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Hello All,
This is my first post, so I hope I'm doing this correctly. Recently, I transferred to school in hopes to finish my prerequisites and apply to their nursing program. I received an email from admissions with an admissions appeal attached stating I need to fill it out and turn it back in, now mind you I'm already enrolled in classes. They took a transcript from 8 years ago and applied it to my now GPA and it brought it down 1.25. I went and talked to my nursing advisor and was told I might as well change my major because I wasn't getting accepted into their program because it's so competitive, and that no matter how many times I retook a a course i still wouldn't get accepted into their program. So, she told me to look into Healthcare Administration. I get that I may not be this super smart person but for her to just tell me give up on what I want to do, my dreams it bothered me but now it also has me sitting here contemplating on changing my major but my heart is telling me and and I have no idea what else I would want to do. I know I'm not dumb, I just have a difficult time when it comes to test, I get real bad anxiety and I start to second guess myself and it could be something I know and I just freeze up because I want to do so well.
Let me tell you!
Ive had the "you realize this actually takes work, right?" comments thrown at me a time or two. However, I've made my mistakes while in my nursing program, and have to make up for them two-fold. I have bad anxiety that led to my test-taking mistakes, but because i didn't address those issues before starting school with a psychiatrist, i can't blame anyone else but me for being unprepared. I am getting these issues handled. My advice, if this is your all-time dream job, see a professional to get this issue under control, and bring up your GPA enough to get into a program. Even if the program is expensive, there are many fine RNs who come from those institutions. I myself might have to attend Chamberlain, but my GPA is still pretty high. I think they accept a 2.7 GPA, so work hard on it and you got it!
Best regards,
NNM
the advisor told you that you would not meet the requirements for acceptance into their program. Advisors are there to advise; it is up to you to do what you need to with the information given, not take it to heart.
With that said, is the 1.25 your cumulative GPA, or is that your GPA after factoring in a few classes with the new transcript? Some programs go off of your cumulative GPA while others only take into consideration a few prereqs.
Address your anxiety. Life in general is stressful. Nursing school included. It will help you in the long run.
If she told you no matter how many times you've retaken a course, that you still won't be competitive, you need to look into other options.
My past transcripts haunted me too. Find a college that only looks at the pre requisites for admissions and ace those. Like A&P I and II, Micro, Math, Nutrition, Human Growth and Development, etc. Rock the entrance exam, write a killer admissions essay... Not all nursing schools evaluate admissions the same way.
When I applied to nursing school, I had similar issues. I had dropped out of school after failing a few classes the first time around. I knew I was intelligent and just had other life issues the first time around. I had no doubt in my mind I would excel at this because it was something I really wanted to do though. What I did is I took one semester of classes (A&P, Psych, English, and one more class). I got an A on all four classes. Then I went to one of those "expensive" schools. It was a legit school though. I sat down with their counselor and made my case. I had to "show" him what kind of student I really can be. He looked at my GPA from before and my GPA from this last semester; and he argued for me to get me accepted into the ADN program. I graduated three years ago with a great GPA. I passed my NCLEX the first time with 75 questions. I now work in the ICU of the top hospital in Dallas after working on a trauma floor. I love my work. I'm also 2 courses away from getting my BSN in an RN-BSN program.
I think the real problem you have is the test taking anxiety you speak of. That is what you need to work on. Nursing school was tough. The fact that I did really well just meant I studied really hard. It was relatively "easy" for me because I loved it. That doesn't mean I didn't spend the time studying. I spent a lot of time, but it was easier to study because I was really interested and really wanted this.
No excuses can stop you from doing what you want. I had to work 2 jobs my first 2 semesters while in nursing school; and I "took it easy" with one full time job the rest of the way. I just think you need to find a path. Whatever it takes, expensive schools are still schools. Your effort will decide if you pass the NCLEX or not if you put your mind to it.
Summary: (IF you really want this)
1- Find a solution for your test anxiety (You will have a LOT of tests and a LOT of anxiety during nursing school)
2- Find a path. (Doesn't matter what it is, just a way to get you to your RN)
3- Put your head down and everything else on the back burner and tackle this. (It will be tough)
Extra Pickles
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Indeed. Which completely supports my statement that students who have a 2.0 or less will not be going into those programs anywhere. Students who are able to garner a spot in an ADN program with a GPA of 3.75 instead of 3.85, which is of little difference in this discussion will quickly find out that they are not in an easier program. Students who are looking for an easy program because they have awful gpa's won't be getting into either program in any event.