Got locked out of first test...Feeling like a failure

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My first test in the program was at 8am yesterday. Was 5 min. late due to MAJOR accident with fatalities. I left an hour EARLY! The instructors locked me out and wouldn't let me in the exam room. Therefore, I have to take a different version of the test and they automatically deduct 10 points from my grade. I studied for over 24 hours for this test. Has anything like this ever happened to anyone else? Feeling like a total loser, even though it was beyond my control. Ugh.

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Specializes in Cardiac Care.

Why should you feel like a loser? You made every effort in extenuating circumstances to get where you needed to be, and it just didn't work out. I'm sorry about that.

I understand the taking of a different test at another time, but the deduction of 10 points seems harsh. In my class, one point made the difference in passing for two of my classmates.

Nursing school is an animal like no other. Rules and policies are what they are. I suppose there's a lesson here about preparation and professionalism (which will come in handy in your career). My advice is to accept it, own it, learn from it and move on. You'll be graduating and on your own soon enough.

Best wishes for your continued success!

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

Life happens and ruminating over it accomplishes nothing. Feeling like a 'loser' for circumstances well beyond your control is troubling. How about being grateful YOU were not the fatality and moving on?

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The thing is, you're the only person in the world who knows if your story is true. Your situation is something that gets used as an excuse all the time. In the future, make sure you immediately call your teacher, even send an email on top of the phone call, to confirm what you just told them, so you have a time stamped paper trail... I'd even take a picture of the stopped traffic. People will use every excuse they can think of to justify being late for tests or even work. They'll even claim that people in their family died.

Treat school like a job

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Specializes in ER.

Maybe you can present evidence regarding the accident, and it being on your usual route. Regarding the statement "Treat school like a job", it sounds like she did. My employer wouldn't require photo evidence of the reason I was 5 minutes late.

Since I'm obsessed with punctuality, I call if I might be a little late. I do think taking a photo a good idea if possible. Obviously the school had to get very strict because of problems in the past, so CYA!

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Has it happened to anyone else? I was 30 seconds away from it happening to me this Monday!!

Our dosage calc exam was at 8 am, and I left 20 minutes earlier than I usually do (which is already 20 minutes sooner than I need to, to make it to class on time...I HATE being late). But I live in the country and our road is being repaired; this means I have to hike a mile to my car to leave, and back uphill to come home. This has been going on for two months already, so I am used to it and haven't had any problems. Only, on Monday, I got down to my car and discovered that my keys had fallen out of my bag! I had to race the mile up the hill, looking as I went, only to find them on the back porch (where I'd had to gather up things to carry down with me). Sent messages to my instructor and a couple of classmates, then started running down the hill again. It usually takes me 20 down and 25-30 up, so I had just eaten up all my extra time plus some. I floored it to school (no tickets, miraculously); ran to class, bowling over juniors as I barrelled down the walkway to our classroom, and wheezed into the room just as the instructor was walking to the door to lock it.

It took me another ten minutes to get my exercise induced asthma under control, but I did pass the test. Half a minute more and I would have been in the same boat as you. You weren't a loser, and your lateness was even less your fault than mine was! Keep on keeping on, and a year from now you will be telling this story to horrified juniors who are about to have THEIR first tests...and at least a few of them will end up on campus a couple hours early because of you!

Good luck with the rest of the year!!

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Specializes in Surgical, Home Infusions, HVU, PCU, Neuro.

Letting in a student late for testing is very distracting to those that were there on time. I have test anxiety and get easily distracted, I would have completely blanked if someone was let in after testing started. I do believe that, if the extenuating circumstances are true, 10 points automatically deducted seems harsh

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Specializes in MICU.

Yeah that's happened to me before. I didn't bother giving an excuse, the instructor couldn't care less, so just brush yourself off and be on time for the next one. Though I imagine an accident like that isn't going to happen twice in once semester!

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