I have a very convoluted story, but it all boils down to the following.
I graduated with honors from HS in 1998. Scored about 1260 on SATs, received numerous scholarships and ended up enrolling at a 4-yr University that fall.
To put it mildly...I screwed around. I was there for 4 semesters (not consecutive) and for various reasons, either failed due to absences, or failure to withdraw properly, and ended my tenure at that school with a 1.026 GPA.
2 years past (Spring 2002) and I think I have my head on straight and decide to go to a CC to pursue nursing and I get in and bypass the waiting list based on my HS credentials alone (I was accepted into the program over a few of my friends who had already been there and taking pre-req's). My first semester of clinicals and other classes, we got to about week 3 or 4 and come to find out, my hep C (I think) vaccine wasn't correct in time enough for me to actually go to the hospital and start my clinicals, so I was forced to withdraw. I lost all momentum and withdrew from all of my classes (I properly withdrew this time, so no penalties). Fall semester rolls around and I took some classes (Med Term, Algebra, Philosopy and Human G&D) and earned 2 A's, B and C. I thought I was back on track so I registered for Clinicals again in Spring 2003, only to have to withdraw due to family issues (no penalty).
I was doing well in my nursing courses both times, and I actually had an A average in my Nursing 101 clinical, but I just couldn't remain in school. My Cum GPA for my last college (includes the transfer credits from the first one) is right at a 3.0.
When I look over my transcrips, I only have about 10 classes that would even count for anything:
Engl 1 & 2
French 1 & 2
Psyc 101
Music
Med Term
Algebra
Philosophy
Human G&D
My quandry is whether it's worth it to try to transfer credits in or if I should just start over. The only classes that would be relevant in most programs are English, Psych, Human G&D and one of my humanities. I rec'd a C in Algebra, so I would prefer to take a math class to receive another grade.
What do you guys think? In your experience, how will my past be looked upon? It wasn't a lack of knowledge or ability on my part, it was a lack of motivation and outside negative issues. I'm almost 30 years old and though I've run from it for quite a while, I don't think the desire to be a nurse will ever leave me. Even after leaving school, I was always in the healthcare field, mostly working for hospitals as scheduling coordinators or recruiter/staffing manager for healthcare staffing agencies.
I just get discouraged because of my transcripts, because I know that those grades don't reflect who I am.
Any words of advice or just encouragement would be greatly appreciated. :)
(My former schools was in SC, I currently live in MD.)
Well, I'm 51 now (older and somewhat wiser - lol). However, I went to nursing school right out of high school in 1977, did all the classes, was one semester from graduating and just decided nursing wasn't for me. So....I quit going to class one day, joined the Navy and shipped out the next day!
Didn't bother officially dropping the classes because "school was dumb and I sure didn't need that to be successful" My GPA - 0.7!!
Something to be proud of for sure.
Fast forward to 1985 - I decided....hmmm....guess i need that dumb degree after all. Well, went to a community college and ended up with an associates in general studies. (During all this time I was active duty military and then married another active duty guy and we moved and moved and moved!)
Now, its 1990 and we are about to be stationed stateside (haven't lived in the states since 1977). So...I quickly get settled and enroll in another community college who aren't all that impressed with my GPA, but agree to let me in on "academic probation."
Got my LPN from them in 1992 and then we moved again.
So....on and on it goes.
Moral of the story: don't lie, EVER!! Especially in this day and age of electronic media - you will be found out.
An awful GPA is possible to recover from, lying about schools you've attended isn't recoverable or forgivable when you want to be in a profession where your integrity is on the line daily.
Let me clarify, I never thought about lying or NOT telling them about the previous education, my question was whether or not I should just take an "L" and repeat all of those classes due to the grades and age of the courses. I would never try to gain entry to my dream by doing something dishonest, it always comes back to bite you in the long run. Besides, given my luck, I would be real close to graduating when I was found out and it would all come crashing down, lol!!!!!
Thanks for replying. I actually spoke to a Nursing Program Advisor today at one of the schools I'm looking at and she took a look at my transcripts and said I should be fine. My GPA on the core classes is over 3.0 and this particular school doesn't work off of Cumul GPA, they only count your GPA for your core pre-req's and program required courses. She even told me that 2 of the courses that I didn't think would count, would transfer. She gave me a plan of action and I will start this summer with hopes to apply next Spring for Fall admission.
Jules, she did ask me about my "false starts" as you call them and she said that since it's been more than 5 years, they wouldn't take that into consideration either. Even if I'd failed out of a nursing program, one would be eligible to reapply to their nursing program once 5 years have passed. So because it's 1) been more than 5 years and 2) I did NOT fail out...I'm okay.
caliotter3
38,333 Posts
Well, golly gee, start coming around here and posting more often!