Nursing schools in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota?

alyx · May 6, 2008

Well..welcome to Minnesota. Minnesota "Nice" is still mostly true. We didn't get that nickname for no reason ya know. Of course you'll have to learn new language if you come here. The winters are not what they used to be when I was your age...much more mellow...and when it does get cold...there's always a fire burning somewhere...very cozy! And winter fashion is fun too. Single guys..yup..we got 'em and they're mostly raised pretty well around here. There's so much to do here in Minnesota, all year long...you'll truly be amazed at what we have to offer. It's kind of a secret..we don't want too many people to know just how great it is..that's why we tell everyone how cold, boring and dank it is....and we put on that silly "ya you betcha" lingo. Summers are phenomenal...garaunteed...better than in California...lakes everywhere with sunshine diamonds dancing on top.

Any of our towns are great to live in. Personally, I'm not a city girl but those that live in town...love it best. To prepare? Learn to relax...seriously...we're just a whole lot calmer here. Be prepared to drive slow and deal with those who still haven't learned to merge....we just never will. And make sure your tires are top notch. Don't expect to be part of a winning sports team, especially the Viqueens. All in all...I think you'll love it; if you want to. And you'll find lots of help everywhere you go...we're just that way. Hope that helps some. Welcome again!:cheers::cheers:

banainswan · May 10, 2008

Hi! I actually moved to Minneapolis from CA in October of 2006. I think it is a good place. I live in St Paul now and I do like it a lot. The winters are like nothing I have EVER experienced. They are cold but EVERYONE (natives alike) talk about it as well. Definitely do-able. Just get a good coat :-). I am in a post-bacc program right now and am happy with it. I have heard from California nurses that Minnesota trains good nurses. The twin cities are pretty diverse. Not as diverse as parts of CA but definitely diverse. There is a lot to do and I think the people are nice. I would love to talk to you more about this if you want :-).

I wanted to know about some good schools in Minneapolis? Also how is Minnesota? I want to move from California to Minneapolis, and I just needed some info. Is the weather as harsh as people say it is? Are the people really nice? Are the summers nice? Is the lots to see and do for a young person? Are lots of single men? Is Minneapolis/St. Paul a good place to live? What should I do before and after I move to prepare myself? Is it a diverse place? And anything else you can think of that would help.
:bowingpur

Bridgett · May 11, 2008

My husband moved to Minnesota from California. I always have to tease him he doesn't have his "MN Blood" yet. He dresses up like it is the dead of winter when I'm comfortable in a long sleeve tee. It might take some getting used to, but when it comes down to it most people don't spend a lot of time outside in the winter unless they really enjoy winter outdoor sports. We drive from our heated homes in our heated cars, and go to our heated work places, our heated malls (have you been to the MOA?) or heated stores, our heated indoor recreation activities (museums, movies, libraries, amusement park, and whatever else you can think of) and back to our heated homes.

Minnesota has lots of schools to choose from for nursing. There is something for everyone here.

dinah77, ADN · May 21, 2008

First, welcome! Congrats in choosing one of the countries best kept secrets to move to.....My husband moved from San Fran to Minneapolis six years ago and LOVES it here...I would defintely recommend the Minnneapolis/Saint Paul area....not only are there the most nursing programs here, Minnepolis is a beautiful city....defintley the most diverse.

Frankly, I find most burbs and small towns surrounding Minneapolis bland, boring and ugly. Unless you like burbs, I would suggest living in the city.

My husband and I live in a small apt in the "uptown" area of South Minneapolis. Our rent is low, and we live with in easy walking distance of two movies theatres, a dozen resturants, several bars a bank , grocery store, dry cleaners, two lakes and a major transit station so we are able to live care free. Also, a more diverse are of teh city, Lake Street, where you can find Mexican food that rivals so-cal's is only a 15 minute bus ride away.

So if that's your thing, I would defintely suggest looking in the uptown area. If you come here, and are looking for apts, just type in "Uptown" on craigs list and it will pull up lots.

