Too worried about grades?

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I'm really thinking I'm getting hyper-sensitive about my grades, it bothers me SO much not to get an A and it really isn't necessary . . . to get into my nursing program, they don't even go by grades, other than the fact that a C is required for certain classes, which isn't a problem . . . after that it's first come first served.

I screwed up a problem on a chemistry quiz last night and it is SO bothering me, and I don't think I'm being completely rational about it - I knew the stuff, and I had studied, but my dd is in the hospital and I am exhausted. I only went to the class at all to take this quiz and I'm annoyed that I screwed up. I know one problem doesn't sound like a big deal but there weren't that many questions altogether and it's heavily weighted on this problem, so I might get a C. Quizzes aren't even worth that much in the classes, quizzes and HW combined I think are worth 10% of the grade.

Anyway, I wondered if I'm the only one who is sometimes hypersensitive about grades, unnecessarily.

Kelly

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I wouldnt worry too much about 1 quizz. I can understand you wanting to make A's, as I think we all do. If the college doesnt put pressure on you to make them, I dont think I would make myself sick over it.

Most of the colleges we go to put that pressure on the students in order to get into the program, but we put even more pressure on ourselves.

I know I wont make the grades in nursing school that I have in the pre-requisites, and that will weigh on me a lot, I know.

They require A's in pre-req's, but C's in the nursing program, but I will have to make the adjustment in what I expect of myself. Maybe it wont be as hard as I think.

Good luck to you, and just do the best you can.

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Specializes in LTC, Psych.

Heck NO!

I obsess by going over every syllabus in every class to see how much everything is worth as far as points, then I take my calculator and figure out how many points I can miss and still come off with an A, lol. Oh, and I do this after EVERY grade I receive....over and over. That amounts to about twice a week :rolleyes: Last week I missed 2 questions on my bio test and came home and cried. I ended up with a 102% (thanks to a bonus question) but still, something in me needed to be perfect. Thinking about seeing someone for that.....:roll

My only difference is that grades are everything in my program. Each grade is assigned a point and only the highest points go to clinicals. I wish had advice for you, I don't, but I can tell you this: you are welcome tobe my nurse any day! I'd rather have a neurotic nurse who obsessed over her grades than one that didn't care.

I hope everything is ok with you daughter.

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i obsess over grades too... mostly because if i miss a question that means i didn't know something and i feel like i need to know everything... i don't beat myself up over it though - i eventually remember i'm human and prone to mistakes.

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Hi Kelly,

I certainly don't think you are the only one. I have been that way in my Microbiology class that I'm taking right now...I get upset with myself with the grades I'm getting. I'm a getting a B in the class right now, but I always feel like I should be doing better. Our school only requires a C in the classes as well and doesn't have a minimum GPA for the program, but to me, that doesn't matter...I still want to be doing better!!

I like to get at least a B in a class, but I have gotten a couple C's, but those were online courses and I think that may be why...I wasn't concentrating enough. Those I was upset at myself with. If I can get at least a B, I am usually happy with that.

Don't get too upset with yourself though - I know it's hard because you always think you could have done better, but it happens to all of us...I feel like I freeze during tests. Hang in there!! It'll be just fine!! :monkeydance:

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Specializes in Critical Care: Cardiac, VAD, Transplant.

YEP! That's me. I screwed up my GPA last fall semester with 3 B's and 1 A. I did have a good reason, though. My son was very ill and spent 1 week in PICU and one in a regular room due to new onset type 1 diabetes. Trying to get his condition under control and keep up with the weekly doctor appointments in the first few months plus another child has another medical condition that requires hospitalization several times per yer...just too much for my brain! I still managed to barely keep up the gpa enough to get my scholarships and transfer to another school to start the program. I am getting my gpa back up this semester. For some reason, getting less than an A feels like I am failing and not understanding the material, so I guess I know how you feel.:lol2:

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Specializes in ICU, med/surg.

I strongly believe that in nursing, one has to learn to accept that they don't know everything. On a daily basis you will be confronted with experiences and situations that you don't feel 100% comfortable with due to a lack of knowledge and experience. Furthermore, you will frequently get things wrong...nursing is NOT a black and white profession...everything is "shades of grey."

Overall, what I mean is that if you can't find a way to embrace your limitations as normal, acceptable, and simply a chance to improve, nursing WILL destroy you.

Fortunately, this acceptance of limitations and acknowledgment that one is't perfect can be learnt over time. For me, it wasn't until my last year of my four year degree that I suddenly felt this shift in attitude. Since then, I'm not afraid to say things like, "I don't know," or "That's interesting, can you explain further," or "After further research, I've realized that ____ is actually true," or "I think I could have done that _____ better, will you come with me and give me tips." etc. etc. etc.

LOL.....long answer short.....yes, you're stressing out too much :)

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I think all of us that have that internal impulse to get that perfect score can certainly understand what you are going through. However, I try to remind myself that perfection, whether defined by an A on an exam or in the challenges we face in our daily lives, does not exist. All I can do is prepare myself as best and honestly as I can and always try to do better the next time around. Ya, there are times when I wish I did better, even when I've already gotten an A, but I think perfectionist all think that way – it’s a sickness! Try not to worry too much and spend your energy on the next challenge you’ll face.

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My son was very ill and spent 1 week in PICU and one in a regular room due to new onset type 1 diabetes. Trying to get his condition under control and keep up with the weekly doctor appointments in the first few months plus another child has another medical condition that requires hospitalization several times per yer...just too much for my brain!

Wow, that's rough! They tested my dd for diabetes with this hospitalization and I didn't even want to contemplate the possibility - I know that's a lot, plus another one with a medical condition . . . I'm sure you did great under the circumstances!

Anyway, thanks for all the sympathy - I haven't even gotten the grade yet but it's definitely time now to just put it behind me and focus on the next grade, which is a test in less than a week! Long run, a bad grade on one quiz really isn't going to matter.

Kelly

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Specializes in Med/Surg <1; Epic Certified <1.

My .02 is that if you're not even in a nursing program yet, you'd better get over this quickly!! Maybe your emphasis on this quiz has to do more with sidestepping having to focus on the reality of your child being hospitalized and the emotions involved with that (pop psychology here), but honestly, you're going to have things thrown at you so fast and furious in NS that you won't have a lot of time to obsess...so learn to let go now!!

More importantly for you, since your grades aren't weighted (ours weren't either -- nice, huh?), make sure you know you understand the material. You say you did and that will carry over nicely into NS...that's truly what you need to be taking out of this experience right now. I'm in my second semester and there are some topics I wish had been taught or learned better while I was taking prereqs so I didn't have to spend so much time catching up!!

Best wishes to your daughter and to you as you continue this journey with the rest of us!!

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Specializes in Psych, Tele.

I literally obsess over grades these days!! I feel like everyone is looking over my shoulder and judging every single test grade I make. I received my worst grade of the semester on Tuesday, an 87. I wanted to break down! I wanted to tell my professor that she was wrong and that I was confident that I had done much better. I got over it though, and am now trying to recover...jk. It sucks, but all in all...it's just a stupid number/letter. Too bad that "stupid number" determines my fate!!:uhoh21:

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I received my worst grade of the semester on Tuesday, an 87. I wanted to break down!

LOL, yeah, you're worse than me ;) . I just want an A in the class, I don't have to have an A on every assignment!

As an update - I ended up with an 88, so I was pleasantly surprised. I honestly think the prof went easy on me with the grading - the question was actually worth 9 pts and he gave me 3 - I have NO idea why, I did the problem completely wrong. But I'm not gonna argue about it, I'm happy with my 88 and I still have a strong A overall.

Kelly

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