Trick Test

futurenurseya33 · Sep 19, 2011

I have to say that i'm very surprised at that. Is this your first semester of nursing? I'm in my first semester and just took my first test today. So far all the instructors seem so happy to help you with everything. There are unlimited resources that are there to help you study. I would think the program really wants everyone to do well and would not stoop to trickery.

Double-Helix, BSN, RN · Sep 19, 2011

I've had tests similar, where a lot of the material wasn't specifically discussed in class. However, it's not a trick.

You'll find in nursing that there is way too much information to learn and it cannot be all discussed during class time. So you instructors will lecture on what they can, but they will also expect that you will take responsibility for your own learning. If they assign chapters to read in the text, you are expected to read them and to know the material come test time. If you expect to pass the tests without reading the book and just listening to lectures, you are going to fail. Period. This is nursing school. Instructors aren't there to spoon feed you the material that will be on the tests. If you want to get a good grade, it's your responsibility to put in the work outside of the classroom. Read and re-read. Do the practice questions in the book. Use the online website resource if your book has one. Use the study guide associated with your book. It's your education.

Sounds harsh, but this is nursing school and that's the way it is. You're not in high school anymore.

bols27 · Oct 1, 2011

I haven't been in high school for 11 years. In fact, I am 6 hours short of a degree in Biology and had a successful career as a Finance Manager. I know how to study, I know how to learn, and I chose nursing school over med school when both were options. I don't expect to be spoon fed but I do expect instructors to instruct and at the very least give direction as to where we should find the material that they deem to be important. As an update, I just finished my final today and completed the class with an A DESPITE the terrible instruction. I will tell you one thing, I had no idea that nursing meant over complicating simple material and constantly trying to prove how different nursing is from anything else in the world.

SeeTheMoon · Oct 1, 2011

I haven't been in high school for 11 years. In fact, I am 6 hours short of a degree in Biology and had a successful career as a Finance Manager. I know how to study, I know how to learn, and I chose nursing school over med school when both were options. I don't expect to be spoon fed but I do expect instructors to instruct and at the very least give direction as to where we should find the material that they deem to be important. As an update, I just finished my final today and completed the class with an A DESPITE the terrible instruction. I will tell you one thing, I had no idea that nursing meant over complicating simple material and constantly trying to prove how different nursing is from anything else in the world.

AMEN to "over complicating simple material!" And their need to separate nursing from all other professions.

This is exactly what I have been trying to express, and you used great words to do so. To me, it's almost pretentious. But I do understand, they are just trying so hard to prove to the world that nursing is not just wiping fannies and " yes sir, right away doctor."

SnMrsSmiley · Oct 1, 2011

make good use of your syllabus. Make sure that you are studying the objectives for each chapter that are listed on the syllabus and read the chapters thouroughly. and excuse my spelling too cause im worn out and too exhausted to hit the backspace key to correct myself. Its really hard to get all that information into the lectures and they do expect alot of independent reading and researching. I spend alot of time going through our power points and digging deeper into the the things that we skipped over or skimmed over. Its made a big difference during test time. I havent had a question on a test yet that was foreign to me yet some of my classmates claim that the tests are on material we never covered. Im not saying you arent studying hard just that you can try to expand a little more and see if that helps you with the next test. Good luck!! :)

allnurses Guide · Oct 1, 2011

We are frequently tested on material not covered in class, but we were told at the beginning of the semester it would be that way due to the massive volume of info and relative lack of class time comparatively.

morte, LPN, LVN · Oct 1, 2011

I am thinking that some of the responders need to more carefully read the OP. It was clearly stated that all reading and lecture notes were studied. and some things were slide by with the "that will be covered later"

That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B · Oct 1, 2011

Our teacher gave us the wrong test one time. But she said we did so good on it we could keep the grade if we wanted to or take the real test.

Clovery · Oct 1, 2011

Almost the same thing happened with my first test yesterday. My instructor had to cancel a class so she completely skipped over some topics saying "This isn't on your test so we're going to skip it for now. I want to make sure I cover everything that's on the test." She also gave us a review sheet with about 30 topics. And she gave us time to ask questions, answering with "all you need to know about this for the test is ____." Now maybe I was wrong to assume that if I knew everything on the review sheet, I'd be okay. But some of the topics she skipped over in lecture ended up on our test.

She really gave everyone a false sense of security going into this test. Everyone got the impression that she told us all of the topics we needed to study, and once you had them memorized you were good to go. I'm fine with the instructor telling us "the syllabus is your review" or "anything in the assigned chapters is fair game for the test." That's what it was like in our Fundamentals class and since we're in the second semester, everyone obviously passed. But by giving us a review sheet and skipping topics in class, she really threw us off.

I got an 88, so I can't complain too much. But I really wanted to get an A. I'm sure students have already emailed her and complained about this (personally I wouldn't) so there's a chance she might throw some questions out. Still... when I sat down to take that test and saw topics on it that I didn't bother studying, I instantly went into panic mode.

kalyani · Oct 1, 2011

Wow, it sounds like you are going to my school!

Something similar happened to me. My school leaves us in the dark about everything. The handouts tell us to read the wrong chapters and the study guides have wrong answers on them, etc.

And like you, I don't expect to be spoon fed either. I have a degree in something else, I've worked in some very prominent hospitals, and haven't been in high school in almost 25 years so I'm not some stupid lazy kid.

Some schools are just hiding under "Nursing school is hard" so they never have to update their handouts or teach the curriculum.

mschris · Oct 1, 2011

So I am partly venting and partly just curious. Has anyone ever studied their buns off for a test, including all of the reading and lecture notes only to have them hand you a test on the day of and find out that it was entirely comprised of material that was not covered in any way whatsoever? Some of said material was actually intentionally skipped and it was stated that "we would learn more about that down the road so don't waste time learning it now."
I feel have never felt so much like I was being punked in my life.
Opinions....stories....comments....

I know how you feel. I'm taking anatomy and physiology this semester. Last week I took my first lecture and lab exam. I "studied my buns off"! I know the stucture of the heart and vessels very well. I've been waiting my grade still Wednesday and was expecting an A, nothing less than a B, because the material that was on the exam, thankfully, was exactly what I'd been studying! Finally, the prof entered our grades on blackboard, mine a failing one! WT heck! :eek:

I'm totally freaking out right now! The only thing I can think of is that either he took points from me for writing the full work "vein" and/or "artery", for example, instead of just writing "v." or "a.". I know my spelling isn't perfect but it's not that bad either (I may be off by a letter or two in which he said is ok). Plus, I practiced spelling those words so I knew how to spell over 95% of them.

Without a shadow of doubt, I know that material fully! So I'm really feeling punked too.