Extremely compromiseable situation...Should I take my finals?

[JamesL1585]

Hey guys,

Its my first semester of P1, and I'm passing all of my classes except Biochem...

My mother was just taken into the hospital on Wednesday, and on Saturday night around 10:30 p.m. she had extremely low blood pressure and stopped breathing.

She's now on cardiac arrest in a coma like state and its now been about 24 hours.... Im optimistic she will live but the alternative is also likely.

This obviously couldn't happen at a worse time as I begin my finals on Thursday Dec. 4th and end on Dec 10. I will go talk to the Ass. Dean of student affairs tommorrow, and see what he recommends...

But should I take my finals? Their all comprehensive, its a crap load of info... But at the same time I really just want to get them over with, I'm exhausted and I don't want to wait til January to take them... I just don't want to make a bad decision for the long run.

Its extremely hard to concentrate on studying as my mother is in Louisiana on cardiac arrest and on a ventilator and Im in Chicago and she's the closest person to me on earth.

Not to mention I need at least a 73 on my comprehensive Biochem exam to pass and Ive been averaging 66 on them... Please give advice

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[njac]

I would talk to the Dean and see if you can get them postponed, rather than not take.

 

[RxWildcat]

I'd take the finals, you may regret not taking them later... I'll keep your mom in my prayers.

 

[bacillus1]

Does your school have a final makeup time?

I know last year a member of a fraternity died, and many of his fraternity brothers could not take finals. They were allowed to take them at USP's scheduled makeup period (the week before 2nd semester starts). So talk to the profs and see if the finals can be made up.

 

[VCU2011]

Hey guys,

Its my first semester of P1, and I'm passing all of my classes except Biochem...

My mother was just taken into the hospital on Wednesday, and on Saturday night around 10:30 p.m. she had extremely low blood pressure and stopped breathing.

She's now on cardiac arrest in a coma like state and its now been about 24 hours.... Im optimistic she will live but the alternative is also likely.

This obviously couldn't happen at a worse time as I begin my finals on Thursday Dec. 4th and end on Dec 10. I will go talk to the Ass. Dean of student affairs tommorrow, and see what he recommends...

But should I take my finals? Their all comprehensive, its a crap load of info... But at the same time I really just want to get them over with, I'm exhausted and I don't want to wait til January to take them... I just don't want to make a bad decision for the long run.

Its extremely hard to concentrate on studying as my mother is in Louisiana on cardiac arrest and on a ventilator and Im in Chicago and she's the closest person to me on earth.

Not to mention I need at least a 73 on my comprehensive Biochem exam to pass and Ive been averaging 66 on them... Please give advice

Talk to the dean- get the tests postponed. I dont know anything about your relationship with your mother but if mine died and I wasn't there because I was focused on exams, I could never forgive myself. If you get it postponed, you can always blow them off later if you really cant get yourself to focus- in which case you would be exactly where you are now. Who knows, maybe you will be able to focus for a week in jan and do great on them.

Bottom line- school should never come before family. There will always be a chance to rebound your grades.

 

[genesis09]

When I was a P-1 one of our classmates gave birth two weeks before the finals, and they allowed her to take the finals late in January.

 

[girllein]

Get them postponed. You'll probably have roughly 200 exams while in pharmacy school, but you only have 1 mom.

You should fear essay make-ups though. If your make-ups are essay, then you'll have to study a HUNDRED times harder, because you won't benefit from multiple guess or repeat questions. You'll have to know the material backwards and forwards and a few times over to make it through an essay exam.

 

[rxlynn]

Maybe you could take some (whatever you think will be easier) and get them to let you defer some (or at least defer the biochem). That way, you would get some of the classes out of the way now.

 

[heatherkmd]

I would definitely talk to your Dean NOW rather than take finals and then have to explain away your grades later due to not being able to focus...you have a very good reason for not being able to focus, as none of us would be able to if we were in your shoes. They should understand and be flexible with you. Also, a good grade on the finals could bring you out of that failing grade in BIOCHEM, so don't give up yet! Do you get to continue on with a D or is there a C wall in that class? Don't let school get in the way of you being with your Mom right now....you are young, you can always catch up, and we have to keep our priorities straight. Go be with your Mom if you can. I will be thinking about her. (((HUGS)))

 

[aboveliquidice]

I'd take the finals, you may regret not taking them later... I'll keep your mom in my prayers.

2nd: Sorry to hear that - try to sit and get them done... It's hard - certainly unfair - Either way - Ill put your fam in my prayers...

~above~

 

[Storm90]

Ask yourself one question. What's more important to you, your mom or these exams? The exams can (likely) be written at a later date. Your mom may not be around at a later date. I know exactly where I'd be.

