The most agonizing 3 days

Taking the NCLEX has got to be one of the most traumatizing experiences ever. Granted, I can be pretty melodramatic sometimes, but this exam really got the best of me. I had been studying and doING practice questions on repeat since graduation. I was still scoring in the 60-70% range. There was just too much information and too little time! My emotions were going crazy. One minute I was thinking, shoo I got this... I was educated at one of the best schools on the east coast. No CNL has ever failed before... Then one minute later, I went to the dark side... omg what if I fail? I can't do this. I suck at exam taking! My life will be over if I fail! Yes, this was the yo-yo whirlwind I was going thru for a good two weeks before the exam.

So the big day comes. Of course, my face has completely broken out in blemishes and I couldn't sleep for the life of me. As I was standing there waiting with the other students, I could feel my heart pumping out of my chest. OMG, this is really it. After being finger printed, palm scanned, picture taken, and security checked I sat down and began the exam. First question... hey this isn't so bad. Second question... wtf? And so went the rest of the exam; I guessed on about all of them. When I got up to 60 questions, I just kept thinking please shut off at 75, I'm tired of this. (You can get anywhere from 75-265 questions). Well, the machine cut me off at 76 questions. As soon as the screen went blue and said, "thank you, your exam is now complete", all I could think about was how badly I had just failed.

So the next 2 days were spent in prayer as I waited for my results. While at work, I decided to check the Maryland Board of Nursing website and look up my name. Lo and behold, there was my name with a license number after it. I just about fell out of my chair. I had just passed the NCLEX!!! I am now officially a Registered Nurse!!

Words really can't express how happy and relieved I am. Now I can spend the next month relaxing, chilling with my friends and family, working out, packing, looking for a place to live, and getting ready for ODS and my career as a Navy Nurse. Woo hoo!!!