Any thoughts on either CSU Long Beach's entry-level BSN and/or CSU Sacramento's entry-level BSN?
I am currently applying to both programs and I have a competitive application. Also, I currently live with my boyfriend about 30 minutes south of CSULB, but I also have some family near Sacramento. I know Sac State's program is 4 semesters long versus CSULB which is 6 semesters. It's great that Sac State's program is shorter for financial reasons, but it also means I will have to be far away from my boyfriend (of 4 years) so I am not too sure if I am completely sold on going to Sac State if I get in. It's quite the emotional dilemma. Any suggestions as far as things I should consider or positive/negative experiences with either program that may help me decide where to go should I end up getting into both programs?
Nutrition is online? Yes I will definitely check it out if I get in! I dont want that many classes my first semester. Hopefully, they let us know super quick so I can try and register for it!
Honestly, if I didn't have to work at least two 12 hour shifts then I would do the trimester program. I mean, part of me, knows there are no jobs and so its like 'why rush?' but another part of me wants to get done ASAP! Instead of taking out loans to live off of, why dont you work? I know its hard but its going to be just as bad paying those loans off, plus buying a house or traveling etc...?
Just a thought for you. But I understand why you wouldn't want to work.
I wonder if anyone in CSULB nursing program works. I doubt it. A lot of people I know in programs dont have to work. I wish that was for me. I still have rent/food/insurance and stuff due every month. Also my mom is a single mother and I have to help her with money too. Not like I have a choice not to work. My poor fiancee is willing to work 2 jobs so I dont have to but I dont think that is fair. He had to work while he got his bachelors degree. Why should I get to not work during school? Besides I am used to it. I have been working since I was 15 going on 16. Its not new to me.
But IF I get in, I am definitely willing to have a roommate in the program so I can be closer to school. Maybe I will look at housing. I still would have to commute back to work twice a week (I work down the street from where I live).
I would be sooooo too chicken to ask if I was an alternate. Honestly, spiffy and cali (may I still call you Mari?) you guys shouldn't worry too much. You guys have like over 9 and half points. Just sit back and just anticipate the acceptance letter.
People like me will just have to rock the socks off that interview. Hopefully that will put me into the acceptance pile with the rest of you!
Yes, you may call me Mari haha :) I appreciate the advice. I have considered working, but I really don't think I can find a job that will be flexible enough for nursing school yet pay enough to cover living and tuition. My mom is also a single mom but "unfortunately" she's also an RN so I get ZERO financial aid other than loans. I left UCI to pursue nursing but regardless of leaving that school I knew I could not avoid taking out loans for my education. It may be scary but it's the only thing I know will truly pay me back in the long run. In case you didn't know, student loans actually improve your credit score which will help you qualify for a home loan. Nonetheless, they are a financial burden, but well worth it for those of us who would not be able to attend a university otherwise or could not feasibly juggle a full time job and being a full time student and remain sane haha. Make sure you can balance nursing school and work, I doubt you will have a problem though since you seem to be a master at working and going to school. I wish I was the same way! I become a nervous wreck when I have too much on my plate.
I really hope you get in Phoenix, as well as all the other people on this thread, you all seem like such wonderful people who deserve to get in!
I know what you mean about a flexible job. I work nights, and that helps a lot. Especially at the hospital I work at, the CNAs got caps for max patient loads. I could have up to 15 patients easy! Now we can have no more than 10. What a blessing. Most nights its not too bad, there is some downtime, especially after midnight vitals or the sitter opportunities (like how I keep posting because I am a sitter right now). When those opportunities arise, then I could do nursing homework. Plus, the workload, I have heard, lessens the longer you are in nursing school. I hope that is true!
You were at UCI? Well miss smartypants lol (jk) why didn't you try to get into their nursing program? Dont they have a good one? I heard it is almost impossible to get into unless you are a 4.0 superstar or something!
I can totally see how you would not get a dime from the government. I dont get anything either. Even with working to support my mom and brother. It sucks, I wish I didn't have to take out loans either but I will to pay tuition, like I did at Cal Poly. It sucks, but you got to do what you got to do.
I was even considering getting loans to live off of while in school but I figure, why bother? I am in a good position right now with a lot of nursing and director contacts. My director has no problem putting me as an RN once I graduate and pass the boards (oh wait, I have to get in first!). So why give that up for a little less stress, (oh how tempting that sounds!). Nah, I figure, 3 years, I can do it. I may be temporarily insane afterward but that is what vacations are for!
