Failing exam in Vet school

[theunraveler]

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i juz took my digestion exam today, high chance i will fail becoz i keep mixing up facts, not elaborating enuff or simply missing the point of the question.

the thing i wanna ask is, how do u prep for the exam effectively? i tend to pore through the lecture notes and write stuffs. this time however it isnt going to save me from getting a fail.... 🙁

and btw, wat does ur faculty do with failures?

 

[cyrille104]

and btw, wat does ur faculty do with failures?

They fail you. And you have to repeat the course.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

If you fail a core course, you're out of the school. "Out" as in "kicked out". You can apply for reinstatement, but it is not guarenteed. If you fail an elective you are placed on probation. Failing a test here and there will not kill you, as long as you make up for it. Everyone has done it.

I would prep for exams by working on my spelling....But seriously - "wat, juz, becoz, pore, u, stuffs" - if you're in vet school, you have to be smarter than that. I hope.

 

[pressmom]

Here at Tennessee, if you fail a course, you're gone. Fail a test? That happens to everyone. And I agree, please use proper spelling and grammar. It's really hard to read your posts.

 

[Pigsfoot]

yup. ditto. i've already heard of a couple of people failing out in the first semester.

 

[theunraveler]

Here at Tennessee, if you fail a course, you're gone. Fail a test? That happens to everyone. And I agree, please use proper spelling and grammar. It's really hard to read your posts.

its juz a habit of mine, coz its internet...no ones gonna penalise me for bad english...i hope

 

[theunraveler]

They fail you. And you have to repeat the course.

in my school, they let u take supplementary papers but if ur fail that ur gonna resit the whole course. which sux big time

 

[wivet2011]

And I agree, please use proper spelling and grammar. It's really hard to read your posts.

Diddo. Use shorthand in your notes or when emailing/chatting with friends, but please don't post like that on a public forum. It's annoying.

 

[Habibti]

Although this has apparently turned into a rant about your writing, my advice? Go talk to the faculty, now. Tell them you had trouble and ask for some tips. They've seen students in your shoes before and they tend to know some good general ways to study the particular subject. If you're just not getting it, I'm sure they can help you with a tutor or what not. Just ask for help.

 

[ShelterGirl]

Fail a test? That happens to everyone.

All right, between this and the annoying classmates thread, y'all have got me worried about going to vet school (assuming I get in this time)! 😱

To the OP: ask for help. If vet schools there are anything like the US schools say they are, they want you to be successful and will help you when you're struggling. Good luck!

 

[pressmom]

All right, between this and the annoying classmates thread, y'all have got me worried about going to vet school (assuming I get in this time)! 😱

To the OP: ask for help. If vet schools there are anything like the US schools say they are, they want you to be successful and will help you when you're struggling. Good luck!

Just for the record, I haven't failed a test yet, but I did make a 68% (out of 25 pts) on an anatomy quiz. That scared me straight. 😉

 

[ri23]

One of the really nice things here is that once you are in vet school - you're in. If you fail a required course (that's in a sequence) you have the opportunity to repeat the year. They will work with you to come back the next or the following year. They told us that there are always a few people that don't graduate with their class, but 99% of admitted students do end up graduating, and if they don't it's because they decided vet school wasn't for them.

 

[theunraveler]

Although this has apparently turned into a rant about your writing, my advice? Go talk to the faculty, now. Tell them you had trouble and ask for some tips. They've seen students in your shoes before and they tend to know some good general ways to study the particular subject. If you're just not getting it, I'm sure they can help you with a tutor or what not. Just ask for help.

the truth is i am not really struggling with the course. the digestion assessment component is made up a prac exam, mid term theory exam, biochem assignment and the final theory exam.

i pass all of the components its juz the final exam was abit unexpected for me. i think its more to do with my study habits than the exam being difficult. perhaps i'm going about my studying the wrong way...

