NURSEFIRSTNP  /  NURSING SCHOOL LIFE  /  4 MIN READ

Your Nursing School
Midterm Reset

A little reflection can help you decide what to change before your next exam.

BY DR. NANETTE JOHNSON  •  NURSING TUTOR AND MENTOR

Hey girl! You made it to the middle of the semester. Take a breath. Whether you love your grades or wish they looked different, let’s check in on what is actually helping you learn.

Read along, check what sounds familiar, and choose a change you can try this week. You can click the checkboxes in Word and replace the response prompts with your own notes.

Which one sounds like you

☐  I study for hours, but I am not sure where the time goes.

☐  I sit down to study, but distractions keep winning.

☐  I understand the material, then struggle with the questions.

Picked more than one? That is useful information. Start with the area that is affecting you most.

Where did your study time go

Think about your last study session. Did you spend more time rewriting notes than checking your understanding? Did you follow your course objectives or get lost in small details?

Try this: Give your next session one clear goal, such as explaining a concept without your notes. Put exams, assignments, clinical preparation, and rest days in your planner.

Was your environment helping

Be honest: could you focus? A noisy room, your phone, or too long in the same spot can interrupt your study session. Plan a break or change locations when your attention fades.

Pause here — one habit I want to change this week

[Type your response here]

YOUR MIDTERM RESET  /  PUT IT INTO PRACTICE

Let your missed questions guide you

When your instructor allows an exam review, look for patterns. Did you rush past key exam words such as  “priority”? Did your add information that was not in the question? Or did you change an answer because you felt anxious?

Before choosing an answer, state what the question is asking. If you change your answer, identify the specific detail or nursing principle supporting that change.

First connect the content to patient care

Revisit your textbook, notes, and course objectives. Mark concepts you have encountered in clinicals, exams, quizzes, and discussion boards. Keep reviewing the full scope your instructor outlines.

Highlight with a purpose. Then close the book. Can you explain what you would assess, which findings concern you, and what the nurse should do next?

Picture this: You cared for a patient with heart failure in clinicals. Revisit the assessment findings, medications, interventions, and teaching. Connect what you read to what you observed.

Then ask why you missed it

Choose practice NCLEX-style questions on a weak topic. Read the rationales for the correct and incorrect options. Check the pattern you notice:

☐  I did not know the content.

Return to the concept, explain it without your notes, then try another question.

☐  I misread what the question was asking.

Find the phrase you missed. Restate the question before looking at the answers.

☐  I narrowed it down to two and chose the wrong one.

Compare those choices. What makes one the best answer for this patient right now? Was your choice appropriate, but not the priority?

My next study session — topic and one specific action

[Type your response here]

Keep a quick review log: Topic → Why I missed it → What I will do differently. Revisit it next time.

Hey girl, your midterm grades does not dictate your nursing school career. If your grades are below your program’s requirements, then switch up your study style, and reach out to your instructor or academic support team now and build a plan together.

LET’S TALK

What must you reset in order to thrive this semester in nursing school: time management, focus, or test-taking skills? Share your struggles or your success in my Nursing School Community. We are all here to help each other.