Overwhelmed: Taking make-up exams over a month after everyone else?

hikernurse · Dec 26, 2008

You've been through an extremely stressful period, no wonder you're not retaining information at this point.

Relax and take it in bits. Review your material often, but for short periods of time. Get lots of rest and eat well. If you can focus on the tests instead of your future in nursing--I know, easy to say from here--that should help, too.

Try index cards, they only hold a finite bit of information and that may seem less overwhelming than pages of powerpoints; writing the info down may help cement it in your mind, too.

I'm glad you'll be OK from your accident and I'm sorry it happened. Be well :).

caliotter3 · Dec 26, 2008

You've been through an extremely stressful period, no wonder you're not retaining information at this point.
Relax and take it in bits. Review your material often, but for short periods of time. Get lots of rest and eat well. If you can focus on the tests instead of your future in nursing--I know, easy to say from here--that should help, too.
Try index cards, they only hold a finite bit of information and that may seem less overwhelming than pages of powerpoints; writing the info down may help cement it in your mind, too.
I'm glad you'll be OK from your accident and I'm sorry it happened. Be well :).

Very good advice. If you find that you can not relax and start to get it together, then your mind might be unconsciously sabotaging you because you won't be physically ready. Do not force yourself to go back if there is any doubt as to your physical readiness. You don't want to hurt yourself and possibly blow your nursing school record. It seems like forever to take the delay, but look at it this way. If you mess yourself up physically or mess up in school, you will be dealing with far worse consequences. Calm down before you start to study again. Either way, you can get through this.

allnurses Guide · Dec 26, 2008

I sometimes get overwhelmed looking at all the stuff I have to know for exams. The only way to do it is to start, and break it down into manageable chunks. I write out my notes, then go through and highlight the important parts and focus on learning those. I try not to memorize things, but to understand the physiology. You can usually guess the signs and symptoms if you understand what's happening underneath the issue.

Bottom line, you can only do what you can do. Worry about things you can control, not maybes. Focus on your makeup exam, and then wait and see how you do before worrying about next semester etc. Good luck.

TessaMae · Dec 26, 2008

Thanks to everyone for their kind words. I have never had issues with preparing for exams before and have always been able to break apart the info into manageable amounts. I know what everyone is saying is true, I need to just focus on the exams. If I complete these two exams I will get credit for the semester vs having to do it all over. I guess I just worry too much! It doesn't help that the accident happened at the college (non-nursing), so I have thoughts racing through my mind that if I have to take time off that the school wont let me back into the program and I have heard that some colleges will not accept nursing transfer credits, plus I like my school and all my professors. Anyway, I will try to focus and get going on my studies.

Thank YOU!!!!!

lovelyladynurse · Dec 26, 2008

Good luck to you.

IM doing a make up exam on Jan 6th....very stressed about it

TessaMae · Dec 26, 2008

Good luck to you.
IM doing a make up exam on Jan 6th....very stressed about it

Good Luck to you too. I find out how I did on the 7th, so at least they wont be keeping me in suspense.

pinkiepie_RN · Dec 31, 2008

I experienced some serious trauma in the middle of October outside of my apartment, right in the middle of my pediatrics rotation. I missed two clinicals and while I didn't miss any regular course exams, I found myself unable to prepare for the final exam on time. I spent a week and a half dealing with police officers and trying to live one moment at a time. By the time the final came around, it had been 3 weeks since my trauma, but I still had a really hard time focusing. My professors were compassionate and allowed me an extra week for the comprehensive final. I ended up in a position similar to yours and I tried my hardest to study a little bit at a time and just focus on my weak spots. I ended up getting an A- in the class because my clinical grades were high and I did well on the first 3 exams, allowing for a little room for error on the final. I also took an exam for my health care policy class two weeks late during the same time period. Again, the best you can do is study how you know best and don't sweat the small stuff. I will say that I was prescribed anxiolytics daily and they also helped calm my nerves. It is really hard to get back into the swing of things after your life is turned upside down, but it is definitely do-able. After all was said and done, I made all A-s this semester. I wish you the very best of luck!

TessaMae · Dec 31, 2008

I experienced some serious trauma in the middle of October outside of my apartment, right in the middle of my pediatrics rotation. I missed two clinicals and while I didn't miss any regular course exams, I found myself unable to prepare for the final exam on time. I spent a week and a half dealing with police officers and trying to live one moment at a time. By the time the final came around, it had been 3 weeks since my trauma, but I still had a really hard time focusing. My professors were compassionate and allowed me an extra week for the comprehensive final. I ended up in a position similar to yours and I tried my hardest to study a little bit at a time and just focus on my weak spots. I ended up getting an A- in the class because my clinical grades were high and I did well on the first 3 exams, allowing for a little room for error on the final. I also took an exam for my health care policy class two weeks late during the same time period. Again, the best you can do is study how you know best and don't sweat the small stuff. I will say that I was prescribed anxiolytics daily and they also helped calm my nerves. It is really hard to get back into the swing of things after your life is turned upside down, but it is definitely do-able. After all was said and done, I made all A-s this semester. I wish you the very best of luck!