 

[KARM12]

I don't think any school would not be understanding in this situation. Go to LA and be with your mom. Exams can always be made up. I got very ill right before one of my finals and they let me make it up. Granted, I had to come in on my winter break, but it worth it to get to retake it.

 

[JamesL1585]

Thank you everyone for the support... thanks so much.

Im going to take the advice of one of the responses... I'll take the two finals I have this week on Thursday and Friday and then the remaining 3, one of which is Biochem I will try to take before the start of next semester... I talked to my dean this morning and he said to let him know what I wanted to do. So we will work out the remaining details tommorrow.

My relationship w/ my mother is so amazing. She is my everything and no one showers me with as much love and support as she has. I grew up with her and my two sisters, her being a single parent and it was really hard, we didn't have much money at all and she stayed at home and babysat kids and sent us to school everyday. I just wanted to graduate from pharmacy school and make her proud and then treat her like the queen that she is. I pray she makes it through because she has put the last 23-28 years of her life on hold to raise myself and her sisters, and she was just getting to the point where its time for us to reward her for her excellence.

Thanks for those that will be praying for my family. God bless you all.

Never take anything or anyone you love for granted... I always told my sisters this and now they understand.

Thanks again..

 

[tkim]

I'd take the finals, you may regret not taking them later... I'll keep your mom in my prayers.

This is really the worst advice. You realize that the OP's mother is on a ventilator and may die? Your advice is to take the finals?

 

[FruitFly]

Thank you everyone for the support... thanks so much.

Im going to take the advice of one of the responses... I'll take the two finals I have this week on Thursday and Friday and then the remaining 3, one of which is Biochem I will try to take before the start of next semester... I talked to my dean this morning and he said to let him know what I wanted to do. So we will work out the remaining details tommorrow.

My relationship w/ my mother is so amazing. She is my everything and no one showers me with as much love and support as she has. I grew up with her and my two sisters, her being a single parent and it was really hard, we didn't have much money at all and she stayed at home and babysat kids and sent us to school everyday. I just wanted to graduate from pharmacy school and make her proud and then treat her like the queen that she is. I pray she makes it through because she has put the last 23-28 years of her life on hold to raise myself and her sisters, and she was just getting to the point where its time for us to reward her for her excellence.

Thanks for those that will be praying for my family. God bless you all.

Never take anything or anyone you love for granted... I always told my sisters this and now they understand.

Thanks again..

Sorry to hear that news. I wish you and your mother the best of luck, and hope she gets well soon.

I'm in no place to judge, but I think you're doing the right thing- to take what you can and postpone the rest. I think you're doing the right thing- both professional and respectful.

I defintiely believe that, above all, family comes first.

And I reserve sharing the following story even in a de-identified sort of way, but I think now's a proper time...

Probably one of the boldest things I've ever seen a friend do was to go for a job interview while his father was dying in hospital, because he was directed to do so. Every good parent wants to see his or her children succeed. And it shows how much doing well in school and making a life for one's self really does honor to one's parents.

I'll be praying for you and your family to pull through this.

 

[Hels2007]

Best of luck to your mother! I hope she recovers... I have seen some amazing things in the ICU... there was this one guy - everyone gave up on him, even his parents, he was 99% already out of this world - but his wife sat there day and night holding his hand - and two weeks later I saw him smiling and eating and talking and being ready to get transferred to a regular floor for a few days before going home.

 

[FruitFly]

As the expression goes, "It's always darkest before the dawn".

 

[girllein]

Stay in touch with the Dean.

 

[dougwell]

Wow, what a difficult position to be in. I think you know in your heart what you have to do. I do believe that whatever decision you make, your mom will still continue to be proud of you.

I will keep you and your family in your prayers ...

 

[taken2]

Hey James, sorry to hear about your mom
I think you are making a wise decision and they have really nice people on sdn to advice you. Nothing comes between you and your family not even pharmacy school.
I had one idiot in my class suggest to me two days ago that I can put my two kids in foster home so I can stop coming late to class. I'm glad they don't have people that reason that way here on sdn or even if they do , they keep their opinion to themselves.
I keep you and your family in my prayers

 

[Storm90]

Hey James, sorry to hear about your mom
I think you are making a wise decision and they have really nice people on sdn to advice you. Nothing comes between you and your family not even pharmacy school.
I had one idiot in my class suggest to me two days ago that I can put my two kids in foster home so I can stop coming late to class. I'm glad they don't have people that reason that way here on sdn or even if they do , they keep their opinion to themselves.
I keep you and your family in my prayers

I sure hope you knocked him on his @$$ . *****. Hope your mom gets better soon James!

 

[tussionex]

postpone the test.

school isnt everything. family is.