I screwed up my first year and a half

[spar386]

I'm an LPN that has gone back to school for the full 4 years to become an RN. I tried athabasca online but felt that I was not able to learn very well. I find that when I am in class I do much better. Are any other nurses out there who have done this that can give me some support or guidance?

Many friends told me not to do this due to the costs associated with going back to school for four years but I felt it was the best decision. Now i'm wondering if this was a mistake since I am struggling financially. I moved to a new city and am not able to find a job as yet and my grades in the first year were poor due to several issues that I faced when moving to a new city. This semester has been rocky as well but I am improving. It's been a hard year and im trying to be strong and power through but felt coming to this forum would give me that extra support to push me through.

Have any of you nurses done poorly and ended off strong with good knowledge and a great job?

[MelissaLoyRN]

I obtained my Associate's Degree using the traditional method of going into school and attending clinical with my peers from the didactic courses. I graduated in 2011 and I remember it was hard work and a lot of dedication, especially with time. I did obtain my Bachelor's and Master's degree online. The best advice I can tell you, from my current memory when getting my Master's, is to work on a little bit at least four times a week. You will need to set time aside to get your assignments completed. For me, I would start schoolwork at 4p and might stop at 8p. If you're doing that 4-5x/week, then you should have no problem getting work finished and working ahead. The worst part for me was arranging my schedule or forcing in my practicum rotations during my Master's program. I had to have family take my son for a while while I was in practicum, five months, so that I could finish my program.

Take each assignment one by one. Break the whole assignment up and go piece by piece on the rubric. Turn it into a checklist. Ensure you are meeting the course objectives. I know its not easy. I feel as if I was borderline through my Associate's program, but by the time I finished my Master's programs my grades averaged around 95%.

You know, life is about chances. You'll never know unless you push through and find out. Sorry I couldn't offer any better advice, but my own experiences in education.

Hope this helps, even a little!

Melissa

[Fiona59]

Education for nurses in Canada is very different than in the US.

A four year degree is required for all new RNs. A masters degree is only really required for those who want to advance through management or as an educator.

Athabasca is a very hard road for some people. You have to be able to work alone

It's hard to know what to tell you now that you have dropped AU and relocate. My advice would have been to take your elective at community college and then transfer them to AU and do the nursing courses online

Were you able to salvage anything credit wise from AU?

Are you looking for work as an LPN? What province?

[ontnursec]

My university had an accelerated RPN to BScN program that was 3 years (1 year bridging, final 2 years they joined the regular stream). Could be a better option then an online program? Have you checked out universities in your area to see what is offered? Are you qualified for a provincial financial assistance program? It can't hurt to contact the admissions office and financial aid office of your local school.