Frustration is getting the best of me

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Specializes in Psych, Emergency, Med/Surg.

This past Monday, I took my 1st A/P I exam. We started the semester about a month ago and just now had our first exam. It was on the 1st three chapters. (what the professor called chapters 0 because it was material we should have previously covered)

Well I began this semester with the mindset that I will stay ahead of the "game" by flashing each chapter well before the exam and studying my flash every chance I had. I was so proud of myself for having a plan this time. :yeah:

Unfortunately, I scored a 78 on this exam. 50 questions in 50 minutes, each worth 2 points. The exams are all multiple choice and I confidently finished the exam in 15 mins!!! I was surprised "how easy" it seemed. But as you can see, from my score, I was very misguided. :zzzzz I ended up making some very careless mistakes that have me questioning my study/test taking skills.

I am so worried that there is just too much information to sink in my head. Well now we have an exam EVERY Monday for the rest of the semester covering 2 chapters each!!! Which I have known because of the syllabus. That gives me 6 days after lecture to MEMORIZE 2 chapters!!!!! I AM FREAKING OUT!! Everyone that's ever had A/P knows that it's ALL memorizing.

I struggled last semester with Biology and worked my tail off to get a C. I had a terrible professor at that time, which to me makes a world of a difference. My A/P professor is DR. DERRICKSON!!!!! He literally wrote the book, really along with Tortura. He's great and really knows his stuff. I admire him unlike my Bio professor, which I thought would make a huge difference in my interest in the subject. What else can I do???? I am studying very hard and I am very dedicated to this class. It's very important to me to not be a "C" student in my Science courses. I am an "A" student in all my other Pre's.

The next exam on Monday, I will definitely take my time and try not to make any careless mistakes. I have always felt that re-reading my answers and then changing them was wrong. You know......always go with your first instinct they say. But at this point I have to change something.

I'm not sure what I need to do and really any advise is good advise. Oh and I manage a business which is pretty much a 24/7 job, so committing to a study group is difficult. I pretty much have to squeeze in study time as I can get it, that's why flashing is so good for me, being that I can study them anywhere.

Thanks for any stories, advise, or replies. :typing And wow did I ramble, sorry.:bugeyes:

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Hi, I just answered some helpful hints on this topic on another post. I just copied my answer for you because I need to go to bed.

Try to see if you can tape your notes. Then you can listen to them while you are doing other things around the house. I took A & P I and II last summer both in 6 week sessions. I think my recorder saved me. (My tapes are basically my notes of important facts that I need to know) I am taking Micro now online. I just have to go to school for tests. I found some things that I downloaded onto my computer like Vango Notes help reinforce some of the facts that I need to know on the subject. After I downloaded it (actually my husband downloaded it for me) I then (again he did it) uploaded the Vangonotes from my laptop onto my ipod. I then can pick the chapter that I want to listen to and study while I am doing things with the kids. Check out the link below if you are interested.

http://www.audible.com/adbl/store/bt...d%20Physiology

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First take a deep breath. 2 chapters in 6 days is totally doable. Also it is fairly common to not do so well the first test. You are learning what kind of testing style your teacher has. Go over the questions you missed and look at why you missed them. Where does your professor draw his questions from. Are they mainly from lecture? Are they usually big idea questions? Are they drawn from the first paragraphs of each section, or maybe they drew form the charts/pictures/and tables.

If the questions are mainly drawn from lecture you may want to invest in a recorder and then you can listen to the lectures over and over.

Nursing school multiple choice tests are even harder to figure out because maybe you will have 2 answers that are right, but one will be slightly more right. If your teacher asks those kinds of questions then you may want to invest in a test taking strategy book for nurses.

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Specializes in Psych, Emergency, Med/Surg.
First take a deep breath. 2 chapters in 6 days is totally doable. Also it is fairly common to not do so well the first test. You are learning what kind of testing style your teacher has. Go over the questions you missed and look at why you missed them. Where does your professor draw his questions from. Are they mainly from lecture? Are they usually big idea questions? Are they drawn from the first paragraphs of each section, or maybe they drew form the charts/pictures/and tables.

If the questions are mainly drawn from lecture you may want to invest in a recorder and then you can listen to the lectures over and over.

Nursing school multiple choice tests are even harder to figure out because maybe you will have 2 answers that are right, but one will be slightly more right. If your teacher asks those kinds of questions then you may want to invest in a test taking strategy book for nurses.

He wrote a book called "The Outline Approach" which he pulls all of his test questions from. He says we only have to use the 'Big" book for pics. But I have pretty much verbatimed that book to flash, knowing that all of his tests are pulled from that book. And you're right, there were several questions that had 2 possible answers but only one RIGHT one.

