Brief background information

I am enrolled in an advanced ADN program

Each class is only 5 weeks long

But has the same amount of information as a 16 week course

Med-surg was the devil incarnate

Before today, I had 5 classes left

Now that I have failed

I have 6 left as I have to retake med-surg

(which I have to wait 3 months to do because of the way the classes are spaced)

Soooo my grad date is pushed back another 3 months

I don't understand what I did wrong

I mean, I could have taken a wee bit more time to prepare for exams

But good Lord! I made flashcards, highlighted the crap outta my book, did amazing in clinicals, used reference books, and did the KA-JILLION practice questions that came with the book.

I ALSO use Kaplan!

I want to just scream.

Any of you felt like this? Any advice for me?

Keep your head up and keep moving, girly. Find ways that you can improve and try not to let shame or embarrassment cloud your judgement. You can do this!

To me, bottom line is that you just cannot learn - REALLY learn - 16 weeks of material in 5 weeks. I disagree with these kinds of curricula.

Things happen, even to the best students/nurses , regroup and get back at it. Don't let it sway you.

Three months is nothing in the grand scheme of things. You'll definitely do better having already taken it... I know you don't want to do it again but it'll be okay! Just think of how fast things have gone up until now. Keep with it.

I remember in one of my biology classes I was acing the quizzes, but when the tests came I would fail them miserably. I couldn't understand what I was doing wrong. In my mind I had thought that all teachers build tests off of the information on quizzes. Boy was I wrong! This teacher was separating the lab information entirely (and only using this for quizzes) from the lecture/book information (and only using this for tests)! And here I thought that since I was acing the quizzes I'd do fine on the tests! Boy was that a hard lesson for me to learn. Here I was an A student and I think I got a D in that class, because I didn't figure out till very, very late, that not all teachers are the same and not all classes are the same, and the first thing you have to do in a class is figure out what the teacher wants.

When you take a tests and get them back, are you looking at every question you got wrong and try to figure out why you got it wrong? I think this is one of the key strategies to keeping high test scores. It will help show you what you did wrong when you were studying and how to improve for next time. Maybe you are focusing on the wrong area of the chapter, or are you missing questions that are general factual information or that are critical thinking questions for example? Or maybe you know the information but were going too fast on the test and misreading the questions? (Also make sure that once you have completed a test to reread the questions again before handing it in. I caught a lot of silly mistakes I made this way)

Do this right away from the first quiz/test/homework assignment and it should hopefully point you in the direction of how to fix the problem for next time. I know it is a lot of information but it sounds like you are putting in the time, so you just need to figure out how to fine tune that time to hone in on the most important information. Also, make sure that you are really focusing on lecture information as this is usually material that will be on the test. Feel free to meet up with your teacher to talk about how best to study if you have any questions.

Brief background information

I am enrolled in an advanced ADN program

Each class is only 5 weeks long

But has the same amount of information as a 16 week course

Med-surg was the devil incarnate

Before today, I had 5 classes left

Now that I have failed

I have 6 left as I have to retake med-surg

(which I have to wait 3 months to do because of the way the classes are spaced)

Soooo my grad date is pushed back another 3 months

I don't understand what I did wrong

I mean, I could have taken a wee bit more time to prepare for exams

But good Lord! I made flashcards, highlighted the crap outta my book, did amazing in clinicals, used reference books, and did the KA-JILLION practice questions that came with the book.

I ALSO use Kaplan!

I want to just scream.

Any of you felt like this? Any advice for me?

Even if you did manage to inhale all that info in just 5 weeks, its not eh same as really retaining it. You'd be pumping and dumping. Pumping it into your head, dumping it out on the test and forgetting it all in 3 weeks. Thats not learning and really shouldnt be used in medical professions. You need to really LEARN ad KNOW this material. Pumping and dumping shouldnt be allowed.

To me, bottom line is that you just cannot learn - REALLY learn - 16 weeks of material in 5 weeks. I disagree with these kinds of curricula.

I highly disagree. When we go to clinicals, we are always complimented and told how much more knowledgeable we are than the various University students who have clinicals there as well.

I learn when I am challenged. I was previously enrolled in a traditional ADN program and I was utterly bored. Nothing challenged me!

So as I said, I humbly disagree with you.

When you take a tests and get them back, are you looking at every question you got wrong and try to figure out why you got it wrong? I think this is one of the key strategies to keeping high test scores. It will help show you what you did wrong when you were studying and how to improve for next time. Maybe you are focusing on the wrong area of the chapter, or are you missing questions that are general factual information or that are critical thinking questions for example? Or maybe you know the information but were going too fast on the test and misreading the questions? (Also make sure that once you have completed a test to reread the questions again before handing it in. I caught a lot of silly mistakes I made this way)

Do this right away from the first quiz/test/homework assignment and it should hopefully point you in the direction of how to fix the problem for next time. I know it is a lot of information but it sounds like you are putting in the time, so you just need to figure out how to fine tune that time to hone in on the most important information. Also, make sure that you are really focusing on lecture information as this is usually material that will be on the test. Feel free to meet up with your teacher to talk about how best to study if you have any questions.

When we get our tests back, our instructors actually read the questions and the right answer for 2 reasons. 1.) to make sure it is graded correctly because scantron makes mistakes 2.) to open the floor up for questions or formal question challenges. I know the proper way to answer nursing questions is to pick the BEST answer...but there are times where the questions should be challenged and thrown out and we are able to formally do so by submitting the questions and plausible and swers along with the one we think is correct to out program director for review.

BUT...I always rationale the right answer. I look it up and see why I was wrong. If I don't understand why, I ask. I think my problem is that I try to know EVERYTHING, as in every little bit of information. I put too much on myself.

So frustrating lol

No one pumps and dumps. The information is given back to back. The only break we get it is a week for christmas. Each class builds on the latter, so dumping the information really is not possible if you want to pass.

Our school generates great nurses. And we obviously do GREAT under stress.

Im not saying this type of program is for everyone, but it is definitely for me

Then good luck to you, and hopefully you'll pass next time.

1. The first step is to take a litte time to grieve. Until you do that, you won't be ready for Step 2, which is the hardest step.

2. The second (and most important step) is to acknowledge to yourself that you did something wrong -- and that you will have to change something in order to succeed the next time. I think it was Einstein who defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again, expecting to get different results. Avyah is right -- you need to hone in on the important information and not waste time studying things (and using study methods) that don't help you get a passing grade.

3. Third, I suggest meeting with the instructor to help yourself identify where your thinking goes wrong when you try to figure out the correct answer. Sitting down, 1 on 1, and reviewing what your thought process was with the teacher gives him/her a chance to help you see exactly where you go wrong in your thinking. Until you identify where you go wrong in your thinking -- and correct that -- you will struggle to pass this course and probably most others down the line as well.

Good luck to you. It sounds as if you are willing to put in the time and effort to pass -- but you also need to be flexible enough to change course when it is called for. A failing grade should be a warning to you that you need to change something.

I recommend meeting with your instructor as well. Ask for tips and guidance - that's what they are there for. In the meantime, while you are waiting to go back, take some time to review the material covered in your med-surg course. My school was very tough with grades, but with good reason. I graduated in May and I believe all but one (and they might not have taken it yet) have passed the NCLEX.

Good luck!