Is there anything we can do to change our schools policy?

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Hi everyone! I really think our schools policy is unfair and I really want to do something to go about changing this. In any given semester regardless of the grade you have you must pass the final with a 75 or better. You can have a 95 in the class and you get a 74 on your final and you are done and must repeat the semester. Which can now take up to 1 1/2 year to get back in to the semester being repeated. The stress and anxiety that is involved with this final is ridiculous. Before taking my finals I feel like I'm going to have a panic attack! My mind goes blank and I completely freak out! I just don't think that it's fair to base everything on that final. As I've done research I've seen where other schools finals are a large percentage of the grade but not a pass or fail. Not only this but in each semester we have 2 instructors which one is always known to be more lenient than the other. For example one instructor will let you slide with a 70 or better on the final and the other wont let a 74.5 slide. And what really frustrates me is that each instructor will give there class their own made up final and one final has repeated q's from the semester and the other final has completely new and difficult questions. I just don't think it's fair to have two standards in the same semester. I just wish there was something my classmates and I could do about this. Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

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Specializes in interested in NICU!!.

hmm. . .don't have any advice for you, but i feel for you, that is just unfair, imo, how can they fail someone if they're ve passing the class all semester long. that's just to keep the students on their toes, but i really don't see how it's a better way to go about doing this.

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Specializes in Telemetry.

Oh boy, some of these nursing schools are like cartels, they just want the students money and they fail them for the stupidwsr things. If you are passing the class and fail the finals why should they fail you? I honestly believe for them to change that policy something drastic has to happen like 90 percent of the students fail the finals. This is ridiculous. Some students have to take out loans to attend school and this is what they have to offer? It is a disgrace!

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I completely agree, I just wish there was something that can be done!

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I've never heard of that particular policy before, but, given that the final exam is supposed to measure how much you've learned in that class over the semester, it's hard to see how someone could have done well all semester and then flunk the final -- to me, that would indicate that there's something v. wrong with the exam, or v. wrong with the entire semester up until the final ...

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In my program all Exam points (including final) must add up to 74% before any other class points are added. This is the policy for the entire program and individual instructors cannot manipulate what constitutes "passing". It's done by the numbers & reviewed by the whole teaching team. I think this method is fair because even if you fail an exam, there's still a chance to make it up by the final. Usually, the final reflects the grades of other exams, so I'd also wonder why people that have done well end up bombing the final??

I'm sorry to hear of your situation. It is hard to deal with policies when they seem unjust and are not upheld by everyone. Grading should be standardized and not subjective on the part of instructors.

As for a solution to your problem.....We get a chance to give feedback to the college at the end of each semester. It's anonymous and goes back to the nursing department. Do you have such an opportunity? If you could get enough people to feedback on this policy maybe the dept. would address it?

Good Luck!

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Don't agree with this. If they are going to do this, then the opposite should be in place also. If you are failing the class (or otherwise), if you get a nice big fat A on the final, then you should get an A in the class. What is good for the goose is good for the gander, as they say.

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Maybe your school is trying to ensure students aren't cramming for individual exams, but not retaining the information?

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Mine is the same way only we have to have a 76...

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