Have you worked while in school yet? It isn't hard, you just have to find that balance. I think the type of job has a lot of influence of whether you can successfully master the school/work combo. Working a busy office vs graveyard shift at a hotel? Which one will get your homework done? My guess is the hotel! That is exactly why I picked nights in the first place. I am not a morning person, at all. Which is going to be interesting when I actually start nursing school, HA! Early clinicals, pre-conference, student coffee runs! Oh geez. I definitely need my coffee.
Bless your heart, I hope we all get in to! We all have worked so hard and to get here and get denied would be a slap in the face! I am hoping that we all will shine during the interview so that even if we (i.e. me lol) are an alternates, we can show that panel that we deserve to be there!
It’s nice to meet you too Alyssa! I am currently working full-time as a nanny so I basically don’t have any flexibility haha. However, it has been paying well for this past year and allowed me to save some money while finishing my last pre-requisites and taking pharm and nutrition. I am going to see how heavy the nursing school load is and if I feel like I can handle it I am going to try to get a part-time CNA job (preferably in a hospital) to help minimize the amount of loans I have to take out. I have really come to terms with the idea of taking out loans. It took a while, but that’s just what I am sure I have to do.
Your CNA job sounds amazing! At least you know you are guaranteed a job out of school. I would not give that job up for anything! I think working 24 hours a week will be doable for you. It’s not like you have children to tend to. My mom was a teen mom and got her RN while my brother and I were still fairly young AND she worked as an LVN while she went to school. So if she could do it with all that on her plate, I think any of us young childless girls (or guys) can!
I was only at UCI for a year and in that time I realized that I did not want to go to medical school, I had no chance of changing majors into nursing (crazy, I know), and I no longer wanted to waste my money at that beautiful, yet very expensive school.
You went to Cal Poly? Do you already have a bachelor’s or are you a “quitter” like me? Haha! I am just playing! I was sad to “drop out” of UCI, but you know what, who cares?! I am happy with the way things turned out and I really hope they work out for you, especially since you have so much going for you!
I hope that you (and all of us CSULB Fall 2012 super hopefuls) not only wow those interviewers but also show everyone how much we want this and deserve this! There may be people at our interview who are on the fence about where they want to go and you know if I saw that someone was dying to go CSULB and I wasn’t really sure if I wanted to go there and had an opportunity to go somewhere else I may like more then I’d feel seriously guilty about not giving up my spot so an alternate who really wants it can have it. Well that’s my spiel! Good luck to us all! And thank you so much for opening up to me and whoever reads this thread. It’s great to hear people’s stories and know that even though we’re all competing, in the end we’re all in this together and hopefully we will have the opportunity to support each other as we take on nursing school! All this stress will be worth it in the end; the possibilities in nursing are endless!
Aw, no flexibility for nannying? That stinks. But hey, something has to pay the bills eh?
Yes I would reccommend working as a CNA or EMT or something as soon as you can. I seriously reccommmend everyone to do this. I mean it shows you a lot. I am on a MST floor. So its a combination Med-Surg/Tele floor. I have learned and seen a lot. The nurses all know I am going to school for this so they show me stuff. One nurse, actually last night, showed me how she gives meds through a PICC line, she explained why he had a PICC line and stuff. Also I see foley insertions, and IV meds, I am learning how to read orders and a bunch of stuff. I am going to try and fit in a monitor tech class to learn the rhythms. The hosptial pays for all of those classes, like ACLS, PALS etc... Not bad trade though eh?
Being a CNA is not for everyone. It can be messy and sometimes down right gross but you just get through it to get the patient clean. Honestly, it feels so nice when the patient is all clean, bathed, comfortable and asleep. That is all you can ask for!
Oh wow, your mum is trooper! But she did it all for her family! And look, I bet she is making bank now! lol
OMG you are just like me! I went to Cal Poly for a year doing engineering because my then-job wouldn't allow me to take the pre reqs for nursing when they were offered. Engineering is hard. I am good at math and science and all but I probably picked the worst engineering major. Electrical Engineering. Ugh I had to take a class on programming. Well I failed that, actually gave up, hence why my GPA sucks....Well I lost that job that year and it was a bad year but the next one I picked myself back up and went back to the nursing major. I took a CNA class and started on pre reqs. So we are both quitters lol. Oh well. Sometimes I wish I would have just stuck with it and then I could have entered and EL-MSN program.
Yes, I too, hope we all get into CSULB. It would be so awesome! We already connected competitively and I think if we all got into and did the same program we all would be such good companions! So much stress off after acceptances and then we can focus on succeeding together as a unit! That would just be so awesome! I hope we all make it in!
I just hope that if anyone either on here or reading would see how much we want this! As much as we all deserve this opportunity, that if anyone has any doubts, please let the nursing program know. That will give others who truly want this, a chance to get in!
