Kaplan: The Basics Books + NCLEX review 1st Semester of Nursing?

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Hi,

I'm starting my first semester of NS on the 18th of this month. I've bought all of my textbooks except for one. We are required to buy Kaplan Nursing The Basics Book. We are only allowed to buy it at our campus bookstore and have to show a paid receipt to our instructor on the first day of class. The book list states that "this will allow for online secure access to Kaplan homepage which provides study skills workshops, practice tests, secured tests, test results, remediation resources, and NCLEX-RN prep materials."

Is this the $499 package that Kaplan offers on their site? I'm not very familiar with Kaplan and I was wondering if anyone can explain it to me? Another question I have is, why are they making us buy this program in the first semester? Not to be too pessimistic, but some of us aren't going to make it through NS. Things in life happen. Why is it a requirement to purchase a $500 NCLEX review so early on? I've already spent $600 on my textbooks, plus I've spent a ton of money on NS supplies, uniform, vaccinations, background checks, drug screenings, etc. Is anyone else required to buy this or is it optional?

Thanks for reading!

Chrissy

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Specializes in Pediatric Hem/Onc.

The $499 package on the website is for prep for taking the NCLEX. As far as I know, the only class option is for people that have completed their RN programs and are studying for boards. It's only good for a certain amount of time so it would be pointless for you to purchase it at the beginning of your program.

I'm not familiar with the book you mentioned but it's definitely not the $499 stuff :) Hope this helps!

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Something smells fishy here - a school requiring you to buy expensive NEW books at one particular store is really suspicious. At my school we just get a book list and then we can buy them wherever we want, including used online book sites or borrowing them from students who already graduated. I smell a scam here, making you spend $499 at that store and show a receipt.

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We have to purchase the same thing, but instead of paying the full price all at once, we pay about $95/quarter. We were also told that this exam benefits the instructors more so than the students. So basically, we students pay for the instructors/school to assess how well they teach us. AND you know the school is getting a group rate, because the Kaplan for an individual is $500.

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I love the Kaplan book and website, even more than the NCLEX book, but using them together has helped me so much in test taking. You can take practice test on both of them online. The Kaplan book basically outlines the basic things you need to know for each test in a very :hpygrp:simple format! I love both, but Kaplan rocks!

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Specializes in BSN Class of May 2013.

I have a blue green "The Basics" Kaplan book that is for all of my NP. I didn't pay extra for it - maybe a fee in my tuition (I don't like to look THAT breakdown LOL) We also got access to the site & practice... Not sure which one it is, but the book is great. Read a paragraph/section in your book & the main point of that part that you want to remember is what Kaplan wrote in their book.

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Specializes in Cardiac.
Hi,

I'm starting my first semester of NS on the 18th of this month. I've bought all of my textbooks except for one. We are required to buy Kaplan Nursing The Basics Book. We are only allowed to buy it at our campus bookstore and have to show a paid receipt to our instructor on the first day of class. The book list states that "this will allow for online secure access to Kaplan homepage which provides study skills workshops, practice tests, secured tests, test results, remediation resources, and NCLEX-RN prep materials."

Is this the $499 package that Kaplan offers on their site? I'm not very familiar with Kaplan and I was wondering if anyone can explain it to me? Another question I have is, why are they making us buy this program in the first semester? Not to be too pessimistic, but some of us aren't going to make it through NS. Things in life happen. Why is it a requirement to purchase a $500 NCLEX review so early on? I've already spent $600 on my textbooks, plus I've spent a ton of money on NS supplies, uniform, vaccinations, background checks, drug screenings, etc. Is anyone else required to buy this or is it optional?

Thanks for reading!

Chrissy

:eek: By chance are you going to a for profit school? Sounds like something those schools would do to increase their bottom line.

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:eek: By chance are you going to a for profit school? Sounds like something those schools would do to increase their bottom line.

No, this was at a community college. And I didn't end up paying $500 at once. We have to pay $125 per semester for 4 semesters.

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