I am currently 217 days away from graduation (if I pass). I got a 66% on my cardiac exam, there are three more exams to take before I find out if I can pass. I just took the second exam and I'll be getting my grade back tomorrow....

It really got me thinking. I could really, really fail out of my program. I'm so embarrassed and ashamed of my test grade. Even though I am totally aware that I should worry about myself and no one else, I can't help but feel terrified to still be in school while my peers go on to get jobs in the field.

I work full time because I live on my own, and I can't get any more student loans than I already have. I get a partial scholarship from my job. Between loans and scholarship I have my school fees covered, but if I fail this class, I will loose my scholarship and not have any money left over for tuition fees.

I'm so scared. I can't focus on anything and generally I'm depressed. I feel like everyone is excitedly moving forward in their careers and I'm drowning in a pool of anxiety and failure.

I do great in clinicals, I do great on check offs, and usually I do great on exams, but if I can't pull off a miracle, I'm totally screwed. I guess I'm just looking for some support here, because I have none anywhere else. Some words of encouragement would mean so much right now....

thanks.

I'm sorry you are having a hard time. NS is HARD and not having any support when you need it makes it worse.

Can you change the grade you already have? No? Let it go! Talk to you instructor, look at the test to see what you missed and then...start getting ready for the next one. Since we cannot change the past, use it to do better in the future. Do you study better with a group? Do you learn better by reading the material? You are almost finished and you didn't get this far by sheer luck. You earned it!

So, take a breath, leave the past where it is, stop beating yourself up and go be the great nurse you are meant to be!

Blessings,

Ann

Stop worrying and caring about everyone else. It will only bring you down. You need to keep your eye on the prize and knock this out. Instead of thinking about passing and failing the course, just focus on the next test. Is there a way you can adjust how you study? (I had to completely revamp my study practices for nursing school) Is there a social activity you can nix to get in more study time? Maybe head to the school library between classes instead of talking with classmates? (that alone gave me a good 2+ hrs more a day of real study time)

You CAN do this! Just buckle down and get it done! On my first exam I did not do as well as I felt I needed to, and by doing the very things I mention above, I brought my grades up a whole letter grade for the next 5 tests/quizzes. You really don't have time to stress over this. Instead spend that time studying and focusing on knowing the material better this time.

Good luck! I'm sure you'll pull this one out!

Jennifer

Thanks so much for your encouragement! I just got my exam grade back for exam two........................

I GOT AN 86%!!!!!!!

I am so relieved right now. I just have to stay focused!

Congrats and stay focused so your grades keep improving!

congrats!!!

There's always one exam that will drag you down, for me it was Neuro, bombed it in med/surg I, when med/surg II rolled around I put in some serious study time and still barely passed it, don't know why I couldn't wrap my brain around it all since I found it to be one of the more intersting lecture blocks, keep plugging away and try to put the cardio exam grade out of your mind and review your exam to make notes of what you didn't understand and then find out why the answer you chose was wrong, rationales are everything, it seems time consuming and daunting when you have so much else to study for, but it will pay off when it comes time for your final exam.

I'm in my fourth (and hopefully, last) semester of nursing school. I really struggled with last semester, and just barely made it through. When this semester started, I was very nervous about not making it since all the classes build on each other. What if I let the people down who believed in me, and I'd feel like a fool and be embarrassed if I failed. I don't know how I did it, but I finally just managed to tell myself, "Self, all this worrying isn't helping. Instead of focusing on what *might* go wrong -- GET TO STUDYING!" So far, it's helping and on my first test, I made one of the highest grades of my nursing career.

Best of luck to you!

I am in your shoes. I have always done well on tests, but my exam today means I basically have to be perfect the rest of this semester and I don't know what happened! I emailed my instructor to ask for a one on one exam review to get some input into what I need to do for this class that is different than the last 2 years, but I am terrified of having to repeat a semester. Instructors told us that 1/3 to 1/2 of the class fails the first exam, but I never thought I would be one of them. (((((((((Hugs))))))))) for you and me!