This is an unsponsored guest post from Pocket Prep, makers of the app that will help you pass your next major exam like the TEAS, NCLEX, CCRN, PCCN, and others.

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Saying nurses are busy is like saying grass is green. Adding in the need to study for an exam or certification is just one more thing to deal with - studying is basically a part-time job when you’re a nursing student. Here’s the good thing - there are a few tried and true study methods that science has given the thumbs up.

In this post, we’ll go over four proven methods of studying that will help you be more efficient with your time and more successful in your studying.

1) Pen & Paper Note Taking

The upside is, as a nurse, you probably always have a pen. We know typing notes on a laptop can be quick and handy, but it’s less likely to stick in your brain. To be a better learner, bust out the classic pen and paper. A study done by psychologists Pam Mueller and Daniel Oppenheimer found that students who write out their notes process information at a much higher level compared to those who typed it out.

Is there a trick to note-taking? Yup! Don’t just write down what you hear word for word. The best practice is to re-frame the information into your own words while writing it down physically. This practice will create a mind-body connection that leads to better information recall. Try keeping a small notebook with you when you study, and then read through it when you have a couple minutes here and there (in the elevator or on a coffee break). Your trusty pen collection will serve you well.

2) Teach to Learn: The Feynman Technique

Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman developed a technique that essentially has you learn material and then try to re-teach it in a simplistic way (like you’re talking to a 6th grader). It’s an excellent way to make sure what you’ve learned has actually stuck.

Step 1: Write it Out

Write down the concept as simply as possible. Think of how you might explain it to someone with little to no familiarity with the idea. When you write down an idea from the beginning to the very end in simple language, you force your brain to have a deeper understanding of the topic and bridge connections between new ideas.

Step 2: Start to Teach

As you’re writing down the explanation, describe the concept out loud and pretend you’re teaching it to a group of elementary kids. This step is crucial to understanding where you still have gaps in understanding and helps you better pinpoint areas for improvement.

Step 3: Revisits for Improvement

Whenever you feel like you can’t explain a topic in simple terms, go back to your notes and textbooks until you feel confident enough to write down those weak points simply and clearly.

When you can explain your understanding without using complicated and potentially unclear language, you’ve successfully demonstrated your knowledge of the topic.

Step 4: Simplify with Analogies

When you are unable to explain a concept simply, try to create an analogy to make your point. If you’re studying biology, for example, think about how veins are to blood as roads are to cars. This allows your brain to process the information in a different way and approach it from a new angle. In the end, the real test of your knowledge is the ability to transfer it to another person.

3) Don’t Cram! Space things out…

Studies continually have shown that cramming doesn’t work for long-term memory retention. When we take in excessive amounts of information all at once, our brains can only retain it for very limited periods of time. In fact, it’s estimated that people forget 50% of new information within an hour, and 70% within 24 hours.

So what should you do instead? Spaced repetition, also referred to as spaced learning, is a method of studying where more challenging and new information is reviewed more frequently while less challenging and older information is reviewed less frequently. This means more time is spent focusing on areas that need the most improvement, while easier concepts and information are still included in the study process to maintain regular exposure.

Spaced repetition has continued to be a tried-and-true retention technique within the education industry. From Harvard to MIT, leading educational institutions continue to encourage students to practice spaced repetition due to its proven efficacy and effectiveness.

We know it’s hard to dedicate hours every day or every other day solely to study. That’s fine - even getting in 5 minutes in more spaced out intervals will help you. The Pocket Prep App (exam prep app that covers tons of nursing certifications) has features like ‘Question of the Day’ and ‘Quick 10’ specifically designed for those few minutes when, instead of scrolling through Facebook or Instagram, you could do a quick study session.

4) The Pomodoro Technique

The Pomodoro Technique was invented in the early 1990s by developer, entrepreneur, and author, Francesco Cirillo, and is named after a tomato-shaped timer he used to track his work as a university student. The power of this technique is that it encourages you to work with the time you have, rather than against it.

To follow the Pomodoro Technique, choose the task you want to accomplish. Then break your time into 25-minute intervals, referred to as ‘pomodoros’. During the 25 minutes, you do your work and nothing else; No looking at Facebook, checking the news, or scrolling through Instagram or Snapchat. You just stay focused on the task at hand. After 25 minutes, an alarm signals the end of a pomodoro and a five-minute break begins.

Check Facebook, grab a snack, do some Downward Dog, whatever you want. After five minutes, you start your next pomodoro. After approximately four pomodoros, you take a longer break of 15 to 20 minutes.

The key to the technique is a timer. A timer instills a sense of urgency. It ensures that you no longer feel you have endless time to get things done. It limits distractions — the most common cause of errors or mistakes. You know you have only 25 minutes to make as much progress as possible and then you can rest.

Pomodoros, Feynmans, and pens, oh my!

Studying while you’re working as a nurse or even still in nursing school is a lot - we get it. Try the techniques above and see what works for you. There are also apps out there to help. Pocket Prep (mentioned early) has a free and paid app to help you prep for exams like the CEN, CCM, CRNA, CCRN, and CNA to name a few.

Happy studying fellow nurses!