How To Fail An Exam

What a weird title, right? I agree. However, we’re not talking about not studying enough and then failing an exam. We’re talking about how to handle it when you fail an exam even after you studied SO much that it felt like your brain was about to explode from being so full. 

Picture this: Our first exam of the semester rolled around. I had listened in class and taken notes. I had rewritten those notes numerous times and watched countless videos over the subjects. Walking in to take the exam, I was nervous, but not scared. After all, I had an almost perfect ACT score, higher than average GRE score, and finished my bachelor’s degree. All of this meant I was smart, right? I mean, I got into vet school the first year I applied!! As long as I applied myself, there was no way I would fail this exam, right?

WRONG. I failed, and I don’t mean the “didn’t do as well as I wanted to” type of failure. I mean the “I’ve never done this badly on an exam in my life!!/Am I going to flunk out my first semester?/Should I just start packing my bags right now?” type of failure. I was sick to my stomach walking out of that exam, especially once I talked to a couple of classmates who had done significantly better than I did. I walked to my car, got in, and sat there. Honestly, I had no clue what to do. So, what did I do? To be bluntly honest with you- I cried. Cried, drove myself home, and cried some more. Once I got home, I showered, put on comfy clothes, declined my friends who invited me out to eat, and moped on my couch for the rest of the evening, alternating between playing on my phone and watching tv. I let myself have that one evening of pure self pity, and told myself the next morning would be a new day, and we would go from there. 

I decided the next morning that I was going to do whatever it took to pass the next exam. I emailed several tutors until I found one that fit my studying style, wrote out a study plan on what I needed to look over each day, and began reading over the chapters in the book. Then, the next time I had a lecture for that class I sat in the very front row, away from the friends who I normally sat with so that there would be no distractions. My phone and iPad both went on do not disturb mode to ensure that no notifications would pop up while I was trying to take notes. During the lecture I even wrote down questions I had, and I went and spoke with the professor afterwards to ask them for clarification on those topics. I wanted to make sure my professor knew my name and that I was trying to succeed in their class. This went on for a couple weeks, and time for the next exam rolled around. I adjusted my studying, met with my tutor, and basically did all I could, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t sweating bullets walking in to take that second exam. Thankfully, my hard work paid off. My second exam score was TWENTY POINTS higher than my first. I still didn’t make anywhere close to an A on the exam, and I know numerous people who did better than me. But compared to that first exam? It was a total win for me.

 I know it sounds cheesy, but just remember:

“It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up.” -Vince Lombardi

Failures are going to happen. Vet school is hard. It is a completely different learning style than you’ve ever encountered before. Adjustments have to be made. Yes, it will come easier for some than others. However, at the end of the day, keep doing your best. I promise the hard work will pay off eventually. As for family members of vet students, please understand your vet student may not be making the same letter grades that they have in the past. Encourage them to do their best, but support them no matter what, and help them celebrate the small victories, too.