Weather phobia is over blown by non-natives. Yes, winters can be long. Yes, the cold can wear you down. But when friends and family visit from other areas of the country and complain about the weather, they are usually first and foremost woefully underdressed. I would never visit my family in South Carolina in July wearing Jeans and a sweater. Why do people come to Minneapolis in Winter with light coats, and no other winter gear? Besides, if we had a temperate climate, I expect that the cost of living in our metro areas would rival San Frans- we have an impressive enough arts,food and cultural scene to be in that class. As it is, cost of living is pretty low.

Summers are beautiful- and are great cuz everyone wants to be outside...so it really pulls communities together.

Schools? Check out St Kates. If you want an ADN, consider their Minneapolis campus. BSN? St Paul. And unike other schools that have long waiting lists, here is well kept secret. On admissions day, Usually around October 15th, enrollment on Minneapolis campus for the ADN program is open....first come first serve. People line up in advance and if you meet the minimum requirements, are far enough up in the line you get a spot! Mind you, once you're in, they have some hard non-negotiable time lines on requirements B4 you can begin nurinsg coursework. There is a waiting list created and there is always someone too happy to take your spot. But all in all I find their system the most democratic.

St Kates can be found here www.stkate.edu specfic Minneapolis campus info can be found here http://www.stkate.edu/soh Minneapolis admissions person is Bethany, and she is really great....hope that helps!!!I love Minneapolis, and love to talk about it , so feel free to contact me....although be advised that I am between internet providers so it could take me a day or two to respond.

-MNC_RN- · May 21, 2008

In terms of cold... consider: the average annual temp in Minneapolis is 40-some degrees. We can get into the 90s (occasionally low-100s) in the Summer. You can figure out what the winter needs to be like to average 40-something. (I got the average off of Weatherbug last I visited there.) Generally the coldest month is all of January, but it can vary. And it truly isn't unusual to have snow six months out of the year (November to April), though not all of it is measurable or lasting.

I have to say that I've lived in Minnesota all my memorable life and I hate--

-MNC_RN- · May 21, 2008

Arrgh! Stupid sausage fingers!

Anyway, I was saying emphatically that I hate winter!

Lots of good schools. I won't name any for risk of offending, but plenty of choices--either ADN or BSN. I will say that the University of Minnesota (first BSN program in the nation, by the way. Not that it's important, just a bit of history) has a course for students with a bachelor's in another field: attend nursing school post-bac and graduate with an MSN.

There are some excellent hospitals in the area (not including Mayo, which is an hour away from The Cities in Rochester). 3 Level I trauma centers, 3 transplant hospitals, a couple of recognized heart hospitals and several Primary Stroke Centers. A couple of the hospitals seem to appear on the US News Top 100 list every year.

Back to the weather... I truly believe that you will find no better summers (and I've traveled a lot). Summer by the lakes (either "up North" or in The Cities) is about as perfect as it comes. One word of advice, though, to avoid embarassing eye-rolling come winter: Water freezes at 32 degrees. Including the water in your windshield wiper resevoir. That's why they invented WIPER FLUID. Of course, you wouldn't know anythings wrong until spring thaw and sloppy roads hit your window at 65 MPH. (Just a word of advice... it's a peeve of mine about transplants.)

As for "Minnesota Nice"... I would call it "Minnesota Not-wanting-to-offend-but-don't ask-me-for-any-real-serious-help." Polite, yes. Nice, if nice = polite. I hear of a lot of transplants having a hard time getting into truly tight friendship circles and the dating scene can be a trick. On the other hand, the Twin Cities seems to frequently score high on lists of fittest cities, so we do tend to be in shape... you can always "window shop" by the Lakes in the summer and watch the athletes show off their abs.

Hope that helps!

veronica butterfly, ADN, RN · Jun 23, 2008

For me, a 2 year degree at Minneapolis Community and Technical College. Metro State is on the same campus, it's sort of a working adult college and they offer a nice BSN program that you can transition to easily. Great town!

Normandale Community College in Bloomington is also a very good 2 year program.

HM2VikingRN, RN · Jun 23, 2008

Normandale Community College in Bloomington.

Inver Hills

Century College

Anoka Ramsey

Lots of state nursing schools in the Community College system.

Just outside of the cities

South Central in Fairibault/North Mankato

Ridgewater-Hutchinson

Mn State-Mankato

I've lived here my entire life and there is always something to do...