NCLEX Friday morning!!! What did you do the day before??? Suggestions!?!?!

Coolbean12 · Aug 11, 2011

I believe I had a similar post to this last week before my exam.. (If I didn't actually post it, I know I contemplated it in my head a million times)... and wondered what to do.... I read somewhere that someone said "do what works for you! What worked for you in nursing school?" and I thought that was very important!! Because I know that 99% of the people here will respond and say to relax and that is probably the thing to do, but I also believe there is no set thing to do, there is only a right way if it works for you... and I know for nursing school, I did study the day before a final and sometimes even the morning before just to get my head going.. I dont mean STUDY STUDY the morning of.. I just mean like run over the labs or infection control mneumonics and for me that worked.. I passed in 75 questions and TRUST ME, I am no genius...

The day before I knew I was not going to be able to relax.. although my goal was NOT TO STUDY.. that did not work out.. I woke up.. and casually went over the endocrine system as I heard that it was important and then I did some questions on that, infection control and a few other sections.. I Gave myself a cut off time of 3 pm (since my test was 8am the next morning) and I stuck to it.. I ate a nice dinner ( I Heard seafood helps the memory so had some fish and some carbs) actually took an ativan, but I occassionally take them so its not something TOTALLY out of my routine (wouldn't suggest something out of your routine) and I watched a movie... complained on here a bit.. and tried my best to not think about the test... and I actually did get 7 hours of sleep.. which was VERYYYYYY important!!!!! (to me at least, I allowed myself over the summer to wake up later, so to have to get up at like 545, was out of the norm for me)..

Anyways, I just babbled on but I figured it may be helpful.. All in all, if you can't put down the books.. Dont, but give yourself a cut off time.. but if you feel good, dont study!! Give your mind a break and DOOOOO something enjoyable.. watch a movie hang with your family :) but dont exhaust yourself!!

GOOD LUCK :)

NrsNikster · Aug 11, 2011

I believe I had a similar post to this last week before my exam.. (If I didn't actually post it, I know I contemplated it in my head a million times)... and wondered what to do.... I read somewhere that someone said "do what works for you! What worked for you in nursing school?" and I thought that was very important!! Because I know that 99% of the people here will respond and say to relax and that is probably the thing to do, but I also believe there is no set thing to do, there is only a right way if it works for you... and I know for nursing school, I did study the day before a final and sometimes even the morning before just to get my head going.. I dont mean STUDY STUDY the morning of.. I just mean like run over the labs or infection control mneumonics and for me that worked.. I passed in 75 questions and TRUST ME, I am no genius...
The day before I knew I was not going to be able to relax.. although my goal was NOT TO STUDY.. that did not work out.. I woke up.. and casually went over the endocrine system as I heard that it was important and then I did some questions on that, infection control and a few other sections.. I Gave myself a cut off time of 3 pm (since my test was 8am the next morning) and I stuck to it.. I ate a nice dinner ( I Heard seafood helps the memory so had some fish and some carbs) actually took an ativan, but I occassionally take them so its not something TOTALLY out of my routine (wouldn't suggest something out of your routine) and I watched a movie... complained on here a bit.. and tried my best to not think about the test... and I actually did get 7 hours of sleep.. which was VERYYYYYY important!!!!! (to me at least, I allowed myself over the summer to wake up later, so to have to get up at like 545, was out of the norm for me)..
Anyways, I just babbled on but I figured it may be helpful.. All in all, if you can't put down the books.. Dont, but give yourself a cut off time.. but if you feel good, dont study!! Give your mind a break and DOOOOO something enjoyable.. watch a movie hang with your family :) but dont exhaust yourself!!
GOOD LUCK :)

Coolbean12

I appreciate your suggestions/experience very much. My situation, as far as before the test and nursing school, sounds just as familiar as my own. I can't wait to get back with you with the good news that I DID PASS!!! Continous positive thinking!!! Thanks again!!!!

joe17 · Aug 11, 2011

hello all!!!
The time has finally came!!! My test is friday morning. I have had my crying moments and also my calm moments. But no matter what, i am still continuing to pray and praise god and i am going to suck it up and go in there on friday and take this exam.
Anybody have any suggestions on "the day before the exam"? What to do? Still study? Relax? For those that have already taken it.... What did you do?
Nikster:yawn:

pray,pray,and pray to god to help u on ur exam....goodluck ill pray for ur success

CT Pixie, BSN, RN · Aug 11, 2011

I had a 'me' day. The way I figured, I had already learned, memorized and drilled into my head all that was going to stick and stay. That last 24 hours was not going to make or break me in terms of pass/fail.

I'll be honest, although i didn't go over my NCLEX study guides, put in any CD's or go over any of my notes..I did come on Allnurses.com and browsed through some posts. i found myself answering a lot of questions that way

Some of my classmates studied right up to walking into the testing center others did like i did and took the day before off.

Do what you feel you need to.

RNCoral08028 · Aug 11, 2011

I think its best to just relax and pray, I took mines last monday and the more i studied the more anxious I was getting. If you really feel like you need to study more then do light studying like listening to heart and lung sounds, looking at ECG strips etc. I will be praying for you :rolleyes:

fmAtoZ&backagain · Aug 11, 2011

I second Coolbean12, do what works for you, for me a brief review since its impossible stop doing it after studying everyday, most of the time...

Remember to take breaks, and take you time to answer each question, is not against time, the point is passing.

Wishing you the best, you can do it, you will be a nurse!

LVNinCali · Aug 11, 2011

I didn't do much studying the day before. I remembered I just looked over some lab values, prayed, relaxed, had a great dinner with family & went to sleep early.

praying you will pass. Good luck!

2011nursetobe · Aug 11, 2011

Took Nclex about 2 hours ago and yesterday...well I slept til 5:30 pm b/c I worked the night before...ran some errands, browsed the internet, and went to bed about 3:30-4 a.m. Woke up today about 1 p.m. Took a shower, relaxed...surfed the web, looked over blood transfusion reactions and infection mnemonic, made myself a burrito and 4 pieces of bacon (specifically for the protein in them), tried to relax. On my way to the testing center i kept making myself breathe. When i got there I was literally shaking. My heart was pounding. I felt like throwing up. That lasted for the first few questions. Then I started getting sick of the questions. They were so darn hard!!! My screen turned blue at 75 questions. (THANK GOD!!!!) and I left with a good feeling that the questions were hard and I only had 75. But I only knew 2 or 3 of them for sure! All the rest were guessed!

lilmith · Aug 11, 2011

i went to church. took a trip to the site and watched movies to take my mind off it. oh, i took nyquil to help me fall asleep, did not work. good luck and pray/sing to God.

NrsNikster · Aug 12, 2011

Thank you all for all our your comments! I really enjoyed reading them. For the most part i am relaxing thus far, still going over somethings because its so hard not to stop studying! I look forward to giving you all the good news!

OhioCCRN, MSN, NP · Aug 12, 2011

cried..lol....

Then i ate all the candy i could lay my hands on...