Tips on how to relax for the NCLEX

willdgate · Aug 7, 2006

You studied for 8 hrs total, I studied for a month a half for it. Staying calm is good thing to do, and take the scheduled breaks.

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Aug 7, 2006

Hi everyone,
I wil lbe taking the NCLEX-RN on Wed. and I am freaking out. Everyone that I talked to said that staying calm is a must but I just can't. I am so worried that I am going to fail. I have been really studying for the past 10 days going over the content I received from a review class. I have also been doing the 3500 CD (about 50-75 questions per day) but I am not doing that well on them and that is what is freaking me out. Does anyone have advice on how they stayed calm or tried to stay calm? How much stydying did you do to prepare? ( I have probably put in about 8 hours or studying so far) Did I study enough? Should I still do questions or should I let it go at this point?
As you can see I am very worked up and any responses to help will be appreciated.
Thanks!

Well, you've got your test in two days, so telling you that 8 hours isn't much at all isn't probably going to help you here And you say you aren't doing that well on the questions.

I absolutely never recommend this, but I'm going to suggest it now: can you push back your test date? Please, don't slam me for this, because while I know some people can pull off that little studying and pass, you have already said you're not doing too well. And you have so little time left.

Everyone here, well for the most part, recommends NOT studying the day before the exam to give yourself downtime. Do you feel that with one more day of studying you will bring your scores up?

What was the review course you took? Did it focus on critical-thinking questions? The NCLEX doesn't ask you the s/s of an MI, it asks you to look at several patients and determine who to see first, which pt is having problems associated with disease process, etc.

Only you can know this, and I wish the best for you! :)

laurenjarrod · Aug 7, 2006

Thanks for the reply.

I took the Hurst Review class which was 4 days long for 8hr/day. The 8 hrs. time that I put in has been in addition to that and that also does not include the questions I have done (not sure what the time has been for them) that is just reviewing the material from the class. Just as a side note...I tend not to do that well on these types of things (review questions). For my school we had to take the HESI in order to be able to sit for the NCLEX. I got the HESI study CD and did horrible on the questions sometimes getting in the 60th percentile. But I scored a 914 when I took the actual exam. I always tend to do better when under the pressure.

If I do not take the NCLEX on Wed. then I will be unable to take it until Sept. as this was the only day left in the entire month. I am not even taking it in my home state b/c there was no dates available.

Now I am even more nervous!