I sit for my boards on April 10th, about 3 weeks from now. I've been studying for about 2.5 months and I'm using the Kaplan review course, Lacharity, and NCLEX 3500 to prepare. Even after all this studying I feel like I'll never be ready. Did those of you who passed go in knowing everything??
I personally feel like its impossible at this point. Everyday when I do questions I always have to write down something new that I never heard of. I have books filled with rationales. I guess I'm getting overwhelmed. Any advice will be greatly appreciated : )
I studied an average of 2.5 hrs per day for 3 months nonstop while working 50 + hrs a week as a medical assistant in a local office, I sleep about 6.5 hrs a day and just took my NCLEX this morning, finished about 3 hrs ago. I still feel not ready, but it's over! the only after effect is this pounding headache from lack of water drinking.
Ha! Even till the very end! I hope you did well!!! What materials did you use to study?
How did you do during school? I would suggest studying areas that you were weak in. I took the NCLEX about one month and a half after finishing school and half way through the exam I felt very overwhelmed to the point that I almost got up and left. However, I stuck it out and the computer shut off at 85. I felt sick to my stomach and just knew I had failed. On my two hour drive back home, I had to pull off the road twice because I was shaking so bad. I felt very sick and very depressed:( thankfully, I did pass on my first try...I still have no idea how I managed, but I did. I did graduate with honors and was in the top three of my class, but the exam really messed with my head. Now that it is over and the nerves have calmed down, I am thankful I didn't get up and walk out:) make sure to eat breakfast preferably something with protein, get a good nights rest and take a break from studying. Remember, you made it this far for a reason and the NCLEX is the last big hurdle before accomplishing your goal! Good luck to you, stay calm and have faith in yourself. You can and will do this!
No, I did not feel ready. None of my classmates felt ready either. We all passed =) I don't think many people feel truly ready going into an exam like this, but you just have to trust yourself. You can do it!
I guess I kind accepted from the beginning that I'd never feel ready in terms of like, I know everything, anything they ask me I'll get right.
I tried to focus a lot of my preparation on like, getting emotionally and psychologically ready for the exam. I did not do intensive studying until I got my ATT, and scheduled my test about 30 days out when I did, because I wanted to know my test date and build up momentum for it, by having a plan where I was doing something every day before the test (all with Kaplan, doing QTs on the weekends, 50 Qbank on the weekday, then taking all the Qbanks I got wrong over and over on the last week).
The last week I watched my favorite Rocky movies (1-4) nonstop, eventually creating a youtube playlist that compiled what I felt to be the most empowering scenes from them so I could watch them in quick fashion (
). I had dug deep into Rocky as an inspiration for my ACT test 10 years ago, and I felt like it helped me a ton then so I went back to it for this. I also watched the ice skating and final dance scene from Flashdance, as I did many times before big exams or checkoffs with nursing school.
I don't know if I passed yet, but so far I have held up very well emotionally (particularly when the test kept going after 75, I thought it was critical that I be able to accept that and not freeze up or get psyched out by it).
I guess I tried to put myself in the mental state of a fighter in training for a huge fight, making sure that I respected it but also felt like I had the confidence to stand up to it and keep fighting, like when Rocky yelled at Clubber Lang, "Cmon champ! Hit me in the face!"
I am taking the test on the same day... Thinking about rescheduling.
I literally just logged on to pearsonvue to see what other dates are available at my testing site and they are all booked! i guess that's a sign since i already changed the date twice lol.
How has your studying been going? If you are getting high scores i don't think you should reschedule.
i just finished QT6 and scored a 66% so i feel a little confident...for now that it.
I guess I kind accepted from the beginning that I'd never feel ready in terms of like, I know everything, anything they ask me I'll get right.
I tried to focus a lot of my preparation on like, getting emotionally and psychologically ready for the exam. I did not do intensive studying until I got my ATT, and scheduled my test about 30 days out when I did, because I wanted to know my test date and build up momentum for it, by having a plan where I was doing something every day before the test (all with Kaplan, doing QTs on the weekends, 50 Qbank on the weekday, then taking all the Qbanks I got wrong over and over on the last week).
The last week I watched my favorite Rocky movies (1-4) nonstop, eventually creating a youtube playlist that compiled what I felt to be the most empowering scenes from them so I could watch them in quick fashion (
). I had dug deep into Rocky as an inspiration for my ACT test 10 years ago, and I felt like it helped me a ton then so I went back to it for this. I also watched the ice skating and final dance scene from Flashdance, as I did many times before big exams or checkoffs with nursing school.
I don't know if I passed yet, but so far I have held up very well emotionally (particularly when the test kept going after 75, I thought it was critical that I be able to accept that and not freeze up or get psyched out by it).
I guess I tried to put myself in the mental state of a fighter in training for a huge fight, making sure that I respected it but also felt like I had the confidence to stand up to it and keep fighting, like when Rocky yelled at Clubber Lang, "Cmon champ! Hit me in the face!"
LOL your post made me laugh! Nice way to approach NCLEX. Hopefully you passed!
LegsMcgeeRN
54 Posts
Ha! Even till the very end! I hope you did well!!! What materials did you use to study?