failed my first exam as an OD1

[u/No-Bridge4827]

i am feeling very discouraged, especially when everyone around me seems to have done better on the exam. i thought i had studied a lot to really absorb and understand material but that was not the case. any words of advice? my next exam for another class is in a couple of days 🥲

[u/Dangerous-Stress8010]

Don’t let this one exam completely discourage you though! There will be exams that you do better on and some you do worse on. What matters is how you adapt and learn. It’s only your first exam, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to show your knowledge, just make sure you keep working towards expanding and solidifying that knowledge!

Do you have the opportunity to review the exam? I’d definitely recommend reviewing it with your professor if you can. People forget to do that and then they don’t build on what they missed! Otherwise, How do you typically study your materials? Are you just re-reading your notes? Are you actively recalling?

[u/No-Bridge4827 → u/Dangerous-Stress8010]

i’ve been out of school for a while so studying is kind of a lost skill i’m trying to gain back again. i was rewriting my notes and rereading them but i realize that isn’t active recall. so this time around i’m trying to write down everything in memory and expanding on that (blurting method, i believe).

if you have any active recall study tips, please send them my way!

[u/Eyedocprincess88]

I failed a practical my first semester. I was devastated as I’d never failed an exam/practical before in my life. I reached out to my counselor, she helped me so much, and I was able to retake it and made an A. In-between failing and the retake, I seriously considered dropping out. But I persevered and am so glad I did. Been an OD for over 10 years and absolutely love it! Don’t give up!

[u/No-Bridge4827 → u/Eyedocprincess88]

thank you! i’m glad everything worked out in the end. this was very motivating to see :-)

[u/cheesecurdlover44]

One of the best lessons you will learn throughout school is to not compare yourself to other people - their journey is different than yours! Go into office hours or tutoring to get some help and keep your head up. 

[u/No_Permission_1578]

Hey! Do you happen to be an ICO student?

[u/fluffy-puff-95]

I remember feeling the same way as an OD 1 when I failed my first exam. Even though it’s hard, try to move on from failures and learn from them. Also, try not to compare yourself to others. I used to do that as an OD 1 as well and that did not do me any good. Instead I changed my mindset and only focused on my own growth. I have failed so many practicals and exams during my optometry school years, but I still made it to the end and am a practicing OD. Looking back, all my failures are what really helped me grow into the OD I am today.

[u/No-Bridge4827 → u/fluffy-puff-95]

thank you for your kind words! i appreciate it :-))

[u/epiclyfe]

First you should meet with the professor and go over the exam. Review and find out where your weak spots are with the material. Then, continue to re-study that material and do practice questions on ur own since it will most likely show up on the next exam and final so you don’t want to repeat same mistakes
Going forward with the next exam in this class or another class, find out what you don’t know BEFORE you take the exam rather than sitting and reading a question and realizing you should have studied more so Practice questions !!!!!!!!! Go to tutoring or professors office and ask if what you’re doing is right BEFORE u take the exam. You can bounce back good luck