[akspudus]

Well, I won't speak bad of any MDC professors. There are some that are better than others. They all work hard to teach their students.
What they don't have time for is students that don't take care of them selves.
For instance, if you make an appointment to meet them in their office, make sure you show up and are not late. If you show up unprepared...they will not spoon feed you in your learning. They will on the other hand show you resources that you can use to augment your study.

That brings me to augmenting your study. Semester one isn't soo bad BUT..get ready for semester 2,3 and 4. Lecture classes are usually one day a week. During the summer two days a week. For every hour of lecture, I spend maybe 3-4 hours of study. For real!! You will need to make sure you manage your time well. Make flash cards and go over them in the grocery store line...any time you find idle can be used to study. I download all lectures to my iPod and listen to those lectures as a review. I also do 3-4 HUNDRED practice NCLEX question a week. If you get in the habit..that's on 40-50 questions a night.
As for the professors, they notice those students that are working hard. They will bend over backwards for you and help you out immensely when they notice how hard you are working. I have had emails returned by the professors at 11:00 at night. I have seen professors show up to tutor skills after pulling a 12 hour shift at the hospital. On the other hand, I have seen the students that don't really work hard...are barely getting by...given tutor referrals that they never go to..etc. Those are the students that the faculty realises...that most likely will not make it through nursing school. The faculty has to manage their time as well...so you can imagine how much time they give those bottom tier students. The faculty has heard all of the excuses. "I have Kids..and can't spend so much time studying", "Your tests are TOO hard", etc..etc.
I have three kids in elementary school...a wife...a part time job. But yet, I have been VERY successful in nursing school. I have gotten used to balancing life with being a student. It is an art..but it can be done.
Getting A's in nursing school is possible. It takes a lot of work...but believe me...completely possible.

akspudus

[butterflyyessy]

Can you tell me of a good NCLEX questioner? Can I get that at the book store? When you study is it the vast amount of material you have to cover that keeps you with the books? Or is it that the material is very difficult? Is the material very difficult or is it ok if you go over it?

[akspudus]

When you get into school You will be given a box of ATI books. These books are pretty good review books. You will be taking ATI exams at the end of each semester..and to graduate you will need to place above the 90th percentile on the ATI exit exam. Use your ATI books and DVD's to help with that. ATI also has online practice exams..make sure you do those.
I also use the "Made incredibly easy" books. I bought medical surgical nursing and pharmacology made incredibly easy. Well worth the investment. As for NCLEX question...I use Saunder's Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN Examination. Not only does it also have some outlined review..but it has lots of area specific NCLEX review questions.

When ever you do practice questions...read the rationales as to why each answer is correct and why the others are incorrect. Make sure you understand those rationales.
Also,..the success center computers have a program called "Test Taking Strategies for Nursing Students". Go and do that tutorial at the beginning of each semester..just to brush up on you NCLEX skills.

akspudus

[butterflyyessy]

Wow! 90 percentile. At the end of every semester? Above 90 percentile...that sounds so difficult. I mean the whole nursing thing sounds almost impossible, but like you said practice, practice, practice.

Why do they do the whole ATI thing? Is it difficult to score above 90 percentile?

I know I have more questions, I just can not remember them all. I just feel like I am going into something very different then what I have done before. I mean mainly it is not as easy as Anatomy and chemistry, and everything else I have done. It has been so easy.

Do you think the material is hard or is it that it is a lot of material that you need to go through?

[akspudus]

90th percentile on the ATI exit exam equates to approximately 72% correct. It isn't nearly impossible. Just think, you will be studying for nearly a year and a half before you take the exam. You can do it.
The reason ATI is so important it that the NCLEX is a national exam. The school does not write them exam...they only build a curriculum that is accredited so that it qualifies their students to take the exam. So, it is very important that you are continuously measured on the national level....to help insure your success.
ATI just happens to be a private company that specialises in measuring students to that national standard. There are a few companies out there that do it...ATI just happens to be the package MDC has bought into.

I don't think tha material is really all that hard. It is however a different way of learning and testing. You will quickly get sick and tired of hearing the words "critical thinking". The long and the short of it is is...you are used to being taught what is what...and being tested just like that. For instance...you might have identified various parts of the heart on a diagram. In nursing, you are going to have to think things through...instead of being asked what something is...say the right ventricle...you will most likely be asked about what happens when the right ventricle fails? What symptoms will this manifest with the patient? If you know when the right ventricle does..what it leads to then you might very easily "figure out" what the correct answer would be. Figuring it out...is called critical thinking. Not hard...just different. You do it every day...but once you get used to doing it on a test...your more than 50% of the way through getting an A in the class.

akspudus

[butterflyyessy]

Well when you do put it that way it sounds a lot better. That way I don't have to freak out.

[ymarti]

Akspudus,

Do you have any tips or anything we should know about clinicals? I'm not really nervous about the lecture classes, it's the clinicals I'm anxious about.

[tracie0305]

Akspudus...........
90th percentile is definitely high.....what happens if you don't pass with a 90?? I have heard that the accelerated program is a lot more difficult than the generic and that many accelerated students fail out....how true is that??? Hearing that you have a family is encouraging to me cuz I am in the same boat. Thank you for all your encouraging words!!!!

[butterflyyessy]

I am scared about going into the generic. I just can not imagine me doing the accelerated. It is the same amount of material done in the generic, but FASTER! My father did the accelerated program many years ago....when it first opened its first semester.

Anyway best of luck to you, it takes a lot of strength, but it is possible, if it was not then they would not have the program right?

[akspudus]

You get three chances to get to the 90th percentile. If you don't pass the exam on the first attempt, you will retake it again in one week. If you still don't pass you have to take a focused remedial class..then take it again. If, after three attempts, you will need to retake Professional Nursing Leadership.
It isn't as bad as it sounds. You will be given a list of practice ATI exams with their assessment numbers and passwords. They are all "non-proctored" practice exams. At the end of each section you will be taking a "proctored" ATI exam that is focused on the section you just completed. By the time you get to the comprehensive exit exam, you will very adept at taking ATI exams. No Worries!!

akspudus