I used to care about a's and b's in ns, until........................................

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Specializes in ED.

hello, I :bugeyes: used to care about getting A's and B's in NS, however, lately C's are excellent in my book. I am currrently in advanced MED/SURG, I understand the material but the test are difficult. C's are hard to come by these days and I am trying not to get discouraged. I only pray for a C which in my case is 80%. I am a high acheiver but somewhere in the last 3 weeks I just want a C. Anyone else feel like this:bowingpur NS breaks me down. Why do they make it soo hard!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (I currently am at 76%) yep, that's failling.:angryfire

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Take a break if you can for a few hours and just pamper yourself even if it's just a bath, candles and a good book.

You have come so far and I imagine you are ALMOST there! Spring Break isn't that far off!!! :o)

My class if feeling the same right now and we are only in med surg 1 but at my school this is the hardest portion of the program. Up until today I thought it was just me. Can you get together with someone who has recently graduated to get a little encouragement?!

Good luck to you!

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What you are feeling is very common. I am in Med-Surg II this semester and we have our first quiz on Wednesday on fluids, electrolytes and Acid/base. I am totally stressed out about it. Our instructor even told us that most students fail the first two quizzes. What a way to start the semester.

Try not to beat yourself up too much. From what I've been hearing from the students in Med-Surg III, it is a very difficult first few weeks. You sound like a very good student and I'm sure the semester will get better. Hang in there. :)

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Specializes in Post Anesthesia.
.... NS breaks me down. Why do they make it soo hard!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (I currently am at 76%) yep, that's failling.:angryfire

They make it so hard becaues it is hard. Nursing isn't some short term vo-tech certification that you do. It invloves an incredible amount of skill, knowlege, and judgement. If you are seeng you GPA slip at this point- esp in your Nursing classes, talk to your advisor. There may be study aids, tutoring, test taking skills classes, note taking skills classes.... any number of ways to get back ahead of the curve. You don't want to just get by in your nursing.- leave that for your Eastern Civ. or World History Class. Patients are counting on you to be at the top of your game every day.

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Specializes in ED.

hello, suanna

I understand where you are coming from, I do. I am a high acheiver, I want to do well. I have done all I know to do to past my test. I read, I go over NCLEX question, I tape record and listen to my lectures at least twice. I even go to various websites on the subject that I am studying. I try to stay on my game everyday as this is very important to me. I not scapegoating but after I have done all I know to do, what else can I do. I used to cry if I didnt get a B on a test, all I am saying is that a C looks good right now. It doesnt mean I dont know the material it just mean that my instructors test, in my opinion, SUCK.

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Specializes in I am interested in Geriatrics and Pedi.

Hi Brandylove,

When I was going through nursing school I would cry almost every other day for the first 2 months because it was soooo hard until I learned to trust God and realized that that was the only way that I was going to be able to get through it. I would always get high to low B's and every now and then an A but I had friends that went through nursing school with a 78.2 in every course and they recently passed their NCLEX. Know that there are others out there that have gone through and are going through some pretty challenging times as well. Keep your head up high and know that you have people praying for your success! :yeah:

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Specializes in Peri-op/Sub-Acute ANP.

I think I read this on a board on this site, but someone once said:

"I used to be a 4.0 student. Now I'm a nursing student."

It made me smile and I never forgot it. Take care of yourself first, NS is a marathon not a sprint.

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I've just recently started Nursing school, and I can say that even in the very early stages of the program it's going to be a tough road ahead. I've already been in your shoes, receiving grades that I'm not used to, but I know that the tests and the quizzes will only get harder from here on out. Think of it this way, if it weren't hard it wouldn't be worth it in the end. Everything comes with sacrifice, some more than others. I'm sure if you keep it up and keep up on all your work, you'll get into the habit of things, and it should come a little more easier to you. Nurses have lives placed in their hands, and that's a big responsibility. We as students must build strong foundations, and not skip corners because our patients will be depending on us to get it right. Hang in there, getting through nursing school is one thing, but one important thing you shouldn't forget is to take care of yourself in the process.

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Specializes in CTICU.

Welcome to Nursing School. The first thing you should ask yourself is this: How do I get better grades? You should self examine yourself. Do you participate in study group? How do you study the material? For example when studying any disease process you should

1. know the pathophisiology.

2. know how is it dx.

3. know the key s/s.

4. know how to treated.

Once you do this, do some general reading about the disease then you should listen to the recording of the class and go over you class notes. Good class notes and picking up things that the teacher say in the class are fundamental to kick up your grade a notch. DO NCLEX QUESTIONS ON THE SUBJECT AS WELL AT LEAST 100 A DAY...... I can assure that if you follow this process your grade will reflected. GOOD LUCK.

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Specializes in NICU, Post-partum.

Don't feel bad. Out of 42 students at my school, no one made an A...last semester or the semester before. They do post a letter grade breakdown distribution on the front door of their offices at the beginning of the next semester.

Doesn't say much for our program. It's not possible in all places.

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I'm the same. I have always had a 4.0 even in some really tough classes in the past. But I have NEVER gotten an A in nursing school. I had a 93% in Fundamentals (94% for an A, so close!) but its gone down from there. I had a B average thus far in MS1, Fund, AP1 and a 97% in Algebra. Now I am just happy to be passing to be quite honest. Today I have Pharmacology (possible quiz), a test in Med Surg II, and a test tonight in AP2. I'm mostly ready for Med Surg, but not remotely ready for the rest, because there is just SO much to know.

Sorry but ignore what suanna says IMO and just do the best you can do. A's are great, and knowledge is great, and skills are great, but the gaps will be filled in once you start working and things that you "kinda" understand get to be crystal clear once you have more exposure to them. Nursing school is tough, and if you were getting a C because you were being lazy I would say get off your A$$ and get the ball rolling, but if you're doing your best, you are doing GOOD ENOUGH. Don't kill yourself. Just start counting the days until you reach the finish line.

I have a B average, although it might drop to a C this semester because we've added Pharmacology (and I missed 1 day due to illness and have a test zero to contend with as a result) and I will be happy with it. I think A's are important because they keep you from having to stress out at finals time, but if you can get a C and stay in the program, and you're working your tail off to get it, then I think thats good enough.

We all have room for improvement, but making someone feel guilty because they are not straight A students is counter productive (esp if you are not in their program and not savvy to the details of the program...some programs and some specific classes are tougher to get As in than others because of a LOT of factors... I'm hoping that my LPN to RN program has teachers with a better grasp of English so that the questions are worded in proper English for one)

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A lot depends on how the tests are written and graded as well. Sometimes, getting an A on test more about "getting" what the instructor is looking for on test questions than mastering the content.

That's not always the case, but if you know you know the material and still can't seem to pull off good grades, it may be more about the testing style than about your grasp of the material. Looking at NCLEX review books can sometimes help get a better feel for how the instructor is writing questions and developing answer choices.

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