CUNY School - BMCC

-jt · Mar 25, 2004

Congrats Monica!

and to RN2BE:

as an RN with a background in forensic science, you will have a whole 'nother interesting, new nursing field wide open to you - Forensic Nursing. Good luck to you.

LuvaNurse04 · Mar 26, 2004

Okay, nycNurse2b, I'm now ready to tackle your questions. Here goes...

1. What is the average class size?

Average size is about 40 students from my experience.

2. Did you find it difficult to register for the classes you needed? i.e. did they fill up fast, not offer them with enough frequency, etc?

Once you're in the actual program (clinical phase), the department basically registers their students for the nursing classes. Evening students must have all pre-reqs done before starting Nursing classes. I think that's best so you're able to focus only on Nursing. When I was still doing pre-reqs I had to register on my own. I don't remember having a difficult time with this. Day program students can take regular classes with nursing classes, so I don't know how they go about that.

3. Did you attend in the evening / weekend program?

Sure did. Usually the schedule is class two nights a week and clinicals is on Saturdays.

4. Did you work full time while you attended?

My job worked a Tues-Sat schedule so I had to drop to part-time (Tues-Fri) for the two years that I was in the program. I usu. picked up the extra day in the summer. It was considered my per diem.

5. Was it extremely difficult?

School work and family (I have a 4 y.o.) is a lot to juggle. You have to be really dedicated and determined to be successful. You have to WANT to be a nurse, not just doing it cuz you're following your friend, you know? There are sacrifices you'll make be it small or large, but I can definitely say it was all worth it. There will be topics that may come really easy to you and those that you'll struggle with. Form a good partnership with your classmates. My 1st Nursing professor told us something that is so true. You and your classmates are not in a competition with each other, everyone is working towards a common goal. Work with each other, support each other. No one else will understand what you're going through except your fellow classmates. Those who are not in Nursing can't understand why you just don't have time for them anymore (trust me you won't), why you're stressed about clinicals, stressing over exams. The exam anxiety that occurs in Nursing is not anything I had ever experienced in other college courses.

6. How long did it take for you to complete the program?

I started my Nursing classes Jan 2002 and graduated Jan 2004. I started Sept 2001 as a transfer student, took Micro and Math 104. We were out of classes for 3weeks following 9/11 and most of us worried that we weren't going be able to finish out the semester. We did and was accepted 12/2001.

7. Did you work in a hospital at all during the time you were in the program?

I've worked in a GYN practice as a family planning counselor since '98 where I still work today as an LPN soon to be promoted RN.

8. What is your undergrad degree in? Mines in business and I’m sooooo concerned because I’ve never taken Science courses – at all!!!

I have a BS in Health Sciences from Hunter College. I was first pre-med, then I when I chose nursing, I wasn't accepted in hunter's program. I decided to just do health sciences to get my degree and get out of there. The fact that you haven't taken any science course is no big deal. We all had to start taking them at some point. You have the ability to start fresh and pull all of those high grades instead of transfering mediocre ones.

Hope this helped.

LuvaNurse04 · Mar 26, 2004

thanks -jt and imnrn2b for your congrats!!!!

ohh forensic nursing! now that sounds so interesting!

imnrn2b, congrats on your great grades. you know this will help your chances. your advisement appt is a general advisement or with the nursing department? students need to see mr. ****** for advisement and he's the one that puts in your application for the following semester. is this who you will be seeing? if so, don't let him intimidate you. when i was in his office all i can remember him saying is how my b+ in a&p 2 was going to hurt my chances! i was so depressed that i cried in the library instead of studying for my micro exam. i was so sure that this was going to be a dead end for me, but i got a call that ended my fears. i later found out that he says this to alot of people, so be warned. then he'll say that you should apply to other programs and oh yeah, do you still want him to put in the application? be confident and firm.

you'll definitely have to take micro in the summer if you want to start in the fall, esp. the evening program. another thing i've learned, sometimes you just have to shut out all the negative energy around you. you know, the people that love to tell you about the gpa cutoffs, the waiting lists or absence of, the professor from hell stories, you know what i mean? this will drive you crazy and sometimes are just not true. one person's experience (incl my own) will not necessarily be yours. don't get caught up with all the hyped up drama. surround yourself with level-headed people!

feel free to update me. i'm here to share! good luck.

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nycNurse2b · Mar 26, 2004

Nurse Monica!!!

Many, many congrats! Nice when hard work & dedication pays off!! Right?? Best of luck in your new role as RN.

I appreciate yout taking the time to answer all my questions. Your honesty, candidness and frankness are all greatly appreciated!!

HOpefully you won't mind if i continue to post random questions here and there for you. THANKS AND CONGRATS AGAIN!!!

