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Before attending nursing school, I was able to study by writing a few things on flash cards and going about my day, often passing courses with As and Bs. That quickly changed after admission into nursing school. Not only did I have a load of coursework to study, but I had to study “learning how to study” before I could effectively learn any material …I’m sure any nursing student can totally relate to that.  

Being a tutor for many nursing students as well as being a student myself, I can say the reason most students fail exams or pass with undesirable results is because they simply do not know how to study rather than not studying at all. Since my first semester of nursing school, I have invested in NCLEX books. When I suggest using an NCLEX book, the initial reaction is usually “aren’t those for people who are graduating?” My answer is absolutely not. 

Using an NCLEX practice book is imperative to any student in nursing school. Why? Because NCLEX-style questions are typically what you will see on your exams up to and after graduation when you try to pass boards. Owning an NCLEX book will give you an opportunity to see how questions are structured, with lots of topics broken down into what you need to know.  

The NCLEX book I use is the Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN Examination, 8^th edition. Honestly, it is the best one I’ve used! It has every subject that you will see in nursing school from pathophysiology to critical care nursing. I use my NCLEX book to refresh on topics from the previous semester during school breaks and to ensure that I am prepared for my upcoming exams.  

I am currently in my fourth semester of nursing school and this book has made learning critical care and pediatrics much easier. Learning material can feel overwhelming because it’s not always easy to follow along, but I use my book to get a baseline of what my professor would like me to know. Then, after taking notes from readings, YouTube videos, and lecture, I end the week off with my NCLEX practice book to help me narrow everything down. 

Once I have gotten a pretty good idea of the material, I test myself using the questions provided in the book. There are over a thousand questions throughout the book and they are organized by subject and topic. I love that rationales are provided with each question. Not only am I developing better testing strategies, but I am able to see what areas I could improve in. 

In conclusion, I recommend any student of nursing or graduate preparing to take their NCLEX examination to use an NCLEX book. It always leaves me with a boost of confidence before my exams and wonderful grades to reflect.  

Happy studying, 

Jehr