I noticed alot of you have 4.0's. Do you have kids? I just dont understand how you do it. Are you up all night studying or just genuises???
I do ok I have a 3.4 but come on, BSN programs want a 4.0- the competition is stiff. Of course minimum prereq GPA may be 3.0 but thats not whose admitted. The school Im applying to gets 350 apps for 50 seats and is on a GPA ranking selection. So they automatically admit all 4.0's. I still have Stats, Micro, and Chem to take- so I want to know how are you guys getting A's???
This stuff is hard, and with small children and a household to run on top of that is even harder. I need some insight here.
I think what he meant by "remember you are smarter than the test" is that you know more than what is reflected in your grade at that given time and on the particular day you were tested. In other words don't take your grade hard or blame yourself if you have prepared yourself for the test. I know a majority of people who did not make it out of the class (A&P II) did not read the material, did not do the extra credit questions (50+ ? for a pt.), which could make the difference by 5pts on a test. You need to know and I mean KNOW the material backwards and forwards especially in A&P. And part of it is test taking skills, knowing what is being asked and being able to pick the best answer out of two correct answers, this comes in handy when taking the RN license exam.
It is all in the preparation and what works for one won't necessarily work for another. One guy hardly came to class and didn't even buy the book (he bought the accompanying resource manual) and made it out with a high B, go figure!
Knowing how you learn best (kinesthetic, auditory, verbal or combination of any) is the key.
I have a 3.77.....I have to have someone to ask questions to! LOL
Good luck....btw, just for my 3.77, I retook "B" classes from '91-92 & made A's in them now. I also took, fast-track, winter-mesters to try to stagger them. The classes are harder that way, but at least there's only 1 class to worry about at a time. The last 6-weeks of A&P 1 I did take another class, but by that time I only needed a 35 on the last lecture test to make an A in the class. :)
It's been awhile since I was in school :rotfl: but this is one of the things that I did and I think it helps with more than just grades. Subscribe to one or two basic nursing journals, Nursing 2005, AJN...something like that. They are inexpensive and even more discounted for nursing students. The articles are short and to the point and the material easy to remember. They also help you to start thinking like a nurse and learning about the issues facing nurses today. Good luck!
I am only taking my second prereq (still have A&P and microbiology) but have found that taking these classes at a community college is the way to go, in order to get an A. My undergraduate degree is in biology, and I went to a fairly competitive school. The biology and chemistry classes were huge and everyone was pre-med, so it was a huge weeding out process. We were graded on a bell curve so it was very difficult to get an A-the average grade was a C+/B-. No one had a 4.0. I am finding that the level of difficulty at our local community college is *way* less. Just by following instructions, doing the reading, and getting the assignments done in time, I'm getting A's.
I am only taking my second prereq (still have A&P and microbiology) but have found that taking these classes at a community college is the way to go, in order to get an A. My undergraduate degree is in biology, and I went to a fairly competitive school. The biology and chemistry classes were huge and everyone was pre-med, so it was a huge weeding out process. We were graded on a bell curve so it was very difficult to get an A-the average grade was a C+/B-. No one had a 4.0. I am finding that the level of difficulty at our local community college is *way* less. Just by following instructions, doing the reading, and getting the assignments done in time, I'm getting A's.
Just wanted to also add that the main reason I'm at a CC is b/c it's the only thing nearby. The state university is about 90 min. away. As far as I can tell, no nursing schools care where you did your pre reqs-as long as its from their list of acceptable institutions.
I have a HUGE whiteboard at home and a trusty big teddy bear who has spent many a weekend covered in sticky notes and Post-it flags labelling all types of anatomy stuff! (I used to get my quadrants screwed up. Then Ben helped me out!)
I invested in a LOT of wipe off markers in lots of colors. Perfect for germ drawing in Micro!
I type my notes up the weekend before a test (of course, I don't have kids, so this is probably easier for me) and go over a self-made chapter outline that I've worked on after each lecture. I also consult RELIABLE internet sources if there's something I just don't "get".
But I think the whiteboard has been the best investment to date.
It's been awhile since I was in school :rotfl: but this is one of the things that I did and I think it helps with more than just grades. Subscribe to one or two basic nursing journals, Nursing 2005, AJN...something like that. They are inexpensive and even more discounted for nursing students. The articles are short and to the point and the material easy to remember. They also help you to start thinking like a nurse and learning about the issues facing nurses today. Good luck!
Great suggestion. I have been meaning to check those out and you've just given me the necessary push!
A frame of mind, and figuring out what's best for you.
I know some people recorded every word of an instructor's lecture, but listening didn't help me. Scribbling notes, then recopying them neatly later was what worked for me (i used my recorder in case i'd missed something to jot down).
