Broward College Nursing May 2015

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Hi everyone I didn't see one made yet so I guess this will be the official thread for BC May 2015!

Specializes in Cardiac/Telemetry/Covid19.

Well, I currently work for a destination company (travel arrangements for corporations/team building, etc.) but I will seriously be reducing my hours down to one day a week should I get accepted. I have also thought of moving back in with my mother during the nursing program. I can then put my house up for rent and not have to worry about it so much. I do have financial aid and a loan, but still need money for everything else. This is a very hard decision for me as my mother seriously drives me crazy! :( Oh, and I also have my 15 year old daughter and our dog! It's not going to be easy, but in many ways it takes the financial burden away, so I am seriously considering it. I also have thought of renting out just a room in my house, but I'm not sure I would be 100% comfortable with that. Other than that, once I am accepted and a study schedule is doable for me, I will apply for a weekend job or something. From what they said in the information session recently, they haven't yet considered weekend clinical, but I remember a girl on this forum saying she had a Saturday clinical for one of her sessions. I have applied to BC for a scholarship, but haven't heard anything from them yet.

Gaby, I wouldn't worry too much about the loans for now- you know once you're an RN you will have no problem paying them back. I volunteer at Memorial and one of the nurses there went to Nova and had lots of loans (Nova is big $$), she found a job 8 months after graduating and is now loan free. She is young and has only been nursing for the last few years. Once you are an RN, you can pick up extra shifts, shift differential or travel nursing money. Hey dolfanjenny- I know Memorial offers a scholarship of $8K to nursing students with a 3.5GPA after their first semester. You have to work at Memorial for 2 years as a trade off. I went to the financial aid office last semester and I asked about the nursing loan. They told me it's not enough to live on, but does help with expenses, but certainly not enough to leave your job. Like dolfan jenny said- it's what works for you. Sorry just realized how long I went on for :)

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no, please do! the more info the better! lol thank you so much for the insight. I do have to agree with you, I know Ill be able to pay off the loans rather quickly......it just weirds me out not working. Im not crazy, i think others feel the same way lol

so the nursing scholarships won't be open until we actually get in the program and pass our first semester?

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and by the way, at least your daughter is 15! i can guarantee you that the younger they are, the harder right? lol plus, she will see how hardworking you are, and see you as her role model

renting out your house sounds tempting, doesn't it?

I might move out, I'm still considering it.Only because I share a room with my sister, and our schedules are completely different. She too is starting the nursing program but not at Broward, she's going to FAU instead. I cannot study in my house. I have no room to study, just my bed and the living room....and I can't get anything done half the time because my brother and my dad are super loud all the time. My boyfriend offered for me to move in with him in his condo, but he lives 45 minutes north of North campus, so it would be a drive. I guess I will have to see how my family cooperates with my studying (I'm the kind that needs total silence), if it doesn't work out I will move out :p

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I just accepted an awesome job with awesome pay as an LPN as a Dr office here in Orlando.. i have no idea what I'm going to do if I get accepted now. The job market was looking really bleak for a while but this is huge for me.

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Specializes in Cardiac/Telemetry/Covid19.

They spoke briefly about the nursing scholarships during the information session and Yes Memorial do wait until you are done with your first semester of nursing school. Look on the Memorial website >>careers>>scholarships>>nursing. That explains everything. I know there are other scholarships through fastweb.com and they are specifically for nursing school, but I haven't searched any yet.

I understand about working Gaby, but priorities! At this time, to me, my grades are more important than the money I earn. I am okay with just making ends meet for now because I know it's temporary and will be better in the long run. Review your schedule once you're in then consider your work options. I too can only study in very quiet conditions, so I wake up really early and study in my room or go to the library. I'm not as young as you obviously, and it takes a while for things to sink into my memory :) My daughter is just amazing and very supportive!!!

Wow, so you and you're sister both want to be nurses- that's really great. Why did she chose FAU if you don't mind me asking? Do you not think studying with her will be helpful for you?

and by the way, at least your daughter is 15! i can guarantee you that the younger they are, the harder right? lol plus, she will see how hardworking you are, and see you as her role model

renting out your house sounds tempting, doesn't it?

I might move out, I'm still considering it.Only because I share a room with my sister, and our schedules are completely different. She too is starting the nursing program but not at Broward, she's going to FAU instead. I cannot study in my house. I have no room to study, just my bed and the living room....and I can't get anything done half the time because my brother and my dad are super loud all the time. My boyfriend offered for me to move in with him in his condo, but he lives 45 minutes north of North campus, so it would be a drive. I guess I will have to see how my family cooperates with my studying (I'm the kind that needs total silence), if it doesn't work out I will move out :p

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Specializes in Cardiac/Telemetry/Covid19.