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

I find it very difficult to study directly from lecture notes because of all the extraneous material

Before the test, I go through all the notes and re-write them - in effect, make myself a study sheet, covering all the most pertinent details, making charts, etc. I can reduce 30 pages of rambling notes into a very condensed, but still very accurate, 3-4 pages of concentrated study material. SO I not only study during the re-writing process, but I then have a much easier "batch" of paper to study. That works very well for me.

 

[wivet2011]

the truth is i am not really struggling with the course. the digestion assessment component is made up a prac exam, mid term theory exam, biochem assignment and the final theory exam.

i pass all of the components its juz the final exam was abit unexpected for me. i think its more to do with my study habits than the exam being difficult. perhaps i'm going about my studying the wrong way...

Guess I'm a little confused, you're worried you're going to fail, but you aren't struggling 😕... And what do you mean the final was a bit unexpected? Did you not know about, what the format was going to be or did you just put off studying until the last minute? I'm just trying to understand so I can help. Either way, I would still suggest that you talk to the professor. They often have suggestions for studying, so asking for help wouldn't hurt, even if you know the material and just had a bad test. (they usually have test taking suggestions if the problem is just that you are a bad test taker) Other than that, try different ways of studying the material: repetition (start studying early so you can go through it multiple times), study with a group of people so that you can talk through the process, etc.

 

[VAgirl]

I find it very difficult to study directly from lecture notes because of all the extraneous material

Before the test, I go through all the notes and re-write them - in effect, make myself a study sheet, covering all the most pertinent details, making charts, etc. I can reduce 30 pages of rambling notes into a very condensed, but still very accurate, 3-4 pages of concentrated study material. SO I not only study during the re-writing process, but I then have a much easier "batch" of paper to study. That works very well for me.

I do this too.

I also always want to do notecards for memorization type stuff, but I haven't successfully done that since middle school, maybe. I mean, I've bought the notecards and even begun a few, but I always give up on it. Maybe because it's so darn time consuming and not in the way of redoing your notes where you're actively studying the whole time. Does anyone have a better way of doing notecards to avoid this? (Or maybe I just get too caught up in my color codes and attempts at neat handwriting?😳)

 

[ShelterGirl]

I rewrite my notes in a notebook - for some reason I'm able to remember *where* I wrote things on a page, and then if I dig deeper in my memory I can usually remember *what* I wrote if I've reviewed it enough! I tried notecards once, but it messed up the whole location memory thing for me.

 

[pressmom]

I rewrite my notes in a notebook - for some reason I'm able to remember *where* I wrote things on a page, and then if I dig deeper in my memory I can usually remember *what* I wrote if I've reviewed it enough! I tried notecards once, but it messed up the whole location memory thing for me.

I do this too. But it'll get really hard in vet school just because of the volume of material. You can't do it all, but you can pick what you're struggling with the most and do it.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

I've never had success with notecards, I think it is because 1) you end up with so many of them and b) it is very hard to connect concepts when every piece of information becomes a single entity on a notecard.

I think things "flow" and "connect" better if you write it out in note form - but that may be just me. Studying in any form for any class (besides pathology....w00t Path!) is always an exercise in torture for me due to my ADD, despite medication - yep, ADD and vet school, quite possibly the worst combination ever... The "condensing" and "re-writing" is really the only thing I can do because it breaks everything down into a maneagable size. If I try to read the pages and pages of notes I am given, my brain revolts in about 5 minutes flat due to volume.

Study environment is also very important. Some people like having music in the backgrounds etc...I for one absolutely require no distractions. NONE. If there was a sterile, soundproof room with white walls I could study in, that would be ideal. But make sure you're in an appropriate, relaxing environment freee of distractions.

