To put school on my resume or not?

[pitaya]

Hey, all!

I would like a little advice on what to do on my resume I've been working on.

Here's the situation:

I attended one year of an ADN nursing program at a community college. My grades were horrible. I got almost nothing but C's. Therefore, my GPA is shot at this school and I'm really embarrassed about it. I did not earn any type of degree or certificate from this one year, however, I had also taken a chemistry class there as well as my college English classes and a choir class. (The grades for these classes were better!)

Right after finishing that 1st year of ADN school (less than a month later), I was able to get into an accelerated BSN program that is 4 semesters long. I am now in my last semester of this program and I have a perfect 4.0. I am really proud of this.

I do not even want to mention the community college on my resume because I feel that it just makes me look like a worse applicant and that it might be confusing. I don't want them to think that I failed out and had to repeat the courses; I ended up repeating the courses because the BSN program required me to take all of their own classes. But on the other hand, it is a whole year of extra clinical experience that I have over other candidates.

Any suggestions? Please help. I don't want to get in trouble for not mentioning it on my resume if I have to show them transcripts from all schools I attended.

Thanks,

Pitaya

[cindyloowho]

No, don't put it on your resume because it will just raise red flags and questions. Having a year more of clinicals is of no importance to potential employers. And it is your resume...you are free to put whatever you want to on it! There are no resume police telling us that we have to include all of our life's adventures and pitfalls. A resume is supposed to highlight your positives...you should never include something on a resume that is negative or could hurt you. If you put the school down and want to claim the clinical hours, then a potential employer may ask for those transcripts, and there goes your job!

[pitaya]

No, don't put it on your resume because it will just raise red flags and questions. Having a year more of clinicals is of no importance to potential employers. And it is your resume...you are free to put whatever you want to on it! There are no resume police telling us that we have to include all of our life's adventures and pitfalls. A resume is supposed to highlight your positives...you should never include something on a resume that is negative or could hurt you. If you put the school down and want to claim the clinical hours, then a potential employer may ask for those transcripts, and there goes your job!

Thanks, Cindy Loo, I was under the impression that it would be misleading of me not to list every school that I've attended for college, but what you just said makes me feel a lot better about the situation. :)

[caliotter3]

You are not required to put everything on your resume. I would stick with the program where you are doing well and that you will graduate from. But you will need to put it on a job application that calls for a complete listing of all schools attended.

[cindyloowho]

But you will need to put it on a job application that calls for a complete listing of all schools attended.

Well...sort of. Did you have any credits from that school transfered to your current college? If so, then yes, if someone asks for a list of EVERY school you have attended, then you would need to list all the schools that would show up on any transcripts you have that you are claiming credits for. Like if they ask for your transcripts from your BSN program and that transcript would have your other school listed, then it should go on your job application because if not, then it could look like you are hiding something. But that does not mean it needs to go on your resume. And on the same token...if the application does not specifically state that you need to list EVERY school EVER attended, then I would leave it off of an application because how in the world would they ever know about it if it is not linked to your documents in any way? I have been in the working field for a long time and I have yet to see a job application that asks for EVERY college attended.

Now college applications are different...you are supposed to list evey school attended, but even then, it is not nescessary unless each school you have ever gone to will be accounted for on someone else's transcript. I have 2 college degrees and have gone to a total of 7 colleges in my lifetime. But two of those colleges are not accounted for on any other transcript, as I did not transfer any of their credits. So they will never end up on a job application, college application, or my resume. Can you imagine how cluttered an application would be with 7 colleges listed?!?! And for the record...I only list 2 colleges on my resume; the ones that I got a degree conferred from.

Best of luck!!!