Are they lying?

Nursing Students General Students

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There are so many people in my class that say they hardly ever or never study and still get As. Two people even claim to have never even opened one of their nursing textbooks (we are starting our Sr. year). Granted I know these two people are very smart...but how can they do so well? I mean our lectures are so mediocre, they are the skin and bones of the chapters assigned in reading; and nursing knowledge is not something you "just know" right? I don't get it, it makes me feel like a dummy...classes they laugh at I studied my tail off for (like pharm hello!!! I earned that A) and I read almost all the assigned chapters (I skipped a few this last semester but that is because the teacher really only tested you on what she lectured on because she was the "all and powerful know it all and the book was wrong" even though she assigned chapters)...are you one of these people that never study or hardly study and have never read your nursing text and still get As? Do you have mystical powers?:chuckle

I get As most of the time, but I feel like I study a lot. I do the vast majority of the reading, a ton of questions, ans go over my class notes countless times. Right before last semester's finals though, I started to slack off really badly. I went out of town for a weekend for a wedding, did no studying while I was gone, then went out instead of studied several nights that next week with my husband. I was just burnt out. People may have heard me telling my friends at school how bad I'd been that week, and then really teed off when they heard how well I'd done. I also pulled an all nighter before each of my finals to make up for slacking off, and apparently had retained enough of the information from busting my orifice all semester not to need to put in a ton of hard review time for the finals - I still made As.

Is that my usual study method? No. Do I recommend it to anyone? No. You may have heard someone bragging about partying last weekend who also puts in 8 hours each weekend day on top of 5 hours after class each weeknight, or someone who slacks off periodically like I've been known to do. No one can just make an A without studying in some fashion or another, they may have a more efficient method, or may have bragged about the one night they took off if you don't know them super well. There's also a girl in our class who always brags about not studying, and according to friends of mine, then lies about her grades. She's still here though, so she's passing somehow. I've helped some classmates who put in twice the time I do studying, and make significantly worse grades - they're inefficient and don't know how to focus on the right material. Thankfully, I'm also one of those who's just good at school in general (and at clinicals per my faculty and preceptor), so I learned how to study well years ago.

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We have several that come to class on test day and say they spent the weekend before partying or they just did not study. These are the ones that have no medical background. Then they will say in shock " I got an A on that test!". Well, personally I do not care what their grades are, but I did not just fall off of the turnip truck either. I have come to the conclusion that all the information needed for test, just does not fall out of the sky. It is also possible that they are lying about that "A" or they have busted their behinds studying like the rest of us and don't want to admit it incase they don't do well. You will find there is so much competition in NS, and its a wasted energy to me. I could care less what my classmates get on their test. I am just trying to survive and be sane while doing it. LOL...

lol...yea those types are either looking for attention, or are in competition mode and trying to throw others off...no one magically does well without putting some time and effort into a class....no one!

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Specializes in Telemetry.

I rarely study. However, I do an enormous amount of NCLEX questins. Presently I am trying to do 560 questions before my exams next week. I made straight A's. I used to study for hours from the book and it really did not help me, failed a class. Now I now what to do to make good grades.

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I find it all depends on the person's own learning style.

In secondary school (High school to Americans), I didn't didn't study for my final year mock exams and I did fantastic, but when I studied for the real things (which were actually easier) I didn't do so well. I tend to confuse myself if I do excessive study - or knock out stuff frommy brain that I really need when I learn something I don't.

As for nursing, I don't tend to study, but our lectures are very good and we get a lot of hand outs in class, I don't even study those. Cos of my smelly dyslexica I won't ever be a high A student, but I can pull A-s easily enough.

It's all about each person own style of learning, don't worry about them, worry about you and what works for you.

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I think it is important to remember that we all have our limitations. If I'm in a class with a good lecturer who moves at a fairly decent pace I don't need to spend much time study. If the instructor doesn't lecture or lectures poorly I probably won't do as well. I don't learn well from reading, so if I have to rely on reading I am really going to struggle. Also if the lecturer tends to dwell on certain topics or digresses a lot I will miss stuff because I get bored and lose my concentration.

