Because expectations are too high in my family I can feel the pressure on taking the NCLEX RN exam. My dad, aunt's, and my cousin who are nurses took the NCLEX RN for just 1 take. And on February I sat on the pearson vue site for my exam. after two weeks i found out that i failed. and yesterday i took my second one and i tried the pearson vue trick and no pop out appeared and that indicates I failed my exam (that is what they told me). And now, I have no idea how to start studying again. I got good grades on college but it seems I don't know anything when i sit on my exams. How will I start? Im just so ******.

Don't compare yourself to them. How did you prepare yourself? What did you do differently to study for the NCLEX the second time around?

I took Hurst Review which I think greatly helped me passed. I had to take it twice though. I am more of an audio learner and had to play those audio clips over and over. One thing I wish I had done was to study with my classmates. That would had motivate me more.

I understand how you feel. when I had to study the second time around, I hated studying and was completely depressed. It took a lot of encouragement to get back on track and to do the whole process again.

Good Luck!

Dear Mo-

It is easy for me to sit here and tell you not to get discouraged, but it would sound trite. I understand your level of frustration; you have gone through school, clinical, and probably have a job lined up. The NCLEX is a weird beast. Some of the questions can be grouped together for just one specialty, like peds or surgery. I had a lot of homeopathic medicine questions (I am just shaking my head while taking the exam...homeopathic med? WTH?). I come from a family of high achievers as well, and I can relate to the pressure you are under. Before I took the NCLEX, I got the Kaplan study guide, and had I not done this, I don't know that I would have passed. I also had a book called "Physiology for Dummies" that I studied, and I still refer to it because it is easy reading.

Keep your spirits up, and be gentle with yourself. Make sure to get plenty of sleep the night before, eat some protein for dinner and have an egg or something with protein in it for breakfast before the exam. Wake up early, go outside (or somewhere that is peaceful to you) and sit, close your eyes and imagine that nursing license in your hand. Picture yourself on your first day of work, and see yourself signing a chart with your name and RN behind it. Imagine you with your closest friends celebrating your new title. REALLY see it. Above all, think positively. Don't let the negative thoughts creep into your mind, as that robs you of the concentration that you need-kind of like when you hear a great song on the radio but you are picking up static...it grates your nerves, right? Negative thoughts are the same way. Go into the testing site confident and KNOWING that you will pass. NO DOUBTS. It will calm you like you wouldn't believe, and you can then answer the questions using the knowledge that you have gained in school. You can do this. I am pulling for you!

Thank you very much. Im still in the grieving process as of the moment. And hopefully or let's say the next exam WILL BE MY LAST BECAUSE I WILL PASS! God has better plans i guess.

It sounds like you don't even know for sure yet so cross that bridge when you get to it. Try to remember that as an adult your family's expectations don't need to affect your self worth. Of course you will pass NCLEX and become a nurse! Keep us posted.

i'm sorry that you did not pass ., you will next time !! try taking Kaplan it's awesome !!

You've got yourself in such a state over this you'll undermine yourself! The NCLEX is an important goal for you, and there's family pressure. If you relax a bit I think you'll do better. If you need to take the NCLEX again, you already know the world will keep turning, the sun will come up, and your life will go on. That's the really important stuff. The NCLEX is just another speed bump in life. No more, no less. Pass or fail your life will go on, you'll adapt to the new realities. Keep telling yourself being alive is the only important part. Everything else is negotiable or optional. Relaxxxxxx. Life will take you where you need to go, your hopes and dreams may be exceeded or cast aside, but all will be right in the end.

I'm with dthfytr. You need to have confidence in yourself. Do not compare yourself with other people. Make sure to take all the time you need to study and make it a habit every morning (like a job), to study. I took the Kaplan review course, and learned their lessons. It's all about the ABC's baby and what would you do if you could only do one thing and go home. When I took my HESI, I also didn't do so hot (below average). But with studying and perseverance I took the NCLEX and passed on the first time. Granted I took 2 months to study, but at least when I went into the exam, I felt confident. With Kaplan, I would suggest only taking it in testing mode, do 50 questions at a time, read and understand the rationales that they give you, take only 150 maximum questions/day. It really does help. I only utilized the Kaplan book as reference for when I didn't understand something or required further explanation. Good luck!

One thing you may be tempted to do, and that's buy tons of study guides and attend every prep course you can. That's the mental equivalent of hiring a dozen swimming coaches, then having to hear them all yelling contradictory advice at the same time. Pick one and stick with it.

I picked the Kaplan prep course. Kaplan will not make you feel like you can beat the world either in front of your computer doing their practice tests or in the test room. That's because their aim appears to be to get you 100% proficient on 90% of testable items, rather than get you 75% proficient on 100% of testable items. This worked great for me, but I left the test room wondering if I passed.

Anyway, whatever you pick, understand that more can definitely be less.

Because expectations are too high in my family I can feel the pressure on taking the NCLEX RN exam. My dad, aunt's, and my cousin who are nurses took the NCLEX RN for just 1 take. And on February I sat on the pearson vue site for my exam. after two weeks i found out that i failed. and yesterday i took my second one and i tried the pearson vue trick and no pop out appeared and that indicates I failed my exam (that is what they told me). And now, I have no idea how to start studying again. I got good grades on college but it seems I don't know anything when i sit on my exams. How will I start? Im just so ******.

I intended to be an airline pilot. A motorcycle accident screwed up my legs so there went that dream. Move to the Southwest from New England, became an EMT, wanted to be a Paramedic. My wife wanted to be an RN but procrastinated, so I got 2 applications so that we could both apply. I knew she'd get accepted, so I planned to support her then become a Paramedic. She never applied, I'm an RN, she's back in New England and I've been a trauma nurse in the Southwest for over 22 years. The lesson is that life is what happens while we're busy making other plans. It's hard when you're young, but life will take you where it needs you. Fighting it just makes you unhappy. Nothing else changes. Wishing you a long and happy life no matter where it takes you.

You have a lot of support here, Mo. You will do well. I think that the majority votes for the Kaplan prep. I just ordered the study guide with the CD-ROM that is formatted the same way the NCLEX is. You won't have to spend a ton of money, and it will be worth it. Take your time. Remember to be confident. Don't forget to picture yourself with that license in your hand. Don't be hard on yourself. We all experience failure, and that is what makes us rise above. Don't give up. Rest your head and calm your fears. You will conquer this. The anxiety you have felt is your roadblock right now. Release that. Do what makes you relax, be it a long hot bath, a massage, a long run, a hike, surfing, reading, going to a movie...be by yourself for a bit. You stated that you made good grades in school. If your professors thought that you were a loser, you would not have graduated, but you did so with GOOD GRADES. Obviously they think that you are safe and that you are bright. Remember that. Carry it with you. You can do this. But YOU need to believe that you can.

Thank you very much. Im still in the grieving process as of the moment. And hopefully or let's say the next exam WILL BE MY LAST BECAUSE I WILL PASS! God has better plans i guess.

It's been many years since I took the nursing exam (it wasn't called NCLEX back then), but I've oriented a lot of new graduates. And, for what it's worth, there never seemed to be any correlation between number of tries before passing, and success as a nurse. One of the best new nurses I oriented had to take it 3 times before passing.

Good luck, and think positive!

When you take the exam, remember the whole world is behind you, rooting for you, hoping you'll pass.