Former RN student needs advice

[Jeweled]

Hello all,

I have a very convuluted 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 guess 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. :)

[Jeweled]

*convoluted

[fathertod, ASN, BSN, MSN, APRN, NP]

*CONCUR

[Jeweled]

*CONCUR

Do you have anything useful to add or did you just want to "concur" that my story was a bit difficult?

At least I got feedback over on the pre-nursing boards.

Thanks anyway.

[fathertod, ASN, BSN, MSN, APRN, NP]

Well, the best advice you can get is don't give up so easily the next time around and finish what you start

[Jeweled]

I don't believe I gave any details about why I ultimately left Nursing school (I'm not speaking of my previous UG studies), so for you to say I gave up "so easily" is rather presumptious and condescending on your part.

But thanks for replying and hopefully YOU feel good about your genuine contribution to this thread.

[Student4_life]

So you are not going to get into programs here in MD with a 3.0 GPA, its just too competitive. Not sure what part of MD you are in, but here in Montgomery County its pretty hard to get into the MC program, as is UMB UMBSG BCCC as well as JHU. They are all getting pick of the litter (just had a rep tell me the avg GPA was 3.7/4.0 last year).

Include what you put on the site with your application package, maybe with a high (95 percentile) TEAS or NET score, and good letters of rec you could get in. Either way get into your counties CC and start knocking out MBIO, CH, A&P I&II. At the very least you can prove you are on the right track and get current letters of REC. But another word of caution, alot of my classmates at my cc are stressing getting good grades to apply to the cc's nursing program. You are not in SC anymore, MD is rough.

You can always check out coppin state and bowie, they have lower min GPA's (2.5 instead of 3.0) so they might have lower avgs too, but according to my advisor they aren't the best schools to go to.

Good luck.

[Jules A, MSN]

I personally wouldn't re-take a course I had already passed and truthfully I'd be more worried about your false starts than your gpa. As far as I know schools require that you list each one you have attended and I wouldn't want to risk getting tossed for omitting past schools but good luck with whatever you decide.

[Jeweled]

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.

Thanks for your insight!! :)

[Jules A, MSN]

That is excellent news! I didn't realize you were so young when you tried NS in the past and that definitely is to your advantage when explaining things to prospective schools. The really young ones that manage to make it through amaze me and have my respect because I didn't have the maturity to do it right out of high school.

[Student4_life]

What schools are you looking at?

[TinkRN10]

Keep in mind, some colleges do not transfer in you GPA. I know Frostburg does not. Also, if you happen to go back to your initial college they may offer you something called "amnesty". You would have to speak to an advisor about this and apply for amnesty. The college basically wipes out failing classes from your transcript which then, of course, bumps up your GPA.

Good luck!