I admit to having said at times "I didn't study at all, I'm not at all prepared for this test" and then ending up with one of the top grades. It is not lying or being competitive. It's just that when I get into the class I suddenly get overwhelmed with anxiety and start to worry that this is the time I should have studied more, this is the one that's going to bite me in the butt.

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I could be they are just trying to psyche you out, make themselves look smart, and make you paranoid. Mind game, there are people out there like that. May be that they studied just as hard as you did and are lying. There was a pharmacy turned nursing major in my class. She had the attitude that she didn't have to study, and failed the first test. What does it matter? You passed, didn't you? So you go girl...(or guy).

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Specializes in Critcal Care.

I am going to say they are full of it. I've had a 4.0 up until I started nursing school, and I have never studied so much in my life. Unless you have a background in this stuf (which I do) it doesn't come easily to you.

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It's frustrating to hear that....I have to study so hard for the grades that I get and I am very envious of those that seemingly have no effort put in that gets a better grade than me.

However...sometimes it catches up with them.

There are ALOT of students that flunk out the last semester b/c they are "book smart" but can't put what they have learned into practice...that will separate the mere memorizers to the true critical thinkers.

I also have an LPN in my class that gets near perfect scores on every exam. She is an L&D nurse.

Well, we had a chapter on Pharm...she never studies Pharm b/c she says, "I give meds out all day long."

So far, it has worked for her...but we are covering cardiac...and she failed the exam miserably.

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Specializes in ICCU - cardiac.

I do study and prepare for tests but I do not overwhelm myself with worrying if I know every last detail. The things I don't get once over, I review until it sticks. Moreover, I think there is an 'art' to taking nursing school tests. After a year in, I can read over my chapters and say to myself 'that looks like a good test question.' I think half the battle is knowing how to study for and take the darn tests and some students just never grasp it. It is imperative to know the responsibilities and judgment calls of the nurse and herein lies the strategy. Yes, you need to know the S/S and patho but some overstudy the stuff that never makes it way onto a test; they concentrate too much on material that is so clinical, things a doctor needs to know, not a nurse.:twocents:

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There are so many people in my class that say they hardly ever or never study and still get As.

Never open a text book...:yeah:Liars!

I heard this just the other day...they're messin' with your Chi!

Believe none of what you hear, half of what you see, and EVERYTHING your instructor says...Yes Mam! Yes Mam!

Forget them...the degree you receive will only have your name on it.

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Never open a text book...:yeah:Liars!

I heard this just the other day...they're messin' with your Chi!

Believe none of what you hear, half of what you see, and EVERYTHING your instructor says...Yes Mam! Yes Mam!

Forget them...the degree you receive will only have your name on it.

Kudos!!!:yeah: You're right!!! They're the ones that spend all their time in the books, I think. Don't listen to them...In fact don't worry about what they are doing. Worry about you.

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Specializes in None yet.
I do study and prepare for tests but I do not overwhelm myself with worrying if I know every last detail. The things I don't get once over, I review until it sticks. Moreover, I think there is an 'art' to taking nursing school tests. After a year in, I can read over my chapters and say to myself 'that looks like a good test question.' I think half the battle is knowing how to study for and take the darn tests and some students just never grasp it. It is imperative to know the responsibilities and judgment calls of the nurse and herein lies the strategy. Yes, you need to know the S/S and patho but some overstudy the stuff that never makes it way onto a test; they concentrate too much on material that is so clinical, things a doctor needs to know, not a nurse.:twocents:

Hello and thank you for your nice responce to me about the math. I have been trying to reach you about this nursing thing lol. I am so glad that you are in michigan also. If you don`t mind i would love to make a friend out of you. Please email me a way to reach you. Thank you so much!

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