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OK, Please allow me to vent and ask a question about what it's like in your program.

Is it just me, or is it obvious to anyone else, that your instructors don't read the assignments they give to their class, then test on information that was not covered in the readings because they never looked in the book to see what they assigned the students? :stone

This has happened in my program more than once, with more than one instructor. Our first maternity exam so many topics were in the exam that were not assigned that they had to throw out 50% of the questions. :uhoh3: Then, I took an exam last night where the same thing happened. It was only a few questions, but still, the material was never assigned to us.

I don't have a problem taking a difficult test with difficult questions, but not if they don't tell us the right thing to study. And you can't fight with them and tell them that it wasn't covered in the syllabus or readings because they get defensive and tell you you are just lazy and a whiner :crying2:

Is it just me?

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Specializes in Rehab, Step-down,Tele,Hospice.

No I dont think its you. This is the very reason I struggled thru parent/ child this past semester. I could tell you every word of every chapter assigned to us than come exam time there would be some crazy a-- questions that I had no clue where they came from. When I asked my instructor about them I got "this is what critical thinking is all about"

I guess critical thinking is about trying to guess which way the wind is blowing when they make up these exams.

Nursing school is great huh?

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I guess critical thinking is about trying to guess which way the wind is blowing when they make up these exams.

LOL!!!!!!! That is so funny!!!!!!!

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Specializes in Cardiac/telemetry.

I just got home from taking an A&P test. We dissected a sheep brain on Friday - 2 weeks ago. We were supposed to do a "practical" exam on the brain the following Monday. One on one with the instructor. He points, we name the parts, 20 points max he says.

Okay, 2 weeks later, we are finally taking the practical exam. When we arrive, he says that he really doesn't have time to go thru the class one on one - so he put little pins in different areas of 4 brains with numbers. Not only does he ask the part, he asks some their functions - which we will be in the lexture NEXT Monday and 26 questions.

Every time this man gives a test we go thru this. Tells us what will be covered on test. Day of test - "I changed my mind."

Only 2 more weeks, only 2 more weeks, only 2 more weeks, only 2 more weeks.....

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okay, 2 weeks later, we are finally taking the practical exam. when we arrive, he says that he really doesn't have time to go thru the class one on one - so he put little pins in different areas of 4 brains with numbers. not only does he ask the part, he asks some their functions - which we will be in the lexture next monday and 26 questions.

i agree in that it is very unnerving when the instructor does an about face with their exams which was/is not what the students are acclimated too..they should stick to their same format.

however, i have to say the way he does your practical is how all of my a & p lab practicals have been ..certain areas are pinned so we have to identify the structure/organ and then tell what the function is. but it's been no great surprise either as that was her protocol from the beginning.

our lecture exam was normally 65 - 75 questions with the lab practical consisting of the remainder 25 - 35 questions.

i just completed a & p ii and i could not be more ecstatic...altho, i have to say, my instructor was awesome and made it very interesting - so i feel very fortunate in that aspect.

every time this man gives a test we go thru this. tells us what will be covered on test. day of test - "i changed my mind."

that would drive me nuts too...he should be consistent where his exams are concerned.

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No I dont think its you. This is the very reason I struggled thru parent/ child this past semester. I could tell you every word of every chapter assigned to us than come exam time there would be some crazy a-- questions that I had no clue where they came from. When I asked my instructor about them I got "this is what critical thinking is all about"

I guess critical thinking is about trying to guess which way the wind is blowing when they make up these exams.

Nursing school is great huh?

I get the same stuff at the university which I attend. The instructors forget that to be able to think critically, one must possess the knowledge, which students are just now learning! I just finished med-surg, and the goofy instructor used to pull med-surg questions from the NCLEX at random, regardless if she had covered that in class. :crying2: Also, I quit reading the text, because her notes were the authority, even if she contradicted the text. I took my final today so I am done with her!

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Specializes in Cardiac/telemetry.

Lisa,

Most of his other tests have been with pins, tags, and labels. However, this is not how he has done this same test with other classes. Without him standing right there, it was extremely difficult to determine in some of the areas what he was looking for.

On his last "muscle test," he had taken some of the plastic pieces off of one of the models, had them all lined up on the counter, and asked what they were. Yeah, right. Without any reference points, it was a lot of guessing.

One of the students remarked, "well you never know when you will arrive at an accident scene, find a deltoid muscle laying on the ground and have to put it back!"

Now I think it is funny. It is only immediately after the test that I am upset (when I posted yesterday). I am fine today and can laugh about it.

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lisa,

most of his other tests have been with pins, tags, and labels. however, this is not how he has done this same test with other classes. without him standing right there, it was extremely difficult to determine in some of the areas what he was looking for.

i can completely feel your frustration with that...i do not understand why some professors just feel the need to change format with their other classes....sounds like you have a good handle on it tho which will probably serve you well in nursing...

i was telling a friend of mine who is in one of the nursing programs here in north florida about how some of the formats change on a whim and her comment to me was 'lise, you haven't seen anything yet - wait till you get in your program!! it's whatever crawls up the instructors a-- .." lol meaning the rules change so much with the nursing instructors..so, i can only imagine what is in store. i hope my school will be somewhat more consistent than what she's dealing with..she said no test (format wise) is the same.

on his last "muscle test," he had taken some of the plastic pieces off of one of the models, had them all lined up on the counter, and asked what they were. yeah, right. without any reference points, it was a lot of guessing.

my a & p instructor did the same thing with us as well....it can very challenging to say the least.

one of the students remarked, "well you never know when you will arrive at an accident scene, find a deltoid muscle laying on the ground and have to put it back!"

rofl!! that is hysterical! lol good one.

now i think it is funny. it is only immediately after the test that i am upset (when i posted yesterday). i am fine today and can laugh about it.

lol...and i bet you made an a on it!! :)

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Sometimes instructors have been teaching this class so long, they forget what they did or did not lecture on. They will state they DID cover it in lecture, but no one in class heard it. So, it is on the test with no ideas as to where they pulled that information from! Needless to say, A's in our classes are a rare thing and seemed to come from good guessing, B's are doable if you study hard, and most people are getting C's or failing.

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Specializes in OB, lactation.

That stuff happens at my school also. So far, my pharm teacher has done it the most. Her thing is not checking all the side effects, like she'll say what is a SE of blah and TWO of the answers will be correct according to the book so she'll end up having to take both. Seems like it would be worth it to check each 10 quiz questions super carefully to avoid all the work of taking multiple answers later, but it would happen for 1-2 problems on every quiz. I guess I haven't been there, maybe it's harder than it seems but I don't know... :rolleyes:

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Colleen, I am very curious about which school. Is it Comedy College? I am considering going to a school in TX or Pgh, Pa. Your info would be EXTREMELY helpful. If it is Comedy College, what are the strong points of the school, there must be some. Also how do you like the block scheduling, if that is what you are on? Do you think it is better than segmented classes. The block being the entire 101 Nursing class for approx (8) credits and the labs are pass/fail, vs. the segmented type where the class is (5), lab (3) credits, and skills (1) credit.

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Specializes in Emergency.

most of the questions were from lectures but a few maybe 5 were from the required readings... we also had 5 math questions. hope this helps. jen

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