Current csulb nursing students!!!

aznbc105 · Sep 30, 2010

Sorry i'm not in the program... yet. hahah but I will be in spring 2011.

Anyways, I have many friends whom are in the program right now. One is in the trimester program and the other two are in the semester program.

CSULB is definitely one of the BEST nursing schools in California- and my in this country. The program is very difficult and takes dedication. Current nursing students right now are stressing out EVERY day, but the awards are worth it in the end. 96% of CSULB nursing students passed the NCLEX... they're going for 100% next year.

Trimester program will cost about a thousand dollars less than the semester program... but they're pretty much the same... you just graduate faster. An advantage for CSULB students is that they will immediately be recruited for jobs from many hospitals.

The interview is just a communication exercise. The 90 spots are already deternmined. Interviews are just pass/fail.

Hope this helps!

CA_BSN_Student · Sep 30, 2010

Becka's reply is pretty accurate. I'm a current csulb trimester nursing student and we have a heavy load of classes in our first semester. Expect to spend a lot of time studying but professors are all very helpful & encouraging. I got the vibe that they really want us to succeed during the process. I don't know if they are better than other CSUs but I choosed this school over a few others and I don't regret my decision. I would encourage everyone to take pharmacology and pathophysiology before admission if you can, to make your life easier during first semester. I don't know if trimester is better than basic. I do know trimester typically do clinicals at LBMMC and basic do theirs at VA by campus. So I guess it kinda depends on your personal preference. Interview is just a process to evaluate your communication skills. If you are invited for an interview, your chances for acceptance is really high.

marielo · Sep 30, 2010

The girl who posted above is correct in that pretty much the only "external" difference is where you do your clinicals. Other than that, I am a (proud) csulb nursing student with only less than a year to go till graduation and I am also in the trimester program. While graduating faster definitely seems great, many times I have wished I had done the basic program-3 years-no summers. I do believe that would have made my gpa higher as I wouldn't have been so stressed. With the trimester program, you get one week off from spring to summer classes, and it's terribly taxing. I say that not as a single mother/nonsingle mother (lol)with 2 kids (like some of my peers are), but as a UC transfer (biology major, too), single, in my early 20's, and only working about 1 or 2 four hour shifts--basically no working.

I've found csulb nursing to be just as difficult, or even more so, than bio at UCLA. There is just so much knowledge, you can't just get by being "smart" like in high school where if you're really good at math you can still ace the exam doing less hw. It doesn't work that way. you HAVE to put in the time, and professors are really supportive of you becuase they have to be--or else many won't pass. So while professors are REALLY GOOD, the classes are also REALLY CRAZY HARD. Also, to get your BS, you need to take upper division classes at CSULB to meet graduation requirements. If your in trimester, that really sucks...

Moreover, with the budget crisis and the sad state of California's economy, there are immense numbers of people competing for spots into new grad resideny/jobs. I know a girl who graduated with a high gpa, great clinical performance, and she still can't find a job in CA (or most of the west coast for that matter, since hospitals tend stick to hiring new grads from surrounding nursing schools unless the applicant has years of experiance). I am worried about having to maybe take extra (un needed) classes so that I can put off having to pay my student loans should I not secure a job out of nursing school, which is highly possible. All the professors, etc, are saying that CSULB grads are nabbed right away for great jobs, I mean, of course they want to say the best about their own program : ) but from what I've heard from previous semester's grads that simply isn't the case.

The economy should improve in two or three years. Right now, it's hard to find a job for ANY nursing schools, even UCLA's program, which is ranked top 5 in the nation last i checked. Was it really worth it for me to graduate sooner with bad job prospects and have to pay more interest on student loans or better to graduate later with a better job? I know people that graduated when the economy was good and they went straught to ICU. I also know people who graduated when the economy was bad and they went to work for home care agencies / nursing homes where you don't even need to be an RN, and they are worried that when the economy finally gets better the hopsitals will see that their critical care experiance/med surg clinical was from two years ago and wonder how much clinical skills they've forgotton?

