Would you debate this exam?

LMRN10 · Jun 28, 2007

Well, in my opinion, it couldn't hurt to try! I have heard of that happening before...professors saying you don't have to study something but it ends up on the test. In all reality, those 16 points could have increased your grade dramatically!

If you think it is worth it, as far as your final grade goes, then I don't think it's a horrible idea. But that is completely up to you! Good luck!!! Hope it works out!

AnnieOaklyRN, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Jun 28, 2007

I'm taking Anatomy and Physiology I and to day is my last day.
I got a 76 on my last exam....it didn't seem to cover the material I expected it to, so when I got my exam back I went through it to find out if it was really "off" or if I just didn't study enough.
The exam was on muscles and nerves...my concern was the muscle questions that made up 50% of the exam.
Our teacher, told us that there would be NO detailed location questions on the exam...because that was what the LAB PRACTICAL was going to be for. He told us to be familiar with the Latin roots of the words, how they were named, the shapes, physiology, and if he mentioned a muscle and asked us if it was going to be in the arm, leg...just very general.
That was NOT the exam we got.
Example was "The ____ is a muscle that connects to he calcaneal tendon"
Answers were: Coccygeus, Lilopsoas, Gluteus medius, Gastrocnemis
What he told us..was that we would be able to figure out the answer if we knew how the muscle was named and SPECIFICALLY told us that for the exam, we did NOT need to know where all the muscles were located, what they were attached to...that was going to be on the Lab Practicum. You can't do that from the answers given.
There were 16 points worth of questions like this...and I missed every one of them...because my lab practicum isn't until today, and you would have had to have had everything for the lab practicum finished in order to do well on the muscle portion of this exam.
He is always telling us he will never test us on the same thing twice...but isn't that what he is doing?
This is the only exam that he has given that I have an issue with, and so far we have had 9 exams.
I don't have an issue with a professor saying nothing b/c to me, the book is fair game...but when a professor is very specific on what will and will not be on an exam, and then what you get isn't even close...doesn't ring kosher.

Hi,

You can try, but you may not get to far. Just learn from this and study everything you can and remember don't study just because it will be on the test, study because you will need this knowledge to fully understand why you are doing something to someone as a nurse.

Swtooth

DesertRain · Jun 28, 2007

Awe man, that sucks! I would say something. Is there anyone else in your class that had the same problem that can verify with you that he said that and then went against his word? Hopefully there is, there is power in numbers right? We had a situation like this in our A&P class for a certain test, and all but 3 of the 20 people in my class went to complain and the teacher started denying what he said....in the end it was his word against ours and he won his way...BUT---I specifically went to the head of the department and said something and he gave me some half points because something I said made sense and he believed me. So it's worth to try, you never know, in the end those points could be the difference between an A and a B, you know what I mean? Let us know what happens!

justme1972 · Jun 28, 2007

Well, I went to talk to the professor after class, and I was very, very careful with my words (as he had not graded my final nor my lab practicum)...and he was a total a-hole about it.

I started the conversation out saying I had some questions, that I wasn't trying to pick the test apart..but just wanted to see why I missed so many and when I reviewed my notes, I noticed the descrepancy.

Well, I was extremely polite, and then mid-conversation (after him being extremely sarcastic and actually laughed at me), he just walked away from me and started packing his things. That was so rude.

I said, "Mr ___, please don't be offended, I just felt I needed to bring this to you, because I really have enjoyed the class."....which was a lie, but I was going for ego here.

He DIDN'T EVEN LOOK AT ME, and just kept on packing his things. I just gathered my books and left. He didn't say anything.

I wasn't ticked before, but I sure am now. I mean, he got laid off from his full-time job in the Spring, so he HAD to work this summer...but why take out his personal problems on the class?

Ladypie · Jun 28, 2007

Yuck, I am appalled at your professor's response. Can you go to the dept head with this? I wouldn't worry about ticking him off too much now- he is already showing that he is defensive.

And I wouldn't worry about ramifications for other classes. If this was a nursing course, I would say "no way, don't rock the boat"- but I don't see how this professor could adversely affect your clinicals. When you are done with him, you are done with him. Try to get the best grade you think you deserve.

Good luck with it.

justme1972 · Jun 30, 2007

Yuck, I am appalled at your professor's response. Can you go to the dept head with this? I wouldn't worry about ticking him off too much now- he is already showing that he is defensive.
And I wouldn't worry about ramifications for other classes. If this was a nursing course, I would say "no way, don't rock the boat"- but I don't see how this professor could adversely affect your clinicals. When you are done with him, you are done with him. Try to get the best grade you think you deserve.
Good luck with it.

This is actually a different school than where I am going to have my nursing program.

I agree..if this was a nursing class, I wouldn't have brought it up at all...I have learned one thing from reading these boards, unless it means you failing, you have to bite your lip and keep on going.

I ended up with a B for the term. I bombed my final because it was over three chapters and we covered them in 3 days...he ran behind and there wasn't enough time to give us study time in between, not along with the lab practical final....which I KNEW I could nail (and I did), and it required far less study time...so I had to prioritize.

I guess I should be happy with my B, but I really could have got an A.

He had never taught summer before, so he didn't know how to do the pace of the course.

cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN · Jun 30, 2007

Normally, I say dont' bother. But in light of how he acted when you went to him, I would definitely bring this up to his bosses.

It was totally unprofessional.