Not letting grades define you

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I'm not talking about having the "C's get degrees" mentality. I know that this material is important to grasp because it's so that I can pass the NCLEX, be a good nurse, take care of patients correctly, etc.

I'm talking about that day-ruining feeling I get when I think I did well on an exam and actually didn't do well at all. Or when I feel less competent than a classmate who gets really good grades despite us studying the same amount.

What helps you, fellow nursing students?

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Specializes in ED.

My biggest tip is to stop talking to others about grades. If they ask how you did just say "I did well" or "I didnt do as well as I had hoped" and leave it at that. That way you dont end up comparing yourself to others.

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Specializes in ED, med-surg, peri op.

Nursing school is hard. There's no shame in getting Cs, because hey they do get degrees. As long as you know you are doing the best you can and putting in the effort. I found once I started focusing on the content and not the grade I did much better. I was studying because I wanted to learn, and not reading something because I heard it will be in the exam.

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My biggest tip is to stop talking to others about grades. If they ask how you did just say "I did well" or "I didnt do as well as I had hoped" and leave it at that. That way you dont end up comparing yourself to others.

This is good advice, thank you.

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Nursing school is hard. There's no shame in getting Cs, because hey they do get degrees. As long as you know you are doing the best you can and putting in the effort. I found once I started focusing on the content and not the grade I did much better. I was studying because I wanted to learn, and not reading something because I heard it will be in the exam.

That's a helpful perspective. I just study whatever each professor says we need to know and learn it as well as I can. I focus a lot on the "why" behind everything.

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This is good advice, thank you.

I concur with that advice! I don't share my grades with others (even if I got a great score) and I don't ask others how they did. If someone asks me how I did I'll just say something like "I did pretty well I think. These exams are tough!" and leave it at that.

This approach has drastically reduced my stress level because I'm no longer constantly comparing myself to others. The only person I'm competing against is myself.

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