Chances of becoming a nurse...

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I am real conflicted about posting this because I'm embarrassed and afraid of the answers that I'll get, but I figure that being honest with myself and my situation and it will be better for me in the long run, I hope. Here it is:

I attended a private college straight out of high school and was and average student in my first two years, earning around a 2.5 g.p.a. towards a liberal arts degree. However, in my third year of college I lost my focus and direction and failed all of my classes, all from not attending. I was clinically depressed at the time - I would sleep most of the day and rarely leave my apartment. I was subsequently suspended from school and went home. I didn't even know what depression was at the time(I was confused, sad, and alone but didn't know why) but I have come to understand it through talk and drug therapy, and I can cope with it now much more maturely than I did a number of years ago. I've been rebuilding my life slowly. While at home I started working in a group home for mentally handicapped individuals and found a calling in health care. A lot of my friends were encouraging me to become a nurse and I began to see that nursing fits my personality type perfectly.

My whole point is that since I failed all of my classes in my third year of college, bringing my overall gpa down to under a 2.00, It's been impossible to get my academic career back on track because most schools won't accept a gpa that low (and I don't blame them.) My circumstances are not really unique as there are many students who drop/fail out of school, and I understand that there is no good reason for a school to accept me since I haven't proven anything. I have taken classes since that time and have received A's in every class, but it's just not enough.

I have a real fear that I will never be able to live down my mistakes and pursue a career in nursing. I am determined to become a nurse, but I worry that it's just blind determination that isn't realistic and will cause a lot of disappointment when my goal doesn't work out. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Sorry for the length!

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Specializes in ED.

you need to find out what schools in your area use for criteria as far as accepting students. and you need to decide if you are willing to re-locate for school. I am in California and just applied to San Jose State University, their criteria only looks at the last 30 semester units, they look at 5 pre-req's (you can repeat them to bring your grade up) and they look at your score on the TEAS test. I didn't have a great GPA from my first BA, but when looking at these three criteria I am actually a candidate for the accelerated program and should have no problem getting into the regular program. good luck

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Are you speaking of getting your RN or LPN?

If its the LPN, none of the schools in CT look at HS or College GPA. So nothing you've done in previous years will be held against you. Most (if not all) the schools for LPN require a HS diploma/GED, take and pass entrance exam (NET for most of the schools) and have your interview.

In regards to RN I know that Bridgeport Hospital RN program wants a college GPA of 2.8 or better. You need college level chemistry w/lab and college English Comp.

There has to be something you can get into. I know of many people who bombed bad in college due to partying etc and they were able to get into college and become an RN.

If worse comes to worse, you could do the LPN and bridge to RN.

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I too failed several classes during my first two years of college and basically ended up flunking out. After I flunked out, I decided college wasn't for me and I ended up working dead end jobs for the next two years. After taking those two years off, I transferred to a large university with a 2.03 GPA. I was surprised they even accepted me, but most schools have a transfer GPA of only 2.0. My advisor told me there was no way I was getting into the nursing program at this university, and should consider changing my major. I did change my major, but I continued to take nursing pre-reqs as well. Over the course of two years, I busted my butt to make as many A's as I possibly could to bring my GPA up. By the time I graduated with my BA, I had pulled my GPA up to over a 3.0, and I applied to my school's Accelerated 2nd degree nursing program. I'm happy to say I'm now in semester 2 of 4 of my nursing program, and I will graduate with my BSN this December. You CAN pull your GPA up (with lots of A's of course) and you CAN get into nursing school. Take it from someone who NEVER in a million years thought she'd ever get in. Good luck.

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something similar happened to me, but i did it my first year so fortunately (for me) i was able to bring up my gpa because well, it's easier to bring up a gpa when you dont have as many credits. it was a rude awakening, coming from HS with a 3.8 GPA (which included college classes at the SCHOOL I GOT KICKED OUT OF! ha). probation 1st semester, suspended on the 2nd. cute.

i then decided to be a nurse. good timing.

my solution? i have to leave my state. there was no way i was getting into nursing school here. they flat out refused. "maybe you can come back for the rn-->bsn if you go somewhere else for an adn. but there is really no way you could bring up your gpa enough to get into nursing here"

nursing is my dream, so i'm moving.

please dont give up :) when there is a will, there is a way

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Your higher GPA of 2.5 would not have cut it at any of the nursing programs at schools in connecticut.

Do not use any of those previous classes and just take everything again. A college can only find out about your previous grades if you tell them that you went to another school.

I know it will be a lot of work, but you have no choice if you are serious about nursing school. At my school, there are 14 people that I personaly know applying this year and their GPA's are between 3.97 and 4.0.

Work hard and only take 2 or 3 classes at a time.

