of paper as possible. One is preferable, but if you can't fit everything onto one page, two is fine. EVERY free moment you get, study the paper. Read everything on it. Read it over and over again. Close your eyes and envision the paper. Read it again. Study it again. Repeat. Repeat.

By the time you take the test, you should be able to close your eyes and literally "see' that piece of paper in your mind. Using that method, I was able to literally ace psychology, anatomy & physiology, and other pre-nursing classes that required a lot of memorization.

Good luck!

First start by changing the messages you are sending yourself from "I am stupid and can't do this" to "I can do this! I will do this!" I would type up your note cards 10 at a time and then have someone quiz you or quiz yourself. Try to keep from feeling overwhelmed because that will make it harder to learn. Take them 10 cards at a time and keep going over them until you know them and then move on. Study in small bursts (20 minutes at most at a time) with lots of breaks. Also, figure out what time of day you can focus best. I am an early morning person vs. evening. You can do this!! Blessings!

For textbooks, I expect to read the material 3 times.

First time I skim through and focus on the headings, illustrations and their captions. That gives me an idea what the chapter is about.

Then, when I'm feeling pretty alert, I read the second time more carefully, take notes, highlight etc. It may take more than one sitting to do this, or if I have a long study session I will take short breaks to walk, eat, get some fresh air. After this, I do any assignments from that material.

Finally, before the test, I skim through the book again, mostly focusing on my notes and highlights.

Sometimes I don't get it at all, in the first reading. But it provides a framework for when I read through the second time. Often, by the third reading, I'm saying to myself, yeah yeah, I know this, and I'm ready for the exam.

Stuff I study before going to bed seems to stick in my memory better.

It helps to start reading as soon as possible to give the material time to process between readings.

I also used to record the teacher's lectures (ask first) and play them back in my car while driving. One teacher loved when I quoted from his lectures in my essay questions. He wrote "Brilliant!" next to an idea that was lifted straight from his own lecture.

1) it's just sitting and doing. There is no magic 'study technique" that makes you remember everything. There are a few tricks, but the actual studying is best accomplished via - "train your butt to sit for several hours without getting antsy".

2) Nurses work in a fast paced, non-quiet setting. Perhaps this is a test of things to come.

3) try writing your own outline for the class. No longer than 5 pages. Per class. If you are forced to be succinct, your mind will have to store more of the information from abbreviations

I'm a very visual AND auditory learner. In my current job, although I'm working with consumers I still have a lot of on the job training which means massive amounts of information to learn: disability laws, company history, company policies and programs, state services, state departments, sources of other services and technologies, and more. I have binder upon binder upon binder with limited time to study.

I approach it three times.

Read the material "assigned." Just simply straight read it, but read it out loud. Reading aloud forces me to slow down my reading but it also helps me process it two ways... visually and auditory.

Then I have a notebook where I take notes from what I just read. Anything I have a question on, I write it down as a question in my notes and highlight it to look up and research. Then I research it and include it in my notes when I'm done with this stage.

Then I take my notes and I type them up in my own words. I pretend that I have to teach someone else what I just learned, and for this particular job I do.

This is how I approached my studies in high school and college, and it worked really well for me. I had honors.

It's been a while, this looked helpful:

http://psychology.about.com/od/academicresources/a/psycho...

It might also help to study with someone-it's a lot to take in-but you can do it if you stick with it-good luck!

My husband's friend used to go to ALL the lectures in class and then once home, re-write all the notes he had taken in class.. This way, it helped to reiterate the information.. He got good grades ... Give this a try..

When you have vocab to remember, look for the root word and relate it to another word that you already know.

For me it also helps to read things out loud to myself. It makes me slow down and actually think about it. When I read in my head it is too easy for me to skim over things and not really think about it.

Don't try to look at all 100 cards at once. Try to either group them according to like subjects OR group them according to "easy" "medium" and "difficult". Then you can focus on one group at a time.

Good luck!!

This ONLY helped me with my psych class tests. I would read in the tub after LO was asleep. When I got out I would write what I remembered. After this I would basically skim to add what I forgot. I have a wierd habbit of over stressing, which sounds like it may be your problem, which made me remember what I forgot. A lot of pysch is common sense when you sit and think about it. (well that might be a redundant sentance!) Also if you are running out of reading time read it to your daughter. My son was 3 and didn't care, I was reading and explaining any questions he had. So basically I was teaching him what I was learning. It helped!

This was just my little thing hope it helps!

I always found that taking lots of notes by writing definitions down, and then going over then daily helped. In fact, I would do an outline of every chapter based on key definitions and concepts. Then, a week before tests, I would read through my outline every day. Would also re-read the chapters.

S., 101, or introductory classes, are the ones that throw the most at you. You have to learn all the terminology for that discipline. They use it to introduce the subject to "the masses" and also to weed out people for certain disciplines.

One thing that you must do is learn the jargon. And that means you have to learn the definitions of those big words. You also have to keep the guys straight who they are talking about.

Put together a dossier on each one of the men who came up with theories. This way, you can attach the theory and what it means to the guy who came up with it. And this also brings in definitions. "Tabula rasa" or blank slate - what it means, who it refers to, and what person coined the term - you see what I mean? If you "categorize" what you are learning, you'll be ready for the test, because that's what the test does.

If you get to a section that seems very hard to learn, go to Wikipedia and read. Sometimes textbooks are so complicated that just reading a simpler source may all of a sudden shed light on it. My very smart son used to make fun of Wikipedia and then all of sudden, he found that he had trouble following the reading for his philosophy class (I knew better than to take Philosophy myself LOL!) and he said that he never would have thought that Wikipedia would be his best friend. Turned out he made a lovely B+ in the class that he thought would be his hardest.

Everyone else's ideas are terrific.

Good luck - you can do this!

Dawn

Somehow, you need more time to study.
Being a student and parent, is tough.
My Hubby was going to school and working, he spent every hour not at work, at home studying 7 days a week. He was non-existent while he was in school. I was a single parent.
If you have a Spouse, the spouse HAS TO, take up the slack and do more in the house AND for the child. So that you can, study and keep up and keep up your GPA.
My Husband's University Academic Advisor, actually TELLS this to all students who are parents. He had seen many students, withdraw... because they did not have time, for school/studying.
You need to, tell your Spouse this. If you have one.
It is, important.

You perhaps can't remember anything, because your mind is elsewhere, like many Moms. Our time and minds gets splintered.

Try:
Using earphones and listen to music while you study. This helps some people to focus and cuts out external noise in the house.
- Chew gum, while studying. This actually helps many people to focus more to what is at hand.
- Use mnemonics.... it is a method to memorize things. Look it up online. I did a study on this.
My major being, Behavioral Sciences of which I studied psych/sociology/anthropology.
- GO somewhere, else to study. AND have your Spouse, stay home and do child duty.
You simply do not have enough time to study.
Nursing school, will get more intense and demanding.

Read things over and over.
PICTURE it, in your mind, AS you read. Look UP (this triggers another part of the brain)... after you read a sentence and imagine it/picture it. Then, when it gels in your mind, move on to the next... paragraph and sentence.

Doing note cards is good. But not if it is not making sense to you.
But repetition is another method, for remembering things.

I do quizlet, it is online flashcards which you make yourself, then you can test yourself with them. It has allowed me to make A's on almost everything, it has a mobile app, so you can quizlet on the go!

I know you said , time is tight but can you get together with a study group. Pharmacology killed me , because it seemed like so much useless , non-interesting info to remember. I couldn't have made it out with a descent grade if it weren't for a few girls in my class.

I also do Quizlet.com I used it for my Human Biology class and Intro to Logic. I love it so far. When I go through the cards the first time I usually know 50% of them (I stick some easy ones in there). By the second day I know 80%. I just kept going through them over and over. The nice part is when I don't know the answer, I have to type it out which really helps me remember next time. I like the test part also, makes it similar to what my tests are.

Where is your child during the day while you're at school? If she's in child care you have plenty of time after or between classes to study at school. That way you can do it before ever going to pick her up. That's what most mom's do that have kids.

What class is it? What are the subjects you're having issues with? Tell us more so we can share our ways that we remembered those connections or regions of the brain, terminology, etc....there is a broad variety of things you could be studying.

Don't feel stupid. I used something in my classroom when I was a public school teacher called "thinking maps." They were very helpful for organizing class notes. I also use them sometimes when taking notes on sermons at church or when I hear info I need to organize.

https://2a2biasbusybees.wikispaces.com/Thinking+Maps

pinterest.com/alwayslearning/thinking-maps/

Get a pack of highlighters - the more colors the better. Use one color for each different categories - green for theorists, pink for dates, red for cities, yellow for world events, purple for significant non medical people, blue for terminology etc etc.

For example, highlight a theorist's name in green and use check marks to mark a main point of that theory.

I'm assuming your exams will also be online, probably open book but timed. If it is multiple choice then the highlighting will be easy to reference. Say you have a question like "Which theorist began his studies during WWII?". Well, if you have all your dates highlighted in pink, then all you have to do is flip through your pages looking for anything in pink around WWII.

I love online classes! Yes, they are more difficult but it will challenge you to be more disciplined and to stay on top of your schedule. Plus, you don't have to worry about the time it takes to drive to the university, find a parking space, walk to class, stay in class, walk back to your car, drive home etc etc. Very convenient for anyone with kids at home.

Take care and good luck!