Maybe I'm just being pessimistic, but i don't think that rushing graduation is the right choice for most people, unless you are very focused, don't work (at all) and are o. k. with very little free time. Even then it's difficult. I guess that's why CSULA and loma linda (which as a private school has REALLY good placements and more accomdating professors --most private schools do) are 2.5 years-3 years--becuase in nursing you need that extra time to apply what you've learned instead of just cramming it down your throat in 2 short years.

~enough of my rant~ I needed it : ) I do love nursing though, and csulb--socal is beautiful.

sallybee · Dec 9, 2010

Can anybody provide more information on this? I really wanted trimester but now I am having second thoughts!! Ahh!!

CA_BSN_Student · Dec 10, 2010

sallybee - I'll try to answer your question as unbiased as I can. Both trimester & basic have its pros & cons but I don't think you can lose with choosing either. For someone who is focused, doesn't work, taking loan(s), and paying rent...perhaps it would make more economic sense to do trimester. For someone who wants a better total college experience...basic might make more sense. I've heard from several upperclassmen & recent grads that trimester have tougher clinical instructors. I've also heard that summer semesters will be very intense. But I don't regret choosing trimester so far.

I've heard from several recent grads that some of their peers are having tough time finding jobs. We can argue that choosing basic, which keeps you in school longer, will put you in a better economic state & you'll have an easier time finding jobs. However, soon after the 2008 stock market crash, I remember hearing from economists & politicians that our economy will improve within 2 years. It's almost 2011 now and our unemployment rate is still pretty high. I'm not an economist and I cannot predict when this economy will turn around. We definitely should be mindful of our economy and job prospects. But perhaps we shouldn't let the economy dictate our future plans too much?

Malefocker, BSN, RN · Feb 23, 2011

Do you guys take classes with the el-msn students during their first 14 months?

jojonavy · Feb 24, 2011

I've done both the basic and trimester programs. The above comments are really accurate. If you want to get done faster, then do the Trimester program, but you're gonna be stressed out for two full years. You get a small 1 week break between semesters, expcept for winter break. I followed my wife out of the trimester program because she failed OB. The basic program is much more laid back, and I wished I had done it in the first place. Personally I don't think I would of been ready to be a nurse without the extra year.

Job hunting sucks. Not sure if they are still doing it but you can get contracted with Long Beach Memorial, so you got a job right out of school. They used to give stipend money, but thats not the case anymore. Those whom got jobs quickly, were those whom had been working at a hospital that had a new grad program. So far I got 4 classmates that got into Torrance Memorial, and one thats working at Los Alamitos. I think the Basic program would be much easier to work PT than the Trimester..

I'm really thinking of taking a subacute job up in Norcal. The pay is good at 32 per hr. Just gotta research if the hospitals would consider this good enough experience.

CA_BSN_Student · Feb 24, 2011

Malefocker - Trimester & basic students do not take the same classes as ELM students. Our classes are about 16 weeks long during spring & fall so I believe ELM classes should be about half of that. We have similar instructors but the ELM pace is much faster. Not sure where ELM students do clinicals, since I don't think I've seen them at LBMMC. Good luck with your application. Hope you're ready to be in turbo mode for 14 months.

BTW, LBMMC is delaying their contract program. I wouldn't be surprised if they stop offering them for a while.

DarkBluePhoenix · Feb 28, 2011

For everyone that's in...what were your entering stats? I'm almost done with pre-reqs and will be applying next spring. I am a science person so the pre-reqs aren't that bad. My top choice is CSULB but I am taking extra classes so I don't put my eggs all in one basket. My overall GPA ain't good but my science is excellent 4.0 so far.

I am wondering. As far as the GE GPA part of admissions process, do they choose the 'best' class grade as a determining factor? Like for example: I took trig and precalculus, I got a b in trig and a c in precal, are they going to take the c or the b? I am going to take caculus 1 at a CC, (I took it at cal poly pomona, which is on a quarter system and got a B+, don't know if they'll look at it cause it doesn't articulate) and try and get an A to boost my GE GPA.

If anyone knows, it would be greatly appreciated

CluelessNursingGuy · Feb 28, 2011

They would take the B in trigonometry.

DarkBluePhoenix · Feb 28, 2011

They would take the B in trigonometry.

Unfortunately I just realized trig isn't good enough for them. Not even on the list, so its good I'm taking calculus 1 then