School, Biology, Grades, Advice, CRNA, etc...

[Pirate89]

Hello,

I am in a bit of a pickle and I need some advice. I'm new to this website so if this goes in the wrong thread, I apologize in advance.

A little about me, I'm 23 years old and decided to go back to school this spring 2013. I have taken some college classes before, after I graduated from HS but I wasn't sure at the time what I wanted to do and felt as if I was wasting my time. Therefore, I didn't put forth a lot of effort and my grades were poor. So, I quit school and started working construction for a few years. I then realized that I wanted to go to nursing school because I want a more rewarding career, I enjoy helping people, and I want to make a difference in the lives of others. I hope to one day obtain my Masters or Doctorates and become a CRNA.

I am taking Intro Biology this semester and my professor is extremely knowledgable on the subject. But, he is not a very good teacher. He is very sarcastic and when asked a question he makes students (I typically don't speak on behalf of others but the class went from about 60 people down to 7, so the few of us remaining have become pretty close and talk often) feel belittled and for lack of a better word, dumb. When going to office hours to review exams he only allows his students 15 minutes to look over the exam to see what they have done wrong, then we have to return the exams to him. Needless to say, I am struggling in his class, and with the final exam in 4 days I will have to score better than any of the previous exams to barely pass with a C. My question is, if I pass this class with a C or C-, would it be wise of me to retake Intro Biology (with a different professor) in the summer or next fall, due to the amount of importance that is placed on science courses?

Any advice, study tips, or constructive criticism on this topic and the path to becoming a CRNA is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[tswim]

Re-take the course if you get less than a C. Otherwise, just move on and make sure you get A's in A&P and Pathophys courses. luck

[stephanie.]

I did poorly my first year if college and opted for an academic fresh start. It was the best decision I've ever made.

[justinlsu]

As far as the grade, less than a C yes retake, depending on where you live probably retake with a C. Its hard to get into most nursing schools, I have friends that have applied 3 times before they got in and even harder to get into CRNA school. On a side note if I was just getting started and knew what I knew now I would go to Med school instead of trying to the CRNA route. Just to avoid the time/difficulty arguement. undergrad science 4 yrs, med school 4 yrs, residency 3 years 11 yrs for MD. BSN 4-5 years if you get straight in school. A year experience pre icu 1-2 years ICU 3 years CRNA school = 11 years. I would any day of the week argue difficulty CRNA VS MD school. Good luck with the class and the rest of school.

[hoplite07]

One class won't sink you in the LONG run. You have lots and lots of classes to take between now and CRNA school. As long as you perform well elsewhere that one potential C could be easily outweighed by good grades elsewhere. That being said, if I was in your shoes I would want to retake the class for several reasons:

1) That grade may hurt you big time on getting into nursing school. You don't have a huge academic history. That'll look bad and nursing schools are pretty competitive.

2) I'd want to prove to myself that the problem was the professor and not me - that I could learn the content.

3) The information you learn in that class is helpful to know. If you already know it, then retaking it should be easy. If you don't, then retaking it should be helpful.

4) An A vs a C will certain help your GPA for CRNA school and leave you more room for "error" down the road.

[readyforachangenow]

If it was me I would retake it. That's only because the nursing programs in my area are extremely competitive. Before taking it again or picking any class I would check out the reviews on professors so that you can pick the best one for you.