I went to two colleges over the combined course of four years, let’s call the first one A and the next one B. I went to A for two years before transferring to B. In college A, my GPA was a measly 2.3 before I transferred to B. In college B, my GPA started out good the first year but then I completely catapulted to a 1.7 GPA by the end of the second year (this year) and this resulted in my dismissal. I was on probation the semester that I got dismissed.
Now I have 78 credits with four years of college experience & a GPA less than 2.0 without a clue on what to do next. I asked some of the staff at the college I got dismissed from on what to do next and they suggested that I don’t go to community college because they are not going to accept any credits from any community colleges once I accumulate certain amount of credits (which I did). So they suggested that I go to a state college. They said I could try to reapply by the 2019 Spring semester after going to another college for a semester or two.
I looked up some (like 2-3) state colleges but they were very far from where I live and my GPA was too low for them to accept. So what do I do now? Is going to community college for 1-2 semesters and then applying my only option or should I keep searching for state colleges? After I go to a new college for 1-2 semesters, should I reapply at the same college that just dismissed me or should I seek a new college and start from scratch with a 4 year graduation program?
My major was pre-med. I did decent in some science classes before but did atrocious in all of them this year. Should I completely abandon the medical field and go for something relatively easier? Or is there still some hope for me in the medical field? My main problem is concentration during classes (I might have ADHD) rather than simple lack of motivation, although I guess the two may be sort of tied together. I have somewhat of an interest in the medical field so I didn’t come here against my will but I wasn’t able to focus during any of the classes. Then when I got home, I would just be my lazy elf and go surf the internet not taking my classes seriously like I should have.
Thanks a lot in advance for any advice in regards to this matter. I’m just extremely stressed right now and do not know what to do.
I also forgot to add my age for context. I’m 21 years old (turning 22 in July). And as stated earlier, I’ve completed four years total of college across two different colleges (2 years in each college).
College B won’t accept any credits from Community College after a certain amount of credits, but will community college accept any of the credits from Colleges A and B? You can try to find a community college and get a medical field type degree from a two year school. You might only need one semester to do that. What about Physical Therapy Assistant, a nursing related field, a medical technician of some sort. After you’ve got an associate’s degree in an employable medical field, you can re-evaluate if you want to go back to school.
Could you take some courses at a community college, then transfer to a state university and complete a bachelor’s degree there?
Realistically, a ~2.0 GPA means that going to medical school (MD or DO) is unrealistic. Nursing program admissions is also highly competitive. But other health care professions may not be as difficult to get into (but you probably need to do better than 2.0 from now on).
I am not sure, but I assume that is a possibility. Wouldn’t it look better if I got a degree from a private college as opposed to a state one? Also, I am not sure if going to a state college would be a realistic option as the only ones I know are too far. And if the state colleges don’t accept credits from community college, what would I do then? But regardless of that, my first option right now should be to look for a community college for the upcoming semester?
I don’t expect to get a job with this GPA as I am planning on raising it, but I understand that if I am being honest with myself, then medical school is a bit out of reach as this GPA is too low to raise to a respectable degree. I just want a job in the medical field that pays well. I also find psychology interesting and even took a college course in psych before so that was one of my options, but I heard the pay in that field is pretty low in comparison to one in the medical field.
What are some other health care professions that would offer me less competition that I could realistically get into if I were to raise my GPA to a 2.5 or something?
Also, after the upcoming year ends and I am ready to get back into school, should I reapply to a new 4 year private college or try to succeed in college B?
Not necessarily. Depends on what major and what specific colleges.
State schools are often the most willing to accept transfer credit from same-state community colleges, but you need to check each school’s transfer credit policy to be sure.
First things first: if you’re a premed major, we’ve got to assume that you’re much smarter than your GPA seems to indicate. What went wrong? I think that if you don’t spend a little time on introspection, figuring out where the issue is, then it’s probably bound to repeat itself. If you need to get tested for ADHD, then do so. Spend some time on this, even if it delays your education a bit. Because if you don’t find out the root of the problem, I can’t see this ending the way you want it to.
With 78 credits, you’re a mid-year junior. So I think CC is out of the question.
But there are some colleges with open enrollment; they’ll take anyone who applies regardless of GPA. Why not google the ones that are reasonably close to your home or where you want to be?
@bjkmom has, I think, hit the nail on the proverbial head. You may have some learning issues that are not going to miraculously get better by going to yet another college. Get yourself evaluated so that you know what your dealing with regard any learning challenges you may have. If nothing really comes up there, you may be looking at depression or something else.
I think before you do anything, you should get to the bottom of whatever issue caused you to have the low GPA in the first place. If you suspect ADHD or any other physical/mental/behavioral issue or learning disability, find out how/where to get testing done and pursue that. If you think it is is a maturity/discipline/study skills issue, then maybe take a few months or a year to get a job (any job) and maybe (if you can be admitted) take a cc class …NOT for the purpose of accruing coursework but to use as a study-skills experiment. Maybe then you would be in a better place to decide what to do academically and career-wise. In the meantime, could you do some volunteer work in a hospital or clinic, and get to know people in various fields of work there?
How did you do in high school? If your academic issues only set in in college then possibly it is more a maturity issue or a depression/anxiety issue…if this academic problem has always been with you, then testing for ADHD or LDs might be needed.
Get tested.
