Any tennessee technology students out there please give some advice!

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so im starting lpn program in January and im very nervous, ive heard so much about how they pile on the work. I was just wondering if a lot of people make it all the way through, how bad the course work is? is theree a lot of math?Also they have got me confused about financial aid, i get the pell grant but a lot of people say it doesnt cover summer, is that true? how would i get all year paid for? or do i have to get a seperate pell the next award year? Plus i was thinking of takeing a couple of biology classes at a community college this semester as they told me it would offer a leg up, but im so confused about the grant idk if i can.Sorry for alll the questions just very nervous!!!

Isn't the deadline for the January program in October? Did you already get accepted? I'm going to apply for the January program and also wanted to know how hard it is.

For people who have been accepted or graduated, what were your compass scores in math, reading, and writing?

i just got my letter monday, ill be going to ttc of Chattanooga. We just had reading and math no writing, my math was 54 and reading was 90.

It is pretty intense. We tested almost everyday until clinicals began at the end of the first trimester. I'm TTC Clarksville. This is my 2nd go at it, I had to drop due to pregnancy/health issues in 2007. Back then we took the NET, it was composed of math & reading only, I scored 98. Now it's the Compass which I've taken for Hopkinsville Community College. I've taken college algebra & statistics, so when I retested for the Compass I tested out of pre-algebra(the requirement here)and into college algebra at 60 & 97 in reading, so I was able to use those scores for acceptance back into TTC.

As for the biology...If you just want to review A & P, look on craigslist & find a nursing anatomy book. If you do want to take anatomy, take a course at a college level so that it will transfer into a university if you choose to continue on for ur BSN. Keep in mind if you do take ur sciences, most colleges will not accept them after 3-5yrs from the time you've taken them. Last thing you want to do is have to repeat them, so try to map out your plans if you decide you're going for your RN afterwards. You can be dually enrolled into 2 different colleges, but that would be taking away from where you will need your pell the most in nursing school so pay out of pocket if at all possible.

Here we have Workforce Essentials, they can assist in tuition/materials if you meet their requirements, check to see if they're available in your area. They're covering my expenses for the entire program where I didn't have enough in pell, including the NCLEX, uniforms, & other supplies. Since you've qualified for pell, you will also get state funding from TN for being a resident, it's referred to as The Wilder-Naifeh Fund or Lottery Fund, they're both the exact same thing. It's an automatic $2500, that's half your cost right there. Ask your financial aid officer, they will tell you exactly how much pell you have. It doesn't matter what time of yr it is, but they will divide whatever you have equally throughout the course so that you won't use all of it in the beginning.

The math is not too difficult, but it's not just adding/subtracting either. There are a lot of dosage calculations & drip rates. If you can find a nursing med math book, get it & get familiar with it. You can youtube a few things on it as well. You will need to pay for you background check, get your physical, & make sure you're utd on immunizations. Again, every college is different, but those are the bare bones of it.

If you work or have a family, start preparing yourself to devote a full-time schedule to school. "Most" employers will respect & work around your educational demands, but it's very difficult to work full-time & go to nursing school full-time. But hey, I have a family & work as well. I've been a CNA for 8yrs. Most of us don't have a choice but to work. I'm just very blessed to have a flexible schedule. Prepare yourself, the average studytime can be anywhere between 2-5hrs daily. Everyone learns differently, but I have yet to hear a nurse or student tell me they flew by w/o studying.

There will be days you'll ask yourself if you've just sold your soul to the devil, but I promise if you stick with it, the payoff is priceless. The majority of us do move on to get our RN, simply because the demand is increasing & some facilities even strongly encourage you to further your education, but don't let anyone discourage you & make you feel inferior. I promise, you'll encounter a few RNs who forgot what nursing school was like & will treat you as if you're a second hand fiddle...a GOOD nurse will support & give praise to future nurses. And as a former instructor used to tell us, "YOU KNOW WHATCHA KNOW WHATCHA KNOW." Learn it to know it, not just to get by. Goodluck to you & God bless. And God help me as well, here I go again LOL....

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