Summer has just begun and already, recent Curry (MA) College graduate Julia Tenuta has thrown “RN” after her name. She took the NCLEX-RN® exam last Thursday at 8 a.m. and found out on Monday that she passed with flying colors. She’s obviously very, very happy. But Julia managed to break her permanent grin for a few minutes and chat with us about the test. We asked her about some study tips, the questions on the exam, and her exciting future in nursing. Here’s what she had to say:

Stressed Out: So, how are you feeling right now?
Julia Tenuta: This is almost surreal. I’ve been working for four years to get to this point. . . . It’s very overwhelming. I freaked out when I passed. I was screaming and I was really excited.

SO: How did you find out?
JT: Online. I kept going to the New Hampshire Board of Nurses Web site. It says your name, and what license you’re going for. Mine said “pending” and when I passed, it said “active” and listed my license number.

SO: How long did it take to learn the results?
JT: Four days.

SO: How many times did you check the site?
JT: I probably checked the Web site six times a day, every day. They say it takes 48 hours and then we had the holiday weekend. I thought maybe they’d be nice and put it up.

SO: Okay, let’s go back to the beginning. How did you study?
JT: We used the Anderson Review during school, so that’s what I went by . . . And I used the Quick-E books for the values and quick references.

SO: How long did you study for?
JT: Honestly, I probably did maybe 12 to 15 hours of studying and maybe 200 questions. I’m busy!

SO: With that amount of studying, did you feel confident?
JT: I honestly felt like, I’ve gone through nursing school, I passed nursing school, so I know this material. All I did was go over med-surg for the majority [of my studying]. And then I really briefly did everything else.

SO: So, that’s what you spent the most time on? Med-surg?
JT: Yup. I feel that every question we had in review was always med-surg. There were a few pediatric, psych, or maternity, but it’s usually med-surg.

SO: What did you do the night before the test?
JT: Well, the day before, I studied for two hours in the morning, then went to Olive Garden, and had some wine to relax. Then, I helped my friend register for her wedding at Kohl’s. Then I read through pediatrics and went to bed at 11.

SO: When’s the wedding?
JT: It’s at the end of September. I’m her maid of honor.

Editor’s note: Be sure to check back on Friday for the second part of the Q&A. Have you taken the NCLEX this summer? How’d you do? Share your experiences with us at editor@stressedoutnurses.com.