Are A's Impossible at Ivy Tech?

Lennonninja, MSN, APRN, NP · Dec 8, 2009

As are definitely not impossible at Ivy Tech. You might just need a little more time to adjust to this type of classes and tests since you did business classes before. Don't give up though!

obicurn · Dec 8, 2009

Nursing classes are tough. You have to be willing to commit a lot of time to studying, but A's are not impossible. My advice is to really learn the critical thinking skills from the very beginning. If you can grasp the pathophysiology of disease processes, it will help you think your way through the test questions. A lot of the test questions require you to know the basics of what is going on so you can think your way through it. If you know why something is happening, it makes it easier to figure out what your interventions need to be and where you should focus your assessment, etc.

kgle · Dec 9, 2009

They are difficult to obtain but not impossible. You really have to work your butt off to achieve them.

WickedRedRN, BSN, RN · Dec 9, 2009

Nope, not impossible. Its a tough program no matter what track you are in. Hard work and lots of studying and you can get the A's.

NurseStephy · Dec 10, 2009

It's really hard, I know! But critical thinking skills are required. Give yourself time to adjust, don't give up!

Pat_Pat RN · Dec 13, 2009

Are A's required? Are B's required? What is required?

Don't get hung up on grades. Just because you were an "A" student, even in the prerequisite classes does not mean you will make A's. Do you need A's? No. Is it ok to be "average"?

An "A" nursing student doesn't mean an "A" Nurse.

Get through, get it done, get by, don't neglect your family (or job if you have one).

Pat

MISSY_RN_STUDENT · Dec 22, 2009

But, you absolutely have to make mostly A's in the four prereqs that are required to get into the clinical classses, together with a high TEAS score because it is very competitive program. Your admittance into those later classes are dependent upon how you do in the classes req'd to get into clinicals. I just had a conversation with an advisor last week regarding what are the B students supposed to do. The clinical opportunities are so limited that you could literally wait years to get into clinicals, if ever simply because you got a B.

k1emt · Dec 23, 2009

Unfortunately, the campus that I am attending (Valparaiso, Indiana) has too many students and a majority of the students in all of my classes were headed for nursing when asked by the professors. I got a B in one class so far this semester and it is the required 1 credit hour class (Health and Wellness). I am not sure why I got a B, so the teacher says she is looking into it for me. I had major surgery at the very end of October, so I took a medical Incomplete in Psychology because due to being legally blind in both eyes at present (even after surgery) I did not have the 5-7 page paper written yet that my psychology professor required. I also have some tests to do that the professor has to put in the testing center. I am scared because I know if I get a bad grade in Psychology, I will never get into the nursing program. It is near impossible to get an A in the class I am in, there was no homework or extra credit and all tests were 20 questions and quizzes were 10 questions. I heard that over 400 people are competing on this end of the state to get into the nursing programs due to all other colleges ending the 2 year associate degrees. So many people enrolled at Ivy Tech in Valparaiso that they didn't have enough parking spaces. They just broke ground on two new parking lots. All classes are filled to capacity for prereq's for nursing. I had to take one class online for this coming semester and two classes at Michigan City because nothing I needed was available at Valparaiso. Some of us think that if Ivy Tech is allowing so many people to come into the college to take all the prereq's and coreq's for nursing, the campus should add more nursing programs. I heard only 50 people get in every semester, that means that the other 350 anticipated students would not stand a chance even if they had all A's. I am wondering what other people are doing about this problem and if anyone has any suggestions. I still have A and P one and two to get through, but by the time I finish them, all of my other coreq's and prereq's will have been done.

kgle · Dec 23, 2009

I am sure that if Ivy Tech was able, they would incorporate more options for more nursing programs. Unfortunately, that requires not only extra instructors (which are hard to find), but also clinical space which is slim as it is.

Why not retake Psych?

k1emt · Dec 23, 2009

Also, I forgot to say that I had all A's in everything until that one B in Health and Wellness that just came out on my grades today. Since I don't know why I got a B, the teacher is looking into it. It is hard to get A's. I had one professor tell me that Ivy Tech tells them that A's are supposed to be very hard to obtain and that it is preferred that the professors not give them. I tried very hard to work my butt off and I did get an A in both English classes taught by that professor. No more English, I am done with the prereq and the coreq. :yeah: A's can be had, maybe they just don't like the professors to give them. We actually argued that point in my Exposition and Persuation English class.

kgle · Dec 23, 2009

Well luckily the class you got a B in doesn't count towards entrance into the program.

I don't see why they would tell professors not to give them. That would mean they were grading tests/papers and purposely giving less points. Sure, they are hard to obtain but that wouldn't make sense that they were urged not to hand them out to students who earned them.

The problem with Ivy Tech and some students is that (and I am sure I mentioned this in my earlier post) they make Bs seems like the bottom of the barrel when they aren't. I'm sick of people gasping when they find out I got a B in 102. Thats a good freakin' grade darnit.