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In US (Medical Field-need advice b/c I want to give up)

 
 
Reply Thu 1 Apr, 2021 02:09 am
I graduated high school six years ago, and I have neither finished college or received a degree. I have been trying to earn a degree in the medical field for almost 4 years now. After high school, I started college and took courses to be accepted into a nursing program. After submitting my application, I wasn't accepted the first time. I sat out for a year, and after reapplying, I was finally accepted. I only lasted one semester and was dismissed for poor grades.

I realized nursing was too difficult for me. I started to research other careers in Healthcare and discovered occupational therapy. After research, I decided to become an occupational assistant because only an associate's degree is excepted. Once getting a AA, I would go on for occupational therapy. I found a technical college that offered it, and after submitting all my credits, I was excepted. I made it up until this past month and was dismissed. I was almost done. My grades were mostly A's and B's for several terms. I failed a challenging course and was dropped. As of now, I am devastated and am ready to throw in the towel. I really want to get into a career working in the medical field, but I don't know how to get past the school hump. Are there easier careers where the school is easier?
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jespah
 
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Reply Thu 1 Apr, 2021 06:41 am
@Millennialtwenty6,
If you were otherwise holding a B average (3.0 GPA) and failed one class (0.0), then you should only be booted if you had taken but one other course (awesome course + failed course = 3.0/2 = 1.5 GPA, which is a D/D+). But two classes is 3.0 x 2 = 6.0, then divide by 3 and you get a 2.0 GPA, which is a C. You would be just barely passing but you would be passing.

So, something is amiss in what you're saying, hence maybe:
  • Your failing course was worth more credit hours than your awesome classes. That's a problem, but it can also indicate aptitude elsewhere.
  • Your awesome classes weren't so awesome, and you weren't getting A's and Bs where they counted - on final exams and papers. Doing well in lab and nowhere else is probably not going to be enough to pass most hard science courses at the collegiate level.
  • There were other reasons to bounce you from the school. That can be disciplinary stuff, failure to pay for your tuition, room and board, etc.

    Or maybe you lost out on aid money with a lower GPA, and then couldn't afford to continue. That's not the same as being kicked out.

    Now, what do you do about it?

    • Go back to your school and ask for a reinstatement. You will likely have to prove you are going to work harder than you did. This may mean developing a plan for studying and succeeding, with or without their help.
    • Get a tutor in the classes that challenge you the most.
    • Study! Read the entire course book, even if it's not assigned.
    • Petition to retake the class you failed, Since you already have the course books, why not take the time and read them now, before you're required to? That way, you'll have a jump on your assignments. Even if you get a different instructor who assigns a different book, you will still be ahead of the game. Different books aren't going to put human ribs in different places.
    • Go to your class -- aim for perfect attendance.
    • Take notes while in class, with actual pen or pencil and paper. Writing stuff down helps our brains to really remember what we've learned.
    • Find out if there are any suggested prerequisites to your failed class. Did you not take a semester of something or other first? Even if they're not required, seriously consider taking such a course.


    A few things to keep in mind:

    • It is in the school's best interests for you to pass and to graduate. It's better for them if their students succeed -- successful students are the stuff of good PR and advertising, and they (the successful students) tend to donate. Once you realize the school wants you to succeed, figure out how to work with them.
    • Studying at the collegiate level is a very different animal from studying in high school. You turn the TV, the radio, the stereo, and your phone off. You concentrate on what you're doing, and don't surf off to Facebook or Snapchat, etc. when things get boring.
    • Failure can be the greatest teacher if you let it. Use this experience to learn how to change your behavior so you can succeed.
    • Never, ever be afraid to ask for help. You are paying the school -- you are their customer! Just like it's okay to send back the steak to a restaurant kitchen if it's undercooked, you can also push to get help if it doesn't feel like it's forthcoming.
    • To add to the previous point, talk to your professor if you are doing poorly. Professors want you to succeed. It is in their best interests for students to get good grades -- and to rate them well. Give your professor the opportunity to help you.
    • Failing one class does not make you a failure in life. Albert Einstein failed the entrance to the Zurich Polytechnic - see - https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2016/02/11/was-albert-einstein-really-a-bad-student-who-failed-math/ I think he did okay despite that setback.
    • Take fewer classes when you have to take the hard stuff, so you have the time to really work on it. Yeah, you'll graduate later, although if you go to summer school, you can make up that time.
    • And finally, failing a class can also be the universe telling you something. Maybe another career would be better suited to your talents.
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Linkat
 
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Reply Thu 1 Apr, 2021 07:02 am
@Millennialtwenty6,
jespah has some very good thoughts - another to add -do you have academic adviser? Most colleges provide one. I would reach out to him/her - maybe they can help you and help determine which field/degree would work best with your abilities. I do think that failing one class is not something that you should be kicked out for - I failed a class in college and made it up over the summer with a different professor I actually ended up with a B in it. I kind of clashed with the other.

But in any case - in almost any degree program there tends to be a class that makes or breaks you - the one class that is extremely difficult to get through. For future reference if you have such a class - visit the professor - if s/he is a good teacher they will help you get through it --- if they are not drop it and take with a professor that will be supportive. One class should not define your capabilities.

Also keep in mind everyone has areas that they are better and others not so much. If you cannot meet with an advisor - see what sort of counselor the university may have available to you - schools want their students to succeed it looks better for them overall - so an academic, admissions or similar counselor should help you work out a future career/degree that you would excel in - one in which match your abilities and your interests. That is a win-win for the school and for you.
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