I feel so discouraged!

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Hi All, I'm in my 1st semester of Nursing school, 4th week. My first test grade was 78% and today i got my 2nd score, 72% leaving me at 75.3% overall grade. I'M BARELY PASSING! I feel so panicked because I read and re-read the chapters, flash cards, NCLEX online questions, I know the material, understand the concept of critical thinking but I'm still so close to failing! I feel so discouraged right now :( I do really good in lab skills but I'm just not with the lecture program. I feel like the instructors don't teach enough. I guess I'm used to being told what I need to know and the instructors just talk and talk and go off subject during class, it's a waste of time!

I just feel sooo terrible right now and would like to know if anyone went through anything similar: doing bad in the beginning, then getting better because they realized they were deficient in ________.

thanks in advance for any encouragement, advice, and personal testimony:shy:

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You are not alone. If nursing is your true passion, just stick with it. I finished high school early and had a 4.0 in my first degree and got Cs in nursing. Finished with less than a 3.0. It's normal. The tests are designed that way. Now I am in a MSN program and I have that 4.0 again. Its not you.

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And remember C = RN

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Thanks for your testimony and I've heard, it's the way the tests are designed. I used to care about getting good grades, now I just want to pass!

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I still fooled myself and tried desperately for As but that ensured I got at least a C. Study in groups, alone, and use a recorder. Flash cards, office hours, review every graded test. Stuff I never needed to do before but I did it all.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Yes, you're right. I feel like I've done as much as I can but I know there's more I can do. It's just soo overwhelming, I don't want to fail!

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I always had a back up plan. Repeat. Switch to the part time program, switch to LPN. Some students did this and some switched to different schools but stayed in nursing. Even in my last semester, I lined up a study abroad in case I failed that semester. If I failed the nclex I was going to buy the kaplan course. Great nurses fail. It isn't a reflection of you and try not to think about it now. Just know what you will do if it happens and then put it out of your mind. Worrying is like a rocking chair- it gives you something to do but you won't get anywhere. Now stop what you're doing and study!

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If it'll make you feel better, my med-surg I instructor (I am now doing med-surg II) once told us that she maintained C's in nursing school. She's now a nurse practitioner. It must be remembered that nursing school is a new language when you first begin (I share the same experience with you) and so at first, as much frustrating as it is flopping tests, we must be patient with ourselves. It has been mentioned that there is no such thing as overstudying. I find reading the text books very time consuming and I end up not remembering everything. So I switched to reading nclex review books, some of which come with very good nclex questions for practice. I read and re-read these. Then, instructors do not teach everything as there is not enough time to teach it all. The burden is on us to read what hasn't been taught in addition to material covered in class.

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And Here are some tips to stay on schedule: * Keep your long-term goals in mind.

* Schedule everything in your life, down to the last detail. It will help you stay on task.

* Plan the next day! It will help you with feelings of being overwhelmed.

* Keep focused and work the plan.

* Accomplish the difficult things first.

* Be flexible! If you encounter distractions, get back on task as soon as possible.

* If everything else fails, begin again the next day.

* Take time for you. This is important for your emotional well-being.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Thank you so much and yes I say that if God has brought me this far, He will help me through it

Hello, I remember feeling just like you!!!!! I stumbled in my second semester of nursing school, and I got 2 C's. Boy this hurts your pride when you are use to making A's. I got over it, rocked my MSN-CNL program and I graduated with a 3.3 GPA. I will enter my DNP-FNP program next year for my terminal degree. With God's help you can do it. Trust God and seek out tutors, study groups, and get help from your professors. Keep us posted, I've been there!!!! I'm a living testimony!
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Specializes in Critical Care.

Hi All! just thought I'd update you all on my final grade: B!! yes, i know i panicked big time but I made it! just want to say thank you for all your encouragement and words of wisdom!

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Specializes in Critical Care.

I am now in 4th semester and graduating this May! I received honors every semester. I worked my butt off, and yes I still cried at times especially when I found out I had the toughest clinical instructor in 3rd semester but I made it! Thank you to all who posted your words of wisdom. For anyone who may go through what I went through, don't give up!

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