No matter what type of student you are or when you work best, you will at one point have an all-nighter study session. If you notice that you spend more nights studying than sleeping and want to change, try these five steps to avoid an all-night session.
#1 Pay attention to the syllabus
Day one of any class since my freshman year of high school included receiving a syllabus. The syllabus writes out the reading list, lecture topics, exam dates, and project due dates. This paper needs to go either in the front of a binder or an easy-to-reference spot. Utilize this tool from day one and keep it on hand.
#2 Use a planner
If having the syllabus doesn’t help you and you have missed reading assignments and project deadlines, it’s time for the next step. Its time for a planner. I have used a planner since the fourth grade to write homework assignments down each day. My planners over the year have evolved from the little notebook dated with five lines to a full-on monthly and weekly dated book. I don’t even think those academic planners had a monthly view. I always purchased an academic planner in high school and college, and the dates extended from July/August to June/July. When I worked on my BSN, the program started in January, and I graduated in December, so a January through December planner worked for me. When you receive your syllabus, add due dates for projects, exams, quizzes, lab sessions on the monthly layout. On the weekly pages, find an area without dates, usually on the side or at the bottom, and write out the reading expected or paperwork due each week. Under each date in the weekly layout, rewrite the due dates and exams again. Instead of the entire semester, you have what’s coming up in the month and each week.
#3 Find your routine
Each week during school, I worked the same days, lectures, clinical all the exact times. The beginning of the semester was finding the right groove as far as when to study. Every night after the lecture, I made it a goal to have all the material taught in class written on flashcards. Each day, review notes and flashcards, so when approaching an exam, the information is already in your long-term memory.
#4 Stay focus
Stay focus. This is more of a generalized stay focus. Unfortunately, it doesn’t take much energy to take a night off, go to a friend or family event, or even take a nap. It’s way easier to get behind. Keep in mind this isn’t forever. The structure of my associates’ program was four semesters: fall, spring, fall, and spring. During orientation, an alumnus told us don’t think of it as two years. Think of it as four 15 weeks segments. It’s hard work to keep up with the class. It’s stressful and unending to catch up if you fall behind.
#5 Keep some Health habits
Healthy habits or at least some sort of healthier routines are needed to ward off sickness. Nursing school is stressful, and being stressed welcomes illness. Stay hydrated with water, take a walk, get adequate sleep, eat better, and try to relax. I’m not saying you need to be the healthiest you, but don’t be the unhealthiest you either.
The best way to prevent all-nighter is time management and organization, and both are qualities needed in nurses. What advice do you have to avoid an all-nighter?