 

[Electrophile]

I failed the anatomy AND histology test last week. But I got an A on the cell biology test this week! And As on the two anatomy quiz this week! But a 68% on the physiology test today. *grumbles* I'm going to go schedule a time to meet with our main histology professor cause I hate it hate it hate it, especially the practical part. I usually pass the written part and the quizzes no problem, but the practical is no good. I always suck it up big time on that. I need to go talk to him so I can scrap by with a C. 🙁

 

[wivet2011]

I rewrite my notes in a notebook - for some reason I'm able to remember *where* I wrote things on a page, and then if I dig deeper in my memory I can usually remember *what* I wrote if I've reviewed it enough! quote]

Ah... sounds like you suffer from faulty photographic memory as well. I too have the same problem with being able to remember exactly where I wrote something, what color I wrote it in, and what other information/pictures are around it, but never the exact piece of information I need at that moment (unless I reviewed lots!)

 

[ZoeyBay]

see, i can only use notecards. Since they are so time consuming, I have to make them a little at a time so I am not making them ALL up the night before the test. I usually end up with a huge stack and force myself to learn 5 at a time, the i mix them up and go through the whole stack until I know them.

I have to actually pose questions for myself to answer on the notecards, because if I just rewrite my notes, I find I can just gloss over them when i am supposed to be reading/studying them and I don't retain anything.

I think, the main point is, find out what works for you, and no matter how laborous it is (and how many packs of notecards you will have bought by the end of vet school...) stick to it!

 

[Electrophile]

So does everyone's vet school have test files? You know what I mean... 😎

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

No? Test files? Do you mean koofers? We aren't allowed them here, and are very rarely allowed to keep test papers.

 

[wivet2011]

No? Test files? Do you mean koofers? We aren't allowed them here, and are very rarely allowed to keep test papers.

Huh? I think I know what Electrophile is talking about, and yes, we have them at my school. OAA has a lot of them, they are on the share drive and Big sibs pass them on to Little sibs year after year (and the school is aware). Most of us have old tests from up to ten years ago (or more!) A few classes choose not to give them back (those are the classes that tend to reuse questions every year), but the instructors are pretty good about giving us sample questions.

 

[Electrophile]

Apparently for some classes, they are not allowed. At all. Like it's an honor code violation. For others, we keep them on the down low. For others, like one of my cell biology professor, he says he wishes he could distribute them as they are a good study tool. So different strokes, apparently. The majority of our tests are on computer and we're not allowed to write anything down and keep it, but a lot of the professors still use somewhat similar questions from like 5-10 years ago. Lazy test writing, methinks. 🙄 I find them good study materials even if the questions aren't the same as it lets me find out what the professor think is important. Plus hardly any of the professors give sample questions or study guides. *grumble* Oh yeah, we have big sibs/little sibs too. Mine has been a slacker cause he apparently works like 40 hours a week and isn't doing well in his classes. I finally met him in person last weekend!

 

[wivet2011]

So you actually take your tests on the computer? That would drive me crazy!! I like being able to write all over the test...crossing out answers, drawing pictures, etc.

Sorry to hear your big sib isn't much help, a lot of my friends are in the same boat as you, so we usually swap old tests. I lucked out and got a great big sib (guess it makes up for having one of the worst cadavers for anatomy 🙄...you'd have to see the dog, she's really something else)

 

[PAThbrd]

we get test boxes each year from our mentors. very helpful, although our class is always the one that gets screwed when theyve used the same questions for the last 10 years and all of a sudden completely change questions/formats without any warning. but its better than nothing! 🙂 a couple of the first year courses changed their policy last year where we werent allowed to put exams in the box (biochem) or only got the answers back to put in the box (histo, developmental bio), so the classes after us (V'11 on) don't have it as easy.

note cards - started recently, but only for micro and parasitology. pretty helpful, but i just put names, hosts, and predilection site, all of the details I learn from my notes.

 

[Hollycozza]

Many of the past exams are posted on the uni library website here, some of them are confidential and then we can't keep the papers.

As far as failing exams, at Sydney uni we have no supplementaries, which sucks, so we started with about 120 in my year and now we have about 100, and of those 100 at least about 20 have come from the year above! So lots of people end up adding a year to the course.

