I failed.

One 65 really isnt the end of the world. It's only 6.5 out of the finall 100% of your grade. If you get 90s on everything else, you can still end the semester with close to an 88. What subjects/chapters were on the test? (Heart, CNS, etc.)

Mostly I just wanted to give you {{hugs}}.

On Thursday I had my first exam in A&P 2. I studied, I made flashcards, I had friends I studied with, I did my very best given the circumstances, and I got a 65%. This exam was worth 10% of our overall grade.....

I'm crushed. I just got done bawling my eyes out and I feel horrible.

I'll grant the fact that this last month has been crazy. I'm carrying a full course load and my husband [He's in the military] has been gone...So I've had to take care of the baby, the house, handle all my homework, and study without much help. So I understand that maybe this exam was out of the ordinary...but I feel like giving up.

During the exam I didn't feel like I did that bad. I knew there were things I didn't know...but I did the best I could and I just feel like if my best isn't good enough what's the point?

I'm in the midst of a pity party, and I don't know what I'm looking for....but I know the two fields I'm most interested in seem unattainable right now. No way I can become a nurse or a pharmacist with C's and D's.

Thanks for listening to my rant. I don't have anyone else to talk to and I just needed to get this out...

I am sorry that you did not do as well as planned on your A&P 2 test but like the previous poster said, it is only one test and you will have more opportunities to bring your grade up. None of us probably know what you are going through, with the stress that you have on your shoulders while being a pre-nursing student. It sucks that as pre-nursing students, doing bad on a test affects us way more than students in other majors because we are so pressured to get good grades with the competitiveness of the nursing program. Despite your grades, there are also other factors that are taken into account at nursing programs such as volunteer work, TEAS or entrance exam score, experience, letters of rec. All of these things may boost up your chances rather than basing admittance solely on grades and GPA. I'm sure we've all had our doubts about not being able to make it, but this one test score is not as detrimental as your final grade which you still have a chance to bring up.

Because of your stress load and busy lifestyle, I would recommend studying everyday for 1-2 hours and reviewing what was learned in class. I find that I (as well as other students) do poorly on exams when we procastinate and do not take the time to fully understand material beforehand. If you take a little bit of time everyday to review lectures, read the book, watch videos to understand concepts, I guarantee you that by the time the next test is coming up you won't have as much studying to do. Even going over notes for as little as 30 minutes a day will constantly refresh your memory and you will be more prepared for new material. I hope my advice comes in handy :) Keep your head up!

Thank you both for putting things into perspective for me. You both don't know how much your words have helped.

I need to commit to studying harder, for longer. Now that I've calmed down, I realize it's not the end of the world. I've been getting B's on all of my quizzes, so I'm gonna have to work super super hard to bring my grade up, and do better on subsequent exams/practicals.

I have my first practical next week....I'm super nervous and anxious now. I'm hoping I can turn this energy into great studying habits. I think repetition will help.

Thanks again. One minor setback on my journey =]

One 65 really isnt the end of the world. It's only 6.5 out of the finall 100% of your grade. If you get 90s on everything else, you can still end the semester with close to an 88. What subjects/chapters were on the test? (Heart, CNS, etc.)

oops I almost forgot. The exam was on 5 different chapters. Neural Tissues, structures and functions, The CNS and Spinal nerves, The Brain and cranial nerves, The ANS, and a portion of the Endocrine System.

And the questions weren't straightforward. In A&P I it was really easy for me because it was pure memorization. However, in this class you have to really think and understand how something works in order to answer his questions correctly. I'm going to have to attack this class from a different angle...

Your post sounds EXACTLY like what I went through last semester. My A&P I teacher wanted us to memorize, A&P II teacher to actually understand how it works. I flunked my first test, and cried, and nearly dropped the class (I'm typically an A student). But, I stuck with it, and adapted to his test style (which was mostly essay questions) and came out with a B. Just keep your head up and try your best and dont be discouraged!

Thanks Jen! He gives us the opportunity to meet with him and go over the exam, so I'm gonna take advantage of that and find out exactly what I did wrong. I'm glad you were able to pull up your grade. I'm also hoping to at least pull a B out of this class... *cross my fingers

Another thing that helped me after that first test....I started recording his lectures. Then, I'd go home and retype my notes while listening to him lecture - I was amazed how much I missed in my written notes taken during class. Then, prior to each test, I'd make a practice test from my notes - all the questions I could possibly think of based on his lectures, and kept retaking it until I really understood it all. I'm in Micro now with one of my classmates that was also in A&P II with me, and when the instructor brought up the Krebs Cycle, we just looked at each other and shuddered thinking about our old instructors explanation of it....yuck!

I have a tape recorder somewhere in my storage. I'll have to dig it up! That's a really great idea!

Hi Sammi!

I failed my first exam as well, it was in Microbiology though- i got 66%. I also, studied and felt pretty confident during the test- got the test back and was like *** :/

My husband is in Afghanistan, and I am also taking care of my 19 month old son- solo. I am also taking 4 other courses besides Micro and can sympathize with you!!

Like all the other members said... it's one test and it's not the end of the world. I just took my 2nd test last week and scored a 90%. I met with my teacher after class and asked her to check through my review notes to make sure I wasn't missing anything and was studying the correct material. Is that an option with your teacher? It helped me a lot.....

I am New to All Nurses however not new to A & P or Micro, etc...The Tape recorder that Jen3p mentioned is an excellent idea along with all other suggestions. I remember one instructor that mentioned that it is very important to review your notes in the first 24-48hr of lecture before it goes into your long term memory. So listen to your tape and review your notes as soon as you complete a class and that should also help... it sure helped me.

[quote=

I have my first practical next week....I'm super nervous and anxious now. I'm hoping I can turn this energy into great studying habits. I think repetition will help.

=]

Everyone has had wonderful advice, and they're absolutely correct! Just think of all the rest of the tests as opportunities to bring your grade up :)

As for the practicals- you'll do well I'm sure! In case you're still working out ways you like to study for labs, this is how I did it, adn it helped me a TON!

1. I numbered the items we had to identify and wrote the numbers on a sticky tab with an arrow.

2. Then I stuck it on the model and took a picture (Make sure the picture is close enough to see what you're identifying, but far enough out to see what the body area is. If you take it too close up, all you'll see is the tab and not know the orientation of the model/ organ (posterior, anterior, etc.).)

3. I printed the pictures out in wallet size, cut them out and stuck them on index cards.

4. Then I wrote the name of the organ/ blood vessel, etc. on the other side.

This way you're actually studying the model!

Also- when we were studying endocrine, etc. my A&P II teacher would have a microscope set up and she would ask us to identify the tissue and what hormone was secreted by it. WHEW! The way I studied for those types of questions was making quizzes and matching games.

These classes are all about figuring out your learning style. It also might help you, for lab and lecture, to explain the processes to people. Tell the story and you'll know how comfortable you are with it. If you still have some areas you need help sorting out, then ask your teacher or another student.

You can do this! :hug: