Confused about schools and programs

HyperSaurus, RN, BSN · Jan 14, 2010

Is there any way you can raise your GPA up? My first semester at a university, I got a 2.5, but by retaking classes and getting into a study routine, I have been able to pull my GPA up to a 3.8.

My school took me when I had a 3.23 GPA--granted I was the lowest at the time, but there is hope.

Meeko15 · Jan 14, 2010

I can raise it. I'm talking to the study advisers on campus and making a game plan. If I keep my grades up from here on out and retake a chemistry and a math class it should help significantly.

I just freaked out pretty bad because nursing school felt so far away

HyperSaurus, RN, BSN · Jan 14, 2010

It can seem that way, especially depending on what the situation is like in your area. A good friend of mine has an amazing GPA (3.9), but it was too competitive where she was from, so she researched a bunch of schools across the Northern US and ended up choosing mine. It was a drastic choice (and move), but now, she's looking at pretty much guaranteed admission. Moral of the story, if your area isn't going to work out for you, if at all possible, you might want to move to a more 'friendly' area.

centralhealthstudent · Jan 21, 2010

What school was that?????

studentinnursing · Jan 21, 2010

Some background: I started my first year of college as a psych major and got bored. Instead of re evaluating my major choice I partied a fair bit and didn't study. I'm now sitting at a 2.5 gpa . Bad, I know. I'm working my ass off to get it up but it so slow going and OHSU more or less has a monopoly on bachelor degrees in nursing. I know it sounds really horrible to complain about the high admissions standards of a school, especially if you're going for a health profession, but I hear stories about amazing students (3.8 gpa + extracurriculars) being turned away and I just don't think I can stay at OSU long enough to get my gpa high enough for their standards.
The community college across the way has an associates program for nursing that I'm thinking about because I feel like it might be the more reasonable considering how much I screwed up my GPA. Now I've heard a few things talking to other people who are a little farther along than me. First, that most hospitals are looking for nurses with a bachelors (which I will get, just not immediately) but as soon as the economy picks up a lot of the baby boomer nurses will be retiring and there will be a huge number of openings and it would be no problem getting a job.
I plan on making an appointment with me adviser this week but I'd thought I'd present you guys with the situation and get as much input as possible since I always have more questions than she has time for

After you talk to your advisor, talk to two more unless you are very familiar with them. I have had great professors point me toward advisors, so that helps if you know the school. I'm not kidding; I was told I had all prereqs done for my BSN and as I went through the requirements, I realized I still needed 2 semesters of foreign language--and when I asked, sure thing, did need the foreign language--that's just a word about advisors; they all mean well, but I'm sure it is very hard to keep track of every program, what each student has accomplished, what they're goal is, what admission requirements are for each, blah, blah, blah . . .

A word about community college; my school is a community college and has a "selective" admission process, no waiting list, which can be good and bad depending on your situation; if you have a bunch of prereqs you still need to do, and if not, do some toward your BSN, try to get your GPA up while waiting. Ask the hospitals which one of those schools is welcomed as far as clinical time; where I am, the community college is said to have more clinical time than the major university. Research, research, research--that is, in your spare time LOL like we have that, but it will be time well spent and you will not only have a plan on how/what classes to take to bring up the GPA but also the admission requirements for each school; what hospitals say about the school really counts too as far as clinical time which is the hands on we need as students.

You also have the option of the diploma programs through hospitals--I do not know, but I'm guessing they love to give you clinical time--and "career colleges" but those you really need to make sure of clinical time. And with either of these, you may not be able to transfer credits for BSN if that's what you plan on, but I do not know that for sure because I'm going the community college route and have had nothing but good experience so far.

I hope this helps! Good luck!! And you can do it!

HyperSaurus, RN, BSN · Jan 21, 2010

Centralhealthstudent, I go to Northern Michigan University in th frozen tundra also known as Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Although, if you're from Canada, my use of the term 'frozen tundra' may seem like I'm stretching it.