Can a teacher do this?

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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Ok so I had a midterm yesterday. I have been studying for a little over two weeks straight for this example. I would go over the material she has posted online (she likes to do everything on power int) she also just does her lectures based on the power point. She gives us a little extra info during the class but nothing more then a page of notes. So I went over the stuff she gave us, I used the practice quiz online over and over and looked a things online and bit of the text book. I went into the test feeling pretty good and confidant I knew the material. When I got the test I was shocked to discover that the questions were in far more detail that she went in class. It was beyond the notes she gave us... We had several questions that ask you to put things in particulate order.... Like lots of them which I found strange because we didn't have much time.I'm aware this probably sounds like I'm whining but, I found myself rushing through the test because I was running out of time. I had to guess on so many questions because I couldn't read them all. I finished two minutes before she said pencils down. When I looked up, there was probably 30 or 40 % of the class that still hadn't finished. I asked other people what they thought and they thought the test was outrageous as well... I guess I could be whining but I keep thinking if I'm paying good money for tuition, and not being out in a situation she I'm being taught material I'm going to be tested on... It doesn't seem fair!Can anything be done about this?

Specializes in L&D.
Wow everyone is talking to me like I'm fresh out of high school. I'm not, Im 27. Next, this is our 2nd mid term we received on anatomy and this is the third test we have received from this teach which had a totally different writing style. I know about understanding and not merely memorizing and it's not like I'm lazy and do jack all and complain. I work hard and I'm willing to do so bu my frustration lies wih not being told what to review.I know maybe a lot of people have been told to suck it up and deal with it and your on your own but I feel that's a cop out excuse for Someone not to do what they are beig paid good money to do. I want to be successful and I am willing to work my butt off for it. Maybe everyone else on here honks its ok to pass the buck because its always been like that but igot one think there is something messed up about it.I also am surprised by the lack of supportive responses or advi e given. Before people start ramming down my throat to grow up, remember what you have gone through and we are here to help Eachother not make Eachother feel like a pee-on because we're new to the game and need help. Anyone that's sent a supportive message I thank you.

P.s I'm writi from an iPhone please excuse my errors.

I understand your frustration. Are you in nursing school yet, or are you doing your pre-requisites? Each instructor teaches differently, and prepares students differently. Some are more helpful than others. My anatomy instructor was very helpful in preparing us for the tests, and it benefited me greatly! I was very appreciative. My current med-surg I instructor is very helpful in preparing us for the tests by giving us review sheets to work with. She doesn't give us the answers, but it certainly helps. I feel that nursing school has a ton of material, and I think we should get review sheets to help us focus our studying. Each instructor wants different knowledge bases for their students. They determine what they feel is most important for students to take away from their class. So, with it being a little bit subjective to the instructor, I personally believe reviews work. And they work well.

With that said, I would definitely have a talk with your instructor. Perhaps you could ask some of your other classmates for their experiences with this instructor's tests. Maybe the majority feel the way you do! (: (if you said that in your original post, I apologize...I read the post last night, and I'm just now responding this morning). I realize your frustration, I really do. Studying all the material (which is quite a bit for these classes) is probably not going to help you retain the tiny details...which some instructors want. I'm not going to tell you to "grow up" because I do think you have an adult, valid concern.

By the way, I am a good student and I read chapters after lectures. I highlight chapters in my book and go over it numerous times. I do not leave studying to the power points, as this does not work.

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OP, I understand your frustration. But if changes are not made, you will continue making the same mistakes and getting the same grades. Saying that something is intrinsically unfair about your teacher's methods and whatnot is kind of arbitrary; it does not help you and can only hurt you.

You could make an appointment with your teacher and go over your test. Find out what went wrong-- did you just misunderstand the physiology? Did you mix up names for body parts? That will help you find your weak spots and what you should change.

I know it's easier sometimes to just say that the teacher was being unfair, etc. But it's smarter to learn from it. :)

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Specializes in ortho, hospice volunteer, psych,.

To borrow one of my mom's more frequently used expressions... "A great part of being a mature and responsible adult, is being willing to accept and live with the consequences of your actions."

Meaning?

When you read all the assigned material and get an "A" on the exam, bask in it! Enjoy that wonderful feeling!

When you only skim the final six chapters and get a "B" on the exam, instead of patting yourself on the back,

remind yourself that you might have had another "A" if only you'd bothered to read those last chapters.

If you blow off some (or all) of the reading assignments and end up with a "C" then be adult enough to admit to yourself and others that that "C" was your own fault instead of the teacher's. Be willing to accept the "C" this time and vow that you'll make more reading time in the future. Remember, just one "C" can lower your QPA a little, but won't get you kicked out of your program.

