nightflower

I'll have finished the first four classes in two months (and I have been being lazy). Biochemistry is next. One person here said it only took him one week to finish Biochem (granted he had all the time he needed). I'm confident I'll finish in 6 months. This program is awesome to me so far.

I'm sorry to hear about your sibling.

I wish I were more like all of you introverts. I have such a hard time not caring what others think of me that it would be hard for me to sit and chart alone without wondering what my coworkers were thinking of me (maybe they're saying I'm the weird girl, or maybe they think I'm a b**** because I don't want to talk with them). I wish I just didn't care.

I think a 2% raise would be awesome!

Good to know!

Hello everyone! I'll be getting my BSN soon and I'm wondering if I should talk to my HR department about getting a raise after I graduate. Does getting my Bachelors degree qualify me for more money if I'm already in the position? Thanks for your advice :)

Same here! I haven't read that much. But based on my pre-assessment score, I feel confident to take the actual assessment. How have you been studying?

Did you read the book at all? Memorize competencies? Watch videos? Read posted study guides? Use Quizlet? What are your secrets!?

Did you read the book at all? Did you memorize competencies? Watch videos? Read available study guides? Use Quizlet? Basically…what are your secrets?!

Hi everyone! I'll be starting July 1st! Need 40 credits to graduate and am determined to finish in one term

I think I might be!

Has anyone found answers to these questions yet? (helpful study material)

I wish someone would reply to this…I'd like to know, too! :)

Have you heard of any good online master's programs specific to mental health nursing?

If you can afford the Kaplan course, that's what I would suggest. I believe Kaplan is what helped me pass my first try in 75 questions a year and a half after graduating. They really train your brain to think NCLEX and show you exactly how to break down each question. Plus they give you videos, Question Trainers (practice tests), and QBank (a bank of tons of questions which you use to create your own tests). I did every single Question Trainer and used QBank for my weak areas. I read every single rationale, even for correct answers. I think the Kaplan test questions set you up for the difficulty of NCLEX. A lot of books just aren't as hard as NCLEX. Kaplan questions are difficult like NCELX, maybe even more difficult. They really prepare you.

I believe it's because of Kaplan that I passed first try in 75 questions. I took the full Kaplan course online. They really show you how to approach each question, and how to break in down. They train your brain to think NCLEX. I used those tools while taking the actual exam and it worked. I did all of the questions trainers and used QBank to make up my own tests for my weak areas. I strongly suggest Kaplan. Do tons of practice questions. READ THE RATIONALE! Even for correct answers as it reinforces the material. Try to do most of them in test mode (at a desk, quiet environment). Use the study guide that other users on this site shared. Make a short set of notes for the main chunk of things (lab values, meds, things you struggle with memorizing) and look at them more than once a day. Get good sleep the night before your exam. On the day of your exam: eat a good meal, don't overdo the caffeine, go to the bathroom before you test, wear layers in case you get hot. Good luck!

I took the Kaplan course online. I believe Kaplan is why I passed my first try in 75 questions over a year and a half after graduating. They train your brain for NCLEX. They teach you exactly how to break down each question. I think if you follow their tree of thought, you're sure to pass. You must do a lot of practice questions. Do sets of them as if you were taking an actual exam. Become comfortable doing 200 questions at once to prepare yourself. Get relaxed but focused when you take practice tests (don't do it in front of the TV or with other distractions). Do you have any NCLEX apps? I would use apps for questions here and there (like waiting in line at the store, making food). So... Kaplan! Lots of practice questions. READ THE RATIONALE! Even for correct answers. Get good sleep the night before (or do your best to try to). On the day of the exam: eat a good meal, don't overdo the caffeine, use the bathroom before you begin, wear layers in case you get hot. Good luck!

Do you have the actual Kaplan course, or just the QBank? Even if you just have the QBank, use it! I took the full Kaplan course and I believe it's the reason I passed my first attempt in 75 questions. Really follow their thought process. They show you exactly how to approach each question and break it down for you. Take notes. Review your notes. Use those notes when you do practice questions on your own. You have to do practice questions. You have to train your brain to think NCLEX. If you have access to the Question Trainers, do those for sure. Use the results to estimate your NCLEX performance. Make QBank tests for your weak areas. Don't spend too much on your strong areas. For many of the questions while taking the NCLEX, I followed the tree of thought that Kaplan teaches you. And when you take the Question Trainers, I recommend not just half***ing them while on the couch in front of the TV. Pretend you're taking the NCLEX. No distractions. The NCLEX looks just like the Kaplan tests on your computer, so if you use the practice tests, you will feel more comfortable by the time you sit at the NCLEX screen. Try to get sleep the night before your exam. On the day of your exam: eat a good meal, don't overdo the caffeine, make sure you use the bathroom beforehand, wear layers in case you get hot. Hope this helps :)

I think it was because of Kaplan that I passed my first try in 75 questions. Use the QBank!

I think the Kaplan course is what helped me pass first try in 75 questions. Do the test results break down your weak areas? If so, I'd pay attention to those areas. And I highly recommend Kaplan. They train your brain for NCLEX.

AtHomeNurse, thank you so much for your thorough post! I feel like I need to re-read it a few times to absorb it all. I appreciate the length and the advice you gave.

Thanks, RaganRN! In how many months are you looking to finish the program in? Does your mentor seem like she would be okay with you finishing in one term? Did she seem strict about the order of classes?

FluffyBike, thank you for taking the time to write out your schedule. That was kind of you. It's great your mentor is encouraging your acceleration! I will not tell mine that I want to finish in six months. Everyone has advised against that and I'm glad they told me!

I'll be starting soon! No set date yet. One user gave his advice for the Stats course: watch pre-recorded lectures, do course modules (score at least 80%), do worksheets and watch master videos. He also said the Acrobatiq checkpoints, knowing the 5 number spread, standard deviation rule, IQR, sample methods, and quantitative vs. categorical were helpful. Although, there are users here who did not watch any videos for any courses and suggest just using the directions from Taskstream.

ParvulusPuella, thank you for your response! Based on yours and others' experiences, it seems Stats and the Community courses are best to take at the beginning and get them passed and over with. I will try to do this. Hopefully I get a mentor who allows it. It's nice that you say you think you probably could have finished in one term had you not been lazy. I can't afford to be lazy so I'm glad you think it's doable.