I’m sitting here at 3:16am in the morning not being able to sleep because I feel like a failure. I’m half way into my medical term class with an F in it because the grading that the teacher has is basically if you have a 75% (as I have) you have an F and getting an A you have to have a 95 or better so getting a B would mean I have to have a 90% in the class. I am feeling like a failure because even tho I study hard for it, I don’t know if it’s possible for me to even pass the class so I’m stressing out, anyone else feeling like this, could really be nice knowing I have some friends out there.
Okay, you feel like a failure. Use that feeling to decide how much you want to pass and what you need to do so that you don’t feel like this anymore. Do you have to get a 90 or better to pass? Or do you need to squeak above that 75% to pass? Do you have time to work on things enough to pass? Is the reason you are at that 75% mark the teacher’s fault or yours? Do you really want to be a nurse? If so, you have to realize that people’s lives will be in your hands and they are going to want that nurse who works hard to pass at the highest level possible.
You can blame the teacher, or you can figure out what you need to do to pass at a satisfactory level. If you do the second, you won’t be a failure and you won’t feel like a failure, even if you just barely pass.
It is not uncommon for a nursing student to have to repeat a class. I’d find out the policy, in case that is necessary. It may give you a safety net in your thoughts, as you try your best to make it through this semester.
You might also find a study partner. I remember a class I had in grad school which everyone hated and no one understood. There was a student from Taiwan who overheard us complaining, and suddenly his whole mood changed when he heard us. He said “You mean you don’t understand the professor either??!!!” He thought he didn’t understand it because of the language barrier.
You might also think about any other activity you can temporarily quit to allow you to concentrate on this class. However, don’t give up on exercise, which is critical to handle stress.
Always in nursing (and health fields) remember that if you get the medical terms wrong 25% of the time when taking care of people you could kill them. Not to be too dramatic, but it is true.
You need to figure out a different way to study. You may be studying and get to the point of recognition (I recognize that term!) but not the the point of recall. Ask your professor what successful students do in that class.
Do you need to make flash cards? Have you gone to professor office hours? Formed a study group? Gotten a tutor?