Lilnurse0803, RN · Mar 28, 2004

hello nurse monica,

i do not know whom i am meeting with on april 17th, however, i can tell you that for last semester mr. ****** gave me some good advice: since i transferred in a b- in english 101 from **** *** , he advised that i untransfer it (with permission from **** **** ) and retake it for a better grade. he said that it was dragging my gpa down and that i should consider retaking it. i am currently taking it and have an a average so far. i do appreciate that he gave me that advice.

i dropped by the nursing office today to see what the average gpa was for the admitted spring 2004 clinical students and i was told that day students had 3.6 and evening weekend 3.53.

do they pick the hospitals you do your clinicals in or can you select from a list??

thanks again for your help.

names of instructors were edited out

cola78 · Mar 30, 2004

hey,

i just got my acceptance letter today from bmcc. i applied for the evening/weekend program. i'm very excited. i've read through the posts here and the information is going to be invaluable as i begin my journey.

i have met with mr. ****** to inquire about the program and i can tell you that i hadn't even applied to the program yet and felt defeated leaving his office. i am a transfer student and all the information he threw at me regarding the minimum gpa for the clinical phase left me dizzy. i have some bs in classes i'll be transferring in - you all have me re-thinking whether i should even bother to transfer less than perfect grades. perhaps i should try to re-take classes for a higher pre-clinical gpa? how hard is it to untransfer classes? i'm also wondering, sorry if i'm re-asking a previously asked question, but how many of the people you started with carried on to the clinical phase? are their really a lot of people turned away b/c of the gpa requirement? :uhoh3: i haven't even started classes and i'm worrying...lol

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nycNurse2b · Mar 31, 2004

i, too, have applied to bmcc and hope to enroll in the evening/weekend nursing program. have not yet gotten an acceptance letter but i did transfer all my credits from my bs degree (its in business).

i called mr. ****** a little while ago to get some info on the nursing program and basically he told me i never should have transferred any credits in. all my biz classes were a's, other classes are a's, b's and c's. i said, "oh ok, i didn't know that. can i just un-transfer them?" his short answer was that its really difficult to un-transfer credits and it requires various permissions from deans and other dept heads. oh yeah, and did i mention that mr. ****** was very not nice at all! lol

honestly - if i have to deal with him for 2+ years, i should think about enrolling elsewhere. very un-helpful. very un-kind. seemed like he could care less that there was a perspective student on the phone. hopefully he's the exception at bmcc,

please let me know how you make out with the un-transferring process if you go thru with it.

good luck!

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cola78 · Apr 1, 2004

Hmm... Now you've got me thinking. I sent in all my transcripts from previous schools, but I was told from an admissions counselor that credits will not be transferred until you have an advisors session and register..which is where I figured I would be able to make a decision on which classes I want to transfer in and which I'll retake. And my situation is very difficult b/c I have a BFA in Film/Video from an art school so my Psych class, for example, was called "psychology and art"..something that I'm sure BMCC will have problems with me trying to transfer in. I know I'm babbling, sorry. Anyone who's been through this care to comment??

LuvaNurse04 · Apr 1, 2004

oh yeah, and did i mention that mr. ****** was very not nice at all! lol
honestly - if i have to deal with him for 2+ years, i should think about enrolling elsewhere. very un-helpful. very un-kind. seemed like he could care less that there was a perspective student on the phone. hopefully he's the exception at bmcc,
he most definitely is the exception! the wonderful thing was that as soon as i got into the program, i did not have to deal with him at all. he's the "gatekeeper" for pre-clinical students. he has nothing to do with those actually in the program. i think the only thing he did for us was to pre register us for the following semester and that was done automatically. he gave the completed printouts to our professors who then gave it to us.
by the way, why would he say that you shouldn't have transfered any credits in? you still need some non-nursing credits to actually obtain a degree from the school. i had a really helpful person in the admissions department. i can't remeber his name. maybe **** somebody? i don't know, but he was in charge of the transfer students. ask at admissions. he's african-american, older gentleman, wears glasses, kinda short. very knowledgable about this whole transfer situation.
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nycNurse2b · Apr 1, 2004

so happy to hear that mr. ****** was the exception!

he said that entrance into the nursing school is based on your gpa from 4 required courses. english, a&p, math for health, and psych. he said that unless my eng, math & psych grades that i wanted to transfer in were a's that i shouldn't have done it.

maybe i misunderstood because he was so rude and i was getting so annoyed?

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Lilnurse0803, RN · Apr 2, 2004

congratulations to all of you that got accepted to bmcc's program. one thing that i can tell you is that the students i attend class with (we seem to end up in many of the same classes together) are very friendly and willing to help out. it is not a cut-throat environment where people are competing with each other. there will always be resistance from other "sour-puss" souls; never let that get you down. believe in yourself, do well and you will succeed. that is my attitude and what drives me to excel in school.

note that evening/weekend students must complete a&p ii and microbiology before they can apply for the clinicals. daytime students are the ones that can get in with the four classes you mentioned: mat 104, psy 100, eng 101, and bio 425

in my two semesters at bmcc, i have been advised by a very nice young man, not mr. ****** , since i think mr. ****** is only there on weekdays. thank god!

my dream is to become a certified nurse midwife, but my dream job out of nursing school is to work in labor and delivery. :nurse:

so happy to hear that mr.****** was the exception!
he said that entrance into the nursing school is based on your gpa from 4 required courses. english, a&p, math for health, and psych. he said that unless my eng, math & psych grades that i wanted to transfer in were a's that i shouldn't have done it.
maybe i misunderstood because he was so rude and i was getting so annoyed?

edited out instructror's name

vicb74 · Apr 15, 2004

Thanks so much for taking the time to respond.
While I always appreciate the responses i get from EVERYONE, it was most helpful to hear from you as you are a recent grad of BMCC's nursing program.
I actually spoke to an administrator in the nursing program at BMCC yesterday and was told that there is no waiting list to get in. Very excited and very encouraged!
Mind if i ask you some more questions?

Hi-

I went over there last week and was told there was a waiting list of "years"?????? Do you happen to remember who you spoke with?

Thank you!