How to read your textbook effectively

Hey friends,

So one of the very BIG struggles of nursing school is all the required readings. I am not sure why professors think we can read two 50 page chapters in a night. And you never remember what you read if you successfully get through all the pages. By now I am sure you have realized that textbooks are full of fluff and distractions. Here are my steps for reading a textbook:

• Read all chapter introductions and summaries.
• Read any part of the text that is in a different format (bold, colored, large, italicized).
• Read the heading of each paragraph and the first and last sentence.
• Read all diagrams and charts.
• At the end of the chapter, if you do not understand a concept, then go back and read that paragraph completely.

This technique allows you to read your textbook for content only. It will take some adjusting while you read, but many nursing students and successful nurses recommend this way of reading.

If you absolutely must read the entire book, then have some sort of incentives for yourself to make sure you get it done. As with your note taking, make sure to read what you read the next day! 

Hope this helps and would love to hear if the technique works for you!