A tale about the procrastinating girl, her chocolate milk, and the great NCLEX god...

[Sparrow91]

Hello everyone. I have been reading everyone else's stories and experiences and decided to share mine as well.

Throughout my nursing school experience I have always done well, however I was a horrible procrastinator, especially when it came to papers (which probably explains why I've put off writing this for 3 days). My procrastination seemed to hit its peak in my senior year; I pretty much lived on adrenalin. By the time I graduated I was completely unmotivated to study and pretty much waited till I received my ATT to begin studying (not something I would encourage). I then set up my date for the 25^th; that gave me about 3.5 weeks.

On my NCLEX eve I went to the city where my exam was to be held and found the testing center. Once I had found it, I sat there for a moment. I could feel the tension from where I sat. It was a little after 2, I knew that there were nervous test takers inside beginning their exams. I left from there and spent the rest of my day with a very good nursing school friend who had already passed the exam. She kept me well distracted and encouraged.

I went to bed that night a nervous wreck; I tried everything to get to sleep, even Zquil. NOTHING worked! I got a grand total of two hours of sleep that night. When my two set alarms clocks went off (something I learned from clinical when the electricity went out one night) I got up, got dressed, grabbed my chocolate milk from the fridge (my secret weapon for passing the HESIs) and off I went. I blasted my radio the whole way (nothing like rocking out to Skillet to get you awake and pumped!).

I arrived and was soon seated at my computer. I breathed a quick prayer for clarity and to keep my chocolate milk down, and then I began. I kept watching my time; I was worried I would be there for the entire test and that I would run out of time. I read every question and answer 3 times, and made a little defense as to why I thought I was right in picking my answers. I kept getting one SATA after another.

Then after an hour and 20 minutes I looked up, I had finally reached the 75^th question, I freaked inside. I prayed to the great NCLEX god that this would be it. I begged for it to be the last question; and then with a click "poof" my screen turned blue. I then prayed to the great NCLEX god again to BRING IT BACK! I second guessed every answer I had submitted and wanted another chance to rectify my wrong doings. But the great NCLEX god decides your fate, and having decided, moves on!

I left the testing center and drove to the nearest Starbucks. I decided to sit in my car to see what predictions the great Pearson Vue genie had for me (a wise decision on my part). I nervously filled out the information, my hands shaking; my heart about to leap out of my mouth, and with a click "poof" there was the good pop up! I was shacking I was crying so hard, all the emotions from that last 4 years had come bubbling up to the surface! All that hard work had finally come to an end! Unbeknownst to me someone had pulled up next to me in the parking lot and was getting out of their car just as I was having my melt down. Realizing there was now another human life form I bowed my head and thought "don't make eye contact, don't make eye contact, just keep walking dude, just keep walking!".

I had never felt so many emotions at ounce in my life. I wanted to laugh, I wanted to cry, I wanted to scream, I wanted to throw up! I spent the rest of the day vacillating between feeling like I had passed, and then like I had failed. I could not sleep for yet another night, and then when the sun began to rise I popped onto my states BON and sure enough my license # was there!

I want to close in saying that everyone's NCLEX experience is different and to not compare yourself to others. You made it through years of nursing school. You know what is necessary to get you to your goals. You just have to make that decision to do it! You have all made it this far. You've got this!

[Micki8475]

Congratulations to you!!!

I could have written almost the exact same story you did! I took NCLEX on June 26 and my license posted this morning.

Now go celebrate!!! :-)

[Sparrow91]

Congratulations!

I have been! Yesterday I laid in bed all day and watched nearly an entire season of Grey's Anatomy! It was GLORIOUS!

[newRN_2014]

My story is pretty much spot on. But instead of going to Starbucks I cried the entire way home just SURE that I failed! But the good popup worked for me and my license number is proudly displayed on my computer screen! Congrats RN!

[Sparrow91]

Congratulations newRN_2014!

[sassynerd]

Congratz! I love your story! Just got my ATT and some serious studying is in place & hoping I'll have good news to share also!

[Sparrow91]

Congratulations then sassynerd! You have made through one of the toughest degrees! You have made this far, you've got this!

[buspar]

How did u prep for the test? Congrats nurse !

[Sparrow91]

I used the three week NCLEX study prep offered through the NCSBN website. Using the NCSBN website I studied for about 4-6 hours a day, doing 40ish questions that went along with the content. I also used my Saunders book for more in-depth study on certain topics, and some reading on EKGs (which was not in the content offered by the NCSBN). I also used my Mosby’s memory cards (Pharm and Patho) to give me quick and easy tips, tricks, and mnemonics to help me remember content.

I also used PrepU NCLEX 10,000 to practice questions. I read ALL of the rationales whether I got the questions right or wrong. The questions (especial on levels 6-8) were I would say as challenging as or possibly more than the NCLEX exam. I did a total of 3,300 questions.

[akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P]

I could have written a similar tale... though mine was a little different. I knew that I was quite likely to do well on the NCLEX and I'd had decent scores on my HESI exams for a very long time. My exit exam indicated that I had about a 99% chance of passing the first time. My school exam scores, reports from other students, and so on drove my study technique to simply doing NCLEX questions to keep my head in the game as far as answering them. I did read the rationales but mostly it was so that I could better understand how properly read the questions so that I could answer them correctly. I could have scheduled my exam 2 days after I'd gotten the ATT and I probably would have passed. I really didn't do that many questions, probably around 800 in total, but it wasn't for content...

Instead I took it 3 weeks after I graduated. I found the testing site the day before and I found the local Starbucks. I arrived at the site quite a bit early for the exam so I grabbed a quick bite and a little coffee and went on in. I remember seeing question #22, then #38 and then #53... and I focused on doing just one question at at time. I next noticed that I was on #74 and moved on to #75 and answered it. Although I knew that it could shut off at 75, it was quite the surprise that it did!

I went through all the outprocessing procedures that were needed, stopped by the restroom (nearly threw up, but didn't) and proceeded out to my car. I got out my computer and set about doing the PVT. I saw "delivery successful" and went for it. I did get the "good popup" and while I was really quite happy, I also knew in the back of my mind that there was a very small number of false responses with the PVT... on both sides. I tried the PVT a couple more times that day and then the following day when I figured that the 2nd scoring certainly had been done and still got the good popup.

Less that 48 hours after I took the exam, I noticed that my IP had been cancelled and while I was a bit worried, I simply figured that someone was doing maintenance on my account because they'd been notified that I'd taken the NCLEX. About 10 minutes after I saw the cancellation, I saw the real reason why... my RN numbers popped up!

Now I'm not saying anything about anyone else studying the way I do... I just did what works for me. You new grads, don't change the way you study simply because you're no longer in school. If you know your weak areas, continue studying in the way you usually do, just focused on your trouble spots. Use the NCLEX questions to keep your mind sharp for answering those kinds of questions and to help you determine exactly what the question is asking you. The rationales are GREAT for that! You've graduated Nursing School and you've had all the information you'll need to pass presented to you.

Seriously, don't change what works... adapt to build up your weak areas and remember that cramming won't help you. Not for this kind of exam. It's seriously quite unlike any exam you'll have likely ever taken before!

[Sparrow91]

I completely agree with you akulahawkRN. After 2-4 years of hard work and training we all know what works for us. It's best just to stick with what works and allow the appropriate amount of time to study.