Errors in Preparing for an Exam

I went to talk to my community health professor (you should always do this when you don't get a good grade on a test and you don't know exactly why) to analyze my test. Actually my friend and usual study partner went with me, so I'm going to tell you both of our errors when it came to this exam:

1. I read every article assigned and could have answered multiple questions on any of them. The problem was that she asked ONE friggin question about these (oh 10 or so) articles! It was such a waste of time in that these classes are only 6 weeks long, only 2 tests determine your grade, and all tests are only multiple choice. You really don't have time to study stuff that won't be tested. I should have spent more time on the lecture material. but how would I have known this? I asked her before the exam if we would be tested over the articles and she said yes. But as I was studying the lecture material I thought, this is so much information...the test is only 50 questions...the first thing the teacher would avoid on this exam are the articles because they don't produce multiple choice questions as easily. I thought all of that out, but then told myself that I was over-thinking my strategy! LOL I should've stuck with my gut!

2. Almost all the questions I missed came from one lecture. So, there was one lecture that I just didn't study enough...don't know how that happened really, I study them all the same length of time...now I gotta figure out what it was about that lecture. Maybe I was glossing over the definitions or something...

3. The other questions I missed were just tricky questions. Twice I had the right answer and changed it. Go with your gut, I guess.

4. My friend got mixed up on some definitions...like the difference between community-based nurses, public health nurses, and community health nurses...easy to do because they're so close and for some of the definitions it seems that only one thing separates them and if you don't know that one thing, you're screwed. Pay attention to the nuances between definitions that sound strikingly similar.

5. About objectives. Objectives are a mixed bag. Professors think they are really doing something when they give objectives, but sometimes their objectives pretty much tell you to know everything. Objectives that do not narrow down the study material are useless, I wish they would get that. Also, there were questions on the exam that were clearly NOT on the objectives, and when someone mentioned this to her she said "Oh, yeah I see that." WTF?! I guess my advice is to do the objectives, but only as a learning process - not as a method of narrowing down the info that you're going to study. (even though that's the point of objectives - to guide you to the important material)

The First Med Surg Exam

75 NCLEX-style questions. Please realize that when one actually takes the NCLEX exam, there is a strong possibility that they will finish the exam after 75 questions. The NCLEX is the national test taken by RN canidates to prove their knowledge, and upon passing it, you receive your RN licensure. All that to say, the questions were hard. They say we don't have grades (that's another story for another post) and so you just have to "Pass" it. I guess we'll receive some grade sheet in our mailboxes today that tells us whether we passed or failed. I don't expect to fail, and I dont' want to be suprised. But there were a lot of questions that I didn't know the answer to. I was able to reduce the 4 possible answers down to 2, but after that I was still guessing. At any rate, it's over now and the outcome is unchangable. Thanks to N (my HBCU grad neighbor friend) I was able to go home for lunch and take a nap before having to come back to school.

Now I have 2 whole days to cram for PHARM. It's really not my style to cram, but I really had to study for Med Surg - to the neglect of studying for Pharm. Here's the thing: I only have two classes on which my fall semester's grade will be based - Med Surg & Anatomy. So my whole "GPA" depends on Med Surg (Anatomy is going to be an easy pass - the tests are take home). in order to qualify for some of the scholarships i want to apply to, I need a "High Pass" (HP) in Med Surg. I will also want a HP in Pharm, but that grade isn't given until next semester, so it's less important. And, they drop the lowest test score, I hear. I hope this plan doesn't backfire on me.

I also have to find something to take the Midwifery potluck tonight, go get my patient assignment from the hospital for tomorrow's clinical, and ...GASP...do a careplan tonight. Uggh.