Am I Just Not Smart Enough?

VioletKaliLPN, LPN · Sep 21, 2016

A competitive program is going to require an A in all of your science courses. I hate to sound bleak, but I am being honest. You should consider retaking the classes you made a C in. If you cannot grasp those topics, it could be that Nursing is not right for you. I intend this with love and compassion. Nursing School uses A&P concepts, they expect you to know the organ(system) they are referring to. They will inform you that you will not receive a refresher course in A&P, they are teaching Nursing-not pre reqs.

Zenndaya · Sep 21, 2016

Thanks for the reply and yes I understand. I'd rather have someone give it to me straight anyway. I'm currently retaking Gen Bio. Wasn't thinking of retaking A&P though (unless I scored a C on A&P II or had a lot of trouble w/ admission). Does anyone know if a really good score on the TEAS would help out in anyway (I know its far fetched but you can't blame a girl for having hope)?

ItsThatJenGirl, CNA · Sep 22, 2016

Your prospects are going to depend heavily on the school you're going to apply to. My prospective school requires at 3.0 in math/science classes, but the average student has a 3.5.

Some schools let you take a course again and replace the new grade with the old - some combine the two and take the average. My school takes the first grade, period.

There is no yes or no here - C's don't mean you'll be a bad nurse, or that you'll fail. It means from this point on, you need to work smarter. Check with the school(s) you'd like to attend, and talk to someone.

As far as the TEAS goes - that again is going to depend on your school.

Good luck.

NICUismylife, ADN, BSN, RN · Sep 22, 2016

I'm going to level with you here, people who go into nursing with a 4.0 in their pre-reqs often end up with Bs and Cs in their nursing classes. If you are already getting Bs and Cs in the pre-reqs, your chances of passing nursing school are slim, which is why most programs don't admit students with those types of grades.

Now, grades often have little do with with how smart you are. They have to do with how hard you work and how smart you work. You need to figure out your learning style and change your study habits. As you've already realized, college is very different from high school. You can't skate through.

For example, someone who is a visual or kinesthetic learner will be wasting their time listening to the lecture repeatedly, that is not how they learn. Someone who is an auditory learner will get nothing out of re-writing lecture notes. Find your learning style and study in the manner that best works for that style. Also, study in short bursts, science shows that during a study session, we tend to remember the first thing and last thing we review and some random fact in the middle, so if you study for 3 hours straight, you don't actually retain much info. If you study in a 15-20 minute burst and then take a break, you are more likely to retain everything you review. So, studying for 6 20-minute sessions per day is more effective than 1 3-hour block even though you study for less time. Does that make sense?

You also need to review regularly. After each lecture, I go home (or library, whatever works) and handwrite all the lecture notes (typing does not stimulate the brain in the same way--handwriting is important for visual learners), then i review all my notes starting from the beginning and all the way up through the current (in 20 minute sessions). The brain tends to not remember something until you've seen it 7 times.

Color code your notes, again, this stimulates the brain to remember.

At this point, you may have already shot yourself in the foot with your current grades, (my school is like Jen's in that it only takes the first grade you earned regardless of whether you retake it or not). But you may stand a chance if you can get your grades turned around now.

Good luck!

1awkwardgirl · Sep 22, 2016

I would suggest you retake a&p1 asap also i'm not sure if you meant a&p2 and forgot to put the 2 or you meant you are currently in a&p1 now and you have a c, but either way retake it if its not an " A/B".

If you are not gonna get an A or B in micro withdraw asap if it is past the withdraw date drop the class or fail out and retake it to get a better grade. Also you have to read your schools policy because if you drop a class in some schools you have to pay for it, but sometimes you don't have to.

at my school if you get a "C" you technically passed the class so you cannot retake the course so just make sure you know your schools policy.

lastly try and apply to more then one program find some schools that are less competitive if you want to be a nurse you'll figure it out. But do not apply to one school, apply all over and make sure you study your a$$ off for the teas exam. If you want it you will make it happen it might take longer but you can still be a nurse.

ps. grades aren't the best indicator for intelligence, succeeding in nursing school is about grinding and hustling if you put in the work study like someones life depends on it, which it does then you will be fine in nursing school gl!!!!!!

