Direct-entry MSN programs

Gennaver, MSN · Jul 26, 2005

That's great about the apt and the boyfriend- sorry about the bronchitis. So, you get to live in the dorms for as long as you need to and then move out whenever you find an apt? Are you locked into any type of contract/commitment with the dorms? I don't know if I could handle dorm living (unless it was a reeeealy nice dorm- do they exist?) at this stage in my life. I guess in NYC there are precious few options that aren't outrageously expensive.
-Jess

Hi there Jess,

This weekend me and my husband enountered some ~oddness~ that I was real ready to call emotional abuse. He did attempt to kick me out while he was frustrated and I was ready to take him up on it, packed my things to boot.

I had been toying with the idea of staying home to save 8K rather than go to the UCC, (more than dorms really) yet, I reconsider now.

I read around in another thread where a poster mentioned in MSN programs we will not be THERE for our families physically or mentally. Sigh. I guess my husband was feeling the strain of me not being here mentally.

So, I am going to take this as a major lesson learned and will take myself physically away, (to the UCC) while I am mentally away and to keep myself mentally with him when I am physically with him, however rare that will be for the next year at least.

I guess we are all allowed to have a very bad moment, (I will give him this-although I have a history with bad relationships and was ready to default into just separating for however long it takes.)

Meanwhile, after our big blow up, I had my car packed and paid the bills, (wanted to leave with a good conscience and all..) I checked the mail on my way out and there was my move in packet from UCC!! 18th Floor, they have another website also for it and it is http://www.universitycenter.com

I am excited about this, especially for the first year. Oh, but there is a major glitz. For some reason my financial aid package is being held on the offer because it is listing me as having reached my graduate aggregate. Yet I have never been a graduate student before so the financial aid office is looking into this.

Fingers crossed,

Gen

p.s. another organic chem exam tomorrow!! and another stats final too!

Jess RN · Jul 27, 2005

Hi there Jess,
This weekend me and my husband enountered some ~oddness~ that I was real ready to call emotional abuse. He did attempt to kick me out while he was frustrated and I was ready to take him up on it, packed my things to boot.
I had been toying with the idea of staying home to save 8K rather than go to the UCC, (more than dorms really) yet, I reconsider now.
I read around in another thread where a poster mentioned in MSN programs we will not be THERE for our families physically or mentally. Sigh. I guess my husband was feeling the strain of me not being here mentally.
So, I am going to take this as a major lesson learned and will take myself physically away, (to the UCC) while I am mentally away and to keep myself mentally with him when I am physically with him, however rare that will be for the next year at least.
I guess we are all allowed to have a very bad moment, (I will give him this-although I have a history with bad relationships and was ready to default into just separating for however long it takes.)
Meanwhile, after our big blow up, I had my car packed and paid the bills, (wanted to leave with a good conscience and all..) I checked the mail on my way out and there was my move in packet from UCC!! 18th Floor, they have another website also for it and it is http://www.universitycenter.com
I am excited about this, especially for the first year. Oh, but there is a major glitz. For some reason my financial aid package is being held on the offer because it is listing me as having reached my graduate aggregate. Yet I have never been a graduate student before so the financial aid office is looking into this.
Fingers crossed,
Gen
p.s. another organic chem exam tomorrow!! and another stats final too!

Gen,

I'm so sorry to hear about your blow out with your hubby. I have certainly had my fair share with mine. I do think school stress makes me less "present" than I perhaps could be. I think your approach of focusing on school at UCC and then leaving school behind when going home to see your husband is the way to go. Though, I think the separation will be hard on your relationship too- for different reasons. Is your husband "bought in" to what is involved in terms of sacrifice (for both of you) during nursing school? I've beat a dead horse with my husband on this very topic- to make sure I have his support- but still fully expect him to suggest dropping out at some point in the first semester. :chuckle I tend to keep my expectations low- and then I'm often pleasantly surprised.

That's a bummer about fin aid- I'm sure they will figure it out by sept. Your classes sound intense. Have I mentioned I HATE Micro? :rotfl: I'm never taking an online course again if I can help it. I can't get my germs to grow for lab, my microscope is a piece of junk... the list goes on.

My internet connection is on the fritz- so I'm currently sitting in my car outside of Panera Bread poaching their WiFi network. Big loser. Hopefully it will be back up by tomm, but if I don't post for a bit, you know why.

Have a good night!

Jess

naggytabby, BSN, RN · Jul 27, 2005

Hi peoples!!!

