Difficult academic situation, is there a solution?

[feversugar]

Hey everyone, I'm really sorry if this is in the wrong section.

 

This thread is probably intended for the people who know Quebec's education system, so if you don't I apologize for wasting your time xD

 

I'm writing this post in attempt to find a way to help my boyfriend get out of a tough time in his life. I would appreciate suggestions and such, but not any criticism or discouragements about our relationship...

 

So here's the deal. Two years ago, when I started CEGEP, I met him in my english class. He was in the same program as me, Health Science, but he realized it was not for him. However, back then we were poorly informed about dropping classes and things like that, so by the time we found out he could do that the deadline was already past. By then he knew that he wanted to go into nursing instead, so he already intended on switching programs.

 

Let's be honest here, he's not the best student. He tried and still tries really hard (tutors...) but his first semester was unsalvageable (if that's even a word) and he ended up failing most of his sciences classes. As a rule, if you fail more than half your classes, you have to sign a contract in order to keep studying at the school. So that he did, and because of that contract he was not to fail another single class or he would be kicked out of school. The semester after that, he ended up failing one class at 55% (nursing :/). We were devastated because we (I helped him through it) worked really hard. He was doing well in other classes such as biology and psych, getting 70s (trust me, better than before)...

 

So we wrote a letter to appeal the decision to kick him out, and miraculously they let him stay for an extra semester. Again, we worked super hard and he passed his nursing class with 70, which was even over the average of the class. He passed psych 2, etc etc again with 70s (keep in mind that all the averages of his classes were between 60-70 so he was either on the average or over it) BUT failed french with a 52. The average of that class was 55, it didn't even pass! This time, it was definite. He was kicked out. That was really hard on us -- we fought, we made up, but ultimately we ended cursing that god forsaken first semester in health science... if he had been able to drop them classes, none of this would be happening!

 

He ended up with a 22.218 R score for nursing, which i'm assuming is so bad because of the general classes like philosophy and french from the first semester. Anyway, he applied to many other cegeps for nursing (it's what he wants to do) -- vanier, st-laurent, some cegep really far in like st-jerome... He was refused everywhere for insufficient grades. He has been applying (all 3 rounds) every summer/winter for the past year, always the same thing.

 

He is currently taking philosophy 2 and english 2 at home, hoping it will boost his score, but he just doesn't know what to do anymore. He really wants to go back to school but he keeps getting refused everywhere.

 

I'm going to medical school in the fall, and he is currently unable to get into any cegep (college in Quebec). We are having issues about that, how he thinks he's not good enough for me, etc but we're working it out. However, I think he's just disappointed that he can't even finish CEGEP.

 

So I'm asking you, what should he do? His goal is ultimately to get into university at some point. Is there a solution to this?

 

Thank you for reading this incredibly long post.

[Lyne88]

Hey!

 

My first semester at vanier in 2006 I dropped after the deadline, was put on probation then did the same thing the next semester. I applied in 2010 for continuing education at john abbott under academic probation because I thought that's what I had to do to get back in as a day student. I got a phone call phone call from admissions asking me why I applied for probation. They told me that I could be a regular student since I hadn't been in cegep for more than 2 years. So assuming your bf does good in his home courses I think he should be fine to apply on March 1st (or maybe even November if they let you start nursing during the winter term).

 

Good luck to you both

[feversugar]

Hey!

 

My first semester at vanier in 2006 I dropped after the deadline, was put on probation then did the same thing the next semester. I applied in 2010 for continuing education at john abbott under academic probation because I thought that's what I had to do to get back in as a day student. I got a phone call phone call from admissions asking me why I applied for probation. They told me that I could be a regular student since I hadn't been in cegep for more than 2 years. So assuming your bf does good in his home courses I think he should be fine to apply on March 1st (or maybe even November if they let you start nursing during the winter term).

 

Good luck to you both

 

Thank you so much for the info! I think I exagerrated when I said a year and a half, it was more like a year I think sorry! But thanks I didn't know this!

 

I don't think my boyfriend got refused because he was on probation though, the rejection letters said it was about his grades... I don't know how he can pull them up if he can't even go to school?

