Grades don't matter!

You are very lucky that you have not had to sacrifice a night or two of studying for an exam for one of your children.

It is fine to disagree, but don't insinuate that someone is a bad parent just because they study hard.

That's a low blow.

"I think most of the "good students" have acknowledged that they wanted good grades for their own benefit. That's fine if someone is happy with their C's...but personally, I knew I was capable of more. I set the bar high for myself. I think all people were asking for is for the tolerance to go both ways."

Look, I went to a competitive BSN program that I had to have a 3.0 to get in. In fact I had 98 credit hours from a community college in things like calculus, anatomy & phisiology, and college level english prior to starting my BSN with a 3.7 GPA. I was a near strait A student prior to nursing school and I didn't want to be anything less. My school was hard. My GPA dropped to a 2.9 by the time I graduated due to all the Cs I made. I don't know how the rest of you all's schools were set up, but there was no way that anyone in my class could drink on the weekends, spend time with friends or family, have any sort of social life, and pass school let alone achieve an A. My classmates and I lived and breathed nursing and each other 5 days a week for 2 years. This is why I think the statements like "grades don't matter and C=RN" should not really get on anyone's nerves who makes decent grades. Those who made strait A's knew that those of us who were making all C's weren't fiddle farting around. In my school you couldn't get a C and be screwing around. In fact those in my school who were getting A's, while the were just as worn out by the work as we were, seemed to have a little easier go of it because they were able to comprehend the material better and faster than those of us who did poorer. They weren't freaking out as badly about getting kicked out of a career that they badly wanted because they were a little further from the possibility than I was.

I can't understand how anyone was able to party it up on the weekends and pass nursing school, much less get A's. I also don't understand a strait A student slighted because a C student was slacking off. C students did not slack off in my school. I must have been very fortunate in my classmates because we all worked hard together and supported each other. We cheered for our classmates who got honors at graduation because we knew it was hard for them. They cheered for me and those who didn't get honors because they knew it was hard for us. We liked each other so much that we paid a professional photographer to take our picture together out of our own pockets. I don't think it is like I came from a school with a small amount of students, there were 35 in my graduating class. We started with 60 and were sad to see those who failed go, because we knew they were trying hard. I just don't understand how anyone can feel upset because someone says "grades don't matter." They don't. The accomplishment of becoming a nurse does.

Thanks for the post. While I believe that grades do matter and I am upset when I get a C in a class; I know that I am trying hard balancing nursing school and a full time job coupled with a husband and two kids. I know that I'll be a great nurse because of the other skills that I posses. I don't think that a C makes anyone happy but there is so much more to a great nurse than grades.

It is fine to disagree, but don't insinuate that someone is a bad parent just because they study hard.

That's a low blow.

I don't believe that's what was meant by myhalo's statement. My understanding was that myhalo was saying...."you're fortunate that you were able to continue studying after the kids went to bed, and that there wasn't a time when you had to forgo the studying for an illness or the like."

That might just be my own perception, but I agree with that opinion. My son had a serious illness when he was very young, and it resulted in many sleepless nights in favor of helping him through his pain and suffering. I would not have been able to rely on studying after "bedtime."

I don't think it was meant to be an insult.

I don't believe that's what was meant by myhalo's statement.

I don't think it was meant to be an insult.

:yeahthat:

"you're fortunate that you were able to continue studying after the kids went to bed, and that there wasn't a time when you had to forgo the studying for an illness or the like."

I work a full time job and a part time job and have to manage a disease that doesn't like to be managed. I have to pay bills and help out with my junkie brother (which in itself is a full time job).

Don't assume that those of us that get A's have 'easy' lives and no responsibilities. It's called operating at 100% efficiency all the time. It's called sacrifice. It's called being driven. Some people do it. Some don't.

I

Don't assume that those of us that get A's have 'easy' lives and no responsibilities. It's called operating at 100% efficiency all the time. It's called sacrifice. It's called being driven. Some people do it. Some don't.

Yep, simple as that.

I work a full time job and a part time job and have to manage a disease that doesn't like to be managed. I have to pay bills and help out with my junkie brother (which in itself is a full time job).

Don't assume that those of us that get A's have 'easy' lives and no responsibilities. It's called operating at 100% efficiency all the time. It's called sacrifice. It's called being driven. Some people do it. Some don't.

I don't think anyone was assuming anything. I certainly wasn't. I was simply making an attempt to clarify another statement. Nothing more...nothing less.

And you're preaching to the choir. I would be "those of us that get A's," and I did so while paying for my own education with my full-time job....as a single mother of a child with Leukemia and another child diagnosed with epilepsy....and no outside physical or monetary support.

I do happen to agree that someone who doesn't have any additional outside stressors would be fortunate. I did not, in any way, imply that everyone who gets A's is free from additional stress and is always fortunate. To reach such a conclusion is illogical.

Oops! I meant to put that I was referring to the post you were referring to. Not to you. :imbar

I might be missing them, but I really don't see any posts on here that are bashing the C students. If there is, I don't agree with them. I think that a student should be proud of a hard-earned C. In my class we only had a few that breezed by with C's b/c they just didn't care. THOSE were the students that said "C=RN", not the students that were busting their butts for their C's.

I stand by my dislike of the statement "C=RN". It is one thing to do the best you can and earn a C. It is entirely different to tell yourself, "Well, who cares? C=RN!" Statements like that reflect poorly on our profession, IMO. Why even bother to do something if you aren't going to give it some effort?

I just want to add that if (according to some of you) doing the best I can, putting in the most effort I can, and doing a good job makes me a snob, then consider me a very proud snob.

I just want to add that if (according to some of you) doing the best I can, putting in the most effort I can, and doing a good job makes me a snob, then consider me a very proud snob.

I don't think anyone one here would say you are a snob since you are "doing the best you can, putting in the most effort, and doing a good job". Definitely not.

With the phrases like "I am not content etching by as average" and "I do not want an average nurse caring for me", as seen in the original post ..... I can see how that can be taken as a bit demeaning, and that's what I think people are referring to as "snobbish". It's all in the attitude.

Just because someone got a C in a class, doesn't mean they didn't bust their butt .... like you said, they should be proud of a hard-earned C. Just like those with As should be proud of a hard-earned A.

You should be damn proud of anything you put forth 100% effort into.

I think at times people with Cs say "C=RN" to make themselves feel better. Then they give the example of a nurse they knew that got straight As that went on to be a terrible nurse and failed orientation ... blah blah blah. Then on the other hand you have people with As that say things like "you shouldn't get a C, you shoulda tried your best!" to make themselves feel better.

The problem is those are big generalizations .... you can't group all the "As" and all the "Cs" together. Of course there are some students (A or C) that will end up failing new grad orientation .... then there are some C students that just skated by and didn't try their best. And I think that's where people get upset ..... being generalized when there are SO MANY factors that play into what grade you get. And all those factors should be taken into account before making blanket statements about what kind of nurse someone wants caring for them.