dismissed from school. Planning my life

Parents Forum
1

Hello! today I was officially dismissed from my university. before getting dismissed, I did get reinstated from a suspension. I did attempt to appeal but it was denied. In the process of appealing again, I just came to a realization that even if I were to get reinstated this term, I wouldn’t be able to focus, also am afraid that I’d fail again.

I want to take advantage of this time of dismissal to figure out my life. My original goal of life was to graduate with a BA in English writing. while I was pursuing English as my major, I had a stellar GPA of 3.6ish. After my sophomore year, I’ve decided that I want to be in a “bigger pool” and applied to my current university. I gotta say, I was shocked when I got into this school because not only is this school known for its reputation, but was also my dream school since the age of 13.

when I got into this school, I decided that I wanted a career in medical field. I found the medicine very attractive because it was helping who are physically weak to get better.

Despite being a book nerd, I decided that I wanted to change my field into the science. this is my junior year. I thought everything seemed fantastic! I mean who wouldn’t feel that way when they got into their dream school as well as figured out their passion? unfortunately, that happiness didn’t last long for me: I was subjected to an abusive relationship, which led to my probation and suspension, and medical condition after reinstatement that led to the dismissal with the GPA in the 1.00~ field. ( I thought these only happened in movies)

I sat down in my room today in devastation to think thoroughly what went wrong and came to a realization that I was very harsh on my self when I really needed to rest. I kept on telling myself, this is a first world problem, I need to learn to suck it up and move on, which was not the best idea.

I had a conversation with the dean, who said, I may appeal for reinstatement for fall, but need to show some evidence that I can academically succeed in the school. while browsing through CC, many have suggested that they should go to Community College and get the grade to show that they are capable, but unfortunately, I do not have the money to attend the community college at this point, as well as most school already being in session.

with very little knowledge and having parents who do not speak English, I scribbled some stuff down that may seem reasonable ( to me). I’d like to ask you guys ( smart people) to see if these are good as well as any recommendations! some of the plans that I came up with are:

-Taking CLEP exam while on dismissal period to show ( not intended to transfer in as cred) that I am a capable student.( I think this is the affordable community college alternative)

  • try to find a volunteer position at a local clinic/ hospitals.
  • try to get a medical interpretation certificate

Other than that, my mother, knowing all the story, suggested that we can go on a mini vacation to relieve my stress :slight_smile:

Please, any opinions, comments, or just random blurb would actually brighten my day! I just want to use my dismissal period useful and the time to find myself!

2

Going on a mini vacation may be fine (as long as it is not too long).
Then I would do something constructive…Volunteering would be good as it is structured but also exposes you to the medical profession to see if you like it.

If you take CLEP why wouldn’t you try to get credit for them?

Also, why not major in English but also do the med school pre-reqs? You don’t have to major in science for med school.

Next semester, I would attend some college. Be it CC or a local college.

3

If I understand correctly:

You transferred after two years, and also changed your major.

You tried to step into a science major after some time away from serious science classwork.

You had a destructive relationship that wrecked your emotions and consequently your grades.

Your current university has all of the evidence that it needs that you are academically capable based on your previous 3.6. What may be missing is evidence that you can pull that kind of GPA in the sciences. Also, what surely is still missing is evidence that you have got yourself back together emotionally.

Take the time off. Get the psychological and emotional help you need to pull your life back together. Don’t worry about college at all for a while. When you are ready, get some help exploring varuos career options. There are many health-related careers. Medicine is not the only one. Once you have a clearer notion of your career options, that would be the time to start thinking about where to go to college, and what you need to do to be admittted there.

4

@bopper @happymomof1 thanks for the advice! as for why I am not majoring in English, as to this point, it would be faster for me to graduate with BS than a BA and also the reason that I was not thinking about transferring CLEP as credit is because I am not sure if my school accepts it. The main reason that I want to take CLEP is that I cant afford CC at this point, but I really do wish to get back on track this fall and there is no way i can show my school that i am capable of being a successful student.

