UFV 2012 Fall Intake - Insights and Meetings

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Hello!

I'm starting this topic for two reasons: one, to introduce myself and make connections with anyone else that has also applied for the fall 2012 intake at the University of the Fraser Valley nursing program; and two, to make a few inquiries.

So, I'm a 23 year old resident in Abbotsford. I've recently completed my bachelor of Science with a major in Biology and heavy focus (should have officially done a minor :( ) in computer science/software engineering. I decided about 6 months ago that Biology was not quite the route I wanted to take, as it's incredibly difficult to find a job without a PhD. And since I much prefer hands-on work and prefer research as a hobby, I figured that 4 years would be better spent persuing something else. I considered Medicine, various tech position and even Health informations, but have settled on Nursing.

I applied at UFV, since it's closest to home and have heard a lot of really great feedback about their nursing program. I considered UBC, but the commute didn't sit well with me (you have little enough time as it is being a nursing student and with the price of gas on the rise, it would be attrociously expensive).

I have just received my notification letter regarding the information sessions on March 7/15 - anyone else going too?? :o I'm getting really nervous, and have been reading and absorbing everything I can find to prepare, lol. Everyone suggests just taking it easy and being yourself. I'm not worried too much about the grades. I had a 4.2 gpa in highschool (yay for honours classes), and have somewhere between a B+/A- average for university. If I could write off my one bad semester that would bump up to an A-/A average.

Nor am I worried about cost. I managed to pay myself through my first degree somehow, and could do so again, or cave finally and take out a student loan. Either way, I'm supported financially. My family are also all in the health care field, so I'm VERY familiar in that aspect.

I'm a bit worried about my volunteer hours, though. Since I did have to pay my way through university, I didn't really have the luxery of time to spend volunteering. I worked 2 years in a vet clinic - not quite the same, but very similar environment. I do have 40 or so hours of official volunteer time in hemodialysis and ccu at St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver. But I've been in and around the hospital all my life since my mom works there, and have been involved in St. John Ambulance as well.

I'm also concerned about the essay. I've read what the general interview questions are, but nothing on what I should expect to write for the essay. The notification I got in the mail said that we'd be given 3 questions to write/discuss to test our critical thinking. Any advice?

Anyway, I'd really appreciate any information anyone has to offer on the UFV interview and essay. I'd also like to get to know fellow applicants! :D

Cheers.

Hello I think you are right that over 100 hours you get a "bonus" mark and same for references. I talked to a few nurses and they have said that the interview is the deciding yes or no factor. They want to make sure you can think on the spot and problem solve. I think all of us on here getting interviews before we even wrote the essay says all our grades/volunteer hours and or reference letters were in the top bracket. I do know that there were a second group of reference letters that went out after the essays (about 2 weeks after ours) Last intake my friend got a letter for an interview before the essay and she got in. She only had 40 volunteer hours - so people worried about volunteer hours - I wouldn't stress too much on it. Everyone sounds very qualified - just a waiting game now!

Sorry correction - letters went out for interviews - just realized I wrote reference letters! So there was another set of letters that went out after ours - my friend received one.

Hi! Thanks for the info.

I'm a bit worried about the interview - with it being weighted fairly high and with it sounding like it's sort of the deciding factor, but from what I've read from your guy's posts, I feel a bit better. It's good to know what types of questions they're going to ask, that the interviewers sound nice and seemed to make you feel more relaxed. (Hopefully they'll have the same interviewers for the Jan 2013 intake).

I was wondering for the references, did you guys just submit one reference, or did you submit more? (Can it only be references from your Health Care volunteering)?

Also, when did you guys first receive a letter about how you were invited for your interviews, after you initially applied to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree Program at UFV?

Thanks,

pet_lover48

The references are from your health care related volunteer or work experience, yes. I myself submitted two references because I worked a couple shifts in CCU and a couple shifts in Hemo and had to go through the application process for observation shifts twice. I received my invitation for an interview at the same time as everything else. I got an e-mail with 4 attachments: your application to nursing has been received; your application has been completed; please come to an information session; and please schedule an interview. I was probably one of the last people to put in a complete application, though, and I received the hard copies of all the letters about a day before the first information session.

Specializes in Neurology and Cardiology.

Haha, I think that I was the last complete application accepted...Everything was in on Jan 31st and on my online application it wasn't processed till like Feb 5th. I was so nervous that it wasn't going to be considered for the fall, when I got my letter for the info session I didn't even think about the interview letter that came the same day. I too handed in two reference letters, one from the Chwk hospital, and one from my volunteer work with a mobile free health clinic in Haiti.

I wasn't the last application sent in...but I might have been one of the first. I sent my application in November. I was such a keener to get the process started, and now look at us waiting :p

Invictus, what was their recommendation when you applied last time? Did you get the early letter last time as well?

Specializes in Neurology and Cardiology.

The letter I got last year said that I should get more volunteer hours, and that I needed to have a stronger essay. Hence my apprehension about the essay portion this time around. I didn't get a early letter last time either. So, with wayyy more volunteer hours, obsessively planned out and edited responses to the short answer written responses, AND a early letter, I am feeling slightly more prepared and competitive this year, but I've already put all my eggs in one basket, I'm not countin em before they hatch too :p

So I shall continue my game of:

Wait and see wait and see wait and see :uhoh3:

hi! i'm planning to take some of the other elective/non-nursing courses (english, anatomy and physiology i, math, or psychology, etc.). starting in sept 2012.

do you guys think that it might be an advantage that i'll be taking these courses?

also, do you think there's an advantage to appyling early, or does it really matter, (as long as it's before the august 15th date)?

thanks,

pet_lover48

It is good to get the elective courses done early, especially the English 105. That class is during your first semester of nursing. They also write down the classes you have taken early during the interview process, so there must be importance in that. It is just eliminating classes of your already jammed packed schedule.

pet_lover - There's not really an advantage in terms of getting accepted or not by putting your app in early. It does, however, give you more time to have it completed, get all the loose ends tied, etc. As for taking the courses - It's a huge help. Firstly, that means you don't have to take them when you're in nursing. That right there saves you about a course a semester, freeing you up some time, giving you less stress, and giving you invaluable experience of what post-secondary is like. Second, you get a bonus mark in the gpa section if you have 3 or more post-sec courses completed. So yes, there's nothing but good to have those courses done. :) *thumbs up*

Hi! Thanks for the info.

Ok, that's great it sounds like there are quite a few benefits to completing the elective/non-nursing courses first.

I think I'll be taking English 105, Math 104, (or 106) and I'm trying to see if I could get into the Anatomy and Physiology I, (which I think would be great because it says it's in the first semester of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program and that would lighten my load with it and the English already done). If I can't get into that course, I think I'll take Intro to Psychology.

I wonder if I could receive that bonus point for having completed 3, or more post secondary courses. I won't have actually completed them by the time of my application, but they I think they would see that I'm enrolled/registered in them. (It would be great to get that bonus point).

I just had a question for the Standard First Aid and Basic Rescuer Level C requirement - Is that just CPR Level C?

Thanks,

pet_lover48

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