How Important Are Grades?

Aurora22 · May 29, 2010

My son is very young, just over a year old, so getting much work done with him around is difficult. Becoming a nurse, however, is important to me because of him, so I incorporate him into my studying to kinda split the time. When I'm going through flashcards he thinks I'm talking to him. Studying anatomy was great because the illustrations in the book were quite vivid, and he was under the impression we were reading a lovely story. I feel like it's important he see that this is important to me but know he is important to me as well. There will definitely be sacrifices, but for me those will more likely be in the way of my own sleep time, or the time I spend with my boyfriend (who I incorporate by asking him to go through flashcards with me while we're doing mundane things like laundry or grocery shopping. He affectionately calls me his very favorite nerd) or "me" time, but I'll get those things back in spades when I get through this, and one day my son will really know what a scapula is. :lol2:

martinhopeful · May 29, 2010

Well shortnorthstudent I'm with ya on that. I have a husband and a 17mnth old son and find myself battling those same issues. I constantly have to remind myself why I'm applying myself so hard in long run. For my son. I'm going to be a CRNA so grades are extremely important but I'd be lying if I said I don't slack off at times and decide to spend time with my son instead. Sometimes it boils down to what's more important at the time or can you kind of meet in the middle. For me I found that taking breaks in between my studyng to spend time with my son and husband. It takes the edge and guilt off. Also not taking too many hard courses so that I won't be overwhelmed and allows me to spend more time with them and still get studying done. It's hard but it can be done... Hope this helps. :)

dream& achieve · May 29, 2010

I too have 2 children, but to make their sacrafice worth it, i strove for the "A",a nd it paid off, I got accepted for this Falls nursing class. had I got a "B" in any courses, i would had had to repeat it to get an 'A"..which just equals more time away from t he kids..its a hard thing spending less quality time away from them now, but if you do it right, it means less time away from them later..and in the end, you'll have the carreer you've always wanted..whcih gives you more time with the kiddos as well too...:)

Anne36, LPN · May 29, 2010

Im sacraficing to get the A's right now. At my school gpa is all that matters. It sucks, I really just want to spend the summer with my kids. Sometimes I feel terrible, but I really have no choice, we need the second income as soon as possible.

shortnorthstudent · May 29, 2010

It's always good to know that we're not alone in our struggles. I do my best to do most of my work late at night when everyone else is asleep, but it isn't always possible and I spend a significant amount of time studying while they're all playing around me. Mine are a bit older than many of yours (mine are 9, 6 and 5) and I have had to miss out on a function or two already. I know that in some ways it's going to be worse when I start clinical courses in the fall, but at least then all 3 of them will be in school all day and hopefully that will give me enough time not to miss too much. I have already been accepted into my program, so I don't have that grade pressure any longer. I do want to be aware of grades in case I decide to go past a BSN in the future.

I definitely agree that grades are important and getting back as close to a 4.0 as I possibly can (I got a B in statistics, so I'll never quite get there again) is a lofty goal. But, there's that ever present concern about whether or not it's worth the time away. I often hear classmates going on about C=degree and I cannot imagine having that casual of an attitude, but there are times I wish my attitude were more like that. :)

tara84 · May 29, 2010

My GPA helped me to get into a competitive entry level BSN program. I worked very hard to earn those A's. In the prereq's that was all that mattered (and of course with understanding the material comes the high grades). Now that I am in the nursing program, I try not to focus on the "letter", but on how well I really understand the information. This information will be a big determinant for my success in the nursing profession. The great part about that is.......when you know the material as well as you should, you wind up with A's most of the time. Take a few breaths and a little time to play monopoly, everything requires some form balance :).

nursingstudent221 · May 29, 2010

i think it is important because it makes your changes better to get in. When i study i have coloring activies and thing like that that my kids do while i do school work. It makes them feel like they are doing something important and they are learning too which is also good. i tell them (when i am doing school work or studying) that it is time to do school work or "play school" and they love it they feel they they are big boys. So they are quite and i can study.

Saysfaa · May 29, 2010

C doesn't equal degree if you don't get into nursing school. For most schools, it is the difference between getting in or not.

I took option 3, play monopoly and take few enough credits that so all studying can be done while they are at school or doing their homework.

allnurses Guide · May 29, 2010

If you were a farmer and it were harvest time, you would not feel one iota of guilt for getting out there and harvesting 100% of what had been planted. You wouldn't hem and haw whether bringing in 80% of what you planted (worked hard for thus far) would be enough. You wouldn't feel as if you ought to be playing with them instead; you would recognize your family's ability to survive or thrive relied on you taking advantage of the time to do what had to be done, the waste of not capitalizing on what you had already done so far, and that if you waited or delayed, the opportunity would pass you by. This is no different. You may or may not need your nursing career to survive as a family, but if it is part of your future plans to thrive financially, put away the guilt. It is a modern phenomenon and has no place in what you are doing. Your husband theoretically signed up for this ride. Your children will benefit from learning both that hard work pays off and that the world doesn't revolve 100% around them.

Yes, it is worth it to make As. If you aren't sure, imagine making Bs and standing there with your wait list or rejection letter and what you will feel about not taking advantage of this time to study. Because people fail to get in just making Bs all. the. time. Yes, you will hear stories of those who do. That won't comfort you much if you aren't one of them. The above poster who mentioned not focusing so much on the letter is already in nursing school....which is a completely different place from where you are yet.

Mightypa · May 29, 2010

Only you can answer how important your grades are to you. I assume the hours spent studying are estimates. It seems pessimistic to think it would take 1 and a half times as long to improve one letter grade. I would look into maximizing the time you spend studying now. Maybe audiotape classes and listen to them while commuting (I know, how boring). Try different studying techniques. If your kids can sit still for an entire game of Monopoly then maybe you could incorporate them into your study time. Maybe they would enjoy testing you with flashcards. Etc...

There's nothing shameful about B's, but I know that when I aim for a B I will often miss. Also, most reputable nursing schools have a harder grading scale once your in the actual program, so what was a B becomes a C.

I would also omit this story during a job interview. Employers don't want to hear that you'll sacrifice your professional life for your personal life.

RN1980 · May 29, 2010

when i graduated grades were rarely if ever called into question or play during job interview...if you had a clean work record and background check along with a secured nursing licence you were hired. but now with the large influx of nureses and 1000's of new grads comming every yr the hospitals can be very selective in the hiring process and my hospital is even asking for sealed transcripts to be sent to hr for reviewing as part of the interviewing process. now this does'nt mean that the highest gpa will be hired but it does add another dimension to the hiring process. if i was in school right now i'd look at my other classmates cause they will probably be battleing for the same job you are interviewing for so watch thoses gpa's..goodluck.