Redemption/getting back into school. Need advice.. Help, please!

Comfortably_Numb · Sep 13, 2008

I apologize in advance if the post is a little long, I tend to "think out loud" sometimes. I'll try to boldface the important parts to highlight the important stuff.

I am a student (ex-student?) and I have been seriously debating changing my major from nursing and going to school for diagnostic medical sonography instead. While there are so many aspects of nursing that appeal to me, the more I think about it the more I want to enter another field of medicine. In the meantime I am most likely going to get a CNA certification to help make up my mind, as well as to have an interesting job.. if I want to start school in fall 2009 I have from now until April to decide.

The DMS program I am looking at starts next fall. I already met most of the pre-reqs for the program because of my nursing program. The only ones left for me to take would be Ethics and Physics. The other 2 courses (medical terminology and patient care) have the option of being taken as co-requisites starting next fall.

I spoke with one of the supervisors today about my interest in the program. I asked if a minimum GPA was required for entrance into the program, and she said no.. While they take a general look at a transcript, they focus most on performance in scientific courses. If I wanted to transfer my pre-reqs over I would have to submit a transcript from my previous school.

The problem with this is, my transcript is disappointing. I have okay grades in some sonography pre-reqs (B's in A & P I and II, A in English Composition), but I had a C in statistics. I struggled with chemistry in college (failed it with a D) and I only had a C in microbiology and a C in statistics... those 2 classes aren't pre-reqs for my sonography program but they still count as science classes. I also had a B in Nutrition. I had a good academic record in high school, especially in the science areas. But the sonography department isn't concerned about high school transcripts, I am 21 now.

I am very nervous that my transcript is going to haunt me forever and make it difficult for me to go back to school because it's full of ups and downs. I had a 3.56 GPA my freshman year and was on the Dean's List, but my other 2 years there made my GPA plummet from 3.56 to 2.68 and I am so ashamed.. I had so much going for me... unfortunately many difficult things were going on in my life at the time and I experienced depression. I let it get the best of me and it adversely affected my schoolwork. I messed up what I had going for me.. I'd spend a lot of time staying up very, very late at night (sometimes all night) because of difficulty falling sleep.. sleeping until the middle of the day.. eating poorly, if at all.. I let my appearance suffer. I was normally a girl who seldom went out without being well-dressed, makeup, hair done. It got to the point where I went out looking like total crap, always had a hood covering my face and didn't really put effort into myself. My past semester I ended up withdrawing from most of my courses, I even got an E in one of them because I didn't get to the professor in time to drop the course. When approached by my nursing instructors about my performance I would avoid them as long as I could because I felt so ashamed, so I can't even use them as a reference because of my own irresponsibility.

There was a time I was very motivated but I got off-track. At this point in my life I am not where I should be, nor have I accomplished the goals that I wanted to accomplish at this point in my life. I want to better myself, but I am afraid that with my past college struggles I won't be able to have another chance.

I will eventually have an interview with someone from the admissions committee (around January). I know they will look at my transcript and have their doubts about me. I will most likely be questioned as to why my grades started out well and went downhill. What will I say? What will they think of me? I remember I applied to this school years before as a nursing major and was not only accepted, but they gave me $10,000 scholarship. Maybe now they won't want me back. Should I approach them first about my grades or wait for them to say something first?

How can I redeem myself in this kind of situation? Any help and advice is greatly appreciated.. I know that this thread isn't strictly related to nursing, but I've been a little confused/worried/stressed as of late and this site has been such a good resource for me. And a great help.