CHAPTER 3
Setting Up Your Study Plan
CREATE A PLAN THAT IS RIGHT FOR YOU
The first step in setting up your study plan is to find out which of the various nursing school entrance exams you are going to take. As you learned in Chapter 2, there are significant differences in what the various tests cover and in the kinds of questions that are on each one. Not all of the tests cover the same subjects. For example, some include a spelling section, and some do not. Some test geometry, and some do not. You need to know which particular topics you need to study so that you can focus your preparation and not waste time on subjects that you will not need to know.
To help you, we have created the chart on the following page. It summarizes the different topics tested on each of the four major nursing entrance exams. Find out which exam is required by the nursing schools to which you are applying. Then use the chart to figure out which subjects you need to focus on, based on which test(s) you plan to take. Once you know which subjects you need to study, you can make plans to devote your study time to the chapters in this book that cover those subjects.
Now you can use this book to review the topics that you need to study for your test.
• English topics are covered in Chapter 6.
• Reading comprehension is covered in Chapter 7.
• Mathematics topics are covered in Chapter 8.
• Science topics are covered in Chapter 9.
USE TIME WISELY
What kind of preparation program should you follow for your nursing school entrance exam? The answer depends on two things:
• How much time you have
• What kind of a student you are
First, decide how much time you have. Do you have a month? Two weeks? Three days? The answer determines how much time you can devote to each step in the preparation process.
Next, think about your study habits. No one knows your learning style better than you do. Do you feel confident only when you are thoroughly prepared? Do you feel that you get stale if you prepare too far in advance? Do you feel well prepared already and are just looking to sharpen your focus? The answers to these questions also help you create your best study plan.
Make a study schedule. Be sure to set aside enough time at the end of your schedule to take the practice tests at the end of this book. Study with a friend if that works best for you. Often when preparing for a test, it helps to have someone who can quiz you about the test topics and whom you can quiz in return. If you do not have much time before the test, you may want to shorten your review time and focus instead entirely on the practice tests.