Is there REALLY such a thing as overachieving?

[CRNAinTHEfuture]

I have somewhat of a statement, somewhat of a question. First, a little background. . .

I'm an ADN student, transferring to Carolina in Spring 2006 to get my BSN. My terminal goal is Nurse Anesthesia, so I believe going ahead and getting my BSN out of the way would be the best plan for me. The problem?? My A&P classmates at the Tech school I'm attending now. I made the "mistake" of telling them after the second exam that I wasn't accepting anything less than an "A." (Which is true - my average is 99.5). I am FULLY aware (thanks to many of you on this forum) of what it's going to take from me to get in NA school, and I'm doing the best I can to make myself an attractive candidate for when the time comes to apply to NA school. Did that explanation work for my classmates? Nooooooo.......The class average is 67. 67!!!! These people are going to be nurses and they can't identify a femur from a humerus???????

My question for you is this: Is it REALLY possible to overacheive? In my case, it's basically a mindset. I want to be a Nurse Anesthetist and nothing, nothing at all is going to prevent me from diving full force into my studies to make it happen. I need A's in A&P, Micro and other science courses, right?? Fine. I'll do what I have to do to make that happen. I don't feel like I've been rude or arrogant to my classmates - actually, I've felt kind of embarrassed to share exam grades and lab practical grades with them, because...well....most of them are failing. I don't feel I need to explain myself to them any further, but I still get the sideways comments (teacher's pet, goody 2 shoes, know-it-all). I'm sure they are said in good fun, but why does the A-maker in the class have to be the one to catch crap for making A's????

Anyone with an opinion?

B in SC

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

There's no such thing as over-achieving.

Where grades are concerned, people should just mind their own beeezness. Someoen wants all A's, fine, their perogative, Someone wants all B's or B's and C's, fine, etc.

I haven't been out of school for even a year yet, but i DO remember how much stuff i had to do and how busy i was with MY grades, and MY work, that i didn't have the time to judge people. Hmmm.

[Slobgob]

Actually... that's another little matter that irks me.

In some regard my grades might be a little better, if only I memorized the specific gravity of the neonate's most concentrated urine (1.015-1.020) I would have gotten a better grade... but you get my drift. I've stilled worked hard for my grades. I think it must be my program.

For instance... I took 5 unit Physio, 5 unit Anatomy, and 5 unit Micro all the same semester and got all A's... but I put way more effort into this school for my B's. I'll give you a small preview:

Out of 48 students

Nursing 1A: 3 As

Nursing 1B: 1 A

Nursing 2: 2 As

Nursing 3: 2 As

When people talk about their GPAs... the usual line goes: 3.2-3.5 overall GPA, 3.7-4.0 nursing school GPA. How are you guys getting such good grades in nursing school and not simple math/science courses? The absolute best GPA in my class right now... 3.4! And this girl studies her butt off...

Out of 48 students, by the end of the second semester we'll probably be down to about 20 original students. I guess that's why the NCLEX pass rates can be so high... heh.

But i digress...

[SmilingBluEyes]

Remember that there are only 24 hours in the day, and if you're getting an "A"

school, you're probably getting a "C" somewhere else in your life.QUOTE]

Oh my: THIS says it all, excellent advice.

Have you GOT a life?

It's not meant to be a rude question, but something for you to reflect on, seriously and very honestly. You have only "so long" on this planet to get it right. I wish you well.

[adboehnen]

I graduated in December of this year, and I went through the wrath of jealousy from my classmates. I was a 4.0 student all the way through my BSN program, and people resented me horribly for it. I never boasted, never shared my grades, etc. Yet, people knew, accused me of raising the bar, were furious to be in my same clinical session, etc. People are jealous by nature, and they hate what they don't have. Keep going, don't stop, and don't let other people drag you down. At one point, I had to stop commuting with two classmates b/c they made a two hour car ride hell for me. Surround yourself with supportive people, not dead weight. I'm proud of you, and you don't need to take grief from underachievers. There's no such thing as overachieving when you're reaching for the stars! Please don't feel bad about your classmates. I shed a lot of tears over mine, and it wasn't worth it.

[Havin' A Party!, ASN, RN]

... We should all strive to do high-quality work. But we should also work on developing a perspective of our performance that allows for less than perfection...

As usual, great post, llg!