5

It’s easy enough to find out if your school accepts CLEP credit, it should be on the website. If you take and pass a CLEP exam, you should claim your credit! Since you are a writer, how about angling for a career in science or medical writing? I wish you the best of luck on your journey back to health. Make sure you’re emotionally ready to return to school, there’s nothing wrong with taking time off to take care of yourself.

6

A CLEP exam will not show that you have recovered your academic mojo. It will just show that you know the content of a freshman level course.

You need to speak with the dean again. You were admitted as a transfer, so they know you are capable of the academic work. What they will need to know beofre allowing you to return, is if you have your mental health back together. You need to find out what evidence is required for that. Then you need to meet that standard.

But during your time off, you also ought to be thinking about whether or not this particular university is the best place for you. How much of what happened to you there, your reaction to those events, and your inability to locate appropriate resources there to deal with everything, has to do with that institution? Would it all have gone just as wrong anywhere else, or are there places where you would have had better support sooner?

7

The sad thing is that you could absolutely apply to med school with an English major.
Yes you could take CLEP exams and take community education classes. All the things you listed are good. And I agree with your mother, a short vacation would be good.

8

If I were the college dean, I think I’d want to see evidence that the OP’s illness is under control and that s/he can manage the demands of a college schedule. Holding down a steady day job (perhaps while also completing evening courses) might do it.

9

There’s nothing wrong with taking some time off and regrouping. Even these college essay prompts recognize that failure is an important teacher and part of everyone’s life.

Volunteering to try out a career field is important. Working is also a good life lesson. Maybe start by taking an online class or one or two classes at a time. Good schools like Columbia and Harvard Extension School have programs for students who are out of college for a few years.

Hopefully you’ll be ready before then. Nothing wrong with flagship state college. Remember, the college doesn’t make you. It’s what you do with your opportunities that determine your success. You seem very bright and able to communicate well, that’s half the battle. You’ll find your way. For now, take a deep breath and think about what you enjoy, what you think you’re good at, and what job would be meaningful work for you. Good Luck!

10

Wilderness hikers learn to ask themselves, when they get lost, “Where was the last time you knew where you were?” It sounds like you were doing fine before you transferred, switched majors, and got into an abusive relationship. So, after taking some time off, try to get back to that place. Meanwhile, get the health care you need.

11

You mentioned a medical condition. Did you register with the disabilities office? If you had a clinical medical condition you should have had accommodations. It seems to me that there might have been resources for you at school that you did not use, so part of your plan needs to be thinking about how that would change if you went back.

If you had a medical condition, have you asked about a medical withdrawal? In that case the bad grades are sometimes erased from the transcript. Is there someone at the school you could talk to about this?

As others have said, you can major in anything and go to med school. And there are many ways to participate in the health care field or, for that matter, help people/

I would suggest you stop worrying about your future career and major in something you are good at and enjoy.

There are many adult learner, extension and continuing education classes open to someone like you. Some are online, some in person and some are low residency (you spend a weekend a semester on campus).

If community college is too expensive, how were you paying for college where you were? Do you qualify for financial aid at community or state college? Note that when you turn 24 aid is based on your financial info not your parents.

CLEP and community college courses are affordable ways to cover general education requirements. But since you have already done two years of college, community college may be less useful. Many colleges accept CLEP’s and that is a good way to get credits for very little money.

What requirements does your school have for you to return? A dismissal sounds pretty final. I am curious what they have told you. I assume you would have to reapply and show that you have returned to functioning, by working full time or taking full time courses.

It is fine to step back and not even think about school for awhile. Things will work out. Work for a time. Get your health back. Then there are many ways for you to finish your degree.

If you can get your transcript cleaned up with a medical withdrawal, great, but if not, don’t worry about it. You can explain that you were ill next time around.