I was referring to the summer equivalent course for NUTR339 (apart of semester 1 in the nursing program). If you take the course during your first semester I think it's on Wednesday nights, but you can take F/N 20 at Long Beach City College in the summer online so you won't have to :) I will probably do what BeachSideNic did; which is take pharm and nutrition online then sit in the pharm classes but not have to take the tests and stuff. It'd be good to have the notes for the class in case the online one doesn't cover everything. But if I'm able to, I'd rather take pharm/patho because patho is more difficult than nutrition. I really want to lessen my load for semester 1 and focus on Nursing 200 which everyone seems to be saying is a really difficult course and requires a lot of time.
You guys are so inspiring! Seriously Alyssa, your scores do not reflect how passionate and advanced in knowledge about nursing you are than so many other applicants. And Mari, your mom is so inspiring! My mom is also an RN with a LVN, but I could never imagine what your mom went through to raise you and your brother as a teen mom. But look at you now, look at you now (... you're getting paperr! )! I think it was a great choice to leave UCI, I think the CSULB program is just as notable as UCLA/UCI and all those UC's! And you save a loooot of money and end up taking less pre-reqs! I'm curious to know how old you guys are :icon_roll I really hope we all get in!!!
And Alyssa, if you were planning to move closer (because a 2 hour drive seems really tiring everyday (saw on CSULB thread)), the transportation system at CSULB is really great! There are shuttles that go around campus all day (both southbound and northbound) and they are completely free. You just hop on and get off at whichever stop you want. Also, the city busses are free for students too! All you need is your student ID. It’s really convenient, you don’t need to buy a bus pass; and probably don’t need to use your car unless you want to drive home. You’d save a LOT on gas and stuff, if I lived in LB I would definitely utilize the busses.
It does stink to have an inflexible nannying job but at the same time I LOVE it! I get to care for a super cute little 9 month old girl and watch her grow, and her parents are really supportive of my nursing goals so I am lucky to have them. I actually already have my CNA license but my program only did clinical in a long term care facility so I have not been exposed to the hospital environment other than volunteering in an ER in NorCal where my mom lives. You are so lucky to be in such a great hospital with staff that teaches you things you will have to learn in the nursing program. Med Surg is also a great place to start working as an RN so you’re on a great floor too! My mom started in Med Surg and now she’s working L&D so it obviously won’t close off any doors to you. I am hoping that if I can’t find a per diem/part-time CNA position then I can at least get a hospital internship that will allow me to network with the staff in a hospital which will hopefully lead to a CNA job or better yet an RN job once I graduate from a nursing program.
Engineering! Jeez, that’s TOUGH! My boyfriend is studying Materials Science Engineering at UCI and he has considered changing majors so many times, but he’s going to graduate next year so it would be silly to change majors or quit now. I wouldn’t regret your decision to leave Cal Poly. Just think what your GPA would have been like after 4 years (of ENGINEERING!!) and how many loans you would have had to take out for a degree you don’t even want. I know how you feel. I thought about it A LOT too. But we made the right choice by not wasting our time and money on something we don’t love. It’s good we both got out of our schools when we did! Also, I agree with Spiffyness; your scores DO NOT reflect how competitive of a candidate you are! You are going to be such a great asset to the program with all your skills (that you can help others with too!) and your great attitude!
Spiffyness,
I believe FN 50 at Saddleback College (which is offered online during the summer, as well as in person) also satisfies NUTR 339 so if you have trouble getting into FN 20 at LBCC you can try Saddleback. I also agree that it is a good idea to get pharm out of the way before entering the program, though I would not recommend taking pharm AND patho over the summer because you really don’t want to start the nursing program being burnt out, you know? Nutrition and pharm are a great combo!
Thank you so much for the support! I love sharing my mom’s story because it truly shows that we can overcome adversity as long as we have the will to do so! I agree that CSULB is one of the best nursing schools in Cali! Just look at their NCLEX pass rates! I graduated from high school in ’09 and I’m barely turning 21 this summer. I’m a baby, I know, haha. No one ever believes me when I tell them how old I am because I always connect with older people and actually get along better with them a lot of time. But who knows? Maybe I just haven’t met people that act like me and are my age yet! Again, SO excited for the nursing program and SUPER hopeful we all get to admitted!!! :)
Living in LB sounds AMAZING!! Grr…I hate driving, but at least Irvine isn’t that far.. Maybe if I really get sick of driving I will live in LB until I graduate, haha!
Mari, your mother is definitely inspiring. If she raise kids, work fulltime and complete her RN fulltime then there is no doubt that we all can achieve that (especially without kids) and more!