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I found myself feeling frustrated also during A&P2. All of the science courses I have taken have had similar test structures. 4 possible answers and 2 that look right. They do this to prepare you for the NCLEX, at least that's what my professors told me. One of my professors would give extra points if you would rationalize why you thought this would be correct. They like to see you using critical thinking and will usually award you for it. I'm sure you'll end up doing fine. In the mean time just remember not to rush through an exam and when you pick out those two possible answers, the more obvious one is usually wrong.

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Specializes in Emergency.

Good old Anatomy and Physiology! I loved the class, but didn't love the stress that went along with it haha! I had the same professor for both Anatomy and Physiology 1 and 2....most people HATED her, because she does essay tests only, but after getting over the initial shock of her saying that we only had essay questions for her tests, I studied hard, and learned to LOVE the essay format, because it gave me the opportunity to explain myself to the best of my abilities. Now I prefer those kinds of tests over multiple choice, as there are always two answers that sound "pretty good" to me. I believe that our professor helped me to learn to study much better, because if you're going to write ten essays about ten different things on each exam, then you better KNOW what you're talking about! My best friend for anatomy was notecards, and having my boyfriend quiz me a lot! Good luck, let me know how the class goes! :) Happy Valentine's Day everyone!:redpinkhe

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Try not to be hard on yourself. Sometimes that first test is more about getting a groove and a sense of the instructors test style than anything else. I like to record lectures and make audio notes that I can listen too. I will even make audio quizzes and give myself time to answer, so I can quiz myself going down the road, cleaning house, walking, etc.

You may also try to slow down a bit. It is hard when you know you are on a timed test, but sometimes, (as you discovered) you can make careless mistakes. Even doing a speedy test and going over it after completion is less effectively most of the time, then taking a bit more time per question the first time. There is often a tendency to read the question (incorrectly) the second time in the same fashion as it was incorrectly read the first time. Now you know for his tests, that if it seems too easy, it probably is!

The biosciences are challenging classes, so you might just need to spend more time than you had hoped. Hang in there! You can do it.

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Specializes in Psych, Emergency, Med/Surg.

i thank everyone for their thoughts and yes i will slow down. i also recorded my notes and am listening to them. i hope everyone had a nice valentine's day and i'll report on how i did on my next exam next week!

"if it was easy, everyone would be doing it!"~ my boss:p

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Specializes in med/surg.
I thank everyone for their thoughts and yes I will slow down. I also recorded my notes and am listening to them. I hope everyone had a nice Valentine's Day and I'll report on how I did on my next exam next week!

It may seem silly but for me it helped to read out loud. The more ways you take in the material the better you remember it.

Take your time on the test & trust your gut, and of course study as much as you can. This stuff is important to understand, you will be depending on it later in your nursing classes!

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My test taking tip that has helped me is I go through the test and answer all the questions. Then I go back through the test, without looking at my original answer and answer all the questions again. The one's I answered different are the ones I spend time one try to remember the answer. You had 35 minutes left, take advantage of every single minute. Sometimes it's really dumb mistakes I catch. Like our teacher changes up the true false questions, sometimes A is true (on the scantron) but sometimes he makes A false. I would've missed those had I not gone back through and really read it.

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Specializes in Psych, Emergency, Med/Surg.

SO!!!!! I took my A/P test today on the exocrine and skeletal systems. I took the advise of mommycakers and audio'd(sp?) my notes, listened to them all week, and SCORED A 92!!!!!!:thankya:I am so happy!!!

I also took my time and read and reread the exam questions. Also being able to write on the actual exam helped, so I crossed out obviously wrong answers.

I have a question though now. :confused: I didn't use my flash, AT ALL, to study this week. Does this mean that I don't need to flash my notes anymore, that I can just audio and I'll do well? It is much more time consuming and considering I only have about 5 days to study for the next exam, it would help if I didn't have to make 100 flash cards. What does everyone think???

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Good for you. Only you can decide if the flash cards help. I find that the more modes of getting info in, the better I am at retaining it. I try to write or type out notes. At least of the high points or things that are really difficult for me. Putting the concepts into my own words helps me so much, because then I "own" them But that is just me.

My micro teacher said that writing notes by hand is more effective than typing - that there is some hand-mind association. That is probably true ... I still typed mostly.

Also - though I will sound like a goof - I put my most pressing notes in a sheet protector, tape around the edges and keep it in the shower! That way, everyday I am reviewing the material while I am shampooing, shaving my legs, etc. It is like I squeeze in extra study time without any effort. When I took Anatomy, I had a lamented skeleton picture on one side and the muscles on the other. I would quiz myself in the shower. Whatever works!

Good luck!

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