Simmons College ABSN Fall 2018

Nursing Students School Programs

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Hello!

I applied for admission as a Dix Scholar at Simmons College for a Fall 2018 start, and was wondering if there are any current 16 month ABSN Simmons students who could offer some insight into how they are enjoying the program? What is it that they like and dislike and what is the daily schedule like?

Anyone else out there who applied? I am anxiously awaiting a decision as I would love to attend.

I graduated last May with a bachelors in global health and have been working as a medical scribe in the ED as well as finishing my prerequisite courses. I have now taken A&P I and II, as well as Lifespan Development, Statistics, and General Psychology. I am currently enrolled in Microbiology this semester and am hoping to take the integrated Chemistry course through Simmons this summer if I am accepted.

Good luck to all applying!!! Thanks in advance for the comments / help :)

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Hey there,

I recently graduated from the accelerated BSN program! It was very fast paced of course, so be prepared for that! The first semester was the toughest for me because I had no prior healthcare experience. After that, you get used to the pace and workload. It's nice to be in the same classes with your entire cohort. You'll make some really good friends who provide a great support system. My advice to you is to stay on top of things! I never really read the books, but I would look over powerpoints several times to prepare for exams. Listen to what the professors say in class because you'll see it again! Good luck!

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Thank you so much for the insight! Can I ask you a few more things- what were you're credentials like when you applied? And what was the class schedule like on a weekly basis for that first semester? Are you in classes all days and until the afternoon each day?

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Of course! What do you mean by credentials? I'm not sure if the first semester will be the same this fall as it was for me. During my first semester, we took fundamentals and health assessment, pharmacology, med/surg I, and advanced pathophysiology. They might have changed it because those four courses are extremely content heavy and should have never been combined in one semester in the first place. However, if the schedule is the same, I believe the schedule was as follows:

Monday: off

Tuesday: med/surg I 800-11:00, pharmacology 2:00-6:00

Wednesday: lab at Simmons for 2 hours for the first half of the semester, then once that was completed, I had my first clinical on this day for the second half of the semester (8 hour clinical)

Thursday: health assessment and fundamentals 11:00-1:50, pharmacology 2:00-6:00 (since there was no real break in between, I had to bring a lot of snacks and lunch! This was probably the hardest day to get through just because it was basically like 7 hours of class straight)

Friday: off

Weekends: off

So although it was tough having super long class days, it was nice to only have to commute into the city 2-3 times/week rather than 5!

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Hi all!

I was accepted to Simmons and will be attending this Fall! I am very excited. Good luck to those waiting to hear back!

NewRN--was the schedule pretty similar for most semesters? Was it typical to only have class 2 days per week? Did you ever have clinical on nights or weekends?

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We had classes 2x/week the first semester only! The other 3 semesters we only had classes on Tuesdays. For instance, in the spring and summer we had 3 classes instead of 4, so we went like 8-11, 11-2, 2-6 or something like that. The last semester we only had 2 classes so it was easy to fit into one day.

Clinicals were usually during the week, but some people had it on Saturday. When you have your preceptorship in the fall of next year, you'll do whatever your nurse does--days, evenings, overnights, 8 hour shifts, 12 hour shifts, whatever! You make your own schedule, though, so you can do as many shifts as you want per week!

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NewRN- more questions for you if you don't mind. :) What would you say was the total cost of your time at Simmons excluding room & board? Did you find a job pretty quickly? How do you think Simmons stacks up to other programs in the area?

Thanks so much for your insight!

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Hmm.. that's hard to say! I don't believe anyone in my cohort lived on campus so I'm not sure what room and board would even cost! I don't have an exact number for you unfortunately. I definitely had loans every semester which stinks but it is what it is. Commuting is an additional expense which isn't ideal but parking on campus was $9 which you can't really beat for the city..... I graduated in December, took the NCLEX at the beginning of February, and now mid-March I'm still looking for a job. I think nursing jobs in Boston are tight as is, which makes it even more difficult for new grads without experience. I'd say it all depends on what you're looking for though! Outside the city might be easier and you could always possibly get a job from being a CNA somewhere (not guaranteed of course--I wasn't a CNA because I was already too busy from school and studying)... I'm not too familiar with other programs in the area because I only applied to Simmons! I went to an open house there and loved it right away. So, I can't comment about other programs, but I can tell you that Simmons definitely prepares you for the real world as a nurse. There is a 5 day review course after graduation that is included in your tuition that prepares you for the NCLEX. The professors emphasize what's important and what you'll need to know. I can't say it was easy, because it most certainly wasn't--it was stressful, demanding, and takes a toll on you. However, it was worth it, and you'd be amazed at how quickly the time goes by. I think the NCLEX first-time pass rate is extremely high, as well--I think above 95%? So whatever they do works! All my friends passed with flying colors. Hope this helps!

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Thank you for your detailed answer! :) I submitted my deposit but I am waiting on a few more schools to get back to me where I live in Oregon. Boston is very inviting though and I almost attended Simmons for undergraduate and loved the campus.

$9 parking?! That's great! I used to drop my sister off at Emmanuel often so I can navigate that area. I could live with my parents for free on the south shore and commute daily. The tuition cost is what scares me. Do you think it's worth the price tag? I would return to rural Oregon after and hopefully start paying back my loans fast!

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Yup $9 for the full day with a parking permit! I do think it is worth the price tag. Any of the accelerated programs in Boston are extremely expensive because its 1) Boston and 2) one of the biggest centers for medicine! The price tag is intimidating for sure. Like I said I do have a lot of loans from the program, but I also got thousands of dollars in grants as did my friends. I absolutely do not owe them $50,000 or whatever they estimate the program will cost!

I commuted from there as well so there is living proof that it can be done! :) Taking the T is also an option because there is a T stop just a few minutes from Simmons! Good luck with whatever you decide on!

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I'm attending the ABSN program for fall 2018 as well :) also extremely excited!! I am supposed to have classes Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday and was considering working a part-time job on the weekends, probably waitressing since I have experience in it already. Does anyone have advice about working part-time? Will I be too busy studying? thanks :)

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On 2/23/2018 at 8:29 PM, newRN18 said:

Hey there,

I recently graduated from the accelerated BSN program! It was very fast paced of course, so be prepared for that! The first semester was the toughest for me because I had no prior healthcare experience. After that, you get used to the pace and workload. It's nice to be in the same classes with your entire cohort. You'll make some really good friends who provide a great support system. My advice to you is to stay on top of things! I never really read the books, but I would look over powerpoints several times to prepare for exams. Listen to what the professors say in class because you'll see it again! Good luck!

does this school offer dorming for students in the program?

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