[Robin Hood]

Thank you so much for the info! I think I exagerrated when I said a year and a half, it was more like a year I think sorry! But thanks I didn't know this!

 

I don't think my boyfriend got refused because he was on probation though, the rejection letters said it was about his grades... I don't know how he can pull them up if he can't even go to school?

 

Maybe he could try with continuing education or go to univ as a mature student.

[psychoswim]

Maybe he could try with continuing education or go to univ as a mature student.

 

I was thinking mature student as well. I think you need to be 21 and then you don't need your cegep to get in?

[feversugar]

Thanks for that suggestion, may I ask what Mature Student is in french? I'm trying to google it for UdM and stuff like that

[psychoswim]

Thanks for that suggestion, may I ask what Mature Student is in french? I'm trying to google it for UdM and stuff like that

 

Étudiant adulte peut-être? I'm not sure, don't know if all schools have that either.

[feversugar]

Étudiant adulte peut-être? I'm not sure, don't know if all schools have that either.

 

Yeah I tried etudiant mature haha but nothing came up, nothing for etudiant adulte either so I guess they must not have it :/ thanks anyways!

[psychoswim]

How about meeting a counselor somewhere? Some people must know exactly how it works.

[Lyne88]

I've looked into becoming a mature student before and you can only do certificates, so technically if you do 3 you get a bacc but I know mcgill won't merge the ceriticates.. Maybe some other universities would?

[aaronjw]

For mature student he'd have to show what he has done to improve poor grade performances.

 

Many think applying as a mature is a way around poor academic performance but that's not true. He'd need to demonstrate his awareness and subsequent resolution to poor grades. Taking some distance ed in things like chem, bio, physics and doing *very* well might be the key to getting back in.

 

Just my thoughts kn the situation.

[feversugar]

I've looked into becoming a mature student before and you can only do certificates, so technically if you do 3 you get a bacc but I know mcgill won't merge the ceriticates.. Maybe some other universities would?

 

Now that you mention it he did tell me he was thinking of doing a certificate! I've never heard of it before (I don't really know anything about school in quebec apart form the traditional path) and I was wondering what can he do with a certificate? I understand it's one year, after that what? Can he get into nursing you think?

 

For mature student he'd have to show what he has done to improve poor grade performances.

 

Many think applying as a mature is a way around poor academic performance but that's not true. He'd need to demonstrate his awareness and subsequent resolution to poor grades. Taking some distance ed in things like chem, bio, physics and doing *very* well might be the key to getting back in.

 

Just my thoughts kn the situation.

 

Hey thanks for the reply! That's what I read when I googled it too, he has to have life experience and stuff like that... He is still very young so I'm sure if it comes to that he can do it, but it'll take a years, I jsut hope he won't give up by then.

 

At the moment he's just taking english and philosophy at cegep a distance but I'll talk to him about taking science again!

[psychoswim]

At UdeM (for nursing) there's a category for applicants without a DEC but at least 48 university credits. Otherwise you need a DEC, and also chem/bio/physics/math courses like for med. I'm guessing there aren't many spots available though.

[feversugar]

Thanks for the info... This is all so hard

 

Does anyone know of a way for him to return to CEGEP in nursing? He already has well over a semester of classes done and if he could continue where he left off that would be perfect...

[aaronjw]

I dont think continuing is a good idea. He needs to take a break and figure out WHY he is not performing well. Im sure he has the capacity and ability but there must be some reason he's not doimg as well as he should.

 

Serious self evaluation before more waste time and frustration is in order in my opinion

[feversugar]

I dont think continuing is a good idea. He needs to take a break and figure out WHY he is not performing well. Im sure he has the capacity and ability but there must be some reason he's not doimg as well as he should.

 

Serious self evaluation before more waste time and frustration is in order in my opinion

 

In nursing I'd say he was doing quite well... that's the thing, the class he failed was french and he didn't fail by a lot. I don't really take failing one class in your semester as really doing bad... I've had friends complete their DECs with 3-4 failed classes, they just didn't fail them all in one semester like my bf did at first (in ANOTHER program) but rather 1-2 a semester (which the college did not mind)... He was over average in program specific classes like biology and psych...

 

I'm sorry I realize I sound very defensive because yes he's not getting 90s everywhere but that doesn't make him unworthy of going to school!

