![]() Some students even find that watching a movie before test day is a nice mental break. If you enjoy watching television typically, don’t deprive yourself of a reward from time to time. It’s great to practice focus, but sometimes you need to take a little “me” time. You’ve probably been staring at your book or computer or tablet for weeks now, so give your eyes a breather! Find an open space where you can enjoy the view and allow your mind to relax for a bit.Īs a demonstration of your determination and willpower, you may have already given up television throughout the duration of your studying. Try to spend a little more time outside during your study routine as well. Try walking, light jogging, cycling, or hiking. Plus, it’ll help you sleep better at night. This will release endorphins, giving you a better perspective and more confidence. You don’t want to rigorously exercise at risk of building up lactic acid, but increasing your heart rate with aerobic exercise is advantageous. Get out! Start partaking in some light exercise in the morning. Just because your career depends on this exam doesn’t mean you should lock yourself in the library for weeks straight. That answers the common question of, “Should I study the day before the exam?”ĪVOID CRAMMING WITH PICMONIC Mistake #3: Locking yourself indoors Moral of this story: take a full day off to give your brain a break and don’t cram. For example, if you study pharm the day before the NCLEX® exam, your mind is naturally going to lean towards pharm related answers. Research shows that studying the day before the exam hurts you, because it crowds your short-term memory with last minute info that can interfere with long-term memory retrial or bias your decision-making skills. So don’t cram the day before the test! Cramming increases your anxiety levels, and it’s more important that the time you spend studying is effective. Training is all about being ready, not being done. Mistake #2: Cramming the days leading up to the examĪsk any marathon trainer if you should run a marathon the day before your event, and they’re going to give you the same answer: you’re crazy. ![]() So the day before the NCLEX® exam day, you’re not in total sleep shock. This will ease you into the practice of waking up at 6 am to be alert and focused by 7 am. If your exam begins at 7 am, but you normally wake up at 10 am, start setting your alarm an hour earlier every day and going to bed an hour earlier every night. Don’t wait until the day before the exam to make the switch to a healthy sleep schedule. Sleep is important throughout your entire study schedule because your circadian rhythms (which influence your sleep-wake cycles, hormone releases, and other bodily functions) can take a few days to set into a rhythm. But research shows, this is far from the truth. Sometimes it seems like the solution to gaining more study time is sleeping less at night, or taking more naps during the day. You should aim for seven full hours of sleep each night during the week before your NCLEX® exam, so that you’re fully charged on the big day. This first mistake is so easy to avoid, you can literally do it in your sleep (bad pun). So what bad practices should you cut out of your routine to ensure your best performance on the big day? 7 Bad practices to cut out of your routine before the NCLEX ® exam Mistake #1: Not sleeping enough, and/or not on a regular sleep schedule (napping, sleeping in on exam day) The NCLEX® exam is the culmination of nursing school and every single point counts on the big day. Combining it with the habits listed below are the best way to set yourself up for success. Picmonic helps you learn the information and retain it better. ![]() Nursing students aren’t an exception to these common errors in fact, they’re often the example. Students tend to make mistakes in their preparation or study regimes in the weeks or days leading up to a high-stakes exam, which could hinder their performance, costing crucial points. There’s no way you’ll be able to get a full night of sleep - you’re nauseated, dehydrated, unfocused, unconfident, all of the above! Chances are, you’re about to make a major NCLEX® exam prep mistake that you could easily avoid. You’ve spent weeks studying every tiny detail and here you are, approaching exam day, and your mind is already going blank. It’s the day before the NCLEX® exam, and your stress level is at an all-time high.
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