Got my license today...some NCLEX advice

Just got my RN license today, took NCLEX yesterday...so happy to be done. Since I lurked in here for months, I figured I would pay it forward with my 2 cents of advice. Your mileage may vary of course.

- The main point I want to get across is that you can't really "study" for the NCLEX, there is simply too much to remember. Please don't make the mistake of studying for weeks and months on end, you are not going to remember it all, and you are just making it harder on yourself. Definitely review for the exam, but don't make this about trying to learn EVERYTHING, it's not going to happen.

- Whatever review you choose, stick with THAT review. I started studying for the NCLEX back in February (while I was still in school), and in hindsight, there wasn't really any point to it. In all, I did 4 separate reviews, including ATI, Kaplan, NCSBN, and Saunder's. It doesn't really matter which one you pick, just pick the one that works for you. In my case, I found Kaplan and NCSBN to be too "outliney". ATI and Saunder's both had a lot of meat in the review, but they also took longer. Again, what works for me may not work for you. In other words, find one that works, and stick with it.

- FOCUS. Whatever study routine you used while in school, USE THAT HERE. Don't make the mistake I saw many of my classmates make where they would go back to "real life" and then complain about how they never had time. You paid a LOT in money, time, and resources to get this far, don't squander it now.

- BREATHE. The NCLEX isn't nearly as hard as you think it is. If you have done practice questions in ATI, Kaplan, Hurst, Saunder's, etc, you have done NCLEX questions. Don't psych yourself out, it's just another test after all. You've done hundreds of them. Yes, the test will stretch your brain, but only because it's dipping into the entire pool of nursing knowledge, not because it's going to ask you about nuclear physics or something.

- BREATHE AGAIN. I say this again because I know most of you ignored everything I said after it the last time. So I will say it again: It's not as bad as you think it is.

- SMILE. You're almost there...I've had perma-grin since I left the testing center yesterday, and you will too!

I finished with 75 questions in 45 minutes. Questions in myasthenia gravis, OB, cardiac, prioritization and delegation, and infection control mainly. About half were select all that apply. The Saunder's review was in my opinion the best at making me feel prepared for content. The LaCharity book on prioritization and delegation is a MUST HAVE for everyone. The reviews floating around allnurses were nice to have, but in the end useless to me since I never read them.

Hope that helps somebody. Good luck, you nursey type person you! :-)