Zenndaya · Sep 22, 2016

Thanks for all the tips on studying! I do tend to cram and this is usually when I'm feeling really motivated. I'll actually enjoy the study time but it takes a while for me to get back to that state again. I do know that I am more of a visual/hands on learner though and I try to use that to my advantage. I personally think I have too many distractions in my life and I feel like I also have a false sense of security. From where? I haven't got a clue

Zenndaya · Sep 22, 2016

Yep, definitely thinking of retaking A&P I again and yes, I'm currently taking A&PII and I think its going a lot greater than A&PI. We just finished the Respiratory and Blood sections and I scored an A on the lab practical and a B on the exam. The Heart section has a lot of A&P I in it though so I'm a bit worried but I think I can review anything I don't recall with my textbook. I think I'll stick through Micro since I'm not doing too bad. . .

Thanks for the tip on checking with my schools policy. I don't think we can drop classes w/out paying though. By the way, wouldn't a drop or fail look worse than a C? I know that our program takes the highest grade into account (which is why I'm retaking some courses) but would that effect my gpa?

I would suggest you retake a&p1 asap also i'm not sure if you meant a&p2 and forgot to put the 2 or you meant you are currently in a&p1 now and you have a c, but either way retake it if its not an " A/B".
If you are not gonna get an A or B in micro withdraw asap if it is past the withdraw date drop the class or fail out and retake it to get a better grade. Also you have to read your schools policy because if you drop a class in some schools you have to pay for it, but sometimes you don't have to.
at my school if you get a "C" you technically passed the class so you cannot retake the course so just make sure you know your schools policy.
lastly try and apply to more then one program find some schools that are less competitive if you want to be a nurse you'll figure it out. But do not apply to one school, apply all over and make sure you study your a$$ off for the teas exam. If you want it you will make it happen it might take longer but you can still be a nurse.
ps. grades aren't the best indicator for intelligence, succeeding in nursing school is about grinding and hustling if you put in the work study like someones life depends on it, which it does then you will be fine in nursing school gl!!!!!!

1awkwardgirl · Sep 22, 2016

Thanks for the tip on checking with my schools policy. I don't think we can drop classes w/out paying though. By the way, wouldn't a drop or fail look worse than a C? I know that our program takes the highest grade into account (which is why I'm retaking some courses) but would that effect my gpa?

i only said fail out because at my school we can't retake a "C" so its either drop/withdraw or fail out. But if you can retake a course with a "C" go ahead.

Also i don't know how your school works but my school takes the highest grade so its either be ok with the drop/withdraw and get an "A" or have a "C" and sacrifice your gpa. I can only speak for my school but drops/withdrawals don't effect your gpa..... are they ideal no, but it does not effect our gpa

But you have to read your schools policy and see what is the best plan of action for you.

bostons · Sep 22, 2016

I'm going to level with you here, people who go into nursing with a 4.0 in their pre-reqs often end up with Bs and Cs in their nursing classes.

This was me!

J Friday · Sep 23, 2016

A withdraw "W" does NOT look worse than a "C". They really only look at the overall GPA, and GPA of groups of classes. A "W" does not change GPA at all, ergo, it is harmless!!!

That being said, I was a 4.0 student through all of my prereq's for RN school, and I scored a 93.somehting on the TEAS. I applied to RN school before I finished micro; so the rule at CSULB stipulated that it would be counted as a default "C" in my GPA to punish me because I hadn't finished yet...lol. With straight A's and one pseudo 'C', my GPA was too low to get into the program I wanted. I had to reapply the next semester when I had my 'A' and finished the class. RN school is extremely competitive.

