Any Miami Dade College students going for the acceler. or Generic option fall 2009?

on eagles wings, ASN, RN · Jun 17, 2010

Lol I wish I knew who you were in the crowd! But oh well. I was so happy when I heard about the letters coming out in the beginning of next week. Now I know not to check my mail this week and can relax a bit more now. Good luck to us all.

zaydonima · Jun 17, 2010

Hi everyone,

You're so welcome guys, no problem. Your right Tatortots, not long ago I was just like you guys. I can't even believe that I'm halfway through the second semester, honestly I can't. Things are going pretty well for me. Its been a challenge. Probably the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. I have a Bachelor of Arts, but that was nothing like this is. The main thing you have to remember is it can be done!!! I've almost quit a few times, but I've made good friends that won't let me, lol!! Oh yes, find people who studying like you do, who are as motivated as you are etc, etc. There will be those who want to coast or use your hard work for their own benefit. Tell them to go get a life, and focus on your studies. You'll see what I mean. There are also a lot of great people who you'll find you can't live without during school, real friends!!

What I've personally found most challenging has probably been skills class (we had skills last semester and this semester). It takes getting used to being timed and watched while you perform a skill you've practiced. During the first semester I had to retest 2 skills (BP and Med Administration). I took it pretty hard at first (I need to get stressed out pretty easily) but I'm learning that you really have to take nursing school one day at a time, and if necessary, one task at a time in order to keep your sanity. The first semester I finished with all A's and a B. This semester, I don't anticipate the grades being as good. The summer is extremely short, and med-surg is a lot of information to absorb in a small amount of time, but I'm still working at it, and doing my best.

As others have before I started the program, I would recommend practicing NCLEX style questions for your Lecture courses. It really does help prepare you for the style of questions you'll see on the tests. So that even if at times your knowledge falls short, you're able to reason and navigate through the questions with a little bit more ease. I'm still learning how to study myself. I keep adjusting the way I do things test by test to try to improve. For health assessment, get together with friends and practice on each other. Its the only way! The health assessment text is also a great resource that you can use for clarification. For skills, I used to take my BP cuff wherever I went and offered to give anyone who wanted a free BP check. Also what helps for skills, is writing down what the teacher said to do in the order they said to do it. (I use notecards) Each teacher has different preferences in the way skills need to be performed, so do yourself a favor and for that class only study with those who have the same teacher as yourself, or you'll end up really confused. Intro to pharm- There are a few practice chapters in the beginning of the book, review them like they tell you, its good practice. The teacher may not follow along exactly, but reading the chapters is worth it in this class (they're short). Also try to find problems in the book that are similar to examples that your teacher goes over in class. Oh yes, and for Fundamentals, you want to start disciplining yourself in looking up every single word that you don't know the definition of, and there will be many. Its really easy to brush over them and think theres no time (we're all guilty of it), but you will see them again. It'll pay off, trust me! For clinicals, you'll probably be in a nursing home or LTC (long term care) facility for most or all of the first semester practicing basic skills with your patient. I encourage you to take everything you learn in assessment and try as hard as you can to use those assessment skills on your patient. You'll see that the more thorough your assessment the more you'll start being able to connect signs and symptoms of certain conditions, and this will help you tremendously. In terms of care plans, I loathe them, still haven't gotten that down to a science.:-P

When you need help, GO TO YOUR INSTRUCTOR (IF THEY SEEM WILLING TO HELP), TAKE THEM UP ON IT, AND ALSO GO TO THE SUCCESS CENTER!!!!! There are tutors there who are finishing up the nursing program or who have already graduated from mdc and are working as RNs. Find someone who you click with and come find them whenever you have a question. They really want to help you. They've been through this, who better to help us, right?

Yea, I know I said I didn't have much time, lol and I don't, I should be studying pharm, but I felt compelled to give at least a few tidbits for each class. I hope that it helps. Feel free to grab any one of us that you see in the same program that seems freindly. :-) If you have any specific questions, I'll try to answer them the best that I can, and hopefully in some sort of timely fashion

Again, best of luck to everyone, looking forward to seeing some new faces this fall!!!

MDCupcake

on eagles wings, ASN, RN · Jun 17, 2010

Thank you SOOOO MUCH!!!! I can't believe how helpful this was. I've been so nervous lol but your post is reallly reassuring that it can be done. Thank you so much!

Tatortots · Jun 17, 2010

THANKS!!!!

What a breath of fresh air. We forget how intense the program will actually be and the struggles we will undoubtedly go through as we wait for our letters to arrive. Thanks for writing us. It is really encouraging hearing your account of nursing school so far. It is hard to imagine what we will really be in for in a couple of months. Keep working hard and we hope to be working hard alongside you one day!!!

To everyone who went to the session what else did they say? Anything exciting?

3000 applicants between all three programs. wow. seriously wow.

loras · Jun 17, 2010

So I take it if you did not get an invitation to the scholarship meeting,and you applied for full time,you were probably not accepted to the program.I don't expect to be accepted with a 3.67 average.I believe it is going to be like last year,3.7 cutoff for generic.What I need to find out is if it makes any since to retake any science courses.It has been over ten years since I have taken these courses,and that is what they are basing the GPA on.The advisor told me not to bother,it would not make any difference eventhough I might earn A's at this point.He said just concentrate on the Tea.What do you think?Was I receiving the correct advice.Also,why so competitive?I heard it is very hard for new nurses to find employment.

Tatortots · Jun 17, 2010

I would say concentrate on the TEAS. Then again you never know what the decision would be for this round as far as GPA. Maybe your GPA will be enough. It would be terrible to have to re-take those courses and it may not cancel out the previous grade and bring your GPA higher. I am not certain exactly so best thing would be to ask a counselor to calculate that out for you.

Did you only apply to the full time generic?

To everyone who went to the meeting were there a lot of people there?

loras · Jun 17, 2010

Who is the most knowledgeable advisor down there.It is like you said,I don't want to waste time on courses which will not count.One advisor told me taking them over would not help.

olofin1 · Jun 17, 2010

Do you know if they have any review class for the TEAS?

loras · Jun 17, 2010

I don't there is a review class,I've looked.

MiaNur · Jun 17, 2010

I don't think that not getting an email for that scholarship means you did not get in. I would say there was 80 or so persons there. There should be more than 80 spots in the generic program. One of the advisors had told me exactly how many spots were open, but I forgot.

That lady really freaked me out saying how intense the program was....EEK. I have pretty much been sick to my stomach from the moment I left that meeting. :eek:

on eagles wings, ASN, RN · Jun 17, 2010

MiaNur, I was freaking out too. I had a really serious face on the whole time, lol. She said, "The first thing I tell students at orientation is to look at the students next to them, because those are going to be your family for the next two years." I kind of hit me how hard it might really be...

She talked about dressing professionally, because you are going to be networking with potential bossess(supervisors, charge rns etc).

She also talked about time management and to organize your finances NOW because you will spend quite a bit during the program.

DaddysLilRN2b · Jun 18, 2010

I don't think that not getting an email for that scholarship means you did not get in. I would say there was 80 or so persons there. There should be more than 80 spots in the generic program. One of the advisors had told me exactly how many spots were open, but I forgot.
That lady really freaked me out saying how intense the program was....EEK. I have pretty much been sick to my stomach from the moment I left that meeting.

I was there as well and I did not apply for the generic. I think that MDC invited all of the options, part-time and full-time, that met a specific criteria. There was a list that everyone invited had to sign and there were many pages with alot students on each page. As far as being sick to your stomach I can second that! I thought I was going to be sick in the meeting! Even as Im typing and thinking about it. 3000 applications! Ugh...