Should I be expelled?

[casurfer]

I am a rn student. Before my final exam, I went through my books, cd, and notes and I made myself a study guide and I included test questions that I remembered from previous tests along with a whole lot of other info.. There was alot of test questions that I got wrong. I studied that weekend with a friend.I then asked my teacher if I could look at the previous tests to see why I answered those tests questions wrong. She said okay and said that the questions on the final would be different from the previous tests. She was in the room at all times while I was previewing the tests. I made myself a study guide based upon information.While in a study group, I shared my information along with everything else.We all remembered a lot of test questions and they wanted a copy of my notes b/c they were to the pont. I was called into the office and the director and teacher said that one of the students said that I copied down the test. This is not true b/c the teacher was in the room at all times. They said that my notes were in chronilogical order, this was plagerism, and I stated that it would make sense that they were b/c I took down notes from her study guides. They did not believe me and was going to expell me but insted they dropped my grade letter. They said if I do anything else at all, they were going to expel me. I'm I wrong b/c this is how students study. They remember what is on the test and use that for a reference. If I thought it was wrong, why would I pass out my study guide? Please let me know what I should do? Thank you.

[WDWpixieRN, RN]

It's a shame because what you have done sounds like a terrific idea (wish I had thought of that 3 semester ago, lol), but it sounds like caution is the word of the day. If someone gets sour grapes because you did well on a test, who knows how they might construe what you've done.

I think discretion is the important point here....if you truly trust your study buddies, then it might not be a problem....but if you've got some strugglers in your group who will be jealous if you do well, I'd keep the "special" notes to yourself....

[ncoli123]

now I feel as though i should shred them..

[shann106]

[i don't know, but when we went in to review previous tests, we were not allowed to make any notes at all. No pen or pencil could even be in sight./QUOTE]

We are not allowed pens, pencils, paper, cell phones etc when reviewing the test and they watch us like a hawk while we are reviewing it.

I think you should appeal, there is no proof you did anything wrong and you definately do not deserve to have your grade lowered for trying to be a better student and sharing your study notes/tips with others

[NurseBrittney]

man what I would have done to go to a school where we could write down something, anything, about the tests... I think we may have actually signed a policy saying we wouldn't share the questions or something along those lines.

Our school has a test bank. If they were to let us take home the tests that would basically allow us to give the answers to our underclassmen.

Wow half credit for rationals after missing them on the test? I would have an A and there would be many more nurses graduating with me next month.

I am confused by what OP says she did... did you write anything while doing test review?

[NY-RN_Kay]

What's I've learned in nursing school so far, even though it is my first semester, is that some students can be very JEALOUS and some like to FEED off other students. That's why I keep studying to myself or my other two close friends. Some students can be just so evil!!!

But in my school, we do test review. They give you back you own exam, the professor does a review, but you're not allowed to have a pen or paper to take notes and then you give back your exam at the end of the review

[Marie-SC]

I don't know why you would be expelled for that. In my micro class, as soon as a test was over we were dismissed. I would take a highlighter and highlight everything in my notebook that was on the test. Then make a study guide for the final exam. In my study group after the test we could easily recall all of the questions (between the 10 of us). It sounds to me like they are just ****** b/c now they have to re-create a new final because they were planning on using questions from the previous test.

[PiedPiperRN]

I don't think that she took notes from the tests themselves, but from the studyquides as she stated. She was remembering content from the past tests. I've been out of school for a couple months now and can still remember some test questions from my first semester!

A similar thing happened to me, except that I asked a student who had taken the same class the previous semester for study tips. It was a fluid/electolyte exam, and she told me to look closely at uncompensated imbalances. I passed this bit of info to the rest of the students. The next thing I knew, the dean was reporting that the test had been "compromised". I feel that when students find a way to "cheat" the system, this ticks off the instructors even the study habit is inovating and practical. Moral: don't tick off your professors or do something that appears smarter then them. I have never seen an ego like the ego of a nursing teacher.

[kittykatty]

VirgoRN said, "We're allowed to take notes at test review. We can write the general concept of the question, but not the question word for word. Our instructors actually write many of the test questions, and we are allowed to challenge them in writing."

That's the way it was in my nursing school too and right after the test we would all get together and remember as many test questions that we could--usually word for word--I know because I was always the one that wrote them down because I could NEVER remember 1 question even if it was 2 minutes after I handed the test in--just a mental block I guess.

Anyway by the time we reviewed and challenged some of the questions with the instructors our study group was really prepared for the final. Not that we got any of the same questions but by final time we knew how they thought.

Our instructors did not use test banks--they made up the questions and they were hard--so hard that when NCLEX came along only 3 people out of 55 had to retake the test. 3 out of 5 in our study group graduated with honors--me included and I have to say it is because our instructors were the best--they were brutally hard--like being in military school--no whining allowed--you took your beating and liked it--but if you challenged them and could prove your point they gave it to you--and they didn't whine about it. I LOVED nursing school.

[MammaNurse2Be]

I am very cautious about who I study with or who I share notes etc. They didn't expel you but gave you a warning. I would just lay low and follow the rules to the T.

[morte, LPN, LVN]

my perception is that they know they screwed up...and are hoping they can mollify you with this trade....

[goodstudentnowRN]

hmmm...nursing colleges are filled with politics and egos. I hope I can make a difference one day as a nursing instructor.