koukla-mou

I am registered for a 4 day in classroom Kaplan review in January, and am wondering what to expect. I have done Hurst review in the past. I just wanted to know a little about what to expect from the Kaplan review (what the experience is like overall); What materials should I bring? What materials does Kaplan provide, are they online resources or do you also get hard copies of study materials? Are the teachers open and willing to answer questions? Does Kaplan have a large emphasis on strategy or does it include a lot of content as well? How many students normally attend, 10, 20, 30, +? Any information would be helpful and much appreciated, I am very nervous/anxious. (Background; I graduated 12/12, took hurst 1/13, took the nclex 8/13 unprepared and a nervous wreck and failed, I have been trying to mentally prepare myself to attempt the test again) Thanks, Allie

Yeah I definitely should try and stop myself and take a few deep breaths and refocus. During the exam I would attempt to breathe and calm myself but it didn’t seem to do the trick because the next question would come and I would get all ‘whoa is me’ lol I need to practice getting confidence I guess and stick to the strategies to help guide me. It took me 4 hours to answer all 265 questions so I think you are right and I should definitely take a few breaks just to breathe and re-center myself. Thank you so much for your helpful advice!

Does anyone have any good advice or tips to reduce test-taking anxiety? I don't traditionally have bad test anxiety however when I took the nclex, I was so overwhelmed and it really affected my focus and judgement. I was terrified that I would be 'that girl' that failed and wasn't in the 85% of BSNs that pass on their first attempt. I viewed the exam as a hurdle and apart of my path to professional nursing however I was scared by the idea that this exam stood between me and my entire academic past and also stood between me and my entire professional career. While anxiety isn't the only reason why I did not pass, I do feel like it contributed greatly. I guess next time around I wont have as much fear of failure An additional stress that also stunted me during the test is that I have what I would call pseudo-ptsd (I don't know what to refer to it as, like emotional responses to certain topics/like a flashback) because I cared for my mom for three years before she ultimately passed away. It was a tragic experience and I am still working through my grief and how it will affect my outlook/approach in this profession. Any advice on how to avoid an emotional melt down during the exam lol? (for example most end of life care questions get to me, anytime I see cheyne stokes I freakout and find myself with the graphic image of my mom dying) while I understand these are all problems I will encounter while working in nursing, at this point in time my focus is to pass my NCLEX and become licensed. Any advice about test taking anxiety or controlling emotions during the exam would be extremely helpful! Thanks, Allie

Thank you so much for sharing you story, advice, and success! Congrats RN! I am definitely going to get the Saunders book as I prepare for my second attempt! I was devastated by failing the exam in the end of August and am trying to gear myself back into prep mode. Thanks again, Allie

Hello all! I am wondering if anyone has any advice on a "study plan" or how I should approach retaking my NCLEX? I've been in a funk since I failed on the first attempt and need to start moving in a more positive direction. Background info: BSN grad December 2012, attempted NCLEX August 2013 and unfortunately did not receive a passing score. During nursing school I was required to use ATI and have continued to utilize the accessible practice questions, I have done Hurst live review in the past and I am currently using Kaplan 2013-2014 NCLEX-RN prep book What is the most important thing to focus on in preparation for the NCLEX, practice questions, reviewing core content, tutoring, pharmacology, etc? Also can anyone recommend books or resources that have been especially helpful? Any and all help/advice is greatly appreciated! Thanks, Allie