" Evening students do better on exams then day students" ?

goodstudentnowRN · Feb 26, 2009

It is my belief that teachers are more lenient on evening srudents because both students and teachers are usually tired from doing work in the days. On the other hand day students have more time to study and thus do better in exams.

NurseLoveJoy88, ASN, RN · Feb 26, 2009

It is my belief that teachers are more lenient on evening srudents because both students and teachers are usually tired from doing work in the days. On the other hand day students have more time to study and thus do better in exams.

They may be more leinent... not on exams though. We all test toghether and have the same exam.

Blueorchid, ASN, RN · Feb 26, 2009

Well, on one hand the evening students aren't getting up to take classes and exams at 8 and 9 in the morning. No matter how you look at it, there will still be that population of students in those morning classes that stay up till all hours of the night and try and drag themselves through an exam the next day (or sometimes the day of). I for one prefer night classes simply because I don't have to wake up in the morning and "perform!" to get a grade, it just might be "perform!" for work (which is equally as important but somehow not as terrifying).

On the other hand if you're coming from a 9-5 job straight into nursing school and you're studying all night after classes that can be just as draining. But I know I've personally managed to squeeze in a few extra study minutes during lunch and breaks at work so it might be that the information is kept in your head longer. Personally I'm looking forward to the possibility of night classes since I think we go to the same school so thanks for the heads up

llg, PhD, RN · Feb 26, 2009

This is actually a good question to use as an example to teach critical thinking. Why might the evening students have done better on this particular exam?

Here's another possible explanation:

Could it be that the evening studens are older ... or have kids ... and therefore have more general knowledge and experience in the area of OB? Could it be that they came into the class with more knowledge and/or interest in the topic because of their previous life experiences and that higher starting point gave them an advantage?

Asking these kinds of questions, considering ALL of the possibilities from all angles, etc. is what forms the basis of good research.

NurseLoveJoy88, ASN, RN · Feb 26, 2009

well, on one hand the evening students aren't getting up to take classes and exams at 8 and 9 in the morning. no matter how you look at it, there will still be that population of students in those morning classes that stay up till all hours of the night and try and drag themselves through an exam the next day (or sometimes the day of). i for one prefer night classes simply because i don't have to wake up in the morning and "perform!" to get a grade, it just might be "perform!" for work (which is equally as important but somehow not as terrifying).
at my cc, day and evening students take the exam all at one time which is 5:30 pm. we are all taking the same exam at the same time which is in the evening. so that doesn't apply to our day students.

NurseLoveJoy88, ASN, RN · Feb 26, 2009

this is actually a good question to use as an example to teach critical thinking. why might the evening students have done better on this particular exam?
here's another possible explanation:
could it be that the evening studens are older ... or have kids ... and therefore have more general knowledge and experience in the area of ob? this isn't true because the instructor asked us in the beggining of the class how many of us had kids and the majority of us did not have children... including myself.could it be that they came into the class with more knowledge and/or interest in the topic because of their previous life experiences and that higher starting point gave them an advantage? most of us in the evening don't have kids so we came in blindly !
asking these kinds of questions, considering all of the possibilities from all angles, etc. is what forms the basis of good research.

it is fun to try and figure this out though

AllisonLP · Feb 26, 2009

I have gotten this comment in MANY classes at my university and at the cc. some instructors have clearly stated that they believe this is because the average age of evening students is higher and that many are professionals. Additionally that on average they are more mature and have finished with whatever social things (parties, drinking, whatever) might get in the way of the success of of a younger, early class taking student.

I have to say, my experiences totally back this up! I seriously prefer later classes because of the student population. I have always been one of the youngest in my evenings classes ( not just nursing, across many disciplines) and I prefer the atmosphere. I don't like gossipy drama queens loudly talking about how they got drunk last night and aren't sure who they slept with (true story) or someone so immature they need to argue with the prof during class time instead of office hours. I just find much less of this in later classes and with older students in general.

That being said, I have also gotten the total bull crap "you're so young, you don't have kids, just wait, you'll see how hard it is" stuff that really makes me angry. I do have kids, I worked and went to school both FULL TIME but because I didn't use my kids as an excuse for poor performance like some, it was assumed I did not have these responsibilities.

Allison

ParkerBC,MSN,RN, PhD, RN · Feb 27, 2009

Do you suppose classmates in the day class have friends who attend the evening class? If so, then perhaps they care discussing with their friends the questions on the test. There was another poster who mentioned that all students take their exams at the same time. I think that is wise. In my school, there are different cohorts, meaning there are several lecture times. I have overhead students discussing the test with other students who haven’t taken the exam yet. They don’t tell the answers, but they do paint a nice picture for the student who has not taken the exam of what to study. Either way, it’s unethical. Maybe the same thing is happening within your program.

ChristineN, BSN, RN · Feb 27, 2009

At my alma mater, evening students were known for scoring higher, and (being an evening student for two semesters prior to transferring to daylight), I believe it was partially do to the fact that evening students had 16 week classes, whereas daylight students had only 8 weeks to study the same material. Even if you're working full-time, 16 weeks gives you alot more time to study.

amjowens · Feb 27, 2009

My school has three options, A-morning, B-afternoon/evening/online, and C-evening. I'm choosing option B because I am now an LPN, and want to do my classes online (do have clinicals at hospitals).

During my pre-req RN courses and LPN classes, I tended to have day classes. Though I didn't work at the time, I did notice more of the traditional college style going on during the day-more focused on things other than class related. Not everyone, but a tendency. In the evening, even though all ages, there is a tendency of more of a focus on purpose. So much so that people don't seem as friendly/social, but I've learned to respect the dedication and clarity of goals. Nursing, unlike most majors, requires dedication in a way that's beyond the studying. I think you can over-study in nursing, too, and miss the critical thinking. The day people TEND not to work, and have more time to study, but nursing is more about the wisdom stuff (yeah, still got to study) rather than memorizing every detail of a book.

mrs.dalibra · Feb 27, 2009

Wow! I hope that's true:yeah:! If so, that is encouragement for this night student. I work full time and have a husband and 3 kids. Most nights I go straight from work to school:cry:. My study time is limited, but I make the most of it. I work with a few nursing instructors, I will ask them their opinion on this topic.