I am so anal about my grades

Ms Kylee · Feb 10, 2008

Oh my gosh... did I write this post? *LOL* I was complaining to my Mom the other day about my B in Peds. She said to me "Kylee, there's NOTHING wrong with a B." I kept saying "But, Mom, it's not an A". She so kindly pointed out "You're working full time. You're going part time. You're ALLOWED to get a B". I then launched into the spiel about wanting to graduate with honors, and was politely told "Don't worry about graduating with honors. Just graduate and pass your boards."

Mom forgets her firstborn is still an overachiever.... :lol2:

future L&Dnurse · Feb 10, 2008

Same here, I get disappointed by even something like a 97 because darn it, I wanted that A+, not just an A. I know it's silly, I just can't help it. I don't get totally devastated by a lower grade the way I used to though. I got a B+ in a class last semester and one other B in my first semester of nursing school, and I'm okay with it. I think the grades were fair if disappointing and frankly with that B+, if I had studied harder it would have been an A. My own darn fault.

jemommyRN · Feb 10, 2008

Can you guys please explain to me how you are getting A's in nursing courses. I study the material, read the book, supplement with other books, ask questions, etc, etc, etc. But I ALWAYS get tricked up by the question on the test. I will know the answer and pick the second best. Sometimes I feel like I know too much because I will read into the question or add outside information. This is my last semester and I would love to get an A. HOW DO YOU DO IT???????

krenee · Feb 10, 2008

Can you guys please explain to me how you are getting A's in nursing courses. I study the material, read the book, supplement with other books, ask questions, etc, etc, etc. But I ALWAYS get tricked up by the question on the test. I will know the answer and pick the second best. Sometimes I feel like I know too much because I will read into the question or add outside information. This is my last semester and I would love to get an A. HOW DO YOU DO IT???????

OK, so what I hear you saying is that you know the material, but you're having trouble finding the right test answer? I could tell you how I study but it doesn't sound like that's what you're asking. As far as test questions, well, you said it yourself - you read into the question or add outside information! You need to focus on NOT doing that. Did your school off any type of "test taking" help? I recommend this if not. I even have a book about it (which I never read, honestly for me it has just come naturally). But they had us identify "key words", focus on what is the question asking - so we can see if it's positive or negative (is it which ONE of the answers, or all except, etc). Maybe look into buying a book like that or taking a class (like a one day class, not an entire course!).

That's the best I can come up with based on what you asked, if you have anything else, I'll be happy to explain further!

Kelly

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Feb 10, 2008

Can you guys please explain to me how you are getting A's in nursing courses. I study the material, read the book, supplement with other books, ask questions, etc, etc, etc. But I ALWAYS get tricked up by the question on the test. I will know the answer and pick the second best. Sometimes I feel like I know too much because I will read into the question or add outside information. This is my last semester and I would love to get an A. HOW DO YOU DO IT???????

1. Learn not to change your first-guesses because most of the time, they're usually correct. Only change a test answer if something convinces you WITHOUT A DOUBT that another answer is it.

2. Listen to what your teacher says is going to be on the test, not what your classmates or former students may say is going to be on the test. A lot of my classmates were burned early on because all these former students say our instructor tests straight from her notes only, when she herself said she draws the questions right out of the book. Yet for the first two tests, she was ignored.

If she says during lecture that something is important to know or would make a good test question, take note of it because you'll probably see it on a test. And if she hands you a test review sheet with nothing about arthritis on it but says that arthritis is on the test, you listen to her and don't skip arthritis. That just burned a lot of my classmates on the last test too.

3. Don't read things in questions that aren't there. For example, if in the question the patient has hyperkalemia and needs to learn how to manage it, don't pick the answer that says he needs to monitor his potassium and sodium intake. Sure, he's got to watch his K+, but nowhere does the question say he's got a problem with sodium. You may be tempted to assume he does...and he probably does since almost all of us in real life get too much salt. But unless the question says outright that he's hypernatremic or strongly hints at it (i.e., if the question mentions that client also has hypertension), there no sodium problem and he doesn't need to restrict his intake. See what I mean? Yet half the class fell for that one...

4. If you have prior medical/nursing experience, that may work against you because you do know too much :) And you may be tempted to answer questions based on what you'd do/done at work instead of what would be done in the textbook world of nursing...which is what these tests are based on. So leave the real world home on test day and answer the questions as though you're doing everything by the (text)book.

Bec717 · Feb 10, 2008

Read the test question twice and as you do underline what the question is asking. Next, read the answers and as you read the answer mark off what you know is wrong- there will usually be 2 that are just dead wrong. You are left with two answer- reference back to what you underlined in the question and go from there.

You must know the material first, then can go from there. Think like a nurse, think this is my patient and I need to make a decision. ABC's, pain, and safety always take first priority!

And as you study and read, begin to think of scenarios concerning what you are learning. My study partner and I role play when we study and talk out what we have learned.

Good Luck~

jemommyRN · Feb 11, 2008

Thank you guys so much. I'm also going to try Kaplan's strategies for NCLEX. I've been told that it helps people break down the questions for the NCLEX, so maybe it'll help me break the questions down for the test. I'm going to take all of your strategies into consideration. Thanks.

P.S. I KNOW that you don't have to make A's to be a good nurse, but tell that to grad school:icon_roll

tferdaise · Feb 12, 2008

I had a good laugh at this person (sorry about that) when I was in LPN school I had a classmate just like that, she would beat herself mentally if she got nothing less then 95. Myself, I just wanted to get out of the classroom and into my clinicals.... So a C was just fine for me.... I tried to explain to her that when nurses apply for a job, the employeer doesn't look at your GPA, they just want to know is your licsense is good and you are dependable... She wasn't happy to hear this and told me that I would make the worse nurse because I dont care about my grade.. Again I tried to explain to her that patients dont care about your GPA either, they want to know if you are going to take good care of them. Well, she didn't like that either and didn't speak to me for a week. One day in clinicals, she had a problem, and she kept asking everybody else (except me) and finally someone told her to come ask me, she finally did, and I gave her the answer and reason why...

Remember, THEORY is only 15% nursing, practice is 85% nursing...