I wish there were supplementaries though, it would be much fairer, especially when finals are worth so much!!!

 

[Electrophile]

So you actually take your tests on the computer? That would drive me crazy!! I like being able to write all over the test...crossing out answers, drawing pictures, etc.

Yeah, I don't like it. I am MUCH more prone to talking myself out of answer on that way, rather than on paper, for some reason. Plus there have been two or three times where I selected an answer (or thought I did) and somehow unselected it, thus leaving it blank and missing points. Like it will give you your options for answers, you click on what you want, and it may only italicize it when you selected it. So if you're nervous and in a rush, it's totally easy to miss. They give us a piece of a scratch paper, but we have to turn that in too. The one sort of good thing is you get to see your relative score right away instead of agonizing over it, though often points get added back in for various reasons. The national boards are on computer, so I think that's why they wanted us to do it that way to get us used to it.

 

[wivet2011]

The national boards are on computer, so I think that's why they wanted us to do it that way to get us used to it.

Yeah, that makes sense. Sucks though.

 

[soxbox]

here at csu we get our tests handed back and we can usually keep them for only 3 days then must give them back in or else they will keep minusing points off of your test until it is turned back in. any homework we hand in must also be turned back in for them to keep. we can keep NOTHING.

we take a little more than half of our exams online (basically only anatomy and physiology are proctored hand written exams)... so the online tests are nice in the fact that they open the exam and you have a few days to take it, but i much rather prefer a paper and pencil test.

they also explicitly tell us that it is a huge honor code violation to make any copies of any of our exams... it would be so nice to be able to keep the tests at least until the end of the semester to study from...

 

[Kara31191]

I've never had success with notecards, I think it is because 1) you end up with so many of them and b) it is very hard to connect concepts when every piece of information becomes a single entity on a notecard.

I think things "flow" and "connect" better if you write it out in note form - but that may be just me. Studying in any form for any class (besides pathology....w00t Path!) is always an exercise in torture for me due to my ADD, despite medication - yep, ADD and vet school, quite possibly the worst combination ever... The "condensing" and "re-writing" is really the only thing I can do because it breaks everything down into a maneagable size. If I try to read the pages and pages of notes I am given, my brain revolts in about 5 minutes flat due to volume.

Study environment is also very important. Some people like having music in the backgrounds etc...I for one absolutely require no distractions. NONE. If there was a sterile, soundproof room with white walls I could study in, that would be ideal. But make sure you're in an appropriate, relaxing environment freee of distractions.

You sound just like me... I go to a library and it's silent and I get distracted by the old books, the person tapping their pencil next to me, and the people walking by! Good times...

 

[laurafinn]

Many of the past exams are posted on the uni library website here, some of them are confidential and then we can't keep the papers.

As far as failing exams, at Sydney uni we have no supplementaries, which sucks, so we started with about 120 in my year and now we have about 100, and of those 100 at least about 20 have come from the year above! So lots of people end up adding a year to the course.

I wish there were supplementaries though, it would be much fairer, especially when finals are worth so much!!!

I can't imagine not having supps. My god! When we had day after day of exams at the end of last term (8 exams in 2 weeks, lovely), the only thing that kept me sane was the thought that, worse case scenario, I could always take the supp. Our past exams are posted on the library website too, and semester tests (mid-terms) and lab tests seem to get passed down from our mentors -- or at least, someone's mentor has one, and that gets passed around the class.

 

[Hollycozza]

I can't imagine not having supps. My god! When we had day after day of exams at the end of last term (8 exams in 2 weeks, lovely), the only thing that kept me sane was the thought that, worse case scenario, I could always take the supp. Our past exams are posted on the library website too, and semester tests (mid-terms) and lab tests seem to get passed down from our mentors -- or at least, someone's mentor has one, and that gets passed around the class.

