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Last week on TJTNS I talked about {Saying YES} and committing to a school. This week I thought we would talk about something a little less exciting and that is failing a class.
Failing a class is one of those 'taboo' things that no one really likes to talk about. If you're like me, generally type A, list obsessed, terrified of breaking the rules, determined to please, than failing a class is probably one of your top ten fears.
I am here to say this, I have done it.
I have failed a class before.
And you know what, it stinks. It was emotional, messy, disappointing and generally a pretty low point in my academic career. But, I got over it.
One of the best things you can do as a future nurse is to learn to deal with emotions and obstacles.
1. When you find out that you failed a course, whether it was expected or not, you are bound to feel some sort of sadness and anger. What you should not do is express those feelings in an unhealthy way, or worse yet, wallow in them. This is not the time to start feeling sorry for yourself, no matter how you got to this point you have to accept it.
Take a deep breath, call up your mom and enjoy a night in with your roommate. Things will be okay and for the time being surround yourself with positivity and love.
What is done is done and the best thing you can do is move on from there.
What is done is done and the best thing you can do is move on from there.
2. Failing a 'stepping stone' course can ultimately affect your ability to graduate and apply to nursing schools in the future. These types of classes are prerequisite courses for other required classes and therefore stunt your academic timeline. The smartest thing you can do is to be proactive and get in contact with your adviser to talk things out. Decide how your schedule for the next quarter or semester has to change accordingly and where you will find time to makeup the failed course.
In this time you will have to hear the truth that is not always easy to swallow.
Is your nursing career over just because you failed one course? Absolutely not. Put your train back on the tracks and keep chugging along the track.
3. Just with understanding how you have affected your academic timeline, you have to be realistic in retaking a course that you have failed. Think about the things that may have added to your failure in the course. Maybe you did not understand the way the professor lectured and tested, or perhaps the time was at a point in your day that was not optimal for your learning. Do not, however, play the blame game and start acting complacent in relation to your role in failing the course. Whatever the 'excuse,' you have to decide if changing that variable related to the course will help you to succeed the second time around. You may decide that you will suck up the way you feel about a professor, along with your pride, and take the course over again with some knowledge of his or her teaching and testing style ahead of time.
The second time around taking a course is go time.
You have to make the impression you failed to make the first time around. Work your butt off and you will get past it all in no time.
4. The biggest thing going forward in your nursing journey is to learn from your mistake. At times when you feel like giving up on a course think back to that moment you realized that you did not pass a vital course. How did it make you feel? Remind yourself how much effort it took going forward and just how much you want to be a nurse.
Or maybe you realize that nursing is not for you. That is okay too, but do not let yourself give up just because you failed one class. Everyone has bumps along the way, you just have to let them make you stronger.
Speaking of Nursing school I just purchased my first thing of fabric to test out some DIY scrub tops with. I bought the one on the right, with the advice of my dear friend, and hopefully will find it works the way I want it to, and may eventually think about selling some small scale once I get the whole system down pat.