But WAIT, there is a silver lining!!! Community Colleges (at least in California) tend to have applicant pool lotteries as opposed to the UCs and CSU's that only take the top ranking candidates. As long as you meet the minimum requirements, your chances are the same as anyone else applying.

I finished the university BSN program with a 3.9 (and it took a long time to swallow losing my perfect record).

Anyway, the honest truth is that your GPA is likely too low to get into a university program, however you may still be very eligible to get into a lottery draw of a junior college program. Check out if any schools around you have these. Ones in CA include Pierce, Valley College, and I believe Glendale and College of the Canyons. These are all near Los Angeles County as that is my area. But I'm sure there are plenty more.

Good Luck!!! .... and keep studying.

:)

AtLeastMyDogLovesMe · Sep 23, 2016

I'm going to level with you here, people who go into nursing with a 4.0 in their pre-reqs often end up with Bs and Cs in their nursing classes. If you are already getting Bs and Cs in the pre-reqs, your chances of passing nursing school are slim, which is why most programs don't admit students with those types of grades.
Now, grades often have little do with with how smart you are. They have to do with how hard you work and how smart you work. You need to figure out your learning style and change your study habits. As you've already realized, college is very different from high school. You can't skate through.
For example, someone who is a visual or kinesthetic learner will be wasting their time listening to the lecture repeatedly, that is not how they learn. Someone who is an auditory learner will get nothing out of re-writing lecture notes. Find your learning style and study in the manner that best works for that style. Also, study in short bursts, science shows that during a study session, we tend to remember the first thing and last thing we review and some random fact in the middle, so if you study for 3 hours straight, you don't actually retain much info. If you study in a 15-20 minute burst and then take a break, you are more likely to retain everything you review. So, studying for 6 20-minute sessions per day is more effective than 1 3-hour block even though you study for less time. Does that make sense?
You also need to review regularly. After each lecture, I go home (or library, whatever works) and handwrite all the lecture notes (typing does not stimulate the brain in the same way--handwriting is important for visual learners), then i review all my notes starting from the beginning and all the way up through the current (in 20 minute sessions). The brain tends to not remember something until you've seen it 7 times.
Color code your notes, again, this stimulates the brain to remember.
At this point, you may have already shot yourself in the foot with your current grades, (my school is like Jen's in that it only takes the first grade you earned regardless of whether you retake it or not). But you may stand a chance if you can get your grades turned around now.
Good luck!

I second this. I will also like to add one key thing. As someone who feels like a career student (all while HATING school) I can tell you there is one very big thing when it comes to passing that has little to do with how much you study or how well you comprehend the material. Its called test taking skills. When you develop test taking skills, which is ESSENTIAL for passing nursing school and boards, you can eliminate stupid answers even when you have no idea what the answer is. Trust me, I have seen some very capable and intelligent people fail out of nursing school and vise versa. Develop college level test taking skills. Remember, in high school you are only expected to regurgitate what your teacher told you. In college you are tested on APPLYING the information.

People don't like it when I say this but the TEAS test is child's play. Its not a college level test. Get the practice book and hit the math and science.

Further, I don't know what state you are in but remember the associates is always an option. It is competitive but compared to the HUGE number of applicants at a university your odds are better. I had a degree in biology with an average GPA, scored in the 93rd percentile nationally (Only studying math and science. If I had been more prepared for the English stuff I would have done better) and got in at a community college the on first shot. I looked at the program at the nearest university and realized that it was HEAVILY geared for students currently enrolled and having a prior degree from a different institution actually put me at a major disadvantage. Plus the associates will probably be substantially cheaper.

I guess all this to say that there is more than one way to skin a cat. If nursing is what you really wanna do consider all avenues and don't think you HAVE to get in to your university's program. And definitely don't think you're stupid. My university was actually well known for its nursing program in NY and from what people told me it had a TWO YEAR wait list. Meanwhile in 2 years you can have your associates and be looking for your first job (again...depending on what state you live in).

Hope my thesis helps.