I choked on my last exam!!

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Dec 12, 2006

Never turn your test in until you have gone over and reviewed every question again. It's possible you might have caught this error if you had done that. When I was taking math, I would lose points because of accidentally changing a "-" into a "+", or adding 2 + 2 and coming up with 5! If you take the time to re-visit those things, knowing that you are likely to make those kinds of simple mistakes, you are more likely to find and correct them. Sometimes, just to get my brain out of "lazy" mode, I work on my tests backward from the last page to the first, or I'll particularly look for difficult questions first to work on. That way my brain will be cogitating on them while I'm working on other problems.

DAMomma · Dec 12, 2006

Thanks Daytonite, I usually, I will go back, in fact, I did for the other problems. I just got a case of "over confidence and lazyitis". Never again, I will double check everything, lesson learned.....heck, I will even go back and make sure I spellled my name right....:selfbonk:

AnnieOaklyRN, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Dec 13, 2006

well you should be happy... Our math exams are pass or fail and failing is below a 90% on a 20 question test!! If you get less than a 90% on the 3rd exam you get booted out of the nursing program. So PLEASE be thankful that your school does things differently and that your future is not dependent on getting more than two wrong on one math exam!!!

swtooth

Medwynn · Dec 16, 2006

wow ... so lenient. for our math (medication administration) exam .. it's 100% or fail.

as for getting a B .. congrats... keep up the good work.

allthingsbright · Dec 16, 2006

I had my dosage calculation exam yesterday. I have been running myself crazy studying for 3 different exams. I think I just had it yesterday. Anyway, we have 50 math problems, hep infusions, titrations, IV infusions........all went well, I got all of those right . The last page, the room was hot, people were moving around, I heard my phone buzzing in my purse (I am going to turn that sucka totally off next time) I lost my concentration.....I simply had to read a syringe....why did I get over confident, and wrote the wrong thing!!!! That dropped my grade to a 87%.....I had an A in the class, but the final was worth 40% of our grade. I got a B!!! I was 2 points from an A!!!
I was so pissed at myself. I NEED to learn how to lighten up on myself. Any tips anyone? I know of a least 5 people who failed the class. I got a B! (okay, this is me talking to myself......this is not a reflection of who you are as a person, get a grip! You are still tenacious:cool:, put on you big girl panties and move on!)

Honey, I got a 91.7 and 91.4 (B's) in two of my classes--our school does not round--I was literally THREE test questions away from having two A's this semester! I know what you mean about being frustrated. GEEZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:uhoh21:

We did great anyway, right? :monkeydance:

nurseangel47 · Dec 16, 2006

Why the big hangup with B over A? I was just glad to absorb enough to be satisfied I'd be a safe nurse and pass in general with the required minimum grade overall of C in all nursing curriculum and associated courses.

I would've loved to have B and A on final grades and did have some Bs in classes...but come on, you DO need to lighten up. Take away all distracting factors, like that useless celly! and try to get good night's sleep night before exam(s), eat a nutritious breakfast and/or lunch when so stressed and remember, hydration is very important....it's hard to remember to nourish our bodies when we're concerned with performing so well and or when taking care of so many others besides us.

Take care and be gentle to yourself. No one else can take care of you, BUT YOU! Good luck and don't be such a perfectionist. The world of nursing and medicine in general is a grey area. There is no such thing as black and white....so many uncontrollable issues...school is an important area to start to realize that. So....the A factor may have to take a backseat in your mind if you are that much of a perfectionist....

Dean's lists, perfect GPAs, don't really matter that much when it comes down to saving someone's life or being compassionate...that comes from the heart. :saint:

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Dec 16, 2006

why the big hangup with b over a?

because people who have plans to go on and work toward a master's degree or higher need the grades to keep their gpa up. that's why! and, because a job worth doing is worth doing well.

you know, in the healthcare professions where there is no patient contact, you only need to be nationally certified and it is not a requirement, although medicare is pushing for it. the qualifications to take the certification exams are nothing compared to nursing. you don't even need to have a degree in many cases. a young lady who can barely speak english continued to stay on in one of our classes even though she was flunking. i asked her why she hadn't dropped and wasn't going to re-take the class next semester. "oh, i don't have to pass the class to be able to take the certification exam. i just have to pass the certification exam. then i can get a job anywhere." my mouth dropped open and i couldn't believe what i was hearing. why were the rest of us even bothering to make as high a grade as we could in the class? why was i wasting 2 hours every sunday on the phone helping this goofus out, in her own language i might add because i am fluent in her language, other than it was helping me, too? lower the standards and the job quality declines. i think that the minute you give up and permit yourself to accept a lower level of achievement, you've sacrificed your commitment to quality. i'm willing to pour every ounce of sweat and energy i have into achieving a goal until the deed is finally done. then i know i've given a task everything i've got.