I think not having supps is cruel and unusual punishment of us vet students! Really ramps up the pressure before finals! It is incredibly wasteful too because quite a lot of people end up having to do an extra year of study just because they failed ONE subject. I will always thank my luck stars my anatomy 1b mark was a 51 and not a 49!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Hollycozza]

http://www.library.usyd.edu.au/exams/exam06/Vetsci06.html everyone in the world can see our papers!

 

[theunraveler]

Guess I'm a little confused, you're worried you're going to fail, but you aren't struggling 😕... And what do you mean the final was a bit unexpected? Did you not know about, what the format was going to be or did you just put off studying until the last minute? I'm just trying to understand so I can help. Either way, I would still suggest that you talk to the professor. They often have suggestions for studying, so asking for help wouldn't hurt, even if you know the material and just had a bad test. (they usually have test taking suggestions if the problem is just that you are a bad test taker) Other than that, try different ways of studying the material: repetition (start studying early so you can go through it multiple times), study with a group of people so that you can talk through the process, etc.

i guess i shld have juz done the past year papers instead of juz studying the notes. i didnt print out my lecture notes as they are available online so i thought i could save some $ by not printing them out. big mistake apparently...

the lecturers are like "yea u got to know this ..and this..and this..might ask u this ...hmm juz study everything but dont worry its gonna be easy (from their POV) "

 

[Poke]

You don't necessarily have to print out notes.. In fact, that may not even help you at all. Save them to your drive and reorganize them yourself, but actually force yourself to go through them and retype them all, making sure you're able to clarify the points to yourself. If that doesn't work for you, try manually writing them out instead of printing. Sometimes just that act helps retention.

 

[Spartanvet4cows]

Wow, here, if you 0.0 a class, you have a few options. I don't even know what supps are, so we don't have them. If you only 0.0 one class and it does not bring your overall GPA under a 2.0 you may be able to remediate in the summer. If you get a 0.0 in one class each semester, or your cumulative drops and stays below a 2.0 for both semesters, you are either recycled to the next year or kicked out depending on just how bad it is. They try to keep us here, but we still lost 4 students last year (2 to recycle, 2 left completely). One of those people was a recycle to our year from class of 2009 too.
I found that our grading scale sucks compared to a lot of schools. We're at:
(92-100) 4.0
(88-91) 3.5
(84-87) 3.0
(80-83) 2.5
(76-79) 2.0
(72-75) 1.5
(68-71) 1.0
Anything below a 68 is a 0.0. We had 8 tests in 7 days during finals first semester. We have a lot of tests during the semester which helps take some of the pressure off during finals, but our micro class was INSANE second semester. I studied more for that final than I did for all 8 tests first semester combined.

As for study tips, I go through the lectures and write down what I think is pertinant. I actually condensed 75 pages of neuropath to 11. I have to make notecards for pharmacology because it is just pure memorization and I need the repetition. Apparently, just about everyone fails a test at some point during vet school. Pharmacology was my rude awakening. I don't know of any school that would kick you out for failing one test, but if you fail a core course, well that's a problem. It's sorta freakout time around here for everyone because we have had 13 majorly insane exams in 11 weeks that were spaced so that you just don't get a break.

 

[Hollycozza]

Supps are supplementary exams- a chance to repeat exams about a month or so after the original attempt. They're a good thing in an Australian or UK type system where many of our finals are worth up to 80%, so one bad day can really stuff up an entire subject...

 

[freyamaxine]

Supps are supplementary exams- a chance to repeat exams about a month or so after the original attempt. They're a good thing in an Australian or UK type system where many of our finals are worth up to 80%, so one bad day can really stuff up an entire subject...

At Melbourne Uni some of the exams are worth 90% (I looked through the vet curriculum).

 

[maddiemh]

During the middle of the semester, you get a letter from the Associate Dean saying that you are requested to meet with the professor and get help.

Here, you can get 2 Ds as grades in courses, but if you get an F, you will need to come before a committee (faculty mostly) and work something out with them.