Take classes at the CC nearest your parents’ home and see whether you’re able to get an A. Even if they don’t transfer, use them as a learning experience. Sit in the first row, go to office hours, use tutoring services even if you feel you don’t need to.
If you can get 2-3 straight As see if you can go back to college B.
An alternative is for you to get an AS degree such as dental assistant and look for a job.
Med school is off the table right now. You don’t have the ec’s and grades that would put you within the recruitable pool- that path is pretty unforgiving.
I’ve gone to counseling for a short while in college when struggling in both college A and B. Around 2-3 different people suggested that there’s a good chance that I have ADHD. I haven’t gotten tested yet for it though as I heard it was too expensive.
I was an average C student in elementary school. I got mostly As and Bs in 7th-8th with my grades gradually decreasing with me eventually getting mainly Bs and Cs in my final year of high school. Then I took a huge dip once I entered college. I was very focused in 7th-8th grade for some reason and can remember those days pretty well, but now I’m not the same anymore. Stuff that are big issues for me now that weren’t as big back then were my smartphone obsession and laptop obsession. Online, I spend most of my time chatting on internet forums (even during exams cause I’m addicted). During elementary school, those weren’t issues but I had trouble focusing back then too and would get bad grades sometimes cause of constant daydreaming.
A part of me also feels that because the homework given in college is less, this has made me more complacent. I think I may have ADHD, but I haven’t been tested for it cause I heard its too expensive. I have volunteered in a hospital in the past (for a year) and am looking to get a job right now as an assistant or something in a doctor’s office/hospital (have already applied). I recently got a job in real estate and have started working there.
I’ve gone to counseling for a short while in college when struggling in both college A and B. Around 2-3 different people suggested that there’s a good chance that I have ADHD. I haven’t gotten tested yet for it though as I heard it was too expensive.
I was an average C student in elementary school. I got mostly As and Bs in 7th-8th with my grades gradually decreasing with me eventually getting mainly Bs and Cs in my final year of high school. Then I took a huge dip once I entered college. I was very focused in 7th-8th grade for some reason and can remember those days pretty well, but now I’m not the same anymore. Stuff that are big issues for me now that weren’t as big back then were my smartphone obsession and laptop obsession. Online, I spend most of my time chatting on internet forums (even during exams cause I’m addicted). During elementary school, those weren’t issues but I had trouble focusing back then too and would get bad grades sometimes cause of constant daydreaming.
A part of me also feels that because the homework given in college is less, this has made me more complacent. I think I may have ADHD, but I haven’t been tested for it cause I heard its too expensive. I have volunteered in a hospital in the past (for a year) and am looking to get a job right now as an assistant or something in a doctor’s office/hospital (have already applied). I recently got a job in real estate and have started working there.
@Rentsack , How much money (and time…you could now be nearer the point of earning a good income if you had done well in school) have you spent thus far in your studies, only to end with dismissal? I’m NOT saying this to shame you, but to make the point that you CANNOT afford the expense of continuing to go through life like this. The cost of testing, as expensive as it is, is minimal compared to the cost (financial and emotional) of not getting to the bottom of this and continuing on.
You also must get help (and commit yourself) to reining in your internet addiction so that there is some balance in your life. The ADHD (if it exists) may or may not be a factor in this. Depression and hopelessness about your life may form a cause-and-effect viscous cycle, intertwined with the internet addiction.
Take care of yourself in other ways…(it will help support the changes you need to make)…such as good nutrition and exercise…even a moderate amount of change in this direction (more fruits and vegetables, less fast food and doing some brisk daily walking, for example) can help just enough to feel a little better and step off this self-destructive spiral. But YOU have to put faith into it and do it…no amount of counseling will help unless you take action. Baby steps lead to bigger, stronger, faster steps.
Try to think back on your life in middle school when you were doing better. What was different then? Can you replicate some of the actions and attitudes you had at this time of your life that gave you better success?
Does any other poster have any info on ADHD testing, and lower-cost ways of getting access to it?
Sounds like another aspect is maturity. Take off a year. Get a job doing anything. Get tested for ADHD and whatever. Work hard, save some money. Explore different jobs in the medical area, because you sure as heck aren’t going to be a doctor at this point. There are LOTS of jobs in the health field, from cleaning toilets to surgery to long-term care to lab work to pharmaceuticals to research to running doctors’ business offices. Sometimes a business degree will get you in the door faster than a medical degree. Good luck!
@Rentsack I strongly recommend you get tested for ADHD. Medication and coaching can make a world of difference. Everyone in my family has ADHD so I speak from experience. If you can get yourself tested, then take medication, get coaching, and/or read strategies for coping with ADHD, you’ll probably see a noticeable improvement in your future grades.
If you take another semester or two of classes, you can write a good essay to explain the upward trend and how you overcame your disability. You’ll likely lose some of your credits as they won’t transfer but it’s all part of the journey. As for going into the medical field, anything is possible provided you overcome whatever it is (ADHD and/or an LD), and get your GPA up. You clearly have the desire to do the work, and it’s admirable that you’ve persevered. Just get to the bottom of the performance issue and you’ll be set.
I personally know of people who’ve done abysmally early in their college careers and they ended up overcoming their obstacles and succeeding. ADHD can present in many forms and it often doesn’t always manifest in a stereotypical way. I encourage you to look up symptoms of ADHD in adults.