I guess its good me and Mari left the schools that we did. We probably would have been unhappy doing what we do anyway! But at least now we are on the right track on doing what we love to do!
Spiffy, thanks for the bus info. That is cool that they do that! That is going to be soooo helpful IF I get in and move closer to CSULB. I think I would room with a fellow nursing student, preferably. Not many other student majors can understand what we will all be going through!
Yea, engineering was hard. I couldn't even pass the engineering physics. It was so bad that I turned my final in blank and cried because I just couldn't understand it! The professor gave me a C though. He knew I was trying really hard to understand the material. But man, if I would have stayed? I would have failed!
Yes, I am super glad to be in a med surg setting as a CNA. I got hired with no experience too. Well if worse comes to worse, I can probably get you in at my hospital!? Lol if you wanna make that drive!
I have learned a lot. My bedside manner is pretty good, I am comfortable introducing and doing care on patients. I help them and do a lot of CNA jazz but I do see a lot of what the nurses do.
I hope I would be an asset in the program! If I end up in trimester, stick to me and I will help you guys with anything! I am pro at basic care, I just hope I can master skills the way I do at basic care.
So you graduated in 09' that isn't too long ago. I graduated in 07' lol.. I am an oldie! I will be 23 this April and if we find out in April, I want a good b-day present!
Yea I just talked to my friend in CSULB EL-MSN program and he says its ok to commute, he commutes from Pasadena. He said it isn't bad but it could be better. :)
I really hope we all get in! I feel like we all are bonding and on the same level and just ready to support each other now! Ya know?
I am also a youngin! Turning 21 in the fall! We all aren't that far apart in age which is cool! I would write more but I'm on my phone, but I was just thinking how fun it'd be to room with other nursing students. I live so close that it wouldn't be worth it, but Ahhh I want to experience living outside of home with my parents! Have you guys dormed or lived in apartments with friends? Ive always wanted to have that freedom and experience, which is why CSUS sounded appealing to me
Seriously! I never imagined I would connect so well with the other applicants like I am. It's making more and more excited for the program everyday! I would cry if we didn't all get in or at least if one of us didn't get in anywhere. But that won't happen :) no negative thoughts y'all! As far as housing, I have lived the dorm life, the live at home and go to school life, and now I am living the sharing an apartment with other college students life. I actually live with my boyfriend and another couple, but I will probably be the only one not going to UCI next year which stinks because I will be the one stuck paying rent to live far away from my school. But my bf (and my cat) want me to stay with them. It's tough though because I know I'd LOVE living with other nursing students! Could you imagine how supportive of an environment it would be?! But at the very least we should definitely form on-campus study groups (I am sure a lot of nursing students do), that way commuters don't necessarily feel obligated to just go to school and go home. Spiffy, I hope you make the most of your nursing experience! Even if you decide to continue to commute the entire time I would definitely get involved this time around by joining CNSA or other clubs that interest you and will give you an outlet to blow off some steam :)
Spiffy: Sometimes saving money will win every time. As much as the experience is nice, its ok you can always get roomies after graduation; :)
I would stay at home. If you had to get major loans to move out, it could become a hassle. If you lived like an hour or so away I would do it but you live close!
)! I think it was a great choice to leave UCI, I think the CSULB program is just as notable as UCLA/UCI and all those UC's! And you save a loooot of money and end up taking less pre-reqs! I'm curious to know how old you guys are :icon_roll I really hope we all get in!!! 
DarkBluePhoenix
1,867 Posts
Nutrition is online? Yes I will definitely check it out if I get in! I dont want that many classes my first semester. Hopefully, they let us know super quick so I can try and register for it!
Honestly, if I didn't have to work at least two 12 hour shifts then I would do the trimester program. I mean, part of me, knows there are no jobs and so its like 'why rush?' but another part of me wants to get done ASAP! Instead of taking out loans to live off of, why dont you work? I know its hard but its going to be just as bad paying those loans off, plus buying a house or traveling etc...?
Just a thought for you. But I understand why you wouldn't want to work.
I wonder if anyone in CSULB nursing program works. I doubt it. A lot of people I know in programs dont have to work. I wish that was for me. I still have rent/food/insurance and stuff due every month. Also my mom is a single mother and I have to help her with money too. Not like I have a choice not to work. My poor fiancee is willing to work 2 jobs so I dont have to but I dont think that is fair. He had to work while he got his bachelors degree. Why should I get to not work during school? Besides I am used to it. I have been working since I was 15 going on 16. Its not new to me.
But IF I get in, I am definitely willing to have a roommate in the program so I can be closer to school. Maybe I will look at housing. I still would have to commute back to work twice a week (I work down the street from where I live).