aussie andy and others how's school?

AussieAndy · Feb 26, 2009

Yup school is keeping me verrrrry busy! so very much lacking in the sleep department, especially this week. This week had 3 exams including my drug calculation exam which i passed woohoo. I had my first clinical just this week (we are behind classes on other days because of the two holidays that fell on monday). Long term care is sad and it takes a very special person to be able to work in those places. But since I passed my drug calc. test that means i'll be able to give meds next week (if given the chance) in my second clinical...how scary. Clinicals on other days have had at least 3 weeks of just basic care before needing to worry about meds.

I am confused as to what the purpose of the extra credit is if you can only obtain it if you have 75% average on exams...in other words the extra credit does nothing to help you pass, just helps your GPA??

Gotta get back to study now. hope everyone else is doing well!

ohmeowzer RN, RN · Feb 26, 2009

they didnot have that extra credit when i was there. i know in peds we got extra points and it did count. i didn't do the first semester , i started on the second because i was a LPN. the extra credit must count for something, i'm sure. what class is it for? gosh i am so happy you are doing well and i hope you do some future clinicals at spring valley. i feel as if i know you all through your struggles and worries about getting into the program.

you maynot sleep for a year , but when you sign RN after your name you will see it is all worth it. your journey is just begining. i send you prayers and hugs. i knew you would pass your med test just fine !!

are you in a study group? did you pick a "buddy " from the senior class to help you adjust and answer questions? be active in the student fundraisers and enjoy yourself !! pick out 5 or 6 people you can study with and no more. keep it small and you will do fine !! keep me posted andy !!

AussieAndy · Feb 26, 2009

There is extra credit opportunities for pharm, 101 lecture and clinical (which counts towards 101) but none of it counts unless you have an average of 75% on all of your exams which means you would be passing anyway without the extra credit, that's why I get the impression that its just to help with your GPA since it could be the difference between a B and an A, or C and a B. but you could also go to the trouble of doing it all and not have it make any difference. I just don't know if its worth taking the time to do this stuff for an extra 2 points here and 2 points there when you could instead be spending the time studying to do better on your exams. I don't know. I've been doing the extra credit for pharm but everything else seems very time consuming.

I do not have a buddy from a senior class other than asking you guys questions on here. I have a study group with 2 other people that are in all my classes and we work well together and I have never had a study group before but it's been helping but I could really use an extra day in the week lol!

ohmeowzer RN, RN · Feb 26, 2009

ooh yeah thats right i do remember now , they do give you extra credit only if you have a 75% ave. i forgot about that. thats' right if you do the extra credit and you are failing it dosen't count. it's only to raise you from a C to a b at the end of the semester. so keep that C average !!

i'm glad you have some friends to study with it's very important. i am so happy you are doing good. if you need anything PM me or start a thread and i will help you and others if i can !! i know if only days were 48 hours lol !!

AussieAndy · Feb 27, 2009

The extra credit thing was discussed today in class. So yeah its to help your GPA and also to help in case you missed a lab or clinical and lost 3% or you missed completing one of the assignments and lost 3% because some people fail because of those things even though they have 75% average on the exams, so now I'm thinking I should do some of it because you never know what might happen.

Anyway i'm soooooo glad this week is over!!! 3 exams done with this week and I passed em all so i'm happy! Hope everyone else survived and did well (you are all being awfully quiet lol).

ohmeowzer RN, RN · Feb 27, 2009

aussie , yes do them do every extra credit thing they give you. even if it dosen't seem like it will help, do it !! because in the end it will help your grade. keep it 75 % and above so you can get these extra credits they offer. listen to all their "tips" and know your sybllus well. the trick is to do all the assignments exactly the way they tell you and do all your extra credit.

i am so glad you passed all your exams whew !! yes i wonder where everyone is? maybe alseep i use to dream of the day i could sleep in just and hour. never happened. toward the end of the program we were studying 10 and 12 hours a day everyday. we had thousands of flashcards and the whole last semster is culmative so you had to know everything you allready learned. we had 16 fail the last semester. you have to pull it all together in the end . but that will come soon enough!!

keep me posted on school. if you need anything just PM me or post a thread. i am charge nurse at the hospital this weekend , so i will check in on monday.

NVhike · Apr 2, 2009

boy, i tell ya, i've never worked so hard for a class!. . . nurs 101 feels like it's equal to 3 classes. the first 4-7 weeks were brutal! overwhelming is the right word. especially the 6th week, it can either make or break ya! there is always something due in all or either lecture, lab, or clinical. the 9th week is where all the 3rd exams are taken, this is where most people either stay or withdraw. i know a few people who have withdrawn already. the pharmacology class is no cake walk either (it requires attention of course). i've interviewed an elderly person, 1 staff nurse and 1 nurse manager all in just one semester. they were all pleasant.

a few of the nursing students say that it gets a little less hard on 2nd or 3rd semesters, which i think is doubtful, since the material gets harder. also, for the clinicals, students have to average 90% and above (for upper level semesters), this is what i hear. if i knew then, what i know now, i would've signed up for the part-time program!

p.s. after this semester is done, i owe myself a few rounds of margaritas! and maybe a vacation in the bahamas!

ohmeowzer RN, RN · Apr 2, 2009

boy, i tell ya, i've never worked so hard for a class!. . . nurs 101 feels like it's equal to 3 classes. the first 4-7 weeks were brutal! overwhelming is the right word. especially the 6th week, it can either make or break ya! there is always something due in all or either lecture, lab, or clinical. the 9th week is where all the 3rd exams are taken, this is where most people either stay or withdraw. i know a few people who have already. the pharmacology class is no cake walk either (it requires attention of course). i've interviewed an elderly person, 1 staff nurse and 1 nurse manager all in just one semester. they were all pleasant.
a few of the nursing students say that it gets a little less hard on 2nd or 3rd semesters, which i think is doubtful, since the material gets harder. also, for the clinicals, students have to average 90% and above (for upper level semesters), this is what i hear. if i knew then, what i know now, i would've signed up for the part-time program!

i know it's a wild ride isn't it? wait until you graduate you will see how much you have learned. oh thats new about the 90% on clincals for the upper levels. thats good because they are the clinicals dealing with peds and maternal and critical patients. you want 90% accuracy on those areas.

sounds like you have been very busy !! i haven't been to csn in years so i don't know how those semesters are now. they were all hard when i was there.. lol.... keep us posted on how you are doing !! hang in there it's all worth it !!