What do you do when you fail an exam? ❄️
One great thing about being a creator and partner on Lemon8 is that I get to reach wise variety of people and spread messages that I think need to be shared.
One of these messages includes talking about failure and academia. My personal experience is that any type of failure or lackluster performance is extremely taboo to discuss with your peers - and I found it to be even more in PA school, where the examinations are more rigorous than ever.
Lemon8 is a place where I feel I can be open and honest about my experiences and hopefully inspire others to do the same and to know that they are not alone in their struggles.
If you know me, you know that graduate school has not been for me at all. I have struggled extremely with mental health, family loss, as well as amazing wonderful things that have provided both good and bad stress in my life.
Despite all these things, I have continued to push forward and now less than a year from graduating.
This past week, I failed one of my major end of rotation exams by one question. I was devastated by this as you only get one attempt to remediate before you have to retake the entire month of your clinical. I was required to meet with a panel from school , and have uncomfortable conversations about my performance.
To be honest, as soon as I hung up the phone, I cried for a very long time. The pressure to excel was too much and knowing that I had fallen short to break down. I had one week to remediate the exam and to be honest, I was unsure if I would be able to pass it the second time around.
I was the only person in my class who had failed, and it had been made known to me that I was at the bottom of the class average statistically for my scores.
If you’ve made it this far and want to hear about what I did, swiped through the pictures above!
To anyone else who feels less than, know that you are doing your best and that is more than enough! That is all anyone can ever ask you to do!
It's truly heartbreaking when you pour your heart into studying, only to see that 'F' grade staring back at you. I've been there, feeling that crushing weight of disappointment, especially after dedicating so much time and effort. Many of us know the sting of studying diligently, only to fail an exam, leaving us questioning everything. My own experience involved a lot of tears – I remember just sitting alone, crying my eyes out after seeing that result. It felt incredibly isolating. Reaching out to my husband was crucial; having someone to lean on helped me process the initial shock and devastation. Don't be afraid to cry and acknowledge your feelings. It's a natural and necessary part of coping with exam failure. After the initial shock, it's essential to channel that emotion into action. Just like I met with my advisor to map out a clear remediation plan, seeking guidance from professors or academic support is a vital next step. They can help you understand why you failed, not just that you failed. Was it test-taking strategy? Gaps in understanding? Or perhaps external stressors that impacted your performance? Formulating a plan with expert input makes the path forward much clearer. Regaining confidence isn't a switch you can just flip. For me, it was a gradual process. I started by breaking down the huge task of re-studying into smaller, manageable chunks. I spent hours at a coffee shop, laptop open, coffee nearby, diving deep into the medical study materials I struggled with. Each small victory, like understanding a difficult concept, slowly built me back up. It’s easy to feel like you're at the bottom of the class, questioning your abilities, but remember what the inspirational quote says: 'IT WOULD BE A TRAGEDY IF YOU SETTLED FOR SOMETHING LESS EXTRAORDINARY THAN THE MAGIC YOU HOLD.' Your worth isn't tied to one exam score. Acknowledge your effort, even if the outcome wasn't what you hoped for. Don't forget the power of rest. I learned this the hard way. Pushing myself non-stop only led to burnout and more tears. Taking a dedicated break, stepping away from the books, and doing something you enjoy can re-energize your mind and help you gain perspective. That moment of true rest helped me go back to my studies with a fresh perspective, which definitely contributed to improving my score by 19 points when I finally passed the second time around. Failing an exam isn't the end of your academic journey; it's a detour. It forces you to re-evaluate, adapt, and ultimately become a stronger student. Embrace the lesson, because the resilience you build from overcoming this challenge will serve you far beyond any single test.
I failed my NCLEX twice! Omgeee I was so upset! But I got it on the 3rd try thank God! 🥰