With all the reading we are giving and expected to memorize, paired with minimal guidance and classroom time, how do they expect us to succeed? 2 classes over a 3 week period followed by a 50 point exam? And if I have a question or don't get it, then what?
I'm just very p.o.ed right now and getting very frustrated/borderline discouraged. All this hard work and I'm getting nothing to show for it expect disappointment and more frustration.
whether you were spoon fed, or learned it independently the end result is the same: you know it, and that's what counts. everyone learns differently
As others have pointed out, it isn't the same. No one is going to spoon-feed you what's wrong with your patient when things start to go south. Nursing school is trying to prepare you cognitively for the heavy burden you're about to find yourself under as a registered nurse. It is entirely on you to notice a change/problem in your patient, put 2 and 2 together and take the appropriate action.
There is way too much that you're going to have to put together as a nurse to excuse yourself with learning style differences and stingy professors. That does a disservice to diligent people everywhere who apply themselves in an honest effort to succeed without complaining or deferring blame.
I think study guides in nursing school would be catastrophic. You may only need to know 50-100 questions worth of material to pass the test, but what about the NCLEX? What about the concepts that will build on the current information later? What about your practice? I'd pass with flying colors, but then you'd find me in the NCLEX forum complaining that I failed the NCLEX 7 times.
I don't think giving out powerpoints is a bad thing. I know some professors prefer not to so students have to come to class, pay attention, and take good notes, but those who really care will do those things no matter what.
I don't think giving out powerpoints is a bad thing. I know some professors prefer not to so students have to come to class, pay attention, and take good notes, but those who really care will do those things no matter what.
Some professors are wary of giving out their PowerPoint because careless students will distribute the file elsewhere and some slides find their way into some stranger's presentation somewhere. If it is just summary of some info from the book, it's not a big deal. But it can be problematic if the slide contained an original research, analysis, stats, etc.
Professors SHOULD share their powerpoints and they should offer study guides. We are paying them to teach us and they should give us tools to be successful. I was in another program (which I left for nursing) and we were given powerpoints, study guides, etc Nothing was hid from us. I am so tired of the gas lighting where people justify professors being stingy with the knowledge. The program would be a heck lot easier if students were given more direction.[/quote']
This mentality here is why you are not succeeding.
Change it.
You are not paying them to give up THEIR notes.
You are paying to LEARN.
First day of my micro class my professor said, "I won't be giving you study guides because you're in real college now." I can't honestly remember the last time a professor handed out a study guide.
Open your textbook and start taking notes. Just do it.
Make an outline. Start with the name of the chapter, continue with the headings throughout the chapter, add the bold words and stuff from diagrams/images/figures, and then fill in the blanks by skimming through the chapter.
Is it a lot? Yeah.
The concepts start to build on one another and the concepts intertwine. For the exams, yes, you need to know it. After the exams, retain the basics. There is a pattern to all of this.
At the end of the first semester, we all feel like we suck. The end of the second, the pieces are more in place and it feels smoother.
But until you adjust that locus of control, you're not going to do any better. You just aren't. You know what you're up against, and the ONLY one responsible for your success is YOU.
ALWAYS ONLY YOU.
If there is literally no tutoring and literally no professor who will help you, then you picked a crappy program. Again, this was in YOUR control and impacts your success by your choosing. I don't say that as an insult but more to say you know what you are dealing with now. Do you stick it out or count your losses?
MAKE THIS CHOICE and stick with it because you can't keep complaining how everything is wrong and how everyone is sabotaging your success. You know where you are now and you either have to commit and move forward with that knowledge or move on to something different. Take responsibility for your decisions and take your actions seriously. Don't keep complaining if you made a bad choice - fix it or do the best you can with it.
We are paying them to teach us therefore it's their job to provide us wit powerpoints, study guides and any other information that will help us understand the information. I seriously do not get why this is a problem. What makes you a better student if you learn with powerpoint/study guides vs not being given anything at all? Why does everyone advocate for making learning so difficult???[/quote']
Emily, you have their powerpoints AND lecture content right in your textbook. Instead of reading PowerPoint, you read your book.
Powerpoints and study guides give you direction. It saves you from retaining a bunch of material that will NOT be on the exam. In my program the professor who gave no powerpoints, no study guides and no reviews for the exam had an incredibly high failure rate, only two students passed! This no spoon feeding method does not work[/quote']
You understand your patients will present with things not on your exam, right?
Let's rephrase that....
Do you want a bedside nurse who streamlined using a study guide, or the nurse who ACTUALLY studied?
Not being spoon fed has made me a better student, seriously! And you know what, I retain the information so much longer, which I am pretty sure is the point.
Nursing school should be hard, we are dealing with people's lives, not just anyone should be doing that! I am a mom, wife, and have a life outside of school, however my priority right now is getting through school. I am doing quite well in my classes (and overall my GPA has gone up!), it is not easy, it takes time which frequently means making sacrifices as well. It's not unusual for me to sit for several hours on my days off and study. It does not come easy for me, I have to work for it, but i want it badly so the effort is worth it. A big key for me is being well organized, I have a planner I write down all my assignments, make to do lists, and use lots of sticky notes. Oh and my house is a mess haha but it'll be clean when I graduate. :)
I'm sorry to say ... but judging based on your persistent need to justify your previous failures, it is evident why you are reaching this point of no return. (Yes... no return).
The bottom line is you are in HIS/HER class and you need to learn how to suck it up and get what you need (both academically and grade-wise). Whether it be comparing notes with friends or even making deals where you get some book info and they provide you some lecture info (if they are good notetakers).
I came back after a few hours and still see that you persist in your denial. Instead of trying to justify yourself to us, should you not be using this time to study or refine your study habits? This thread has provided you with a wealth of advice already.
At this point, after reading all your posts in other threads, and all your responses in this thread, I can see that you are not going to understand what people are trying to tell you.
But, if you don't change your mindset, you won't make it through nursing school. I don't care how justified you think you are, you are wrong! The ideal nursing school you have in your head doesn't exist. If it did, I would not want the graduates from that school taking care of me. Good luck with your future, but I hope it isn't in nursing.
Sorry if I sound mean, but we're all beating a dead horse here.
maybe nursing school isn't for me. im supposed to know what is going to be on the exam with no powerpoint, no note, nothing. great. i'll just look into a different field
maybe nursing school isn't for me. im supposed to know what is going to be on the exam with no powerpoint, no note, nothing. great. i'll just look into a different field
Best of luck to you wherever you end up! I think this decision is without question for the best.
SoldierNurse22, BSN, RN
4 Articles; 2,058 Posts
As others have pointed out, it isn't the same. No one is going to spoon-feed you what's wrong with your patient when things start to go south. Nursing school is trying to prepare you cognitively for the heavy burden you're about to find yourself under as a registered nurse. It is entirely on you to notice a change/problem in your patient, put 2 and 2 together and take the appropriate action.
There is way too much that you're going to have to put together as a nurse to excuse yourself with learning style differences and stingy professors. That does a disservice to diligent people everywhere who apply themselves in an honest effort to succeed without complaining or deferring blame.