Ivy Tech 'Fall 2010' Applicants

Emmi7 · Oct 19, 2009, 10:47 PM

Good question Tara...my instructor for the class that starts tomorrow sent out the syllabus and it says the same thing. This is the way I understood it too and I hope it works that way so you can get that A!

taranator · Oct 19, 2009, 11:03 PM

Thanks, Emmi! It's so nice to write to people who understand that if I get a B it very well might be the end of the world...at least for one semester. ;-) My family gets it, but they don't. Do you know what I mean?

csab · Oct 19, 2009, 11:04 PM

In my class, the prof dropped the lowest DB and the lowest quiz score, and yes it was dropped for everyone. The total points for the class was 1000. 600 pts for exams, 200 for DBs, and 200 for quizzes. There was one "extra" DB and one extra quiz over the course of the semester, so the gradebook originally had 1040 pts available in it, but at the end the grade was based on 1000 points with 900/1000 and up being an A. The four exam scores were kept.

One bit of advice is if your prof opens up the exam to view after, look it over and make sure everything you had marked wrong was really wrong. The online tests are notorious for having incorrectly keyed answers. My first micro test had 6 questions on it that I had correct but it marked me wrong and I had to ask the prof to give me credit back for them. Unfortunately not all profs will open the exam up for viewing. My prof from 101 would not open them up but my prof from 102 did.

Emmi7 · Oct 19, 2009, 11:15 PM

Good advice csab! I never thought about doing that with my quizzes and tests online. Thankfully I haven't had any of the really hard pre/co-req's yet so I have done ok on the tests and quizzes but I will definitely make sure I start checking each one if possible!

Tara-I definitely understand what you mean about people understanding but then again not understanding. My family is not supportive at all. No one actually graduated high school or pursued any further education. In fact when I told my mother about going to school to be a RN and how hard I was going to have to study and work for it, she replied with, "Well just get your CNA then." Umm yeah thank you for the motivation MOM!!
That is probably why I stay on this site so much because it is comforting knowing that others share what I am going through and understand that a C, although average and perfectly acceptable in some courses, is not going to cut it.

anomaly · Oct 19, 2009, 11:57 PM

Hey guys,

I hope you don't mind if I join in. I'm taking APHY 102 and PSYC 201 online right now. I took APHY 101 online over the summer. Taranator--which campus are you taking APHY 101 out of? I took it out of Kokomo. I don't know if your teacher will do this, but last semester, my teacher added the extra quiz score and the extra discussion board score to the grade you got on your final. It kind of sucked if you didn't need those points, or if you needed those points somewhere else, but it could be helpful. It might also be good to know if you were considering "skipping" the extra quiz and db post because you don't need the points.

Also--where are you taking lifespan? I'm taking it out of Indianapolis. We haven't gotten our papers back yet, so I don't think we're in the same class, but we might have the same teacher. The teacher I have this semester for PSYC 201 seems a lot more stringent than the teacher I had last semester for SOCI 111, so I'm kind of stressed about how hard she might grade our papers. I have a Bio degree, in which we always used MLA, so I have limited experience with APA. My teacher last semester didn't seem to spend much time on our papers--she seemed to grade them overnight, but this teacher seems pretty adamant about proper format.

I just took my 102 exam today. The thing that cracks me up about online classes is you get some really off the wall questions. I had, PMCO is the prohormone for:

Haha. Maybe you all know, but I didn't remember.

Also, I second what csab said about online quizzes and tests frequently having errors. In fact, I would venture to say that at least 50% of my quizzes in APHY and every single one of my tests has had at least one error. My professor is very nice and keeps them open for us to review. You can also message her if you think your quizzes were misgraded, and she always reviews the exams once everyone has finished. Hopefully your teacher will do the same thing, and you'll make up some points there!

csab · Oct 20, 2009, 05:02 AM

Anomaly, I think I remember having that question as well. . . and not knowing the answer. Yes that is the thing about online classes esp. in the sciences. You have to read the entire chapter and know it well because the test will pick out one little phrase from somewhere and ask you about it. Heck I remember on my 101 midterm there was some obscure question about the rubrosprinal tract. ????? Heck I am in 201 now (in person class) and we just did the nervous system and major spinal tracts and didn't even have to know that level of detail.

kgle · Oct 20, 2009, 06:10 PM

Originally Posted by Emmi7

Yeah I am excited too! I have never worked in the medical field so I figure I should do the CNA prep and get a small taste of what some things will be like. Plus, like you said being able to work through the summer sounds great.
Have you thought about where you would want to work once you get your certification, like a LTCF or a hospital? I've heard that LTCF's pay is better than at hospitals but I like the idea of working in the hospital setting. But I've also heard that it is difficult to get hired at a hospital without being an RN...I saw a few jobs on some hospital websites that stated CNA's recommended to apply though.

I talked to a friend of mine who is an RN with Community and she said the hours are way more flexible and better and the pay is better at a LTC facility as opposed to a hospital. I plan on doing the CNA thing for however long but eventually getting on at a hospital for the student nurse position. I want to solidify my chances of being hired on asap after graduation! I looked up info about the CNA class and I guess they require specific immunizations prior to the first class so I am happy to get some of the stuff out of the way for nursing school

Originally Posted by csab

Well Tara if it makes you feel any better, I do think, looking back, that the midterm was the hardest of the four exams in 101. Not that the others are easy, but the midterm was definitely the hardest of the four, for me at least. I think they do it that way to weed people out before the last drop date.

Kara and Emmi, cool that you guys are doing the CNA class! You'll get to skip Fundamentals lecture and lab I think.

Skip fundamentals?? Really??

kgle · Oct 20, 2009, 06:13 PM

Haha I don't even know what the heck PMCO is and this is my second time taking 102!

Hey Emmi, when does your CNA class end? Would you want to sell me your books or at least let me borrow? I'm trying to scrimp and save wherever I can! How lame is this? I saw that we have to wear a uniform and I am actually giddy about that. Closer to being in nursing school! lol

csab · Oct 20, 2009, 06:38 PM

Kara, well I'm not sure about skipping Fundamentals if you have a CNA license, but I'm pretty sure I heard that or read that somewhere but I can't find where right now. You'd have to ask to make sure. I know there is a spot on the application where you check that you are a CNA and it says that you have submit a letter from your employer on official letterhead verifying that you have been employed as a CNA in the past 2 yrs. Since you'd be applying before finishing the CNA class, you'd have to find out if you can submit that later like during the summer if you get a CNA job, then you might be able to skip those classes.

Emmi7 · Oct 20, 2009, 10:51 PM

[quote=kgle;3926777]I talked to a friend of mine who is an RN with Community and she said the hours are way more flexible and better and the pay is better at a LTC facility as opposed to a hospital. I plan on doing the CNA thing for however long but eventually getting on at a hospital for the student nurse position. I want to solidify my chances of being hired on asap after graduation! I looked up info about the CNA class and I guess they require specific immunizations prior to the first class so I am happy to get some of the stuff out of the way for nursing school

Hey Kara...
I was wondering about the immunizations and what all was needed prior to the start of classes too. Where did you find the info? I wonder if they will send out some kind of information to everyone that is registered for the class prior to the start date. I have looked into the student nurse programs at both Clarian and Community hospitals and I am eager to be able to get into one of those. Like you I am hoping to get a position immediately after graduation so hopefully that will up the chances!