This past week I had two exams, back to back. I had health assessment Monday and patho physiology Tuesday. So, the weekend prior I studied for both tests. I will admit I studied for my health assessment class a bit more thoroughly. However, that doesn’t mean I excluded my patho physiology test material I needed for Tuesday. I felt as though I needed to spend more time preparing for health assessment because I do not know the material as well as I feel I know patho. Rationally, I spent 2/3 of my time on health assessment and 1/3 on patho. I also attended a study session for patho, needless to say I didn’t neglect it (nor am I encouraging to neglect one subject over another). It all about time management.

The health assessment exam went well, I felt good about the material I know and I was able to work through most of the questions I struggled with. Patho however, I failed. While taking the test I remember thinking, “I feel good about this exam, I know this material like the back of my hand.” Next thought, “stop, every time I think that I don’t do well on the exam.” I didn’t listen to that thought as much. I know the material that was on that exam, possibly too well. After going through the questions I got wrong I realized a few things. I need to cover the answers while I read the question.

Rationale: I was creating ways the wrong answers could be correct by going down a rabbit hole. Everyone with a type of test anxiety knows what I’m talking about. When you think to yourself, “ok if I have someone who is respiratory acidosic, their kidneys will start to compensate because even though they’re probably hyperventilating……. and it keeps going and going until I’ve made it possible for just about every answer to be correct when all the question was asking was, “if someone’s CO2 is low what is happening,” they’re hyperventilating.

So, I made my exam so much harder on myself and failed it because it wasn’t that hard. Why? Because I know the material so I wasn’t taking the time to read what the question was actually asking for, because I “already knew the answer,” to a question that wasn’t even being asked.

TAKE YOUR TIME.