4.0 all four semesters?

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I'm curious as to how hard it is to keep a 4.0 all 4 semesters? I got a 4.0 this past semester, which was my first, but I feel that's only because it's the easiest. I heard 4th was a killer at my school and straight "A" students were barely passing.

I'm just wondering because I plan to pursure a Master's (hopefully) at Johns Hopkins and know that I'll need excellent grades to be accepted. Thanks!

Although a shining GPA feels good, and is always a goal and necessity for our coursework, I know that GPA has an amount of subjectiveness.

Out of the 10 co-op students in our program, one of two students who wasn't hired at the hospital was a 4.0. She's known as having a problem with "intellectual pride".

I have read that B students may actually be the better pick because they may be more well-rounded.

The test style, test bank questions, length of a test, hidden extra credit, papers, who's grading the papers, etc. all go into it. Teachers may play favorites too. I'm proud of my GPA but I'm more proud that my preceptor and charge nurse told me I was the hardest worker of the 6 students in clinical in that area and that I was one of 3 students who passed Hesi last Friday!

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Specializes in LTC, case mgmt, agency.

Your grades don't matter. Your patient care, your compassion, your passion for helping people, your empathy for your patients, your pride in a job well done, that matters. The only time your grades will matter is at hiring ( only some employers ask ) and when it determines whether you pass/fail at school or State Boards.:loveya: Remember the reason you chose nursing as a profession, focus on the care you'll be giving. As long as in your :redbeathe you know the material and can effectively intergrate it into your patient care; who cares what grades you got? I've never ever had a patient ask me what my GPA in school was.:D

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I have read that B students may actually be the better pick because they may be more well-rounded.

Just out of curiosity, where did you read that?

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I am hoping to get into a top school for a Masters degree so I understand how you feel. People keep telling me that good grades aren't everything, but they are in some cases. I also know that the field I want to enter is higly competitive. So while I know how important keeping my grades are going to be.

There is a girl in the nursing program that will be starting her second year this fall. She had a 4.0 for both fall and spring semesters. This girl is SUPER smart. I don't understand why she is becoming a nurse. She should be a doctor. She just absorbs and retains information like nothing I've ever seen. She is from Ethiopia and even with a slight language barrier she is still the smartest in NS.

But one thing I have learned from her is that it is not impossible to do well in nursing school. I just need to keep my eye on my long term goals.

Please don't imply that if nurses were only smart enough they would go to medical school. It's slightly insulting.

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Specializes in no specialty! (have to graduate first!).
Please don't imply that if nurses were only smart enough they would go to medical school. It's slightly insulting.

I wasn't implying that at all. I'm sorry if it came across that way. You're reading into my statement a little too much. I was simply expressing a thought on a fellow student. I wasn't trying to say that nurses aren't smart enough. This student is, like it or not, is on a different intelligence level than many people. That is all I was trying to say. Again, I apologize. It was not my intention to insult anyone.

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Specializes in LTC, case mgmt, agency.

Spring05 sometimes what we say ( write ) on these post can come across in a way we don't intend it too. I know alot of nurses who are just as smart as the doctors.;) I'm glad you explained yourself. :up: We all get misunderstood once in a while. We can't see the nonverbal cues that let us in on the meaning of your conversation. ( so sometime we all may read into someone elses writings ):lol:

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Specializes in no specialty! (have to graduate first!).
Spring05 sometimes what we say ( write ) on these post can come across in a way we don't intend it too. I know alot of nurses who are just as smart as the doctors.;) I'm glad you explained yourself. :up: We all get misunderstood once in a while. We can't see the nonverbal cues that let us in on the meaning of your conversation. ( so sometime we all may read into someone elses writings ):lol:

Thank you for that. After *ac* wrote that I felt really bad. I don't like my intelligence to be insulted so I hate that I did the same to her.

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Specializes in LTC, case mgmt, agency.

urwlcm:Spring05, nurses need to stick together and support each other. Lord knows we endure enough stress at work.:chuckle Anyways, I'm off topic for this forum but, had to say it.:twocents: That is just my opinion though.:redbeathe

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I think it depends on your program. I am going into my 4th semester and I have a 4.0 as far as nursing classes go. I actually have done better in nursing school than I did in my prereqs.

Hi. Do you think that the application of hands-on and critical thinking skills utilized in NS was easier to comprehend as opposed to the pre-reqs? I haven't done so well in pre-reqs and hoping NS would be easier to grasp since I'm more of a hands-on learner. Thanks in advance and congrats on your 4.0 :yeah:

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Someone asked where i read that...it was some article written for employers in general.

I am an A/B student. My nursing program does A's and A-'s, etc. I'm very happy with my grade and performed above the class average on almost every test in nursing school.

I'm also 39 though...and a charge nurse at the critical care place I precepted told me, "honey, no one cares about your grades once you're done with school...they care about whether you can hack it as a nurse". I'd like to think the grades (learning) will support that! I don't buy into the angle some people make that some people are "either or" - either academic OR good nurses. I strive to be both. I do think some people are more geared to textbook stuff and some people are more tactile (skill oriented) but I don't think it's an either/or. My husband did Navy Corpsman for years and will tell you, he can do the job but he'd never make it through the books in nursing school. For whatever reason, there's that angst with people that each tries to lower the others' assets.

All I'm saying is that GPA has an amount of subjectiveness and that's not a tell-all to the person by any means.

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I'd like to comment on that. Don't you think everyone has assets and weaknesses? It's all meant to coordinate - the lessons in class are important but the skill is important too. It may be that you have to apply yourself more in the textbook arena vs. the skills. Maybe you need to spend more time on that aspect. It won't go away - the pace is sometimes hard, the content, the random selection. One tangible thing you can do to raise nursing school test scores is work through nclex books each quarter. When you do OB, do the OB questions. Peds, do the peds section. At some point, it will sink in.

I had one bad teacher for 4 quarters and she made everyone so nervous on skills that it delayed our proficiency in some areas. When you have a good, "build you up" teacher/clincal instructor, it can really make a difference.

Keep working at both but don't give up. Just dig in your heels on your weak spots.

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As others have noted, you as a student don't always have complete control over your grades. Some grades in school are subjective. And each instructor has their own style and methods of grading and testing, meaning that you could study day and night but if you don't "get" your instructor's test-writing style or evaluation methods, you could end up missing a few critical points. You can just do your best to quickly hone in on what each instructor wants and try to provide them that.

But you also need to keep in mind your own learning style and objectives. If you spend all your time figuring out how to ace the courses, you may meet that goal but end up missing other learning opportunities as a student. You are a nursing student for only a short time and then you get your license and are a nurse. Some programs are better than others, but for many the skills to graduate from school and the skills to succeed as a practicing nurse are quite different.

So look at your own learning style and needs and decide for yourself based upon your own judgement of your program and instructors where you want to put your limited time and energy as a student.

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