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Your higher GPA of 2.5 would not have cut it at any of the nursing programs at schools in connecticut.

Do not use any of those previous classes and just take everything again. A college can only find out about your previous grades if you tell them that you went to another school.

I know it will be a lot of work, but you have no choice if you are serious about nursing school. At my school, there are 14 people that I personaly know applying this year and their GPA's are between 3.97 and 4.0.

Work hard and only take 2 or 3 classes at a time.

Actually that's the worse advice I've read on here. Everyone knows you're not allowed to disregard any part of your educational history when applying for another college. If they find out they can kick you out of the school. Good luck getting into a school after that. This actually happened to a friend of mine. It's rare, but it does happen. WHY TAKE THAT CHANCE? Plus, it's dishonest. Do it the right way.

Also, Just because you know that 3.7-4.0 is the avg for your circle of friends doesn't mean it's the avg with the rest of the country.

She can find a program less competitive, as I did. Her 2.5 WOULD CUT it at some schools. As long as she knows that nursing school is difficult and that she has to change her studying habits, then she should be fine. I do believe that the lower GPA requirement results in more people dropping out (my current school is similar to yours, with the high GPA applicants and VERY few people drop out) However, the 2.5 GPA school apparently has 60 students starting off and never more than 20-ish graduating.

However, if you start nursing school with the right mentality, and the heart for it, I truly believe anyone can get through it.

Sorry, I basically just wanted to comment on the whole lying about your transcipt thing.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Actually, it is not against any rules of any school to not include transcripts. Most schools would be more than happy to charge you for all of the needed classes.

Maybe in Hawaii a low GPA will fly but in Connecticut schools the nursing program is very competitive.

At my school there are 80 slots and between 600 and 1000 applicants every year.

Good luck and as always, follow the advice of your counselor not the people on these forums.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Actually, it is not against any rules of any school to not include transcripts. Most schools would be more than happy to charge you again for all of the needed classes.

Maybe in Hawaii a low GPA will fly but in Connecticut schools the nursing program is very competitive.

At my school there are 80 slots and between 600 and 1000 applicants every year.

Good luck and as always, follow the advice of your counselor not the people on these forums.

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Actually, it is not against any rules of any school to not include transcripts. Most schools would be more than happy to charge you again for all of the needed classes.

Maybe in Hawaii a low GPA will fly but in Connecticut schools the nursing program is very competitive.

At my school there are 80 slots and between 600 and 1000 applicants every year.

Good luck and as always, follow the advice of your counselor not the people on these forums.

Well cupcake, because I'm lazy and don't care to look up a bunch of schools I picked the University of Connecticut.

FAQ

4. I don't want credit for courses I completed at a university I attended before applying to UConn. Must I submit the transcript?

Complete official transcripts of all work taken at other institutions must be submitted as part of the application process whether or not credit for such work is desired or expected. Students who fail to acknowledge attendance at any college or university in which they have been enrolled automatically waive the right to have that work considered for transfer credit. They may also be subject to denial of admission, loss of course credit, and/or suspension from the University.

Pay attention to that last line. Like i said, it HAPPENED TO MY FRIEND. I messed up in school and thought about doing the same thing you suggested. Until every school I looked into going to ALWAYS mentioned that.

If you could read, you would see that I said that my school, University of Hawaii, is very similar to yours. The lowest GPA to get in is a 3.6, the avg being higher. Which is why I had to move.

And cheers to the last comment. In regards to .. you.

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Your past does not determine your future. My GPA was like a 2.3 when I first started college. Right out of high schoo, I was not motivated and did not have good study skills. I managed to get a Bachelor degree and now I am happy to say, my GPA is 3.6 in I am in the honor society at my school. I am also a second semester nursing student continue to maintain a high GPA. My first language is French, so if I can do it, so can you. Good luck to you.

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Well, I would just like to say thank you to all those that posted back with those honest responses. They are all extremely helpful. Especially those of you whose stories are similar to mine.

Looking outside of CT seems to be a good idea right now and perhaps getting a degree with a different major would be the best way to get things in motion so that I feel like I've accomplished something with my time. I don't have a husband or any children (thankfully, though I love kids) so I can focus everything on this completely and I can go wherever someone takes me.

I plan on meeting with my adviser next week, so I'll see what she says is the best path to take- whether it be LPN school (I don't really want to wait so long, especially because it's already too late for fall 07, and then I'll be on a waiting list for some time I imagine) or taking all my accumulated credits so far and find a college that put me on a shorter path to getting a bachelors degree and then trying again with a better gpa. I've already taken some pre-req's (A & P 1 and 2, general chemistry, general biology) and received good grades, all A's and one B, so that's a start.

Thanks again.

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