How to Study for Your NP Program with Sketchy: Best Resource for Success

In any NP program, you are juggling a lot; not only are you managing demanding coursework and exams, often while working full-time jobs, but you're also trying to find the best study resources to retain what you’re learning. NP programs move fast and cover an overwhelming amount of information: drug names, classes, mechanisms of action, contraindications, interactions, side effect profiles…the list goes on. 

The good news? Sketchy NP helps you remember and learn the material and saves you serious study time in the process.

Studying in Your NP Program

The transition from following orders to making clinical decisions is one of the most significant mental shifts you’ll face. Instead of memorizing protocols, as an NP student, you’re expected to build differential diagnoses, interpret labs, and prescribe treatments, all while justifying your clinical reasoning. NP Programs have a lot of memorization and will focus on the “why” and how to adapt to each patient. 

You’re not only expected to remember everything, you’re supposed to apply that knowledge in a year or so when you hit your clinical rotations. It can be overwhelming for any NP student to grasp balancing coursework, clinicals, and outside life expectations. 

All of this to say this is why Sketchy NP exists. The program is geared to help you as an NP student learn the material efficiently, saving you study time and quicker recall during exams and on the rotations.

Sketchy uses elaborative encoding and visual learning from an ancient Greek technique called the “Method of Loci” to create a memory technique to recall information more easily and quickly. This is the same technique utilized by memory athletes who pull off amazing feats like memorizing entire decks of cards and strings of random numbers. Rather than having to research on your own how to utilize this method, Sketchy works with NPs, clinicians, and artists to provide visual mnemonic devices set in richly crafted memory palaces. This way, you can close your eyes and visualize the connections between symbols and concepts to quickly come up with the correct answer on exams and rotations. Take a look below for the top 5 reasons why Sketchy is the perfect memory resource for NP programs.

1. Visual Learning for Your NP Program

When you’re overwhelmed by the dense textbooks and endless lecture notes, visual learning can feel like a lifeline. Each Sketchy lesson turns a complex medical concept into a story-based illustration. Every key fact is tied to a memorable symbol. You watch the story unfold visually, reinforcing what you’re learning as it happens.

• A billboard for Acetyl-Cola represents acetylcholine.
• An Acetyl-Cola bottle return dumpster shows that acetylcholinesterase breaks it down.
• When a skater knocks that dumpster over? That skater is your acetylcholinesterase inhibitor, which inhibits the enzyme and causes bottles (aka acetylcholine) to spill and build up at the synapse.
• The skater's “Stigma” skateboard reminds you of drugs ending in -stigmine, like neostigmine and pyridostigmine, which are both examples of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors.

Instead of memorizing endless drug names and mechanisms, you're watching a story, full of visual cues designed to anchor complex concepts in your memory.

2. Boost Retention in Your NP Program

NP programs move fast, so it’s crucial to reinforce what you’ve already learned while taking in new material. After watching a Sketchy video, you can review the lesson using the Sketchy Symbol Explorer. This spaced repetition tool helps lock in key symbols and concepts for long-term retention. The interactive review cards let you click through every symbol from the video at your own pace, with a toggle feature to test your recall as you go.

3. 9,100+ Quiz Questions Tailored for Your NP Program

NP programs are challenging, which is why every Sketchy NP lesson includes quiz questions to reinforce what you’ve learned. After watching a video, you can test yourself right away—or build a custom exam using the QBank, pulling questions from multiple courses. Choose Tutor Mode to get instant feedback with direct links to lessons, or Test Mode for a real exam feel. You can even bookmark questions to review later.

4. Saves You Study Time During Your NP Program

As an NP student, flexibility is key and long study sessions aren’t always realistic. With Sketchy, you can study in short bursts that fit your schedule. Watch a video in 10 minutes during your commute or squeeze in quiz questions between TV episodes. Need a quick refresher? Use the search feature to instantly find the topic you’re looking for.

5. Sketchy’s Organized to Fit Your NP Program

The most useful tip for all NP students is to make a schedule. Plan out when you’re in class, when you have other obligations like work or family commitments, and build in time to study and write down what you will study. Look at your class schedule and syllabus to decide what you need to cover. Sketchy is organized into courses like pharmacology, anatomy, and physiology. If your NP program is structured like that perfectly, you can tackle each course as you progress through your program. If not, as mentioned above, use the search feature to pair Sketchy lessons with your coursework.

Once you’ve set your schedule, stick with it. Planning helps you stay organized and cuts down on wasted time, so you can focus more on studying, not figuring out what to study.

6. Sharpen Your Clinical Skills with NP Program Case Practice

Sketchy just launched a brand new learning tool called DDx. Practice your clinical reasoning skills, building differential diagnoses, and interpreting labs all within this AI-assisted learning platform. With over 70+ cases and more added weekly, see a patient with chest pain or shortness of breath. You’ll take a history and physical exam, explain your differential diagnosis, go through management steps, and see the patient's outcome. DDx will help you apply the knowledge that you learn by watching Sketchy lessons!

Why Study With Sketchy for Your NP Program

And there you have it, why Sketchy is the go-to study tool for NP programs. Sketchy’s helped thousands of NP students succeed and has refined our system to make acing your exams, clinicals, and boards easier than ever. Check out more from Sketchy NP!