Grad school grades

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Specializes in CTICU.

We are getting to the end of the term and the grades have started rolling in. I was wondering - did you do better in grad school than undergrad? Why? Did you study more, get smarter (hah!), were more motivated, or was the work easier?

I know I have done so much better (so far!) in grad school than in my undergrad degree (not that I did badly then) - mostly due to motivation and work ethic. It's definitely not easier info, and I definitely didn't get smarter with age, but now I pay for school myself, and just work harder and take it more seriously than I did when I was 18-22!

You?

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Specializes in Critical Care, Orthopedics, Hospitalists.

I'm doing much better in grad school vs my BSN. Probably because I'm completing this degree by choice, not because I'm ready to get out and working! The fact that you have to make A's and B's in order to stay in my program is probably also a factor. ;) Also, I think I'm more serious and just plain more mature this time around.

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Specializes in Pediatric Nursing.
I'm doing much better in grad school vs my BSN. Probably because I'm completing this degree by choice, not because I'm ready to get out and working! The fact that you have to make A's and B's in order to stay in my program is probably also a factor. ;) Also, I think I'm more serious and just plain more mature this time around.

I agree! I think the motivation is definetly having to maintain a 3.0 average. I haven't started my MSN program yet but it's weird, I am just much more motivated and excited to start the MSN program for nursing education in the fall. I think because this is what I've always wanted to do: become a nurse educator/professor! :bow: lol

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

I got much better grades in grad school than in undergrad. I thought the graduate work was much, much easier -- less rote memory, less "busy work," etc. and more straightforward intellectual work about concepts, theories, etc. in grad school. To me, that stuff was always easier and more fun than the laborious undergraduate drudgery. In grad school, if you understood the material, you would do fine. But undergrad had a lot of additional hoops to jump through that frustrated me and I rebelled.

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Specializes in Urgent Care NP, Emergency Nursing, Camp Nursing.

I'm definitely doing better in grad school than in undergrad (and my undergrad GPA's nothing to sneeze at...unless you're a med school...). I attribute it to both studying better/harder than I did in undergrad, and also to my being a lot better about managing my life as a 25 yr old than i was at 18-19.

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Specializes in Pediatric Intensive Care, Urgent Care.
I got much better grades in grad school than in undergrad. I thought the graduate work was much, much easier -- less rote memory, less "busy work," etc. and more straightforward intellectual work about concepts, theories, etc. in grad school. To me, that stuff was always easier and more fun than the laborious undergraduate drudgery. In grad school, if you understood the material, you would do fine. But undergrad had a lot of additional hoops to jump through that frustrated me and I rebelled.

I agree with this as far as the undergrad goes...so much bs busy work for grades. I hear the Masters program is much easier compared to the undergrad program at our school...probably cause its more focused and less bs stuff which i too have no patience for.

Mex

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.
I agree with this as far as the undergrad goes...so much bs busy work for grades. I hear the Masters program is much easier compared to the undergrad program at our school...probably cause its more focused and less bs stuff which i too have no patience for.

Mex

I've had a couple of friends over the years who excelled at the drudgery work of their undergraduate programs and then struggled in graduate schools. It seemed to me that they had never learned to think independently. They were good at memorizing things and spitting it back and/or writing detailed reports of facts copied out of books and patient charts -- but had never learned to think -- reason, evaluate, etc. ideas. The conceptual world of grad school was simply not a realm they could relate to. They could follow concrete, step-by-step procedures, but could not go beyond that.

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Specializes in Pediatric Intensive Care, Urgent Care.
I've had a couple of friends over the years who excelled at the drudgery work of their undergraduate programs and then struggled in graduate schools. It seemed to me that they had never learned to think independently. They were good at memorizing things and spitting it back and/or writing detailed reports of facts copied out of books and patient charts -- but had never learned to think -- reason, evaluate, etc. ideas. The conceptual world of grad school was simply not a realm they could relate to. They could follow concrete, step-by-step procedures, but could not go beyond that.

this exactyl why i'm soooo excited to start my MSN program in two weeks!!! this is the stuff i love :up:

Mex

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.
this exactyl why i'm soooo excited to start my MSN program in two weeks!!! this is the stuff i love :up:

Mex

Good luck! I hope you enjoy it. I hated undergrad school ... but loved both graduate programs I went to.

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Specializes in OR, ICU, Home Health.

My grades are better, but I made A's and B's in the BSN program, so far I have a 4.0 GPA in graduate school, but unlike others comments of finding graduate school easier, I find it extremely hard, and spend all my spare time studying and writing numerous papers. And I find it Stressful!!! It may be my older age and working full time???

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Specializes in CTICU.

That reminds me - what equals a 4.0 in your graduate program? My school used to count an A (A- or A+) as 4.0, B as 3.0 etc. Now they have changed it so 4.0 = A+ only. A- is 3.25!

As a result, my A- led to my lovely 4.0 being reduced to a 3.95 this term, dammit! I just wondered how other schools calculate it.

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Graduate school is easier in my MBA and M.ED programs as well. I am starting to believe if you can get admitted you will pass

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