Encouragement please!!

Moved to the NCLEX forum

I would suggest if you haven't already done so to take a short break. Then practice questions and read the rationale. If you find a subject you are struggling with then review that subject again.

I suggest you go over test taking strategies. Sometimes we know the content but somehow we can't seem to figure out how to answer questions. And yes focus on your weak areas, be confident and don't give up soon enough you'll get there. :) God bless.

HI,

i am taking the nclex for the 2nd time in 10/01 ad failed it on 07/31 very devastated, it has taken me 3 weeks to get myself together.

so now that i am back on the horse, here is what i have been doing lightly for now

i was low on 3 categories, so i am focusing on those from EBook Kaplan ,and all the qbanks that pertain to those sections only.

Then i will focus on the rest of qbank along with qtrainers as i go.

I have 5 weeks left so i made a schedule to stay on track

then 3 weeks befre my test - i plan to take the NCSBN learning extension and do as much content and strategy questions as i can, as long as i am understanding them

4 days before my test i plan to take qtrainer 7 to see how well i did.

through my study i plan to keep reading the Ebook from kaplan ,i think it breaks down facts nicely and to the point, nothing fancy.

also every night before bed, i lay in bed and answer 40 questions from the NCLEX mastery app tha i paid $30 for, but i like it because its a different perspective from Kaplan, you get rationale right away and you can choose whether you knew the answer, or not, or maybe, and then you can go back and either answer more or focus on those wrong ones.

It also mnemonics to memorize facts, and some terminology to help you figure out meanings when taking nclex and you run into a word you dont recall, you can break it down and find the meaning - very helpul little app.

I onky did Kaplan last time, no saunders, nothing else, just Kaplan and off course that didnt work for me, so i am turning things a bit this time.

I hope you find something that works for ya -

Let me know if there is anything i can help with, i am also devastated and scared to take it for the 2nd time

P.S I have been going to church and praying that I may relieve some of my anxiety during practice tets and during the nclex as well.

:)

Yes i think that's my problem. Do you recommend any other review besides kaplan test taking strategies?

No, I wasn't talking about the Kaplan test taking strategies in particular. I meant test taking strategies in general, google some and they will really help you out in answering questions even if you don't know what the question is talking about. Though I cannot recommend other reviews as I will also be taking my NCLEX for the first time in September but as for me SIMPLENURSING.COM's NCLEX75 course works really well. I mean I have no proof yet, but it is helping me out a great amount. Maybe because of the videos, he goes through them very simply. I'm a visual learner, I can't just sit around my whole review session and read books, and do questions.. It's hard for me to understand the content. I struggled with prioritization and delegation before but now it's like a piece of cake... I can't wait to watch all the videos! They also offer an online classroom I believe it's like Qbank in which you take quizzes and rationales are in videos for you to fully understand.

However I do have the PDA by LaCharity Practice Exercise Book, I find this really really helpful if you haven't gotten it I am suggesting it as many members here recommends it also. I also have the Mary Anne Hogan Comprehensive Review book. I read through it but the content in it is summarized in the NCLEX75 course. I also have a calendar in which I follow strictly, the NCLEX75 course will provide it for you, I just tweeked it a little bit to fit in my schedule. I also eat, stay hydrated, wash up through out the day so I'm not sleepy, take breaks. I am a single mom but luckily she's in first grade now so I have the whole day of studying so that's really nice. I also try to not cram myself too much. They say one of the biggest mistakes why people fail NCLEX is they study too much, they barely sleep and barely eat.

Well that wraps it. I'm hoping this method will work for me. We got this. Good luck to us!

I used Saunders (the yellow one, 5th edition I think) and PDA 3rd edition online. For the practice tests, I used the Lippincott's app (it's free), and the accompanying CD of the Saunders book. For topics that I want to have a more thorough understanding of, I watched some of Michael Linares' videos on youtube. I'm really lazy when it comes to studying that I only did about 10-25 questions per day. Some days I'd only use flashcards and didn't do practice tests at all LOL. I did read the Saunders book cover to cover but not consistently. I only read when I was in the mood, it felt useless to force myself to study - I end up not remembering a thing anyway. I didn't study as intensely as others did, with lots of books and all, but I did make sure to understand what I was reading. I heard a lot of good things about Kaplan but I didn't have the budget.

I went to the testing center really nervous, I've been out of school for several years and the last serious test I took was the local boards back in 2008, but I psyched myself to think that I'm going to kill this test. I felt so frustrated when I reached the 76th question (I conditioned myself to finish at 75. LOL), almost cried when I reached the 77th. And then the screen went blank. I got mostly prioritization questions, and for those I just had to think who'd most likely die if an intervention isn't done. For the SATA questions I made sure to reach the question twice or thrice before answering, and then once again before submitting my answers because I tend to be careless. I sometimes unintentionally ignore parts of the questions that goes like "which one does NOT belong" or "which one would you NOT advice".

Stick with Kaplan.

I bought the $499 package (includes class session) and it was money well spent. Here's what I did and it helped me pass at 75 questions:

1. Attend the class

2. Listen to the Lectures (videos) and the videos reviewing in class questions.

3. Do all the Q trainers (I did all of them except one, # 5).

4. Do the Q bank- try and do all the questions. (i did 75% )

5. Do the alternate format question 1 day or 2 days before your test date

Do not waste time reading the review book from cover to cover. Do questions, more questions and review/ look up info as you go. If you have time review ALL the questions including the ones you got right, look at all the answer choices as it will give you extra info as to why each choice was right/wrong/not priority. Then if you have time, review the incorrect questions a second time.

If you run out of time look at the analysis section, see how the scores was distributed and what areas you are weak in. I looked at areas less than 60 % and then I would go back to the test and review the questions in that weak area.

Make notes if you notice a trend, I made note for areas that I was weak in or for any concept I could not remember. I organized it by section ( Management of Care/Positioning/Pharm etc). The key with notes is keeping everything organized so that you can find the info easily.

Lastly, this is something you have to think about...get a tutor. Two weeks before my test I was overwhelmed and felt disorganized and I finally bit the bullet and hired a tutor. She really helped me to be organized and provided me with the structure that I needed. When I was taking the test I found myself using the tips that she gave me to answer a majority of the questions, even the ones I didn't know.

Stay positive, during the exam I wrote on the dry erase board " You will Pass !!!" and every time I got to a challenging question I would take a break and read those words before going back to the question. I also took a break when I felt physically tired and overwhelmed by a question (# 33) and I did not wait for the scheduled 2 hr break. I went to the bathroom, washed my face with cold water and took a brisk walk in the hallway. When I returned to my computer, I knew how to answer #33 :) It definitely helps to walk away/ look away from the computer to regroup before answering a challenging question. Prayer also helped me, knowing that I wasn't alone during the test also added to my confidence.

I hope this helps :)

True dat :) It really depends on your study style. I tried doing all questions first without bothering to read, didn't work for me. Also if you did self-study before, maybe you could try attending classes this time? I didn't use Kaplan and passed on my first take but everybody else I know recommended Kaplan. If you have the budget, go for it.

Saunders Online Review worked well for myself & other nurses. Most importantly, remind yourself that this weird phase in your life in b/t nursing student & nurse shall pass. Temporary discouragement sucks though...I know.