FutureRN514

I am a senior in a BSN program. I will graduate this coming May (yay!). I would just like to know how some of you studied and prepared for the NCLEX. Some places in my area offer review classes, but they are a little bit costly. I am wondering if they are even worth the money? ATI offers a feature where it gives you a practice NCLEX exam. It pinpoints weak areas to gear studying. Once we master the test on ATI, it gives you the green light to go take the real test. That feature I believe has a 98% pass rate, but it is upwards of 200 dollars. Should I just review all my notes that I have taken in school? Buy an NCLEX prep book? I am just wondering what worked best for some of you.

Like other people have said, nitpicking and/or arguing with the professor gets you nowhere. When you are attempting to argue a question can you prove that the question was unfair or incorrect with the textbook your professor utilizes? The only way that I have ever gotten a question removed was when I backed it up with the book or it contradicted the notes my professors hand-out. To be honest, it is rare that the professors are wrong. My professors use a test bank and the test questions are formulated by professionals who are capable of writing the test questions. How often are you arguing questions? Are there multiple questions you have an issue with? Is it for every test? Are other students getting the questions wrong, too? Usually I have noticed when some of my classmates complain that the questions were unfair they simply were not able to think critically and/or apply their knowledge. It is not easy for everyone to do. If you teacher explains the rationale for the question then there is no point in arguing unless the notes or the books completely contradict the answer that was on the test. If I were you I would definitely lay low (like you said) and only bring up questions that you can absolutely 100% prove wrong.

GPA is not everything. You appear to be an ideal candidate because of your volunteer experience. Also, your GPA is still competitive. I got into one of the best nursing schools in my area with a 3.4 GPA and I had no medical experience and volunteer work under my belt. It is really hard to predict your chances of getting picked. It depends on how many seats the school you want to go to has. The school I am going to now had a lot of seats open when I applied several years ago, and that is part of the reason why it was so easy for me to get in. Other schools that have fewer than 80 seats are much harder to get into.

As a pre-nursing student I think it is a good idea to get a job in the medical field. To be honest, I did not get a job in the medical field until 3 months ago - right when I was staring my senior year in a BSN program. I work as a PCA for a home health agency. I have gained experience in things like bed baths, transfers, toileting, etc. I do not know why anyone would tell you that getting your CNA is a waste of time. I am assuming you have quite a ways to go in your program, right? I know a few of my fellow nursing students who go their CNA certification while attending school. Try to find CNA trainee courses or if all else fails, you can take a PCA course for a home health agency in your area. The course is often free and sometimes they will pay you to attend.

I think I had a 3.45 when I was accepted into my nursing program. I am currently at a 3.49 with three semesters left before I graduate.

Do you typically struggle with reading skills and such? Or did you not dedicate the time? There is a difference between having a weak area and not dedicating the time to your studies. Your grades are not horrible, but they are not the best either. You have plenty of room for improvement. I cant give you any advice unless I understand your situation. If you struggle with academics in general, I would suggest getting a tutor for your weaker subjects. If you are having a problem dedicating the time to your studies, then I suggest you get a day planner and/or an assignment book. College is tough, and nursing school even tougher. Your classes are just going to get harder, so study study study and when your tired of studying, study even harder. It is tiresome and it feels endless but when you put in your all you will reap the benefits. A&P is very heavy in memorization. You need to learn to appreciate the time it takes to memorize the material. I cannot even begin to tell you how long I would spend studying for that class (and my school at the made the class relatively easy compared to the school I am at now). I'm not going to lie, getting into a nursing program is very hard and very competitive. I had a 3.5 GPA when I was accepted into my program. As it stands, you really need higher than a 2.6 to get into a nursing program. I would suggest taking the classes you got C's in over again. Try to get A's in all your non pre req courses. Those are usually pretty easy.

Nutrition was pretty easy, but that all depends on your professor. It could be super easy or your professor could make it very difficult. A&P is all memorization. Never underestimate the amount of material you need to memorize for that class, lol.

Those are excellent schools you are applying to, if I am not mistaken. My friend had a 3.8 and didn't get into John's Hopkins. Nobody can tell you whether or not you will get in. However, I hate to say it but a 3.1 GPA is not a strong GPA for any nursing program. Most of them start looking at the 4.0's and then move down the list. The schools with more seats are the easiest to get into. I dont know how many seats Duke or JH has, but they are great schools and they can be very picky. Apply to the schools of your choice and if you dont get in try other schools. Posted by: DNeal Original Content:

I am not a straight A student. I wanted to be before I started school, but nursing is harder than I thought. It is the hardest thing I have ever done. My overall GPA is a 3.49 and I finished last semester with a 3.59. I had all A's in my non nursing class and I got a B+ for my 9 credit nursing class. It is not impossible to get A's in nursing school, but it will be quite the challenge. For some classes you will have to memorize a boat load of information. For other classes you need to understand the material more than anything. Once you get to actual nursing classes the exams can be very tricky for some. NCLEX questions are tough until you get a good handle on them.

It is awesome that you are so excited. I was beyond excited when I started the program. I honestly cannot wait to go back to school and begin the next semester of clinical. Good luck!

My school requires us to wear all white shoes when we are in clinical. I bought a pair of New Balance and I love them. My feet do not ache when I get home from my 9 hour rotations.