NC 3, Yesterday!!!...

[FocusRN]

I got a B. OMG, I almost screamed when the grade popped up, b/c I just knew that I totally tanked this one. I felt as dumb as a box of nails while taking the exam. I mean I thought I knew the answers but I kept second guessing myself, flagged almost every question, and repeatedly changed them.

I think I may have gotten an A if I hadn't changed so many. That is why I wish they could give us the rationales. Of course I know why they can't. But, now that I think about it, in other colleges, (online, and brick and mortar), they usually do give out the correct answers to exams after you've taken it. But, I guess that's b/c a large group is taking one particular exam at the same time, and with EC we can take our exams whenever, so I see the big difference.

AHHHHHHHH!!!!!.... On to NC 4 or 6 now!!!!!....

[NC Girl BSN]

Congratulations Girl!!! Keep up the good work!

[zoo_keeper]

:bowingpurCongrats!! Keep on going:yeah:

[FocusRN]

Thansk so much, ya'll !!!...

[Lunah, MSN, RN]

Wooooo hoooooooooooo! :D Good job!!

[fatcat0899 RN]

Congrats! I'm very proud of you.

[Diahni]

Dream Nurse:

I made a little project out of keeping track of answers I changed on exams. What I found was not that I changed them all to wrong, but it was about fifty fifty, changing from either right or wrong answers. So I guess it's probably a good idea to leave well enough alone!

Okay, here's a question for ya - one of the advantages to the program I was in was that if information was in the powerpoint notes the teachers lectured from (ad nauseum) then it was fair game for the exam. How do you separate the wheat from the chaff with Excelsior exams? I do want to take the online practice exams - though I may get sick at the cost - how do you do this? I looked at some notes I bought from Ebay, and the problem is that each one of us stores info in a different way, so our notes will be therefore different. Did you ever work with other people on allnurses.com who are taking the same exam?

Thing about scientific info, like on nursing exams, is that there are so many levels, for instance, if you're learning about stenosis in heart valves, you could go deeper and deeper into the differences in symptoms of different valves. How do you go about studying enough, but not over studying? (Guess some folks would say there's no such thing as too much studying, but I have a life, too!)

Diahni

[FocusRN]

Thanks ya'll.

To Diahni:

First, I know for me at least that there is a thing s over studying. I notice it, when I'm reading, and I just start to yawn, and realize that I'm not retaining any info, anymore just forgetting.

As for what you need to know to for the exam, that is kind of hard to say b/c for one there are few different versions of each exam. and, although, the content guide gives you the content area's percentage on the exam, but what I ave noticed is that the exam may skip some of the things, that the content guide directs you to study. So just like everyone else says basically follow the content guide.

Also, never mind the expense, take the EC practice exam, b/c from my experience they can really help you gauge how well you'll do on the exam. Also, they let you in on what type of questions to expect on the actual exam. There is no substitute.

Last but not least, I've never studied with anyone on AN or anywhere else for that matter. I'm just really not a good group studier, other people distract me. So, I read, write, and research all on my own.

[Diahni]

Dreamnurse:

I know what you mean, I could never do "study groups." - I think it is really unfair to charge for the practice exams, or the more detailed study guides, but that's the way it is. I know that a lot of people sell notes for the nursing exams, but do you know if anybody has written up exam type practice questions? For the meantime, I guess the online practice exams are the best gage of what's on the real one.

Diahni