Looking for LPN school in Colorado

U.S.A. Colorado

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I am looking for a LPN program in Colorado. I heard Emily Griffith has a great program but I want to later move into RN program. I also checked in Regis What do you think?

I do a lot online but I could NOT do a math online. I need an instructor for when I say, "Huh? No, I don't get it. Uh huh. Nope, still don't see it,"

;)

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Specializes in Critical Care, Clinical Documentation Specialist.

If you both take it through ccconline, I can share how I get ready for my classes and my 'start up' routine once class starts - I have it pretty much down by now, lol.

Don't worry amac71, online classes are fine. You just have to get organized, stay up on the work and follow everything the prof says to the letter!

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Specializes in Critical Care, Clinical Documentation Specialist.

I was that way Suesquatch! I was going to drop algebra after the first exam - 34%!! I found a website that helped me (had vids, walked you through the stuff and had extra work) for the first 3 units and when it got real hard, youtube became my best friend! Thank goodness there are math geeks out there who make videos to share their geekness - who would have thunk! lol

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thanks, Sand Dollar, my course is actually offered online by CCA, not CCConline, but I'm assuming they are similar otherwise. I'd love any tips you can offer as far as getting organized and what has worked for you, as it sounds like you've taken a lot of online courses! I always did well in my math classes, but it has been 20 years since I had calculus in high school and nothing since then. I am intimidated by statistics for some reason.

thanks much!

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Specializes in Critical Care, Clinical Documentation Specialist.

Here is how I get ready for an online class and just so you know ahead of time... yes I am anal retentive about my schoolwork and marks! lol

When I get my book(s), I always make myself a study guide. I start with the contents and copy what they have down. Then I go through the pages and add in headings or divisions they missed. Each type of heading/subheading and division gets its own color/font. I go back and add in every glossary word under its respective heading, putting the word in red italic. I print it out and then write on it where where the info is found. I start at the beginning of the chapter and write down when the info and page changes. Sometimes there are 10 glossary words and a couple headings on the same page, I don't write the page # next to each word, just the first one. These study guides are very handy during tests... I can find the information very quickly in the book and go to check/find the answer - I always check my answers with the book.

Once the study guide is done, I go to the publisher site and print off each chapter quiz. I don't bother trying to get the right answers, its the final print off I want. Usually you can have it emailed to you. I print out this email and highlight the correct answers... easy to see this way. If I am writing in my text (like I did with my sciences, but not my anthro) I would find the answers in the text and highlight them if the question was obvious. If the question was tricky (some AP Q's were), I would write the question out verbatim in the margins with a line going toward the answer. I would review the publisher tests while I was studying the chapters, but still print out the tests ahead to save time.

If the publisher has a glossary list or even its own study guide, I often print those out too. I would rather have too many tools that too few. I file everything by chapters and when its finished, I just move the whole chapter to the back of the binder.

When I have access to the course, the first thing I always print out is the 'My Marks' page. It is a blank page that lists every assignment that you will do. I put in the dates the assignments are due right next to it. I also put in the amount an assignment is due, so I just plug in my score when it comes back. At the top I always write the total marks in the class and how many points I need to get an A in red! I also write on the page, how many attempts we are given on a test, and how long they are as well. I always save my finished tests to my computer. Often they will use quiz questions on the larger exams.

I print out the rubrics, calendar and every assignment information sheet - sometimes you have to dig around for these. Again, the date the assignment is due is written on its respective information sheet. These pages are all filed behind a divider and kept in one spot so I always know where to look when I need something. I then take the calendar and plug in the due dates into my daytimer by color - be sure to put down the discussion due dates - those are important. Each class gets its own color.

Since I took so many classes last semester (5), I needed a way to look at everything at a glance, so I did myself up a spreadsheet. It saved my butt - I never missed a due date and it kept me focussed in the drudge period, I will do it again first thing this semester. For each class, I would list the assignments by date, name, points and class. I would then color the cell to match the color coding in my daytimer. I would do each course at a time then do a date sort of the whole bunch. I ended up with a list of every assignment by due date. When I get one done it gets a big black sharpie line through it!

Some classes don't get this much attention. I didn't write in any of my text books last semester because they were relatively easy courses. Algebra had an e-text and it just sucked all the way around! I still printed out the class stuff, but had little to do when it came to text organizing. I have done most of the text work organizing for stats already but my music appreciation text is wearing me out. 80+ chapters in that dang textbook!!

Well, now that your eyes are probably tired and I have overloaded you with information, it should give you a place to start!! lol It will take me a couple of hours to get everything all printed out an organized come Monday morning when classes start, but I find I am a sprinter - I work better getting it all done in a short period of time. I couldn't do chapter outlines as I went along, it would just kill me! lol

BTW amac71 - I have been out of school for 20 years too... and I never took calc, just some algebra. If I can get an A in college algebra after that long, stats should be no problem for you!! :D

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I am currently going to Concorde. I will say that yes, it is very expensive, but it is the easiest school to get into and shortest RN school around. Those two things totally trade off with how much it costs. I made the decision to go back into nursing at the end of July, and am now almost done with my first term. In the long run I will be done with school and working as a nurse 1 to 2 years faster by going to Concorde, and that means I will be able to make a lot more money in those two years rather than dink around with the wait lists at other schools. So you have to take that into consideration as well.

Right now the school is going through a TON of changes, most of which are for the good. One of the problems with Concorde is the "sales" staff and front office people are very "used car sales" type people. I'm sorry, but it is very true. You have to look past that. So far I think the education is just as good here as it would be anywhere else. School is what you make of it. Because of the accelerated pace, the classes are VERY hard. However, if you are dedicated and work hard, you can do great there. I personally have a goal of getting a 4.0, and so far am doing just that.

