Failing Med-Surg, Should I withdraw?

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So I am failing Med-Surg with a 61 avg. right now. I have two more exams and a final and I need to pass all 3 of them with 85 or higher. A lot of people said I should withdraw and a lot of people said I should keep going. The first test I failed because I was emotionally distress and couldn't focus. The second test I read the book only once for each chapter and study the power point. It turned out that the 2nd test was extremely hard. So I got some advice to do a lot of questions and not withdraw. I DEFINITELY don't want to withdraw but is it wise to stay? If I want to do better, what should I do? Is it still possible to pass?

Only you know how much work you can put into making the effort to pass at this point. I would speak to the advisor and see what their take is on this. If a withdrawal will put you in no worse position than a failure, I would consider withdrawing, and take the extra time while you wait to start over, to buckle down and start studying from the beginning. And this time, engage in more effective study habits. JMO

It looks like you still have plenty of time to decide, since you have 3 more tests to go. an 85 is attainable. Some people in my class need a 94 on the next test to pass, so you are not in as bad a place as you think! I would suggest taking it on test at a time. If you do not pull off an 85 or better on the next test, then i would consider the withdrawl. I just think it is a little early to give up!

Well the withdrawal due date is this Wednesday. So I'm still thinking of what actions to take.

During one my quarters, I failed two tests in my Lifespan class. Both scores were well below 50%. It was my fault--I studied the wrong chapters :uhoh3:, but I got organized and studied my butt off. I ended up passing the class with an 86%.

I would study like there's no tomorrow--make it your life right now. An 85 is doable; especially considering, you still have 3 more tests. You may score better than an 85 on each of those tests. When the going gets tough, get tougher--don't quit.

I would make an appointment with your course leader. That person will have a much greater knowledge regarding your school's policies than any one of us here. In some schools you are better off withdrawing (a withdrawal may not count toward your GPA where a failing grade would). Your instructor will also know the historic test averages on your last several tests. They will be able to advise you whether it is likely that you would be able to bring your average up enough to pass in those last exams.

I see where you are coming from now. I gues you have to ask youself this question since you are the only one that knows you well enough to answer. Knowing what you know now about your abilities and the expectations of this course, is making an 85 realistic for you at this time? If yes, i would not drop the course. if you cannot confidently say yes, withdraw. but that is just me...

Specializes in Oncology/hematology.

I think it depends on you. If you know that you can give more, I'd try for it. But, if that second test effort was how much you have to give, I'd probably withdraw. There's just no reason to waste your time. I don't know your circumstances, so I can't say either way.

I would also make sure that if you drop that class that you can remain in the nursing program.

It sounds like you did poorly on the exams because you did not prepare for them adequately, not because you are incapable of doing the work. So if that's the case, you should very well be able to do better if you put the time and effort into studying. I would not risk getting kicked out of the program because of one class not being completed.

So I am failing Med-Surg with a 61 avg. right now. I have two more exams and a final and I need to pass all 3 of them with 85 or higher. A lot of people said I should withdraw and a lot of people said I should keep going. The first test I failed because I was emotionally distress and couldn't focus. The second test I read the book only once for each chapter and study the power point. It turned out that the 2nd test was extremely hard. So I got some advice to do a lot of questions and not withdraw. I DEFINITELY don't want to withdraw but is it wise to stay? If I want to do better, what should I do? Is it still possible to pass?

I was failing MedSurg for most of the previous semester (75% avg. required). I had to get an 80% on my final to pass. I got an 88%. It was a very scary moment for me, but I was determined. Don't give up and work hard!

Specializes in PICU, Sedation/Radiology, PACU.

Does you school allow you to retake the class if you fail? In my nursing school we were allowed to retake two nursing classes. If you failed again or failed more than two classes you were dismissed.

If your school does not allow you to retake the class and you will be dismissed from the program if you fail then I would withdraw once it's clear you can't pass. You have quite a bit of time to decide. I would take the next test, study very hard, and see how you do. If you pass with a good grade, then keep going. But if you fail and it becomes impossible for you to make up the grade with the final grades then withdraw.

If your school allows you to retake the class, then keep going no matter how you do on the next tests. It will be more helpful when you retake the class if you have already learned the material once.

Put in some time in the next few weeks practicing good study techniques. Talk to your advisor and seek help from a tutor if needed. You've got to be well prepared in order to pass the tests. Simply reading the book doesn't work for many people. You may need to take notes during lectures, take notes from the book, make flash cards, record lectures, and form a study group. There's a lot of time and money that will be wasted if you fail a class, so put every effort into passing the next three tests. You can do it if you dedicate yourself.

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