[Havin' A Party!, ASN, RN]

If you refuse to accept anything less than perfection in a unperfect world, disapointment will come sooner or later. Prepare for it. It is not the end of the world. Wisdom comes from handling failure and disappointment rather than from success.

Well said!

[Havin' A Party!, ASN, RN]

... Remember that there are only 24 hours in the day, and if you're getting an "A" school, you're probably getting a "C" somewhere else in your life...

Another "A" student here. Gotta say this is accurate also.

[SmilingBluEyes]

I have always said, strive for EXCELLENCE, not PERFECTION. Excellence is achievable, perfection never.

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

I think if you please yourself, then you have set the bar high enough. I've never been a 4.0 student (my GPA currently in my MSN program is 3.8). I'm not the brightest star in the constellation for sure. However, I can laugh at things and don't take myself too seriously. I've been an ER nurse for many years and the one thing I do know is that life is too short not to be as happy as you can be. If your own happiness is being a 4.0 student, going to CRNA school, having a PhD, then of course, go for it. But...do it for the right reasons. Take care.

[CRNAinTHEfuture]

Okay, it seems that I've ruffled some feathers in the way that presented my question. Thanks to all of you for your input.

1. I know my average in the class is a 99.5 because that's what was shown in our mid-term report The fact that I told you what the actual average was doesn't make me obsessive - it makes me observant. And I don't judge my classmates. I just don't think that some of them are aware of the scope of what is required of a college student. I think some expect to be babied, and they're learning the hard way that college students at any level (pre-nursing or not) don't get babied. They're happy with their C's and D's...fine. Let them be happy with that. The mentality of it is what I don't understand.

Do I care about the .5 of the 99.5? Not at all. As a matter of fact, if the grade is within the range that will put an A on my transcript, I'm happy with that. Am I going to have a break down if I come out of the class with a B? No!! I'll be disappointed, sure, but only because I know my own capabilities.

2. There is no curve to kill in this class. As a matter of fact, I haven't encountered a prof in a good, long while that will even CONSIDER a curve. You either know it or you don't.

3. I don't brag to my classmates about my grades. After the first exam and lab practical (that most failed), I was asked by my lab partner how I was doing in the class. I told her, she made a big scene about it. . .We have somewhat of an unspoken agreement to practice the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. They don't ask, and I don't tell.

4. I don't want to be in Anesthesia SOLELY for the money. True, the money will be nice, but this is a field that interests me. I first heard the term "Anesthesia Awareness" about 6 or 7 years ago, and it freaked me out enough to do research for my own personal knowledge. Since then, I've been fascinated by it. And to be perfectly honest, I didn't know that such a thing as a Nurse Anesthetist existed until about a year and a half ago, and I only found that out through an article in Reader's Digest. Besides the fact that it interests me, the nature of the job allows the autonomy that I'm looking for.

5. I'm not missing out on my kid's lives - my 3 (soon to be 4) year old tells me before I leave for class on Mon. and Wed. nights to "Have fun in you class, Mommy. And no time outs, okay?" As a matter of fact, my husband appreciates the time he gets to spend alone with them.

Yes, there are people that don't deal well with what they consider to be failure. And it's a shame. I just wanted to know other opinions of those in the field. I don't cry over B's, but I know what it's going to take to make it, and I know that I have the capabilities to make it happen for me.

[hypnotic_nurse]

There is nothing wrong with striving to be the best. And you shouldn't have to defend yourself. I've never understood why people don't accept the "win" for academics when the same people will be disappointed with anything less in sports.

[CRNAinTHEfuture]

Just a couple things for the record, Slobgob....

1. I could care less if they like me. I just wanted to know why I was being made out as the bad guy.

2. Why is it obnoxious for me to kick myself for missing a exam question that I knew the answer to, but had a brain fart during the exam? You're assuming that I go on and on about it, but in reality, the only person who would know about something like that is...ME.

3. Do you really want a nurse that asks you "Which one is that?" when you tell me that you have broken your femur in the past? (Crude example, I know.) It's got to be killer important to know BASIC A&P to be in the field of nursing.

You don't know my attitude. You don't know anything more about me than what you read in two posts. You don't know my plan for getting through school while still being a good mom. You don't know the amount of time my husband and I spent discussing this before I ever registered. You don't know that my tubes were tied before I even learned that such as thing as CRNA's existed. My point??????

You have made some harsh assumptions about me just by reading my words. I wanted an opinion, not an attack on my character. (Which you also don't know....)