I am really down right now and would like advice or just like to hear from someone who's going through what I'm going through. I am in my 3rd semester of nursing and I am feeling so discouraged right now. I have never been so stressed in my life. I have passed only one of our test and now we have one more test and the final. I am so far at a 75% and I have to have a 76% overall average to pass the course. For the last two tests, I studied everyday, did NCLEX questions, recorded the lectures, listened to the lectures again, and took notes. My house was a either a mess or I was paying my cousin to clean up for me because I was always studying, studying, studying. I let everything go. I haven't been out anywhere for the last 6 weeks, except once. All I do is study, study, study. People told me that I was studying too much, our last test was on G.I. and part of Diabetes and the packet of powerpoint notes that they gave us was literally 200 pages. There was so much information to cover in 3 weeks. When I got the test yesterday, it was like my mind went blank on some of the questions because I just had too much information in my head. I couldn't even remember the diet for Gastritis. I made stupid mistakes on the test. Does anyone have any tips for having to learn so much information in so little time and be able to retain all of the information? I believe I am going to have to repeat 3rd semester. But, before I do, I would like some tips because I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. Thank you.
I know cumulative finals are stressful, but you learned that material for the tests so it should still be circulating around in your brain!!! Don't be so hard on yourself. Just study your brains out and you will pass!
Did you make it through 3rd semester? I hope so. If you did, do you have any tips for me? I withdrew from 3rd semester four weeks before semester end because, I didn't think I could maintain a 75% which was grade needed for passing. I'm scheduled to retake 3rd semester commencing in August; I'm excited and nervous because, I haven't done any clinical since Nov. Thanks for any advice you can offer me and best wishes to you in your career as an RN.
I'm in the same exact boat, content & all, except it's 2nd semester I'm dropping. I have a 76.35 and need a 77 to pass the course. BUT, I didn't do well on the HESI last semester & have no reason to believe I'd do even that well this semester, so I'm just going to drop & try again in the spring. What tipped the scale for dropping was when I had the thought that even if I manage to scrape by and pass this semester, will I be able to pass the NCLEX at the end of it all??? Putting off graduation 5 months isn't the end of the world & another advantage is it's bound to be easier the second time around, giving us time to rest up before we barrell along into the next semester!
I wish you the very best of luck in what ever you decide to do!
good luck on the final! 
dtermineddenise
70 Posts
Thank you so much, Katie. It's good to hear encouragement from a person who has been there and done that.