4.0 in nursing school?

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I was just wondering if it's possible to complete nursing school with a 4.0. Has anyone done it? I've read many times that in nursing school you usually drop a grade level... A students become B students.

I'm pretty worried about this. I'm disappointed with any grade less than 100. I know it sounds crazy, but it's not something I can control. I know I would be devastated if I made a B. So far throughout my prereqs I've been able to keep a 4.0 and many of my final grades have been 100. (not just the easy classes) I have to study ALL the time though.

So is there anyone else out there like me? Did you make it though nursing school without having a breakdown?:nailbiting:

If you work your butt off and end up with a 3.5 gpa then congratulate yourself, because you've successfully completed a degree that truly challenged you. Being fixated on absolute perfection is a lost cause. Even if you make a 100 on every test and graduate with a 4.0, there will be things in clinicals that you screw up.

Failure is a part of life, and is essential for personal growth. It means you tried to do something hard, and didn't get it right the first time. Anybody who is challenging themselves is NOT going to be perfect all the time.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Respond WHEN and if you become a nursing student.
I think people can make comments , even if they are "not a nursing student", based on life experiences. I think anyone who expects to get 100% on exams 200% of the time needs to adjust that humans are not perfect and nursing exams are a different animal altogether.

For what it is worth...the OP of this thread is also NOT in nursing school.

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I am the same exact way! And there is nothing wrong with keeping your expectations high, if you lower your expectations, you will only achieve less. That's the way I look at it. Now, I don't cry when I get an 88 on an exam, but if I hadn't struggled for that 100, I think I would have ended up with less than an 88! So don't adjust your drive to suit your needs, we are supposed to strive to be better than what we are at all times. I think anyway. And I think there is a lot wrong with the world settling for mediocre these days.

Can you tell me how you ended up doing in Nursing School and how that 4.0 turned out? I am about to start Nursing School with a 4.0 and have been told that I have scored some of the highest my school has seen on certain things. So I feel determined, but still a little scared. LOL Let me know how it went for you, I am so interested! Thanks!

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Very well worded! I appreciate this so much! Makes me feel less defeated prior to entering! LOL. Thanks!

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Specializes in Inpatient Psychiatry.

I too had an unhealthy preoccupation with all As. My first semester I finished with a 4.0, but my second I ended with a 3.73 (A-), which dipped my GPA down to 3.94.

And you know what? It made me put life in perspective. I was so focused on getting test scores >94% that I started losing sight on the most important aspect: learning the material for time OUT of school.

Sure, I'm still going to work my tush off for grades (since I have MSN programs to apply to in a few months), but I know that my long-term health and learning is more important than the short-term gratification of summa cum laude.

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Specializes in Telemetry.
I am the same exact way! And there is nothing wrong with keeping your expectations high, if you lower your expectations, you will only achieve less. That's the way I look at it. Now, I don't cry when I get an 88 on an exam, but if I hadn't struggled for that 100, I think I would have ended up with less than an 88! So don't adjust your drive to suit your needs, we are supposed to strive to be better than what we are at all times. I think anyway. And I think there is a lot wrong with the world settling for mediocre these days.

Can you tell me how you ended up doing in Nursing School and how that 4.0 turned out? I am about to start Nursing School with a 4.0 and have been told that I have scored some of the highest my school has seen on certain things. So I feel determined, but still a little scared. LOL Let me know how it went for you, I am so interested! Thanks!

DBradley514 I have to tell you that it IS possible to hold on to a 4.0 while in nursing school. I just finished my 2nd semester in an ADN program and I have gotten nothing but A's in all of my classes. I also have 4 kids (7, 4, and a set of 1 year old twins), am married and also work resource as a CNA. I am not saying this to brag but to let you know that working your butt off and being deeply rooted in your studying can give you the grades you want; this does not mean that you should be studying just to see a certain percentage on your exam but you should be studying daily to retain the information and actually learn it. Everyone told me before entering nursing school that there was no way I would ever be able to see an "A" again, especially with having young kids. I can go on and on with study tips and supplemental resources that helped but seriously, just study and focus on learning the material. If you don't get an "A" it is not the end of the world!

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DBradley514 I have to tell you that it IS possible to hold on to a 4.0 while in nursing school. I just finished my 2nd semester in an ADN program and I have gotten nothing but A's in all of my classes. I also have 4 kids (7, 4, and a set of 1 year old twins), am married and also work resource as a CNA. I am not saying this to brag but to let you know that working your butt off and being deeply rooted in your studying can give you the grades you want; this does not mean that you should be studying just to see a certain percentage on your exam but you should be studying daily to retain the information and actually learn it. Everyone told me before entering nursing school that there was no way I would ever be able to see an "A" again, especially with having young kids. I can go on and on with study tips and supplemental resources that helped but seriously, just study and focus on learning the material. If you don't get an "A" it is not the end of the world!

This depends on the school you go to. Some schools may have lower bars then others. At my school, its IMPOSSIBLE to maintain a 4.0 average. I took a test last semester, that was worth a huge chunk of our grade, and the highest grade was an 88! That automatically made it impossible for anyone to get above an A- for the course.

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Specializes in Telemetry.

While I do agree that it can depend on the school one goes to, the school I attend actually sets a higher bar than the other area schools. One needs to maintain an 80% or higher in order to progress through the program while other area schools allow for students to maintain a 73% or 75%. To be honest, I have held the highest test score in my program multiple times, even getting 100% on a couple of nursing school exams; I'm mentioning this to make a point that there are people that can break the mold. So, yes, while the ability to maintain a 4.0 can depend on the school I do not think it is correct to assume that someone who does have a high GPA in nursing school attends a school that is "easier" or with a lower bar than others. Our ADN program consistently has higher NCLEX pass rates than area BSN programs. And as I mentioned before, life is not over if one does not get an "A." Nursing school is about so much more than one's GPA and though I agree it is not always realistic to think one can maintain a 4.0 in nursing school, it is possible. My personal goal is to always study to understand the information and it just so happens that I do just that and have ended up with A's so far. Just my two cents.

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Specializes in Critical Care and ED.

I graduated with a 3.96. I was so mad about that 0.04! Darned statistics class!

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