I want to become a nurse but my gpa is low

mz23 · Nov 11, 2013

Id retake all those classes. Some schools count retake against you, but I think some just count highest grade or others will average them. Do you know why you are not doing well? How long do you study, do you go to tutoring? Before retaking, you need to figure out why your not passing. Good luck!

PurpleLover · Nov 11, 2013

Your dreams are never over until you give up. I would make an appointment with an advisor to see what steps I could take to raise my program based GPA.

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Nov 11, 2013

Please keep in mind that nursing school can be very challenging even for students who have very high GPAs. It may be a good idea to look at some other educational pathways.

pmabraham, BSN, RN · Nov 11, 2013

Good day:

If I were in your shoes, I would try to find one or more people (tutors, learning center help, counselors) who might be able to help me determine what areas can I improve in note taking, studying, study habits, test taking, etc. Then I would do my best to incorporate their suggestions to see if I could improve.

If I were to find out there's no way to improve or the ways are there, but completely out of reach I would seek help. If no help were available, then I would most likely have to face the reality that attitude and determination might not be enough for this specific goal... at least for a time period.

Thank you.

Everline · Nov 11, 2013

I don't understand these kinds of questions. If you are having a hard time passing pre-reqs, why is it you think you would be successful in nursing school? With a GPA of 2.4 (ish), your academic options are limited in many areas. Why would nursing just allow you in? Many nursing programs are highly competitive. But then, you can probably find a for profit school that will be fine with your grades, especially after you pay their high tuition costs. There's no doubt a program somewhere that won't care. But that isn't really the point, is it? Your dreams aren't over until you decide to stop dreaming them. However, in reality, your going to have to figure out what is causing you to have low grades and work on fixing the problems. Seek academic counseling and retake courses in which you have not done well. Contact the nursing programs that interest you and find out what their standards are so you know where to set your goals.

NurseGirl525, ASN, RN · Nov 11, 2013

Have you sat down and tried to evaluate what your issue is as far as passing these classes? Are you not studying or are you not grasping the basic concepts? These are the basic classes that you need before going into nursing school. If you are struggling now, you won't make it through. If this is your dream as you say it is, I would have found out a long time ago what was going wrong and have tried to fix it. I don't know that we can tell you anything you don't already know.

k2115 · Nov 11, 2013

Those classes are just the basics for the program. It will be way harder than those. Like other people said, I would figure out why you are having trouble in the prereqs and take it from there. Nursing school is competitive, and most schools have high criteria. My school only allows you to retake one prereq and you have to have a minimum 3.0 to even be considered. Some community colleges allow lower gpas..the cc in our town allows a 2.5 or above but it's a 4 year wait. It depends how bad you want it. I would definitely retake all those sciences if your school allows more than one retake. You want to understand the foundation courses before you start. Good luck!

squidbillies · Nov 11, 2013

I don't necessarily agree with some above posts. First, those classes are all extremely difficult. Be happy with the c, you passed! Second, i would look into private colleges like Phoenix, Rasmussen, Kaizer etc (not sure what state you're in). Those colleges don't have such rigid entrance requirements. They typically just want you to pass the TEAS or HESI with a certain score. If you can get the scores they want on those, then you have a good shot at passing nursing school. Also, perhaps you should start with LPN school- not because it's easier or anything, but because it takes less time. Then you can always bridge to an RN program and have a good amount of knowledge behind you.

Also, I kindly disagree with people saying nursing classes are harder than those pre reqs. Chemistry, micro, and a&p were by far harder than any nursing class I took. Yes, they were challenging, but they were all doable.

Good luck and go with what you feel. While certainly not everyone is cut out for nursing school, don't count yourself out yet. You'll never know if you don't persevere.

Mandy0728 · Nov 12, 2013

Sounds like you need to retake all those classes but get your priorities straight as well. Retaking A&P to get a C doesn't sound promising, along with you staying you're going to fail micro. I had to retake about 6 classes to raise my gpa from a 1.93 to a 3.4. It's possible but you need to figure out how to time manage. There's no point in retaking a class to get a C. I retook everything I ever got a C or below in.

JesusKeepMe · Nov 12, 2013

If becoming an RN is your dream, then get to work making your dream a reality.

You should already know the pre-reqs and minimum GPA needed to even be considered for entry into.the nursing programs in your area. You should be meeting with advisors and asking them for thier advice regarding what classes to take or retake.

A wise student would retake the pre-reqs he/she got a C in.

If you really want it, you will study until your eyeballs are dry from too much studying. You already know what you have to do. Good luck.

emde · Nov 12, 2013

All schools in my area require a minimum GPA of 3.0