Pre Nursing Student Desperate for Advice

FullGlass, BSN, MSN, NP · Mar 8

Yes, you can become a nurse! Hang in there. I am very sorry you have faced so many challenges, but you have also proved you are able to overcome those challeges and have been able to earn a decent GPA in college!

I was in a similar situation. I was a straight-A student in HS. However, I came from an extremely abusive background - I was beaten regularly so severely there were times I could barely walk. This was in the 70s, and child abuse was not taken very seriously then. In addition, I ended up with life-long severe PTSD and depression. My brother had it even worse, but won't go into that. I vowed to do well in school because my ticket out was to go to a good college and get out of that house. I got into Yale.

However, once I started college, I was no longer in survival mode and all that pent-up PTSD and depression caused me to crash. I became severely depressed and my grades tanked my sophomore year. Mental health was still pretty primitive back then, so I did not get the mental health help I needed. Then, out of pure spite, my parents cut off all financial support and when I went back home, threw me out of the house and put some of my belongings in the front yard. At 19, I was homeless.

Several years later, I managed to work my way through a state college, but my GPA was not great, to say the least. However, I built a successful business career.

Fast forward - at age 50, I decided it was time to change careers. Medical school didn't make sense at that age, so I decided to become an NP. First step, take the science prereqs. Some of those classes were very difficult for me and I had to withdraw from Anatomy and Microbiology. I was worried this would adversely affect nursing school admissions. The Anatomy professor, a wonderal gentleman who is a self-professed black radical, told me, "Don't worry about what 'they' say. That is just the establisment putting you in a culture of fear. If you need to retake the class, it will be OK." He gave me great heart. I retook those classes and got good grades, ending up with almost a 4.0 on the science prereqs.

However, my original college GPA was terrible. I took some additional health-related classes and had a nearly 4.0 on those.

Then I applied to nursing schools. In my essay, I discussed the challenges I had faced during my youth and the difficulty of making a career change and returning to school in mid-life. Just said something like (no need to go into gory details), "In my youth, I faced signficant personal challenges due to a troubled home life, becoming homeless at age 19. My career success demonstrates my true performance potential. While it was difficult adjusting to becoming a student again at age 50, and I had to retake a couple of classes, once I made this adjustment, my recent grades demonstrate my current academic abilities, blah blah"

Results: Accepted by Johns Hopkins! Also UCLA and Univ of San Diego Hahn School of Nursing.

Another example: one of my best friends wanted to be a scientist. However, her family did not believe women should go to college. She worked her way through community college, then to a state college. However, her almost downfall was calculus - she had to take it 11 times to get a decent grade! But she did it and got her Master's at UC Berkeley, PhD at Stanford, and post-doc at Cal Tech, followed by a very prestigious fellowship. She is now a scientist in a job she loves.

So hang in there! Talk to some of your professors and your academic advisor. Don't be embarassed.

Best wishes.

nurse200003 · Mar 8

FullGlass said:

Yes, you can become a nurse! Hang in there. I am very sorry you have faced so many challenges, but you have also proved you are able to overcome those challeges and have been able to earn a decent GPA in college!

I was in a similar situation. I was a straight-A student in HS. However, I came from an extremely abusive background - I was beaten regularly so severely there were times I could barely walk. This was in the 70s, and child abuse was not taken very seriously then. In addition, I ended up with life-long severe PTSD and depression. My brother had it even worse, but won't go into that. I vowed to do well in school because my ticket out was to go to a good college and get out of that house. I got into Yale.

However, once I started college, I was no longer in survival mode and all that pent-up PTSD and depression caused me to crash. I became severely depressed and my grades tanked my sophomore year. Mental health was still pretty primitive back then, so I did not get the mental health help I needed. Then, out of pure spite, my parents cut off all financial support and when I went back home, threw me out of the house and put some of my belongings in the front yard. At 19, I was homeless.

Several years later, I managed to work my way through a state college, but my GPA was not great, to say the least. However, I built a successful business career.

Fast forward - at age 50, I decided it was time to change careers. Medical school didn't make sense at that age, so I decided to become an NP. First step, take the science prereqs. Some of those classes were very difficult for me and I had to withdraw from Anatomy and Microbiology. I was worried this would adversely affect nursing school admissions. The Anatomy professor, a wonderal gentleman who is a self-professed black radical, told me, "Don't worry about what 'they' say. That is just the establisment putting you in a culture of fear. If you need to retake the class, it will be OK." He gave me great heart. I retook those classes and got good grades, ending up with almost a 4.0 on the science prereqs.

However, my original college GPA was terrible. I took some additional health-related classes and had a nearly 4.0 on those.

Then I applied to nursing schools. In my essay, I discussed the challenges I had faced during my youth and the difficulty of making a career change and returning to school in mid-life. Just said something like (no need to go into gory details), "In my youth, I faced signficant personal challenges due to a troubled home life, becoming homeless at age 19. My career success demonstrates my true performance potential. While it was difficult adjusting to becoming a student again at age 50, and I had to retake a couple of classes, once I made this adjustment, my recent grades demonstrate my current academic abilities, blah blah"

Results: Accepted by Johns Hopkins! Also UCLA and Univ of San Diego Hahn School of Nursing.

Another example: one of my best friends wanted to be a scientist. However, her family did not believe women should go to college. She worked her way through community college, then to a state college. However, her almost downfall was calculus - she had to take it 11 times to get a decent grade! But she did it and got her Master's at UC Berkeley, PhD at Stanford, and post-doc at Cal Tech, followed by a very prestigious fellowship. She is now a scientist in a job she loves.

So hang in there! Talk to some of your professors and your academic advisor. Don't be embarassed.

Best wishes.

I appreciate this so much. Thank you for the words of encouragement.

Career Columnist / Author · Mar 8

If this is your dream, you should do everything possible to make it happen. Otherwise, you'll have regrets later in life.

It is concerning that you are struggling so much with A&P, although it's fantastic you're doing so well in Chemistry. Are you taking too may difficult (lab) classes at the same time? Find out what the problem is so you can succeed. Best wishes.

lifelearningrn, BSN, RN · Mar 18

You're young. Hang in there. Focus on those pre-nursing sciences, as those are heavily weighed in many schools. If you have to retake stuff, retake it. Stuff happens, we make mistakes and move on. You've got this.

SharpEraser · Apr 6

Some study tips from an ADHD learner:

1) Become familiar with your learning style. You can take free assessments online to determine what this may be, whether visual, auditory, tactile, etc.

2) If you are having trouble understanding a critical concept in class, talk to your instructor immediately. See if they will work with you to provide alternative ways to cover the material more suitable to your learning style so you can successfully pass your exams.

3) Get a tutor. I cannot say this enough. Many tutors are volunteers and have taken the classes you wish to pass with success.

4) When learning new material, try teaching it back to someone who does not know the concept. If you understand something someone else doesn't, offer to help them understand it. It really helps to teach.

5) Shadow a working nurse. As a CNA, you have had regular exposure to nurses in the field. Take advantage of this. Ask them questions and do not get embarrassed. They, like all humans, have failed at something in their lives. If you are uncomfortable doing this, find a fellow CNA who is attending your same classes and study together.

6) Do. Not. Give. Up.

As someone who experienced a difficult upbringing, it is imperative that you understand that our circumstances are beyond our control as kids. You can retake the courses you need better grades in. We cannot allow difficult circumstances to shape our dreams for tomorrow. Stay the course, and don't be afraid of choppy waters. You! can! do! hard! things!