Struggling new student, Advice?

Cupcake89121 · Apr 26, 2012

Stop stressing yourself out and learn how to accept that an 80% is GREAT! (good job!) and a perfectly acceptable score. It's your first test in nursing school! Don't be so hard on yourself. When you become an RN nobody is going to care that you got an 80 on your nursing fundamentals test. I understand that you're disappointed because you put a lot of effort into it, but if you know that you did your best well, then that's all you can be expected to do. Obviously your best is enough to meet the higher testing standards set for us nursing students.

Go to your teacher, ask him/her for any tips for the next time, learn from the mistakes you made, and move on. As long as you learn what you did wrong and then apply that knowledge in the future, you have been successful. That's not just for tests -- that's in life. If you want to grab an extra book to study from I highly recommend the Prentice Hall Reviews & Rationales series. They are a great way to focus your studying and test review.

blackflower19 · Apr 26, 2012

I did fundamental last semester and it was not an easy class for me either ! I honestly stop try to get A once i started nursing school cause when I didn't I would beat myself up. After all the stress I just wanted to pass my classes to my final semester which am getting ready to start this summer ! I don't know what ur pass grade is for ur school but ours was a 75 and if ur getting an 80 ur on the right track ! Study and go over the test with ur instructor to see which question u got wrong to get the rational for their answers . That helped me . Good luck with ur classes !

Ayala · Apr 26, 2012

Pete - You are a strong person. If you are into "affirmations" think of some and say them every day. Tape them to your bathroom mirror, put them on the fridge door, etc. I chant to myself "I am happy, I am healthy, I handle stress well." (In the car or when I'm running, not in public.)

I got put on probation for failing the clinical part of fundamentals. (Open gloving - my nemesis.) But I fought like a tiger to get readmitted. I've had just about every bad thing that can happen to a person happen to me in my first year. I'm still in the game, and I never realized how strong I really am. Plus, this blog is a life-saver. And I'm not just referring to the pep talks posters here give (although such postings are blessings.) Some of the analytical and critical posters have helped me the most.

It's a mind game, at least in my school. I refuse to let anyone get to me. What am I going to do if a patient is failing or I get flustered and stressed when I'm a nurse? Do I give up? Do I throw in the towel? Do I walk away? Heck no!

Keep on keeping on and find your inner strengths. Don't compare yourself to others. (And some people walk around acting as if they don't have self doubts. Wrong! They all do.)

You never know what things you can overcome. The fact that you came here and asked for help tells me you have it in you carry on.

I look forward to your post when you graduate. You go, guy!

Ayala

PS: I just turned 60. If I can do it so can you, and never let anyone tell you otherwise. I'm rooting for you.

pc2801 · Apr 27, 2012

First get a study buddy or a study group. I had a classmate that failed her test right before spring break. She had only been doing low B's on all the previous tests and wanted to drop out of nursing school. With meeting with a study group once and myself one on one a week later she got an A on the very next test. She just passed the course today. I was her cheerleader, and she told me I changed her life. I don't know about that, but I know that by studying with her, I learned things I hadn't remembered from just reading the book and did better on that test myself.

I highly recommend the Davis Success series, I owned Test Success for my fundamentals course and borrowed Fundamentals Success from the library a couple times. I just purchased the one for my psych course which I start in 2 weeks. It takes some time to get used to the test questions becuase there are distracters and more right/less right answers. First you have to narrow your choices down, but then how do you pick the right answer? Airway, Breathing, Circulation. Nursing process. Maslow's. Remember those and you'll know which answer to pick.

lalopop86 · Apr 27, 2012

First of all, like the above said, don't get down on yourself for an 80% on your first test. Nursing school is tough, and you don't have time for negative self-talk. You never know what to expect on the first test because it is all new to you. I too recommend getting in a study group but make sure they are people who are going to stay focused and are as motivated as you. If you don't do well in study groups, I highly recommend comparing your notes after class with 1 or 2 other people. I don't study well with other people unless we are strictly reviewing so I used this method in my Fundamentals class and it has worked well- you never know is someone caught something you missed when you were writing or accidentally spacing I would also recommend purchasing multiple NCLEX practice books and practicing questions because as one of my instructors told us- "there are only so many ways you can ask a question." It takes practice because nursing school is a whole different ball game and the tests are completely different from anything you've done before (like I have to tell you that...). When I take tests, I try to treat every answer as a T/F question. It usually helps narrow it down to 1 or 2 answers.