Suggestions for changing school to BNDH at the U of Calgary nursing school?

[yiersan]

I just got accepted by UofC Degree-holder program for 2013 January. I am studying for my first term at the U of Lethbridge in Alberta since September. I wonder whether I should change my school.

Both are 24 months' programs. UofL is actually not bad, from the second term on, the students will spend 2-3 days/week in practicum. We have small class size. I have spent $3000 for tuition fees and textbooks this term.

I want to know something about which school will be benefit my school life, education preparation for the nursing job, job opportunities in the future?

I personally like small cities. but Lethbridge is not convenient in terms of traffic, grocery shopping, and making friends. I'm thinking there are more choices in Calgary.

[Dela RN]

I just got accepted by UofC Degree-holder program for 2013 January. I am studying for my first term at the U of Lethbridge in Alberta since September. I wonder whether I should change my school.

Both are 24 months' programs. UofL is actually not bad, from the second term on, the students will spend 2-3 days/week in practicum. We have small class size. I have spent $3000 for tuition fees and textbooks this term.

I want to know something about which school will be benefit my school life, education preparation for the nursing job, job opportunities in the future?

I personally like small cities. but Lethbridge is not convenient in terms of traffic, grocery shopping, and making friends. I'm thinking there are more choices in Calgary.

I think you should just stick to UofL. I went to the UofC for the accelerated program. They have now changed everything so that it is now no longer a 20 month program and it's the 24 month program that you applied to. I don't really know too much about it however from what I heard, there's a bigger focus on community nursing and putting students in community practicums. Apparently some students will not get practicums in maternity or pediatrics anymore. I don't know how accurate this is is. It's mostly just things I've heard. Also they are doing a lot more problem based learning rather than traditional lecturing. I would stay at UofL for the practicums alone.

[Novo]

I haven't personally been to Lethbridge but I've heard some strange stories....here's one of them.

DON"T! Your first year is spent a broke ass community college where professors would rather "phone it in" and the atmosphere is fascist. No room for free thought....pure prison camp mentality. After much complaining we were able to remove some fo the bad seeds but the program there is still " read along while I read outloud". Bad juju. the clinical instructors earned their nursing degree during the War of 1812 and god help the student that doesn't pretend to love nusring for all its worth. Academic punishment is rampant just to keep those free thinking students in line. Clinical placements in places no nurse ever works, or has any place being for that matter. We count down the days until its all over. No out of area placements contrary to all the propaganda. Get in, tell them what they want to hear, get out. Done.

[yiersan]

Thanks for the information, Dela and Novo. I tried to avoid the PBL style from U of Alberta, but still not quite. At UofL this term we only have three courses, but we are kept busy all the time to do assignments. However, many paper reading and some presentation are not for marks at all. As Novo quoted, we counted the time by months, by days.

I will phone the advisor at UofC to ask the teaching style and practicum settings. Those are really important for consideration. I checked online and some ppl said it seemed the newly changed program is supposed to be a better nursing program compared to before.