CGCC: Enter at your own risk!

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For those of you on the waiting list for the MCCD nursing program, I would just like to give you a heads up. I wound not pick CGCC for any of your choices for your program. I was a student there, so I I have firsthand knowledge of this. I had been warned not choose this program from others, but unfortunately, I didn't listen. Block one was not bad, and I didn't have any trouble passing. The Block 1 teachers were actually great. Block 2 is another story. The instructors just didn't seem to care. The lectures were a waste of time, because they had no relevency to what was on the test. There are too many things to list what is wrong with this program. The last two, block 2 classes had about a 50% fail rate, and Banner actually pulled their program from there because of such a high failure rate. Something is wrong with a program that has that high of a failure rate. For those that did pass, they just passed by the skin of their teeth. This program is fairly new compared to other programs, and they have lots of bugs to work out. They are not considerate of the students, and seem to forget that we are paying their salaries! Practicums are totally disorganized.

I have many friends that attend either Mesa or Gateway, and they are doing well in these programs. These programs have been around a lot longer and are more established. If you do go there, please try to transfer after block 1. I wish that I had!

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Bella45,

This is awful news, I moved them to the top of my list for the past semester because they were accelerated and a bit closer in distance for me than the other choices. I more than likely wont get in until Fall 2011 so I still have time to redo my choices

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I to am a student at CGCC, I feel that any program is what you make of it. This program is new compared to the other schools and it is an evolving process to work out any flaws. I don't know if the above student was in my class, I just finished Block 2 and the failure rate was higher than I expected (a number of students passed easily, so it can be done). Many students were not passing going into the final and trying to pull it out at the last minute, so in reality that rarely works, especially with a nursing class final exam. I did feel that the exams covered the material that was on the syllabus, maybe not what was specifically what was in the lectures, but in addition to the lectures, we are expected to read the text and apply the information to the test. Yes some some of the lectures are unorganized and uninspired, but this is not a core class where we memorize info and spit it back out, the whole point is for us to apply it to our patients.

My next statement is NOT directed at the original poster. Not everyone is cut out to be a nurse. The way this program is set up is that everyone who does the pre-reqs, and the NET or HESI (not sure which it is currently) can put their name on the list and get in. These programs are designed to weed people out who may not be suited for a nursing career. Like I have said before it is a different kind of learning.

So the grass isn't necessarily greener. Every program has flaws and things they could do better, but on the flip side, every student has flaws and things they could do better. I feel that I have been successful because I have made nursing school a priority, now I know everyone says this but, I spend my evenings and weekends studying, reading and rereading the material, being in the lab practicing, missing out on some family and friend time... My take is that it is only 4 semesters of my life and then I have achieved my ultimate goal.

Prospective students, I hope you don't make a decision on where you go to school by reading a message board post, investigate for yourself. :twocents:

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Yes, WENDY, I agree. People should do thier own research about a particular program and not solely go on information from a message board. I am just giving my "two-cents" worth based on my first hand knowledge and observations of being in the program. The program is new, and needs lots of improvements. I just want people to know that there are other programs that are better established that they might be interested in attending. Maybe in time, they will get their act together and work out the kinks. :twocents:

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I agree with wmg246. I am also a CGCC student and I also wasn't passing until about a month before finals. I believe it wasn't because I didn't study enough but because I didn't know how to study, once I figure that out the last 4 exams weren't that hard. I also just heard that PC had a 56% failure for their block two so I believe is not the school but just block 2 in general is a hard block.

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I first want to say I agree with all of you, and that a decision to attend or not to attend a particular school should not be based soley on a website post. For me however I have to say I appreciate both sides of the argument, I have tried my best to do research on most of the programs, but to be honest with you for some strange reason I could never get any real feedback from students currently enrolled at CGCC so for me, this post has been extremely helpful.

Chechy: You said in your post you weren't passing until right before the final because you didn't know how to study. Can you elaborate on that? How do you study to ensure success in nursing school? I only ask because I want to pass and have been out of school for quite some time.

Thank you

Crystal

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Thanks for calling me out Bella45..(not sure how I am supposed to take that)

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Crystal,

I'm glad that this has helped you. It is good to hear both sides. I am not trying to bash their program, by any means. Some of the instructors are very good, on the other hand one particular teacher in block 2 is a terrible teacher, and not a very nice person either. Just because you can teach, doesn't mean you should. I know for a fact that there have been numerous complaints about her. She just wants to argue with students all the time, and she is a "right fighter". Anyway, maybe their program with improve with time.

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Well the way I study was recording all lectures and transcribing them. Then I will go to the Lewis book and add anything I thought it was important and it wasn't mentioned during lecture. After that I made flash cards with all that information and learn the patho and the interventions. Once I have all that information learned I will go to the Lewis Nclex questions and Saunder Nclex and do all of them (yes the 200 or more questions) and some time I will do them more than once to make sure I understand the rationale for those questions I didn't get right. I hope this helps we all have mix feelings about this program, just like you said, some instructors are wonderful and others are just plain awful. Good luck to you and let me know if I can help you with anything else.

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I studied in a very similar way. I would read the info prior to lecture, take notes during lecture, then make concept flash cards focusing mainly on the symptoms and the interventions, with a focus on anything that was specific to the disorder. Then came the nclex questions as Chechy did, lots and lots of questions, I have numerous nclex study guides and have used them all over the past two semesters.

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Not everyone is cut out to be a nurse. The way this program is set up is that everyone who does the pre-reqs, and the NET or HESI (not sure which it is currently) can put their name on the list and get in. These programs are designed to weed people out who may not be suited for a nursing career. Like I have said before it is a different kind of learning.

I don't believe that just because a person passes or fails a semester of nursing school determines if they are "suited for a nursing career". Quite frankly I think that is a highly judgemental attitude on your part. I find your discretion in making these statments highly questionable . It was possible to reply to the original poster without making those kind of statements.

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Ok, I understand that some of my comments seem to have been taken the wrong way. As I stated in my post the comments that I made were not directed at any one person and I apologize if some took it that way and were hurt. And I also do not think that if a person does not pass a block and needs to redo it makes them unsuitable for a nursing career, I actually think that it further proves their dedication to go through it all again, and I am sure come out a better nurse for it.

But again it was not my intention to cause any hurt feelings.

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