Congratulations! That's really brilliant. Personally, (depending on your age/circumstances) I would try to defer the program and gain the experience for one year. Build up a reputation with them and see if the company can pay for your tuition to nursing school. Did you tell them you applied or are interested in nursing school? You said it's good pay- that will help you through nursing school too if you save some. You're lucky to be in that situation where you have to make a choice- enjoy it ;)

I just accepted an awesome job with awesome pay as an LPN as a Dr office here in Orlando.. i have no idea what I'm going to do if I get accepted now. The job market was looking really bleak for a while but this is huge for me.
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I mentioned in my interview that one day I'd like to go back and be an RN.. i just didn't say that I had already applied and am waiting on an answer. I could defer a year but that would still mean leaving this job and moving to Broward from Orlando. I guess we'll just wait and see..

And yes, the pay is on the higher side for a doctors office (I've been told LPNs at the hospitals make less even with differential) and I'm still going to work my waitressing job to really pay off some extraneous bills

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I was supposed to go to FAU's nursing program too, but I didn't get the prereqs done in time. I needed to take microbiology before applying, and I had been taking it but the professor and the teachers assistant teaching the lecture and lab respectively were not getting through to me. I was not understanding the material, so I dropped the classes. I almost gave up on nursing because of that. I really wanted to go to FAU, I got my associates from there and their program is actually pretty good but competitive. I was actually terrified of applying to BC, I had heard so many horrible stories about the nursing program that I indeed was a coward, until I was told that those stories are just stories, and that if I really wanted to be a good nurse, this program was one of the best. So, having all the prereqs done so far needed to apply I went in and applied. My sister currently isn't making me happy....we had a discussion about her nursing career, and she flat out told me she's not doing it because she likes to help people out, she's doing in primarily because of the money (initially she wanted to be a vet or a dental hygienist). I told her not to take someone else's spot, if that wasn't what she really wanted to do, but yeah thats that. My sister is VERY smart, she has never even gotten a B since elementary school, so getting in to the program at FAU is a guarantee for her. She studies hard all the time for all her classes, and is very dedicated. At first, before our conversation...she told me she was planning to apply to BC, and I was happy because that meant she could help me study, but she ended up not doing it because she has bright futures, and two other scholarships specifically for FAU plus financial aid (pretty much she is getting paid to go to school). Also, she would've had to either take her licensure test for the CNA class we both took (I had already taken it and passed it therefore I was exempt from HCP001), or take that class, which wouldn't have made sense for her since she had already paid 300$ for the CNA class anyway. So yeah, thats what is going on with my sister. I don't doubt she can be a great nurse one day, it just kinda pissed me off that she said what she said.

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xocrash, I am very happy for you that you were able to find an LPN position, but I think you need to see what is more important to you as of now. If you think you can wait a year and get experience as an LPN and then to the transition program then go for it and save your money for when you do the program, but if being an RN is more important, look for jobs down here. There are a lot of agencies that might not pay well but it is still something, looking for LPNs and maybe you can transfer here once you start the program. You're in a very rough spot right now, but always keep a goal in mind and go through with it. The important thing is that you reach that goal, how you get there or how long it takes comes second, as long as you're always working towards that goal. Don't let anything discourage you.

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Financial aid I feel like will be the determining factor.. if I'm only offered loans then I will probably defer until I pay off/down some things and have the chance to put money aside. I currently have 60k+ in loans from my first bachelor's degree and I'm doing everything I can do avoid taking out anymore. I was lucky and got a need based scholarship to pay for most of my LPN program

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Hey Londonfrog thanks for the info! Memorial is actually the hospital I was hoping to get a job in after I graduated. That's nice to hear they offer scholarships. As for everyone's situation as to whether to work or not work I think that's something that everyone has to evaluate their own situation and see what works for them. I can only hope I'm making the right decision but honestly it feels right to me.

xocrash congrats on the job! I know you're stuck trying to decide what to do if u end up getting accepted into the program but honestly I kind of think that in a way u already made that decision if u think about it. I mean u applied and accepted a job. Deep down I think u know the answer to your question ;)

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Oh and Giggles yes those are the books I bought from Amazon. Both are needed for the program and the study guide I heard is great to have.

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