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?
Yeah, nursing school is an experience itself. Probably would be better for me to be able to study quietly at home. Reason why I didn't join clubs so far is cause commuting makes me just want to go home after class. It's hard to meet people when you only see them for like an hour twice a week. But I'm excited to be spending 2-3 years with the same group of people. Study groups and sessions are a must! :)
I'm hoping to attend CSUS nursing next Fall (2012) but I am 32 y/o mom with 3 kids, a husband, a job, and a farm lol, Ive got a lot going on and will have to cut out the job and the farm stuff to accommodate Nursing School... Im on the lower end of competitive with 68 points but Im looking forward to getting my acceptance letter praying and thinking positive thoughts just in case the latter (positive thoughts)does work a little. LOL. Good luck to those of you applying with me. I hope to see you at Sac State School of Nursing, my first and only choice for the BSN programs since our family is comfortably established in this area.
@kaiamc I wish you the best of luck! I'm sure there are a lot of applicants like me and cali_nature_girl who if accepted to CSUS will turn it down and open up spots for others who really want to go there. I think you still have a good chance of getting in because the cut off last year was 57 points I believe? Would have to double check that but you still have 11 points higher, so I hope you are able to attend CSUS. It'll be a stressful and info-packed 2 years but you will have support from your family and us on the forum :)
Hey thanks Spiffyness, I had a 4.0 up until last semester but I spent about 18 days last year in the hospital thanks to two separate PE incidents (pulmonary embolism) and my GPA suffered the following semester. I just didn't have the energy to push for A's and got B's instead. No matter how much I told myself my RN career might be depending on those grades I couldn't muster up A's. I have a feeling Ill get in anyways though :). Either way if it doesn't work out for Fall I imagine it will happen in Spring and Ill work on replacing those two B's if I don't make it into the school in the Fall. I do think the cutoff was 60 for Spring of this year Im hoping that the cutoff works out to be the same this time around since I have a classmate in my O Chem class that has 62 points. Id love to be in the program with someone I know somehow it makes the program seem less intimidating.
Wow, with recovering from your condition it would be hard on anyone to get A's nontheless B's. That's a lot of pressure and it must've been really hard, but I feel like you will get in too! And for sure if Fall doesn't admit you, Spring definitely will since there are always less applicants. Before you retake classes, make sure that CSUS doesn't change their policy on retaking classes. Other cal states like LA and LB have a policy now where they take your first grade and not the one you retake started Fall 2011. But gosh, I can't imagine retaking a course trying to go from a B to an A, I think your grades are fine. Did you have any of the extra-curricular or optional points? Those might be a better way to boost your points, or you can improve your TEAS exam score.
Either way, I know you will be a great future RN. I find that people who struggle and have threatening or drastic life experiences are usually the most passionate and dedicated nurses. Throughout all of high school I had a skin problem and I did not wear shorts or t shirts that showed my arms and legs for like 3 years. I hadn't gone swimming for the first time since last summer in probably 5 or more years. It was a hard time for me, but it was those health professionals who turned my attitude around and now I am 100% better and able to go out. I still have minor scars, but they are reminders of my strength. They helped me build confidence and I want to be able to impact peoples lives just as they did for me.
Even if you don't know anyone in the program, I am sure you will meet many close friends who you will be with for the 2 years. I don't have any friends that are applying to nursing schools like I am, but I do not doubt that I will run into people who I will become close buddies with throughout the nursing program experience. The people on this forum are extremely encouraging and helpful, which is how everyone in the program will be once we're all in :)
Spiffy is right! Your nursing cohort will become like family to you! You will fit right in with everyone :) Nurses and nursing students often have similar personalities that blend well more often than not. Best of luck!
Wow! You did your best with what you had! Never doubt your abilities!
If the cut off is as low as people say, I bet you have a chance making it in! If not fall then spring would probably be a shoe in for you eh?
Just keep your head up and think positively!
And like the others have said, once you get in, its all about support from your peers, not competition! You guys will grow and bond and help each other!
Thank you three for the encouragement. I'm definitely looking forward to the possibility of bonding with people I can relate to. I have neglected most non-academically related relationships for the past few years since prioritizing my time meant filtering out just about everything other than school, my family, and work.
@ Spiffy, fortunately all my nursing core classes were A's it is the University requirements that Ill probably look to replace so for instance instead of Statistics, I can take Statistics for Psychology and to replace my B in Speech I can take Debate. This way I'm not actually repeating the same classes just the categories for quantitative reasoning and communications. I dont know if those will count as repeats but I suspect they wont.
I can acknowledge that my experiences as a patient def changed my outlook on nursing as a career. It also changed my attitude at work. I think I am better able to relate to the patients I work with there.
***Please watch for retaking courses, even if they are not the same courses! I thought I would be ok doing that too (I replaced english critical thinking with philosophy logic). Apparently schools, like CSULB and CSULA, are starting to restrict that. Like the Spiffster said (lol) CSULB is already restricting that by looking at the first GE taken staring last fall. As for CSULA, apparently they have always done that. If I would have known my chances are shot, I wouldn't have wasted all the time, money and energy applying. This seems to be a pattern a lot of BSN programs are picking up. I am just warning you, it doesn't have to be the same exact class your repeating but a different class in the SAME category. Like replacing speech with debate. I would call and ask the programs what they do with that, especially the BSN programs.
I just don't want someone to go through what I went through. I thought I was competitive for CSULA and then I called and I lost like 5 points off my application because of that.
Okay Thanks that is good information to know. Maybe I will work on improving my teas then as suggested earlier. I dont really WANT to retake the GE categories anyway. :)
Yeah, I think it'd be a waste to retake classes to go from a B to A when you have other options to increase your points :) Probably more colleges in the future won't allow re-takes (whether it be the same class or a class in the same GE category) but higher TEAS or Volunteer/Health experience points will always be taken (at certain colleges).
I recommend buying the test practice booklet from ATI as well as the online tests if you don't get into Sac State this time around (which I doubt since your score is not too shabby). I spent about a month and a half studying for the TEAS and received a 94.7% on my first try. I recommend looking at your current TEAS score report and figuring out which areas you are having trouble with. Then cover one section per week (like spending an entire week on going through all the reading exercises and then an entire week completing all the math exercises, etc.) and make sure to spend extra time on the areas that you missed on your original TEAS. Then, take a practice test (either online or in the book) and see where you are still struggling. Spend another week going over your areas of weakness and then take another practice test a few days before your actual TEAS and cram in some last minute studying in your problem areas. The most important things on test day are to eat, USE the bathroom (I found I did worse on practice tests when I didn't take bathroom breaks), and STAY CALM!!! With all that said, I still think you'll get in this time around :) I mostly wanted to share this for any future applicants who have not yet taken the TEAS or need to improve their scores.
Spiffyness
501 Posts
Yeah, nursing school is an experience itself. Probably would be better for me to be able to study quietly at home. Reason why I didn't join clubs so far is cause commuting makes me just want to go home after class. It's hard to meet people when you only see them for like an hour twice a week. But I'm excited to be spending 2-3 years with the same group of people. Study groups and sessions are a must! :)