Graduate School worries

[MarieC23]

Hi everyone!

I recently started graduate study for FNP/DNP and I am already feeling a bit defeated. I have been a nurse for three years now, originally receiving my associate degree and going back to school to obtain my BSN. Since I have been in nursing school (even my prerequisites) I have received "As" in all of my classes, one "A-". Since starting graduate school, I have struggled to get the same grades. I received an A in my patho class but with much difficulty. I just started the research/theory course and for my first assignment, which was a peer discussion, I received an 83. An 80 is passing. I am not sure if I am being too hard on myself or if this is an indication that perhaps I am not smart enough for graduate school. I have been looking through some posts from others on this website who say that receiving a "B" in graduate school is similar to a "C" or "D" in undergraduate courses and that if you receive a "B" you should re-consider continuing the program. I have heard a lot of people say graduate school was easier than undergraduate, but my experience so far has been the opposite. Anyone have any opinions or advice? Is it normal that I am feeling like graduate school is anything but a "walk in the park" like others have described it as? Should I give myself a break or quit while I am ahead and save my self the money, disappointment, and stress? I really want to become an NP, it has been my dream for many years. I promised myself to not care as much about grades in graduate school and more about learning and understanding the concepts and material so that I can apply it to my practice. However, it is quite difficult not to care when my grades are not reflecting my efforts and when I am reading what others have to say.

[jennylee321]

You are being to hard on yourself

[applewhitern, BSN, RN]

Every school is different, and unfortunately you are sometimes simply at the mercy of your instructor. I was an all-A student, too, and went to a nursing school where a 94 or above was an A, 90-93 was a B, and 84-89 was a C; 83 or below was an automatic F. My dean's list, all A's went to a B real quick. If you feel that a grade was not fair, then challenge it, but be nice about it. As long as you aren't failing anything, then you are still doing OK. If you drop out, you will regret it for the rest of your life, so hang in there.

[JKL33]

Hi everyone!

I received an A in my patho class but with much difficulty. I just started the research/theory course and for my first assignment, which was a peer discussion, I received an 83. An 80 is passing. I am not sure if I am being too hard on myself or if this is an indication that perhaps I am not smart enough for graduate school.

I think it is an indication of something all right, but nothing to do with your abilities. You have already proven that you can succeed and do succeed in normal classes with appropriate effort. The detail I quoted above couldn't come as less of a surprise. It's eye-roll worthy. There are problems that don't have anything to do with you when patho is doable and "nursing theory" is a struggle.

Anyway, regardless of any of that malarkey, review your syllabus and all of the hare-brained convoluted instructions for each assignment. Follow them to a T. Let the BS flow like never before. And for goodness' sake don't forget to cite muliple sources as often as possible, in APA format. Read all related materials and regurgitate them in your own academic-sounding words and don't forget to talk about how crucial and important these concepts are. (

That's number 1. Number 2 is to make sure you are given appropriate feedback.

Good luck!

[cleback]

Graduate school is a lot different than undergraduate. It is meant to be more challenging (or at least more time consuming). Those people who say it isn't are either stroking their own ego or just excel in the skill set grad school requires.

Speaking as a grad student myself, I say give yourself some slack. My first semester I got more nonAs than I have since. You may just need time to adjust to the differences. That said, you may want to connect with peers in your classes or your advisors for tips on how to learn the material. My grades are almost entirely based on papers/projects. I struggled with academic writing for a bit but now it's better.

Finally, grades don't really matter anymore. No employer is going to ask your GPA. I would also hope after a DNP that you're not going to apply to another doctoral program either. The classes I do not get an A in, I generally find I learn the most from, and that is mort important than a grade. In fact, this semester I'm taking more courses in a department I struggled with previously. It's all about stretching yourself.

Best of luck.

[RNperdiem, RN]

I get a sense of a "student" mindset gone a little too far. As a working nurse the focus will be different. There will be no grades, and you need to get skilled at applying what you know.