Advice...

[jda1977]

Well I need help and am looking to my fellow nursing students for some advice. Sorry this may be a little long:

Okay I have busted my but for 3 years to get to this point. I have applied to 2 of my local community college programs twice. This Fall will be my 3rd go around. They are both on the random selection process. Both schools average around 500-600 applicants and accept around 45, from what I have been told. The good thing is that here in Sacramento the two CC's I have been talking about allow your name to go in multiple times. It matches what your number of applications. So my name will go into the pool 3 times (2 from the previous apps and one for the current). Also Sacramento City College, sent me a letter stating that I was an alternate and was in the first one-third of the alternate pool (they dont give specific placement) but I have never heard anything else from them other than that letter some time ago. They positive of this is that they have both a random general pool and a random alternate pool, from which they fill the next semesters nursing class. Okay heres some more story, sorry. I busted my butt (Spring 06) and got all my needed course work done to be eligible for Sac State (4yr university). They have a competitve program nursing program. They are point based and I wanted to have that as an option. I got in!yay!.. However, they require Chem 306 (o.Chem) to be in progress in order to apply. No big deal I thought I would enroll in it at Sac State, for this upcoming Fall, which would allow me to apply for the Spring 07 nursing program. Problem is even transfering in as a Junior the class filled before I ever got to enroll, so I fill my Sac State schedule with GE classes and mentally move on. So I am SOL. But then I email all the local community college teachers that are offering the same chem class. One eventually (yesterday) responds and says she will take me!yay! However she is known to be the hardest chem teacher around. Not usually a problem as I have done summer school, with a/p, micro, nutrition, and psyc and got A's (not gloating but makes me feel capable,somewhat). But there is a catch. During the course of this summer I took off of school to breath. However, the mental repair didnt get to happen. I have a head double knee surgery 3 1/2 weeks ago, throat surgery (adenoids,uvula,tonsils removed)... And now I am dealing with what seems to be depression. The motivation to start this class with this hard teacher is not there. I was ready for a full load at Sac State with some GE courses that start Sept 5th. It wouls allow me to ease into a new educational environment and still make progress. My mind had moved on from Chem months ago when I didnt get in. Now the problem is, do I have it in me to reduce my Sac State course load, start tomorrow in this chem class and succeed, giving me another place to potentially get in to a nursing program. My family and myself almost feel certain that I will get in to one of the Community college programs this fall but nothing is certain. The drive to this CC that has the chem class is 45min away, has a difficult/demanding teacher, and even to apply to Sac State I need to take the Teas test and do well. Which in my current physical and mental mind state seems like to much. So there it is, what if any advice would you give. IF your still awake after all that. I also apologize for my grammer and spelling as I just let it flood out as fast as I could type it.. Thanks for your time, Josh

[mrscurtwkids4]

I had a slightly similar situation, well maybe not quite as bad...lol. I was attending the local community college. I was taking care of all pre-reqs in order to apply for their nursing curriculum. The minute I got my grade for my last pre-req, I submitted my application for a change of curriculum into the nursing. While waiting to get into the curriculum, I was taking all my english, math, chemistry, etc that I was needing for my degree. After a year on the waiting list, I was getting a bit frustrated. I was tutoring some other students in the intro to chem class (that was the last pre-req that was needed to be able to apply for the change of curriculum). Well, one of the girls that I was tutoring said she got an acceptance letter into the nursing program!! I'm like "WHAT THE HECK?!?!" you aren't even supposed to be able to be in the nursing curriculum until this introto chem course is done. Well, that ticked me off enough for me to go over to the University instead and apply for a transfer into their curriculum. They get like 3000 applicants for transfers and only had about 15 spots. And I managed to get one! At the same time I finally got the acceptance letter from the community college. Well, of course, what would I choose...2 more years for an associates degree as an RN or 2 more years and have my bachelors degree???HMMMMMMMM that was a hard choice....NOT!!! So now I'm starting my senior year at the university!!! And I'm sooo glad in how things have worked out! You'll end up where God wants you to be, but I feel it's still important to make use of all possibilies around you. He'll open up the one that's right for you. Good luck!!!

Tammy

[sdmommie]

From what I've read on this board, don't count on enrolling a certain semester until you actually get that acceptance letter. I, personally, would do what I could to get in Sac State. 45 min is a bad commute, but not unbelievably horrible. It tough to get into ANY program and if you have a shot at getting your BSN, go for it.

Have you checked with your school to see if they would accept an online Chemistry class? I know that there are some online courses with start dates every few weeks.

[BeccaznRN, RN]

I would strongly advise you to take that chem class and go for the nursing program at Sac State as well. It seems like all of the nursing programs in California state are compacted, so any way I could up my chances of getting accepted into a program, any program, I would go for it.

I commute 45-60 minutes to get to my school and clinical sites. It's not exactly fun but I tolerate it. I know it's not forever and it's getting me my nursing degree - totally worth it!

[JoeyDog]

Sorry to hear about your situation. If I was in your position I would reduce my course load at the university and take the o chem at the CC. It would ensure that you are able to apply to the BSN program. I would also look at it this way; you are waiting to hear from the CC's so in the mean time you are moving forward and working on classes that you need for your BSN. Upward and onward!

As for being told that the chem teacher is hard just ignore that. I usually don't ask about my teachers b/c I hate getting preconceived notions. I like to walk in the first day and think "this is a new quarter and a new class, it is a clean slate, I don't know the teacher and they don't know what I'm capable of." I hate hearing that the teacher is sooooo hard b/c that is an opinion and like all opinions it is subjective, but it scares me none the less. As long as you work hard and study your teacher will give you the grade that you earn. You must believe that you are capable otherwise no one else will.

That old saying is still very true, nothing in life worth having ever comes easily. YOU CAN DO IT!!!! School sucks b/c it takes from you mentally and emotionally and it is usually a long time before you feel like it is starting to give something back i.e. graduation and a career. Many people have traveled down this road and many more will follow in your place. You need to relax take a deep breath and remember why you chose to persue this profession in the first place. Try to remeber what it was that got you excited about nursing and gave you the drive to tackle such classes as micro and chem in the summer when everyone else was out playing in the sunshine. It has been a long road and there is yet an even longer road ahead but you be successful. God will open up doors for you, you must beleive in yourself and your abilities! Good luck!!!!!