Thanks so much for sharing. It helps to here a similar situation...especially one that ends positively. The big day for the first exam is Tuesday, so hopefully it goes well.

pinkiepie_RN · Dec 31, 2008

Thanks so much for sharing. It helps to here a similar situation...especially one that ends positively. The big day for the first exam is Tuesday, so hopefully it goes well.

You're very welcome. I noticed that your exam covers diabetes, HTN, and electrolytes and was wondering if you had an NCLEX review book that might help you prepare with questions and look at the information from a different point of view than just your class notes? I know for me it works well if I'm already partially familiar with the information and just need to get it all sorted out, so to speak. Good luck and keep us posted!

prettypony · Feb 12, 2009

Hi there. I too am a new nursing student. I'm in my first semester. Just reading your story really tugged at my heart. I'm so sorry to hear about everything you're going through. I've thought about so many different things to say to you but they all seem pretty lame at this point. So I'm going to tell you what my dad told me a couple of weeks ago. He simply asked, "Kate, is this really what you want?" I keep hearing him ask me that over and over again. The answer is YES this is what I want. I want to make a difference in as many lives as possible. I want to give people faith that have none or that have lost theirs along the way. More importantly I want people to have faith that they can make a difference. I know this sounds really cheesy but it's so true. The whole world is focused on having hope, but I think we all need to have faith that there is a solution, a way through this maze that we call life. We do need hope too don't get me wrong. Faith is the essence of things hoped for and of things unseen. And we can't see in to the future, or at least I can't, but I know that it's there and I know that it's going to be great. We just have to suffer through this short few years until we reach the end goal. And I know that it will all be worth it in the end. Pleae remember that, that it's worth it. And you're worth it, you're worth all this trouble of picking yourself up time and time again. I know you can do this. Hope this didn't make you mad, I hope that it helps.

~Katie

TessaMae · Feb 12, 2009

Hi there. I too am a new nursing student. I'm in my first semester. Just reading your story really tugged at my heart. I'm so sorry to hear about everything you're going through. I've thought about so many different things to say to you but they all seem pretty lame at this point. So I'm going to tell you what my dad told me a couple of weeks ago. He simply asked, "Kate, is this really what you want?" I keep hearing him ask me that over and over again. The answer is YES this is what I want. I want to make a difference in as many lives as possible. I want to give people faith that have none or that have lost theirs along the way. More importantly I want people to have faith that they can make a difference. I know this sounds really cheesy but it's so true. The whole world is focused on having hope, but I think we all need to have faith that there is a solution, a way through this maze that we call life. We do need hope too don't get me wrong. Faith is the essence of things hoped for and of things unseen. And we can't see in to the future, or at least I can't, but I know that it's there and I know that it's going to be great. We just have to suffer through this short few years until we reach the end goal. And I know that it will all be worth it in the end. Pleae remember that, that it's worth it. And you're worth it, you're worth all this trouble of picking yourself up time and time again. I know you can do this. Hope this didn't make you mad, I hope that it helps.
~Katie

Thank you so much for the kind words. It is so hard sometimes to see beyond the stress and what is happening "in the now". I could have died at my college, I have 2 small kids at home and a wonderful husband. I didn't die but it was harder than I thought it would be to move past that day and focus on all of the things I need to do NOW and try to just have faith it will all work out if it is supposed to. I made it through the course, I didn't score as well as I thought and at first i was really diapointed in myself fr not keeping the A average I had been maintaining but I know that there are more important things - I knew the material my focus was just off, time to move on. I am so enjoying my maternity roatation. I have been blessed with the opportunity to be a part of 2 lady partsl deliveries and one C-section. Having the ulnar nerve damage, my ring and pinkie fingers of my left hand are almost useless and my thumb works a little weird...I am right handed though! The clinical staff at the hospital, school faculty, and classmates have been so supportive and helpful. I am so happy to be here for my family and I love being ther for the patients I work with. Mentally I feel much better now and I hope that physically I see some more improvement in time although I will manage if not. I have my first exam tomorrow, perioperative, normal newborn, normal post partum, CVA, collaborative problems, and antapartum, intrapartum...should be interesting!