It took me almost 9 years to graduate with my bachelors. I took time off, transferred from a junior college to a really good research university where I didn't do very well due to extenuating circumstances (2.99/4.0 GPA, overall GPA of 3.4/4.0). I had a few years of undergrad research under my belt and was hired as a tech after I graduated, and applied to a 2-year postbac program to become more competitive for grad school. I applied this cycle and have 3 interviews at good institutions. You might think it looks messy right now, but there are many paths to what you want! You can PM me if you have any questions