Just started semester today, already need to vent!

MRed94 · Jan 15, 2002

I can relate, and sympathize. We are crammed into a room much like yours, but there are 45 of us in it.....

Keep your chin up.

Marla

meownsmile, BSN, RN · Jan 15, 2002

We are lucky at my school in that we just moved into a new building and it is very nice and roomy. But the parking situation is horrid. I looked out the window when i got into class this morning and there were lines of cars driving up and down the parking lots looking for places to park. Plus they decided they needed to block off one lot for some unknown reason. They had all christmas vacation to do repairs or whatever they were doing. Now isnt the time to be making people crazy with parking problems.

Also we are docked time if we are late to class, so it doesnt help when we have to put 20 miles on the car looking for space and be late for class.

colleen10 · Jan 15, 2002

Hi ADN 2002,

I am attending a small Community College in Pittsburgh PA and begin my first class this Thursday (the class is in the evenings) and I'm really worried about parking too. This past Saturday I stopped by the campus to get my student id and parking pass and was mortified when I saw the size of the parking lot. It looks like it only holds about 75 cars! The school is located downtown and Pittsburgh roads are always under construction and tunnels are closed so I've alotted myself an hour and a half to get to class but now I don't think I'll even be able to park my car anywhere. I'm allready getting frustrated and class hasn't even started yet.

And, get this, on a map of the campus it says that you should allow yourself 1/2 hour to find a parking place when arriving to class. Jeesh! That constitutes as a problem to me!

ADN 2002 · Jan 18, 2002

Hi, All,

I didn't think it could happen, but it's actually worse. Today we had to check-off a procedure, not a really BIG procedure, it was sterile dressing change for a central line (pretty much like any other sterile dressing change). Once again, we'd been banished from our classroom and one of my instructors was holding her check-offs in a small lounge upstairs. I went in for my check-off and had just gotten into my sterile gloves when about 10 LVN students (nursing students themselves) come in the room and start getting in the way, and I'm just standing there and people are bumping into me, and I'm desperately trying to stay sterile -- I swear, there's not THIS much commotion during a code!! My teacher looked like she was going to blow her stack and I was not far behind. I managed to finish my check-off and pass. Needless to say, we had to leave and find yet another room where we could have our check-offs.

I'm really aggravated about this. I read in our newspaper yesterday that the college is planning an expansion project at a branch of the college that's just been built in a nearby town. I attend the main campus of my college, and it's like they just ignore problems there. I'm really thinking of writing a letter to the president of the college...your thoughts?

Thanks for listening again! :cool:

shyviolet78, LPN, LVN · Jan 18, 2002

Same situation here. I don't understand why they can spend money advertising for enrollment, but can't find the money to improve things like parking availability and classrooms for the students who are already enrolled!

colleen10 · Jan 18, 2002

ADN 2002,

I think you should totally write a letter. Maybe even a group letter with some of your classmates and maybe you can get backing by some of your instructors.

I wonder when the last time the President was in a classroom.

I especially think that a class like nursing, in which you are moving around and performing physical tasks, requires a large enough space to accomodate all of the students, equipment, etc. if anything for safety's sake! Can you imagine practicing giving injections in a tiney space where everyone is bumping into one another.

P.S. out of curiosity, what classes are bumping you out?

ADN 2002 · Jan 18, 2002

The classes that are crowding us out are general-studies-type classes, like history. One of them is a concurrent enrollment class from the high school! So instead of one person going over to the high school (which is a block away from the college campus, and they have plenty of room over there) the high school kids come over here. Is that not insane?

There are a couple of people in my class that are as mad as I am, and I'm pretty sure my program director would support us - she's got to be tired of trying to reserve room all the time just so we can have lecture!

:cool:

crnasomeday · Jan 19, 2002

I don't know....having to go through all of that in a crowded and busy environment . . . sounds just like most of the hospitals I've been in. Not that I wouldn't complain about that at school, but I'd also have to say that you're going to deal with it a lot at clinical sites. A couple of the hospitals I've been in were so crammed you felt like you were trapped on a submarine, constantly tripping over this and that, having no room to maneuver those 300 lb patients who can't seem to bear any weight on their legs, other people always in the space you seem to need to be in at the time, etc, etc, etc. Good luck with that!

essarge · Jan 19, 2002

Parking problems....yep...crowded classrooms...you betcha...but I'll go one better. The powers that be have decided that there will be NO science related labs in the newer science building labs that are better equipped than the old building that was built in the 1930's. They have decided that the newer building is a good "for show" building. So they mislead the public into thinking that their students are getting this wonderful high tech education in the new building when they are actually in the very very old building. Shoot! My chemistry lab was located in a room that had actually caught fire, had no heat or air conditioning and the vent hood didn't work. Go figure why everyone ended up with headaches!!

janmae1950 · Jan 22, 2002

I bet you are going to the Allegheny Campus! I go there on Saturdays for my Biology class. Fortunately, the parking situation is much better! I ususally go to the North Campus but I wanted to free up my week because I am enrolled in CNA training at a long term care facility in the North Hills. I don't like going to the Allegheny Campus much. I live up north and 5 minutes from the North Campus.

colleen10 · Jan 22, 2002

Hi Jan, so cool to meet you!

I had my first class last Thursday and so far I'm pretty impressed. I'm taking Psych - Growth and Dev. at the Campus in the Northside. It only took me 15 minutes to get from my office down to the campus. The student lot next to Milton Hall was full but the other lot across the street had a lot of spaces.

This is my first class with CCAC and I'm wondering if they offer a lot of classes on Saturdays - like you're taking Bio. on Saturdays.

I really want to get A&P over with, if possible this summer. But as far as I've seen they only offer it on weekdays and usually during the day. It would be nice if they would add some more times and days. I wouldn't mind going to a far away campus if it was on a Saturday.

Anywho, if you have any information I'd appreciate it. I haven't had much opportunity to talk to my advisor about the weekend program for nursing and how to schedule classes when you allready work full time. Look forward to seeing you on the board!

Colleen