failed twice, then passed in 75 questions (ON, Canada)

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I turned to this site for motivation when reviewng for my NCLEX. Now that passed, I hope I help someone who is struggling to get through the pages and pages of practice questions and just content.

As an Ontario, Canada resident, it sucks that we only get three tries then it's back to square one. I knew I had to really focus when I found out I failed a second time. This meant no more weekly adventures with friends, working a part-time job, or even hourly checks of facebook, instagram, snapchat, and a few games on my phone. It may seem a little extreme but trust me, it is worth it.

These are the sources I used to review for NCLEX:

Kaplan: The questions were very similar to NCLEX in terms of style and structure. I found that the strategies were very helpful, especially when I wasn't familiar with a certain subject. The questions were pretty easy as I was getting about 70-80% on the tests.

Hurst: The videos were very helpful as it provided a general overview of content that is important. The videos do not provide specifics, which I then had to use Saunders to help clarify some content. I really enjoyed watching the videos and going along with the handout. I would say that this was refreshing to have someone teach you instead of reading through pages and pages of boring content. However I found that the practice test was confusing after going through Kaplan style questions.

Saunders: I did not really find Saunders helpful. I found it more overwhelming actually. I only used it to clarify any content I didn't know.

UWorld: THE BESTEST. The set up of the questions were similar to NCLEX, even the site design! Although the questions were the most difficult, the rationales helped me understand why the correct answer is more correct than the others. I kept doing the questions to get used to answering difficult questions and trying to answer them using what I know already, the strategies from Kaplan, and any additional tips and tricks from the Hurst videos.

Lippincott Passpoint Question of the Day: I found that the questions were either way too easy or way to hard (hard because it was asking for specifics, like when can I expect heparin to work). The rationales, however, were thorough and helpful.

I used all of these simultaneously. From what I learned, it's not about memorizing the content. It's about understanding the question and being able to apply your critical thinking skills. If you are given a situation are you able to prevent further harm to the patient and maintain safety. Remember you are reviewing for NCLEX, not studying! You've already finished the hardest part, which is the 4 years of nursing school. It's just a matter of applying what you've worked so hard for and passing NCLEX. This test does not define you in any way. Do not think that if you fail, you are not knowledgeable. Simply change your reviewing. For me, I had to completely refrain from any distractions. I needed to commit my days and nights to review, or take breaks near my review materials as a reminder that I shouldn't be watching the 7th episode of my TV show in one sitting. It's okay to take breaks. Heck, take breaks because your brain needs it. When I say breaks, I mean rest. Take a nap instead of going out to grab some drinks with your friends. Your future self will be happy, trust me.