Please help? First test results ...

[Pinky16]

Hello everyone!

So today, I received the results for my first fundamentals exam .. a rough 77.27%. 77% is the passing grade so as you can see, I just barely passed by a hair.

I'm just so down about it .. one the one hand I am really happy just to have passed my first nursing test. But at the same time, it makes me wonder if I can really do this, which upsets me because I want this so badly; nursing is my heart and passion and what I want to do with my life.

My reason for posting is, can anyone give me some tips on studying/note taking? What do you do that helps? I know that everyone is different, I just want some input as to things that I can try and see if it helps me.

We just have so much reading, and I feel that a lot of the reason I did so poorly is because I don't feel like I really retained anything that I read.

Thanks! :)

[~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN]

I would never beat myself up for the first test in a class. You don't know what to expect, how the instructors exams will be and so on. Review your test and see where you went wrong. Meet with the instructor and see if they can tell you where you went wrong. You can also get some NCLEX style books to help you practice these types of questions and stuff.

[anonymousstudent]

First tests are SO HARD. I honestly had the most difficult time in Fundamentals. I hear it's *easy* at some schools, but not at mine! Sit down with your Prof. and review your test. Some will be clear to you why you missed them, and some will need explaination. One of my methods is that I take a look at all of the content assigned and I categorize it based on importance in clinical practice. My teachers focus HEAVILY on application. I am almost never asked for point blank answers. You need to figure out what's important, and then figure out how it might come up on a test. But that's crazy hard to do your first quarter, and it's sink or swim, especially if you're not super familiar with the field.

Good luck to you, I feel your pain. I was in your shoes a while ago. Chin up and trudge through it, the material gets harder but you'll learn the testing game in no time.

[keldel]

Don't be too hard on yourself. It takes a while to get used to taking tests in nursing school. I'm a senior graduating in February. I agree with the reading part, it's a lot. What I do is I make notes while I'm reading. Yes it takes a while but it's worth it. Don't give up if nursing it what you want to do go for it!!! I failed med surge before just by a couple points, and I was so down I quit school for like 2 years...went back and now I'm almost finished!!! It can be overwhelming but just hang in there!!!

[DCoffill, ASN, RN]

i just got an a on my first test. i was getting a lot of advice from seniors, they said there was no way to get as, no way to do all the reading ect. while i asked them what their ns gpa was. they were all just getting by with the lowest possible score to pass. i talked to the one girl who has an a and she said she reads everything and takes note while doing so. i took her advice and read every page assigned and i typed a chapter outline as i went along. i then brought my outline to class to take my notes on and highlighted points the teachers stressed on, that night i would pull up the file and add any new notes the teachers touched on starred the things the teachers focused on. it's a lot of work but i feel it's a necessary evil to get those high as. i also suggest getting prentice halls review and rationales for fundamentals and davis fundamentals success. both books are incredibly help full and loaded with fundamentals nclex question that you can't find in the big nclex books. good luck!

[sunshiny]

Plain and simple, the more time you spend with the material, the more it will become familiar to you. Read, study, copy your notes, outline the chapters, make flashcards, google things. Each time you see the information in a new format, your brain creates a new "entry".

I would also get one of the Test Taking Skills books for nursing. I like the Saunders one because it is geared to both students and the NCLEX tests.

Doing as many practice questions as you can will help retrain your brain to think and react like a nurse.

[LuckyinKY]

i just got an a on my first test. i was getting a lot of advice from seniors, they said there was no way to get as, no way to do all the reading ect. while i asked them what their ns gpa was. they were all just getting by with the lowest possible score to pass. i talked to the one girl who has an a and she said she reads everything and takes note while doing so. i took her advice and read every page assigned and i typed a chapter outline as i went along. i then brought my outline to class to take my notes on and highlighted points the teachers stressed on, that night i would pull up the file and add any new notes the teachers touched on starred the things the teachers focused on. it's a lot of work but i feel it's a necessary evil to get those high as. i also suggest getting prentice halls review and rationales for fundamentals and davis fundamentals success. both books are incredibly help full and loaded with fundamentals nclex question that you can't find in the big nclex books. good luck!

i do the same thing almost, i type outlines as i read. i like the idea of bringing them to class and adding notes. i also have been collecting nclex guides and studying rationales.

[Pinky16]

Thanks everyone! I've gotten a lot of good advice from you all, and I'm going to start using it ASAP! Although I was pretty down about my test grade, I do agree that nursing school tests are WAY different than other tests I have taken in the past ... I also went back several times and began second guessing myself which led to changing answers and I WON'T be doing that again! :smackingf

Thanks so much to everyone! Your advice has helped a lot! =)

[~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN]

Thanks everyone! I've gotten a lot of good advice from you all, and I'm going to start using it ASAP! Although I was pretty down about my test grade, I do agree that nursing school tests are WAY different than other tests I have taken in the past ... I also went back several times and began second guessing myself which led to changing answers and I WON'T be doing that again! :smackingf

Thanks so much to everyone! Your advice has helped a lot! =)

Yes do not change the answers unless you are 100% sure you marked it wrong or if a later question confirms a different answer was correct. Anytime I changed answers I ended up changing to the wrong ones except in those times. I do my test, go back and make sure I bubbled all correctly and turn it in, unless I stared a few to go back to.

[kimw1234]

i had the same problem. eventually, i came to the conclusion that i had to learn the material in an "nclex" way. in other words, when i study a particular subject i would focus on the nursing implications, and try to see how the information relates to the person as a whole. not sure if i am making sense. example:

learning about a client with diabetes. what are the nursing concentrations? what do i need to watch out for if this client comes to me? what is going on in the body of a client with diabetes? how does all of this relate to what i need to watch out for as a nurse.

i hope that helps.