Can I still get in a nursing program?

[ok asked]

Hello! I am a pre nursing student doing my pre-reqs at a cc in california. I was a A&B student all my life until I struggled with my second semester in my freshman year, I got my first C ever. Currently I'm at my 3rd year at cc and I have 3 Ws and 3 Cs, one in a minor class and 2 in science pre reqs. I have started to question this career choice and whether or not I would be even able to be accepted into a nursing program here in california. I really love nursing but my mental health took a toll for a bit and caused me to lose my motivation. I really want to be a nurse but will I even be able to get into a program like this? I don't know anymore I feel like I keep getting behind in life. I just want to know my realistic options at the moment.

[VeraRN]

Hello, Does Kaplan Nursing still exist? I heard they were excellent in support for nursing school study and the NCLEX. 

Good luck!

[TopCat1234]

You may have to go to a private school, like Chamberlain or WGU.

[AT24]

Hello there, I had a similar experience as yours and still got into nursing school here in Oregon. I will say, though when I got a C in anatomy, I decided to retake it. What is your goal? To get an associates degree and then apply for nursing school or to do all of your pre-reqs at a CC? Did you get C's in some of your other pre-reqs? When I did anatomy, I got a C the first time so I decided to retake it, a lot of stuff went down when I tried retaking it at a community college in my personal life so I decided to take it elsewhere however I had to get a withdrawal on my transcript and a withdrawal counts as an attempt at the university that I was applying for nursing school. I applied for an exception to the repeat policy so that they could look at my third attempt, not my second and they approved it. That's the reason I'm trying to get more details on what your goal is. Hopefully I can help❣️

[Heather Strand]

I love your honesty here — because so many pre-nursing students feel this and never say it. Nursing attracts people who care deeply, but that same caring can make us push too hard and forget to breathe.

Give yourself permission to pause. Get your mental health where it needs to be. Then, look at your options: many California programs allow course repeats, academic renewal, or transfer opportunities. You'd be surprised how many nurses started just like you — unsure, scared, but unwilling to give up.

You're not off track. You're learning how to care for the first patient you'll ever have — yourself.

I hope this helps!

-Heather

[Hannahbanana, BSN, MSN]

The answer is a qualified maybe. A college nursing degree is harder than a lot of people expect, because they think that it's a lower-level semiprofession and all nurses do is "follow doctor's orders" without needing a lot of science or independent judgment. We see people all the time who are stunned by how challenging it is academically... not to mention professionally. 
If you aren't in a good place to deal with that kind of effort right now, it's perfectly okay to step back and reassess your plans. Maybe you'll come back to it; maybe something else will come along to suit you better; maybe you'll be a stronger candidate later. Good luck with whatever you decide. 
 

[Hello World]

I totally get where you're coming from. I was in a similar spot a couple of years ago — having a few "W"s and "C"s on my transcript made me wonder if nursing was still realistic. But one thing I discovered: many programs (especially community-college + transfer-route ones) do accept students who retake classes or have mixed grades — what matters is that you show improvement and commitment. Mental health dips and bumps in academic performance don't define your whole journey. If nursing is something you care about, it's still absolutely worth trying (sometimes we need time to find our footing). Best of luck — I'm rooting for you. 😊

I think many people who want to get into nursing but stumble on a few bumps (low grades, withdrawals, mental-health stress, whatever) assume there's no way forward — but I love how others here encouraged giving yourself a break, maybe retaking classes, or exploring different paths (private schools, transfer-friendly programs, etc.). As someone reading this while deciding whether to keep going, it's reassuring to see people saying "you're not off track,” and reminding us it's okay to pause, regroup, and try again when we're ready. Thanks for the encouragement, and for reminding everyone that a rough patch doesn't define your future.