Bombed test!

One of my good friends scored a D (failed!) her first fundamentals exam when she began her program. She just got her license two weeks ago :). I think the first semester is a learning curve for most everyone.

Well, if it makes u feel any better, I took my first and only pharm test thurs and I made a 76. A 75 is failing at my school! lol, so my pharm grade is based off this exam and my dosage exam that Ill take in a few weeks. Needless to say, I have absolutely NO cushion for doing bad on my dosage exam. BUT I'm not gonna let it get to me, I'm just gonna work twice as hard when the next test comes around. I'd say don't let it discourage you, LOTS of people fail test in NS and still graduate. Just stay positive and don't lose sight of the end, it will be here before u know it!

Don't worry. I never went above an 82% on any tests in my first semester. As a matter of fact I failed my first two exams. I went into the final with a 74% and just barely passed the class with 6 points over the passing grade. Can u just imagine how I felt?:barf01:.......and now Im in my last semester. Hoping to graduate this May. It gets easier with time. Dont give up. You can do it!!!!!!

A lot of students in NS who were formally strait A student's drop grade averages. There is alot of material to cover and study strategies sometimes need to be adjusted to accomodate the new learning style.

I've been pretty consistant about doing poorly on the first exam of the semester, only to get back into the groove and bring my grades back up.

You have the first test out of the way and didn't do as well as you would have liked, but now you have an idea of the types of questions your instructor likes to ask and can focus on honing your study skills for the next test.

Just because you didn't do well on one test doesn't mean you aren't cut out for the program. Give yourself some time to adjust to the new environment. Once you do I'm sure you will do fine. Give yourself some credit, you got this far!!

Good luck on your next test

I suck at any drug questions just because the way that I learn is by interacting. So reading it from a book and trying to memorize wasn't helping me at all. I told the instructors if I could go to a pharmacy to learn them I would be fine. I have realized that I will be the nurse that carries her drug book with her where ever she goes until I can get them in my head. Passed pharm one with a B (lots of OB/GYN and endocrine meds so I was familiar with them) pharm two I got a C (72% cut off was 70%). During my pharm two final my instructor told me I should go back and go over my test again after I turned it in the first time because there was still and hour left and I wasn't doing so hot.

I'm still doing fine in class. In fact I have a 3.4 (because of pharn) and I'm done in March.

You can bomb a test and still pass the class. You can do poorly and still pass the class. I finally got a book from Borders called Straight A's in pharmacology and it's what helped me pull my grade up enough to pass. The book dumbs it down and is a very easy read. It also has two different formats that you can choose to read from. It has most of the popular drugs and just about everyone that we were going over in class. Maybe this would work for you. The required books explain things in a very methodical way and reading it from another source can sometimes help you retain the info.

No fear! I got a 95 on my first Lab test then a 73 (failing at my school) on my first theory class test! I truly believe that I am meant to be here and I will keep on working on it. Don't give up! I think we all have to get used to the difference in the classes compared to our pre and co reqs. Its so much different. I was a 4.0 student until now! haha...I hope we can all keep one another encouraged and such. Anyone done DARs yet? Could anyone tell me if this looks right?

Hi there, I am hoping someone can tell me if this looks right for a DAR. I'm in my first semester of nursing and I'm so confused and I have to do my first skin/respiratory assessment and DAR with nursing diagnosis write up and have no idea if it's close to right. We have to make up our own each assessment, skin and respiratory has to include a normal geriatric variation and a regular abnormal variation.

Skin:

D - "I broke my wrist when I feel down a flight of stairs." Hair: loss of pigment, oily. Blanching: WNL, wrinkles around oral cavity, eyes, acrochordons right, left arms, hands, letigines right, left hand, skin: dry, petichiae right/left ankle, reduced tugor, edema 2, casted wrist dry, warm

A - Educate client about using emolient for dry skin, hydration, hair care for oiliness, sunscreen

R - Continue to monitor casted wrist, monitor input/output, continue to monitor vitals

Most of us in my class started the same way, but it gets better.

I got an 85 on my first Pharm test. At my school, that's a barely passing B. I went to tutoring for the rest of the pharm course and I got A's on the rest of the unit tests. I was having a lot of trouble until I talked to one of my favorite nurses on the floor. She told me it's all memorization and to not waste time leaning all of the names of drugs (because once you get the classifications in your head, you can pretty much figure out the drugs by the names.. most of the time but not always). I'll be the nurse that always has to look things up in the drug book too.. but that's ok. I'd rather be safe and correct than sorry and not correct. Hang in there.. it does get easier.

I didn't do so good on my first pharm test either. BUT, I changed the way I study and ended up with a B in the class. For a study guide, our professors gave us a prototype drug list, and by filling out the prototype drug list, I was able to learn alot of information. THats how I got thru Pharm.

BTW, I failed the Techiniques final and still got an A in the class-all is not lost, keep your head down and keep moving forward.

Thanks for all the encouragement - I really needed it. How might I be able to get a similar prototype drug list??

Try meeting with your instructor during their office hours. Ask he/she to have the test out and ready when you get there. Ask specific questions as to why you got the question wrong. The only thing that keeps me from wanting to yell at my teacher when she's going a mile a minute in lecture on top of everything else we have to do is that she was just like me years ago. I'm freaking out about my first test, asking for all the help I can get to do well. If I don't do well I'm going to nip it in the butt. Write down specific Q's, don't argue as to why you got it wrong, and ask them how they would approach the next test. Also, try and ask some of the students in your class that did well what they do to prepare for the tests. Many have suggested for me to be able to clearly understand and "teach" my objectives at the beginning of your chapters or power points to other students. Just try to stay calm. When your nerves are all worked up (like mine are right now), and you add the pressure of having to compensate for a bad grade, you'll never be able to focus. This too shall pass. GoOd LuCk !

P.S. You made it into nursing school. That in itself is a challenge. Relax, stay focused, and know that trying really really really hard makes a difference.

:hngon:

I just recently began an ADN program and am feeling so disheartened after doing poorly (78%) on the first Pharmacology exam. An average of 77% is a C. I have never done so bad and am reconsidering if I have chosen the right career path.

Is it normal to score badly on the first few exams and still do well and succeed??

I suppose I just need to hear some stories of reassurance as this forum is so comforting!!!

Everyone does poorly on an exam from time to time. Take this as an indication that you did not prepare sufficiently OR that you need to modify your study style. Usually when I do poorly on an exam (I am a good student and it is rare for me but happened a few times) I can think of at least a few reasons why my performance was sub par. Usually, those reasons can be modified: studying more, but more importantly studying more efficiently. Setting set time for leisure actually improves studying because this more clearly differentiates study time from other time (and makes it hard to jerk around during studying).

Finally and perhaps most importantly, in nursing school ya just gotta really skim down your old activities. Working less to not at all is a good start (living on loans and your parents/S.O. helps with that). Not hanging out as much also is necessary.

For these two years, you're in a sort of emotional and intellectual boot camp. Consider it a challenge, treat it with respect and focus, and you will do well.