You are what you eat. Which means that whatever you eat can also affect you mentally, so avoid caffeine and junk as much as possible.
You have to set some sort of time aside to do something fun or non-school related. This helps to ward off a nervous breakdown.
Find a Study Buddy! I couldn't have made it through Chem: Organic & Inorganic w/o one! Be prepared to meet after class, or meet at lunch. I had a 4wk accelerated class & did it. I had to just focus on passing though... and did w/a C (I recently looked at my transcripts & have just 2 C's on them despite all my drops/withdrawls). (I re-took Math over also) I averaged 12-15 credits a semester. Know your limits! You know yourself better then you think. The hardest thing I ever had to do was drop a History class I was failing miserably in & took Poly Sci in it's place & LOVED it (got an "A")!
Also when taking a test: dump all you know on a blank piece of paper before you even look at the test (it lowers the stress level & helps you to re-focus w/the addition that you have your own "notes" for the exam). I call this "brain dumping." Be sure to ask your professor if you decide to do this though (or write on the back of your test if possible!). Tell him or her that they can have this sheet of paper w/the exam if they express discomfort w/this technique.
I have managed to increase my GPA on exams because of this. And I am less stressed when I take my exams.... all this b/c of one simple piece of paper! Only wd of warning: keep an eye on time. Usually it only takes me an extra 10m. although & I actually SAVE time because I have this resource!
I like what everyone else has said too. Ck some of my other posts for other study techniques. Or PM me & I'll give them to you.
You can do this! Remember: Success w/o failure is not worth it! We all learn something w/every stubbling block we have. I know it, & I have lived it!
Good luck! We can do this!
~MJ
(RN & CNM 2 B)
I forgot about "brain dumping" - I've done that too. If the exam isn't computer scored (with one of those horrible score sheets) I usually just write on the back of the exam or the answer sheet itself. In fact, in my A&P I, we were ENCOURAGED to do this.
I'm famous for doing this with lists - like "name the five" whatevers - because I ALWAYS seem to forget at least one!
Also - mnemonics can be VERY useful - even when they're just ones you make up on your own. I think there's actually a medical mnemonics website!
I made a lot of A's rewriting notes. I would go to class and write down the important stuff, and then recopy them neatly. Something about the recopying help to get it into my head and reinforced what I'd learned. I graduated with a 3.8 though, not a 4.0. :)
I TOTALLY agree! This the main thing that I do and I also have a 4.0
I do not have a 4.o, ony a 3.48...which is a result from slaker workmanship from when I first started college right after high school years and years ago. However, I have a 4.0 on my pre-reqs. I study study study, I eat drink and breath the stuff, even have dreams about school! I never miss class unless I am bleeding out of my eye balls, I even went to class feeling real crummy to discover when I got home that I had a fever of 101.9 (I probably should have stayed home) I make flash cards now that I am in anatomy (my last pre-req) when studying for a test write out all possible questions (my teacher does not use multiple choice what so ever, all test are essay form, 4-6 questions, and in physio one question could take more than a page to answer) and answer them, I then write them over and over and read them out loud until I fully understand it and then do it again.
Try studying for about thirty mins and then taking a five min break.
i forgot my overall gpa, but seem to remember i had about a 3.154 or so my senior 2 semester. i was going full time for 2 semesters, and working pretty much part time. plus all the other 's&%#' the school "decided" to drop on us "as a pilot study." i am not going on for my master's, so.....my main concern was boards!
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I never miss class unless I am bleeding out of my eye balls, I even went to class feeling real crummy to discover when I got home that I had a fever of 101.9 (I probably should have stayed home) I make flash cards now that I am in anatomy (my last pre-req) when studying for a test write out all possible questions (my teacher does not use multiple choice what so ever, all test are essay form, 4-6 questions, and in physio one question could take more than a page to answer) and answer them, I then write them over and over and read them out loud until I fully understand it and then do it again. 
i am not going on for my master's, so.....my main concern was boards! 
KAT NC
25 Posts
I think what he meant by "remember you are smarter than the test" is that you know more than what is reflected in your grade at that given time and on the particular day you were tested. In other words don't take your grade hard or blame yourself if you have prepared yourself for the test. I know a majority of people who did not make it out of the class (A&P II) did not read the material, did not do the extra credit questions (50+ ? for a pt.), which could make the difference by 5pts on a test. You need to know and I mean KNOW the material backwards and forwards especially in A&P. And part of it is test taking skills, knowing what is being asked and being able to pick the best answer out of two correct answers, this comes in handy when taking the RN license exam.
It is all in the preparation and what works for one won't necessarily work for another. One guy hardly came to class and didn't even buy the book (he bought the accompanying resource manual) and made it out with a high B, go figure!
Knowing how you learn best (kinesthetic, auditory, verbal or combination of any) is the key.
Good luck