 

The first semester destroyed him he got like 20s-40s (yeah i didn't even think that was possible) because towards the end he kinda just gave up, but the two semester after that he pulled up to 60s then 70s, even some 80s. I find it incredibly unfair of the school to ignore such progress, I'd understand kicking him out of the program after the first semester, but the school? The other two semesters he failed only one class each and it was an entirely different program.

[Lyne88]

I believe all he has to do is wait the 2 years out and reapply. To make it faster he needs to pass a couple classes in continuing education but I'm not sure how many (2 or 4 I believe). He'll get more time to study and have some time to think like the previous poster said. I know that taking time off from school helped me a great deal.

[Robin Hood]

There's another solution (thanks Hieu for providing me with the link).

Your bf can continue his formation generale at Cegepadistance then apply to Intensive DEC in Nursing offered at Maisonneuve. Their selection criteria don't include his academic record:

http://www.cmaisonneuve.qc.ca/programmes-et-formations-cegep-montreal/aec-dec-montreal-cegep/formation-technique-soins-infirmiers-dec-intensif

[feversugar]

There's another solution (thanks Hieu for providing me with the link).

Your bf can continue his formation generale at Cegepadistance then apply to Intensive DEC in Nursing offered at Maisonneuve. Their selection criteria don't include his academic record:

http://www.cmaisonneuve.qc.ca/programmes-et-formations-cegep-montreal/aec-dec-montreal-cegep/formation-technique-soins-infirmiers-dec-intensif

 

Thank you for this link! I didn't know about this!! Can you confirm that the formation generale classes required are:

French 1,2,3,4 (how can he do 4, isn't it propre au programme?)

Philo 1,2,3

English 1,2

Gym 1,2

 

Thank you so much this is really exciting for me I think this could actually work! He would only have French 3,4 and philo 3 left! He can probably have it done in a year and go back to school after that! HURRAY!!!

[Robin Hood]

Thank you for this link! I didn't know about this!! Can you confirm that the formation generale classes required are:

French 1,2,3,4 (how can he do 4, isn't it propre au programme?)

Philo 1,2,3

English 1,2

Gym 1,2

 

Thank you so much this is really exciting for me I think this could actually work! He would only have French 3,4 and philo 3 left! He can probably have it done in a year and go back to school after that! HURRAY!!!

 

He could probably do Francais 4 and Philo 3 of Social Science or other programs at cegep@distance, it will get recognized for the DEC accelere.

Bois-de-Boulogne offers a similar DEC but I don't know their admission criteria.

[Hieu]

Is it possible to show only his high school grades and forget what he did in cégep ?

[feversugar]

He could probably do Francais 4 and Philo 3 of Social Science or other programs at cegep@distance, it will get recognized for the DEC accelere.

Bois-de-Boulogne offers a similar DEC but I don't know their admission criteria.

 

Thanks for the info, I just now thought of English 2 which is propre au programme so I guess if he can do that one he can also do the other two (He's doing it now)

 

Bois-de-Boulogne is the school he got kicked out of in the first place :S I think he's got a 3 year ban from there >.< Thanks for the suggestion though!

 

Is it possible to show only his high school grades and forget what he did in cégep ?

 

I wish we could! He did rather well in high school,75-high 80s >.<

[Hieu]

I wish we could! He did rather well in high school,75-high 80s >.<

 

Did you try it ?

 

There are also a DEP registred pratical nurse ... it's a one year program ... a professional program in high school.

If everything is going well with DEP registred pratical nurse, he can come back to nursing in cégep.

[feversugar]

Did you try it ?

 

There are also a DEP in nurse aides ... it's a one year program.

If everything is going well with DEP nurse aides, he can come back to nursing in cégep.

 

Well, when he applied to other cegeps (SRAM) he didn't have to show them anything because the cegeps get the academic records directly from the ministere de l'education so I'm thinking that since his cegep grades are on his record they have to see them...

 

I've never heard of a DEP, I'm researching it now thanks!!

[Hieu]

oh! i see

 

I find the DEP : http://www.oiiaq.org/fr/devenir-infirmiere-auxiliaire/programme-de-formation-sasi

 

College CDI near McGill University has the program.