Failed my first exam

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So I failed my first exam. You need a 75 to pass. I got a 71.

I'm the only one who failed. The upperclassmen said this was the easiest exam and they only get more difficult.

I feel like such a failure. I can't stop crying. I have doubts on becoming a nurse anymore.

I'm a horrible test taker. Always have been. I tried study groups, studying by myself, taking practice exams, etc. I took the quiz last week and passed.

Has anyone ever felt this way? I'm scared to death of failing out :(

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I would talk to your instructor to see if you are missing anything in your studies. My instructor had us make concept maps on different conditions and it helped tremendously. Most importantly never give up! It took me until my last semester of nursing school to finally figure out how I needed to study and test well!

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Specializes in Emergency Nurse.

Yes! Me!

I took my first exam 2 weeks ago. We must make an 80 to pass. I made a 79. Yep. 1 point from passing.

At first I really let it get to me. I mean some people passed with flying colors and didn't study half as much as I did, this really frustrated me. But I just prayed about it and went and talked to my instructor. She said the first test is always the worst. (Let's hope)

Anyway, speaking from experience, you have to move on. I know exactly how you feel. I was in your shoes two weeks ago. Don't let it shake you! We are student nurses. We have to learn somehow. Keep that head up and keep going. You got this! My next test is Thursday. 😁

Good luck to you!

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Specializes in Critical care.

Don't beat yourself up too hard about this- that will only make things worse. One exam grade can't determine what will happen the rest of your time as a nursing student. Use this as a learning experience. Figure out what went wrong, talk with your instructor, and adjust your study habits accordingly. You've taken the 1st exam so now you have an idea on what to expect with the rest of them. I sometimes think the first exams with a new instructor are the hardest because you don't know what to expect. I just barely failed the first quiz in my adult 1 class (we had 2 quizzes, midterm, final, and subject HESI and that was it for grades). I started reading the textbook because the instructors lecture style didn't mesh with me and my grades only went up and by the end of the course I had done well enough to make an A. I tell that story to others to encourage them and show that one bad grade isn't the end of the world.

Everyone studies differently, maybe a study group is too distracting and you'd be better off with just one study buddy. Do you read the textbook? If you don't, that might help. Most people in my program didn't read because of time, but I found for certain classes reading really helped pull everything together for me. How do you take your notes- do you have a written component to studying? I had an instructor who really stressed that and it's something I really believe in too. Sometimes typing things out doesn't help, but writing things out (and using different colored pens/paper for visual reminders) can really help and make a big difference. Have you tried any reviews and rationales? The ones by Hogan are extremely popular. For questions I found the Success series by Davis to be excellent (I wish I found them sooner). Another great resource if the lecture material isn't sticking is the website Simple Nursing. You have to pay for a subscription, but for some it is really worth it. There are video lectures on almost any topic and the guy explains things a bit differently (and in not-so-delicate terms) than instructors which can really help the material stick. There are some free videos on Youtube you can find by just searching simple nursing (they have acid base imbalance and fluid & electrolytes on youtube for free). Also see if your school offers any type of tutoring, a lot of places (especially universities) have academic support offices and have free tutoring available. One of the first things is making sure you are understanding the material- doing tons of questions won't help if you don't actually understand the content. If you understand the content maybe you are reading too much into the questions or making some other mistake like that.

Don't feel defeated- that will only make things worse. You have to keep a positive attitude! Everyone is afraid at some point, but the important thing is that you can't let fear stop you from trying. I completed a really intense accelerated program and that is something we told the new incoming students. You'll never know what you can do until you try. Good luck!!

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Specializes in Neuroscience.

It's a test, on paper. Nothing to cry about, and your grade is recoverable. Figure out where your weakness is, and go from there.

It's paper. Please don't cry over it.

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