My long winded version of how I (sorta) studied for NCLEX

[AliceTrout]

Hey all!

So I was a Dec 13 grad, took my NCLEX on the 17th. During my program, I was that weirdo (with no job or kids) that was active in student activities, finished a minor, and studied nursing ALL THE TIME. I mean all the time. I hung notes in ziplocked baggies in my shower, and commuted to class listening to audiobooks.

Preparing for the test

The end result was good grades, but also total and utter burn out by my last semester. It took a month for me to get my permission to test - a month I assumed I would spend preparing for NCLEX. And I did...a little. Maybe 70 questions from Exam Cram or Saunders one day. Maybe none the next. I reviewed some content I was weak on in my NLN comprehensive review exams. Truth was I was totally worn out with studying and it would have taken a gun to my temple to make me do more.

When my PTT finally went through, so did my temporary license. My boss was eager to get me going on my 12 weeks of ICU orientation, so right to work with me! Do you think I studied after those shifts? Of course not! Did I study on my days off...kinda. As before it would be 70-100 questions one day, maybe none another. I did review that study guide floating around in this forum when I had momentary breaks at work - but other than that I was the epitome of an NCLEX slacker.

Before my test I had done maybe half of my Exam Cram, less than half of my Kaplan review book, some of the saunders...I shudder to think of how little. I did not do any of the formal reviews. I was convinced I was doomed. When I sat down to test and the first tutorial popped up I felt no emotion but tears started streaming down my cheek. I resolved myself and clicked NEXT.

The next hour and 8 minutes was a blur. SATA after SATA. Lots of alternate format. And then...the blue screen. After 75 questions.

I ran shaking to my car and checked - and lo and behold the good pop up.

What I learned about taking the NCLEX

One, I am really thinking that if you worked hard during school, and if you got this far, you did - that you really don't have to subscribe to the crazy zombie NCLEX grind everyone talks about all the time. Take this with a grain of salt, as it is only my opinion - but consider it.

Ask yourself this: do you find yourself lacking knowledge on a subject, or are you just looking for test taking practice?

Answering 200 questions a day probably wont teach you a subject - but reviewing it in a book like Saunders will. Conversely, reading Saunders cover to cover won't help you a bit if your problem is test taking strategy. So with that I say this:

You don't have to study a lot for NCLEX, you only have to study smart.

If your comprehensives say you suck at a topic: REVIEW IT. If no one topic stands out as particularly weak, focus on test taking skill. Because you are NOT going to see a question on NCLEX that looks like one of your review book questions (or at least I didn't). The reason those questions are useful is they just get you adapted to the process of answering the questions you will see, answering them quickly, and answering a lot of them. That's it.

Most of my class has taken NCLEX already. Virtually all of us have passed - and the majority at 75 questions. Some took Kaplan. Some did 100 questions a day every day for weeks or months. Some read review books cover to cover - and some (sorta) studied like me. And we are all RNs today.

There is no one answer in how to prepare for NCLEX, but the way I see it - you prepared the whole time you were in nursing school. Trust the education you received and STOP PANICKING!!!!! YOU WILL PASS!!!! I am pretty sure panic is the number one reason for failure on NCLEX, not taking the wrong review class!!

Good luck candidates, see ya on the other side!

[MissyNik]

I am going through this right now.............I felt burned out after school because I prepared so much for the Exit, OMG. For me it all lies in the strategies in the Saunders book chapter 5 and that's what I did for Exit. Now I just want to do questions and review stuff that I fall weak in. Im using NCLEX 4000 and will not be purchasing anymore resources what so ever, I have plenty with 4000, Saunders, and the HESI NCLEX comprehensive review book, I just want to do questions and that's it LOL.