I really like all my professors right now. Concorde does tend to have a high turn over rate for instructors, and I'm not sure why, but so far mine are all pretty great.

I'm also probably going to come across as racist or prejudice with my next statement, but I don't care because it's the truth. Concorde also offers a lot of other programs of a "lower" nature...such as internet coding and billing, dental assistant, MA, etc. These programs seem to attract a ton of lower class students. This in turn, honestly, makes the school seem much more ghetto. I mean you should see the parking lot full of smokers during lunch breaks. In my opinion, the only real program worth going into there is the RN, and it is also the only degree program they offer. I don't recommend getting your LPN, because you will just end up having to go back to school to get RN anyway. So just suck it up and get RN to start.

So if you can handle the cost as well as the fast pace, Concorde is awesome.

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Sand Dollar, wow, thank you so much for sharing your strategy (anal as it may be!). You sound very well organized and on top of things. I'm impressed you are able to do this with such a full course load. You have a lot of helpful ideas and info, I appreciate you taking the time to type it all out here. I sure wish professors would give access to the syllabus prior to the semester start date--it would make it easier to prepare in advance. At least with my A&P II class I can just continue reading where we left off last time.

thanks again, and best of luck to you. Are you nearly done with your pre-req's and when/ where are you applying?

A.

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Specializes in LTC, skilled nursing, Med-Surg.

Maghunter, that's very interesting. Thanks for sharing. :) I did wonder about the RN program there at Concorde, and I've heard it's much better in quality all-around than the LPN program. I did have a friend in the RN program who enjoyed it thoroughly and graduated with honors. I went there (at least, I started there...) for the LPN program and I can say that the LPN program's quality of education is not as good as other schools in the area (I can kind of compare because I switched to a different LPN program at a public school). Other schools normally don't overlook cheating on tests (some of which was done by students texting each other the answers during the test!), lewd & crude sexual behavior and comments from classmates, racist remarks from classmates, size discrimination from administration against a classmate, huge class disruptions, and much more... I was a stellar, straight-A student who did not cause any trouble, yet got chewed out or ignored when I brought some of those situations (and others) to the attention of teachers and the DON (that particular DON is no longer there, btw). Plus, other schools don't normally give a student more than one try to pass a class like Dosage Calculations, because dosage calc is serious business. For most other schools here, if a student fails the dosage calc final, they have to retake the class; if they fail again, that is that, they can't continue on. A student in my LPN class at Concorde got 3 chances to retake her dosage calc final, and did badly all 3 times. She went on to make a HUGE mistake in clinicals by miscalculating a dosage and giving a patient the wrong insulin dosage, which can be life-threatening.

LOL... I totally agree with you, Maghunter, about the "sales associates" in the front office. They are called advisors but, just like you said, they are high-pressure salesmen/women, who often resort to using dirty psychological tricks to guilt people into signing up. I am very happy to hear that there are changes being made in the admin. offices.

I wish I could have started in the RN program anyway... I scored very high on the entrance exam and was going to be given top priority for a seat in the RN program, but I could not afford the cost of tuition. I was barely able to cover the cost of the LPN program, even using federal grants, state grants, and federal student loans. When I decided I couldn't take going to Concorde's LPN program any longer, and left after the end of a session, they tried to charge me for the remaining cost of the program that I had not attended (roughly $6,000 they said I owed them). They claimed something about "proration" of the tuition, and for a while, I had debt collectors calling me every day from Concorde's main office. Why pay for classes I didn't attend? In the end, thankfully, I got the debt "forgiven"... but it was a huge hassle.

I think that I have to agree with you Maghunter, that if a person can handle the cost of tuition at Concorde, the fast pace, and handle the crap that goes on there, then go for it. Not everybody, though, is able to "suck it up" and go for their RN the first time; not everyone wants to go for their RN the first time. Some people don't want to become RNs at all and would rather remain an LPN, and there is nothing wrong with that. It is really an individual choice. If you can afford to go the RN route at Concorde, though, that is the route I would recommend at that school. If you must (or would rather) go the LPN program route at Concorde, please proceed with caution, and prepare for a very bumpy ride.

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Thank you so much Maghunter!!!!!!!!!!!!!! VERY VERY useful info! I will take everything you said into consideration. Is the entrence test hard to score high on be hones!

Once again THANKS!

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LOVE the feed back! I really do have to be ready and focused!

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Specializes in Critical Care, Clinical Documentation Specialist.

I hear you on the syllabus thing, I would LOVE to have it ahead of time too! You are welcome, I hope you can find something helpful in all of that. The most important thing for me is that spreadsheet, next would be the outlines.

I already applied to CU and I'm just waiting on the letter. I checked their website and they no longer allow you to work on pre-reqs like I am now. Too bad for those applying next time - which may very well be me if I don't get in this time!

I have 5 pre-reqs to finish for CU (stats, western civ, music app, logic (philosophy) & sociology), but I am taking 6 classes (+interpersonal communication) so I can graduate with an A.S. this May.

At least I can work on some classes until I find out one way or another about CU. It's a good distraction at least. Where/when are you planning on applying amac71?

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I took Statistics online at CU Denver, I took the Sociology section of it because I thought it would be easier to understand if the stats were applied to real life situations. I didn't like the professor very much but I loved the class. My best advice is to buy a secondary statistics help book or get one from the library, that way you always have the equations in front of you when you are taking a test or doing your homework. My professor had terrible lectures where she would jump topics and not explain things so it was really beneficial to have that extra book to bring all of the concepts together for me. Secondly, *Don't get behind*. The concepts in Statistics build upon themselves so if you skip one week you will be behind on all the rest, or have trouble understanding them. As long as you follow the homeworks each week and do that secondary studying then I think you will be fine!

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