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Dezy ... A&P is tough and there is a lot of material to learn in a very short amount of time. I feel certain that most students taking A&P is feeling pressure at some point. Lecture and lab can only cover so much. I think my instructor does a good job of comprehensively touching upon the material, there is always some questions on the test that are related to smaller sections of the text that we may or may not have covered during lecture time.

We are also given case studies that ties together lots of detail from section to section to re-inforce the learning that we do. Case study questions are fair game for testing as well and while we discuss the overall points briefly in class there can be alot to them that you really have to make sure you cover on your own or in your case study group.

Keep plugging away at it. You can do it! There is so much to learn and all the material is important. Just remember that it is only going to get harder.

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
I keep thinking if I'm paying good money for tuition, and not being out in a situation she I'm being taught material I'm going to be tested on... It doesn't seem fair!Can anything be done about this?

College is not high school. Information is no longer spoonfed to students, nor should it be. The fact that you're paying good money for tuition should be enough incentive for you to do the work required. That work includes reading the entire assignment from the textbook, not just a bit of it. Anything in the lecture, notes, or reading assigned is fair game for a test, whether it was covered in lecture or not. The work world will be the same- you won't be spoonfed information on how to care for patients; you'll either need to know your stuff or know where to look it up. That's what being an adult is all about.

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I know it's easier sometimes to just say that the teacher was being unfair, etc. But it's smarter to learn from it. :)

Exactly ... learn from what went wrong and then move forward. Last week I did really poorly our online chapter assessment. I thought I was ready to take but the results clearly told me otherwise....my score was below the average of the class for that particular quiz. It stung....it took it to heart and went back to dissect what exactly went wrong. Retraced my understanding and learned from it. Happy to say that I did much better on my muscle exam. I try to look at mistakes and wrong answers as opportunities to learn. Being upset about an unfortunate outcome is understandable - allow yourself to be mad and go kick a tree.....then put yourself back together and learn from it.

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Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

Sounds like you WERE tested on the material covered, right? Just in more detail than you were prepared for? I don't think the teacher is/was out of line....

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Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

Make a note from here on forward: REVIEW IT ALL!!! Why in the world would an instructor have to tell you exactly WHAT she plans to use on the exam? REVIEW IT ALL

Wow everyone is talking to me like I'm fresh out of high school. I'm not, Im 27. Next, this is our 2nd mid term we received on anatomy and this is the third test we have received from this teach which had a totally different writing style. I know about understanding and not merely memorizing and it's not like I'm lazy and do jack all and complain. I work hard and I'm willing to do so bu my frustration lies wih not being told what to review.I know maybe a lot of people have been told to suck it up and deal with it and your on your own but I feel that's a cop out excuse for Someone not to do what they are beig paid good money to do. I want to be successful and I am willing to work my butt off for it. Maybe everyone else on here honks its ok to pass the buck because its always been like that but igot one think there is something messed up about it.I also am surprised by the lack of supportive responses or advi e given. Before people start ramming down my throat to grow up, remember what you have gone through and we are here to help Eachother not make Eachother feel like a pee-on because we're new to the game and need help. Anyone that's sent a supportive message I thank you.

P.s I'm writi from an iPhone please excuse my errors.

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Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

What is it you feel we are missing?

wow clearly no one on the board can read what I actually said.
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Specializes in Peds OR as RN, Peds ENT as NP.

Are you doing prereqs or in nursing school? Nursing school tests will call on knowledge that is not always presented in powerpoints also. As far as time to take a test... Does that really matter? Think about it, that part was definitely whining ;). I've taken all the way up to the "pencils down" moment on exams. I know this long journey towards nursing is difficult but as a working nurse you will have to make decisions that weren't in any powerpoints, on any test, or on the NCLEX. Just you wait...

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Make a note from here on forward: REVIEW IT ALL!!! Why in the world would an instructor have to tell you exactly WHAT she plans to use on the exam? REVIEW IT ALL
Yes!

I took a Patho II exam last week. I made so many diagrams, reviewed "The Big Picture" in my head, and came up with many potential questions for altered perfusion.

My teacher threw us all for a loop when she asked about tricuspid atresia--it was a seemingly minute detail that didn't strike me as important while I was studying, but it was fair game since it was in the textbook! I ended up getting 4 questions wrong just because I skimmed over a couple of paragraphs. Otherwise, I would have gotten a 100%. Lesson learned. :down:

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..."So I went over the stuff she gave us, I used the practice quiz online over and over and looked a things online and bit of the text book."

Read the material from your book a couple of times and make your own notes to study. You will be able to answer the test questions. Try joining a study group.

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