A word on the partner separation issue- after reading the last post about hubby discord, I felt the urge to jump in and just share my experience.

my partner and i(together almost 6 yrs) now live 7 hrs apart- she in the south and i in the the northeast. some days rougher than i can begin to tell you. BUT she's there for me, and i for her, without the added stress of both of us trying to handle my bsn/msn program. to be honest, i am not sure how she does it sometimes. oh, and the day i left, i did say some ridiculous things, just because of the stress (and suddenly reverting to this odd preverbal stage where the only deficiency was in expressing how i felt, not in speaking :) ). but here's a trick, that is worth every moment it takes to make it happen:

when you are going to be together: NO SCHOOLWORK. i plan ahead and do whatever i need to do before we are together. let me tell you just how wonderful it is to have those short times together without school. not only is it a break for me (and very refreshing to not do anything with school for a few days and then return to it very refreshed) but she gets 100% of me.

bottom line: it can work, it can be hard. it's ok to have some bad moments. the most vital ingredient is keeping your sense of humor intact :rolleyes: not to mention generous amounts of Peets coffee (yes i order it from california- my favorite coffee -www.peets.com- trivia: starbucks was opened by people who used to work at peets)

goodluck!

Gennaver, MSN · Jul 27, 2005

Gen,
I'm so sorry to hear about your blow out with your hubby. I have certainly had my fair share with mine. I do think school stress makes me less "present" than I perhaps could be. I think your approach of focusing on school at UCC and then leaving school behind when going home to see your husband is the way to go. Though, I think the separation will be hard on your relationship too- for different reasons. Is your husband "bought in" to what is involved in terms of sacrifice (for both of you) during nursing school? I've beat a dead horse with my husband on this very topic- to make sure I have his support- but still fully expect him to suggest dropping out at some point in the first semester. :chuckle I tend to keep my expectations low- and then I'm often pleasantly surprised.
That's a bummer about fin aid- I'm sure they will figure it out by sept. Your classes sound intense. Have I mentioned I HATE Micro? :rotfl: I'm never taking an online course again if I can help it. I can't get my germs to grow for lab, my microscope is a piece of junk... the list goes on.
My internet connection is on the fritz- so I'm currently sitting in my car outside of Panera Bread poaching their WiFi network. Big loser. Hopefully it will be back up by tomm, but if I don't post for a bit, you know why.
Have a good night!
Jess

Hello Jess,

I hope you get to read this. :)

Thank you for your kind words and the comfort to know that even those who love us dearly, (and we love them) things can still be tough.

Last night I let my husband read some words I wrote the night before in the thread called about to give up on being a nurse. My posts were on the last few pages and today I summed up the positive outcome.

https://allnurses.com/forums/showthread.php?t=111548

I mentioned to my hubby about how I perceived his actions and words, (that I could not differentiate between his moment being just bad or outright emotional/verbal and physical abuse). Him reading what I wrote and our conversation afterwards was very helpful Jess.

I said that when he 'threw' me out that it brought me back 10 years to another bad time in my life and how throwing me out is not about a disagreement or bad words but is all about power and control. Well, that thread really helped, both he and I.

Things will work out!! However, now I know we have an issue thing and I can be prepared that yes, around a final exam or a mid term or a big project he may really feel the pull of my mental abcense as well as my tolerance or compassion for his anger or sadness may be lacking and a similar situation may happen again.

Forewarned is forearmed!

:)

Genn

p.s. you are too!! You know you can do this and you will Jess, even if, as you suspect, one day your one an only has a 'momentarily lack of support'.

Gennaver, MSN · Jul 27, 2005

Hi peoples!!!
A word on the partner separation issue- after reading the last post about hubby discord, I felt the urge to jump in and just share my experience.
.....
bottom line: it can work, it can be hard. it's ok to have some bad moments. the most vital ingredient is keeping your sense of humor intact not to mention generous amounts of Peets coffee (yes i order it from california- my favorite coffee -www.peets.com- trivia: starbucks was opened by people who used to work at peets)
goodluck!

Thank you!!

It was nice to read your words, advice and encouragement. It is a relief to know that we all go through stuff, (well, most all of us) that involves bad moments and growing pains.

I imagine that when all is said and done I will have a deeper relationship with my husband. He is afterall the person who said- in the first place -that he thought I should do what I felt I needed and to stay on campus.

I am the one who tried to change it to save some pennies, (and also because I deep down did not want to miss out on being with him every day). Obviously, being with him every day and sharing the stress will not make for a strong healthy relationship between us, (I should respect his tolerance level for watching my stress, which is low).

Genn

elizabells, BSN, RN · Jul 27, 2005

:icon_hug: Gen :icon_hug:

naggytabby, BSN, RN · Jul 27, 2005

Genn,

I just read your profile and I see you are just a couple of years younger than I am- and I think it gets harder when you're older and more 'settled'.

And you're right- once you make it through this, you'll be amazed and ready for anything!!!

:)

Gennaver, MSN · Jul 29, 2005

Hello,

Elizabells, thank you for the hug post. How are things going with the new apartment and packing, moving, studying, breathing?

Regarding life near Chicago and things working out:

Thankfully I did get authorization from my school's fin aid office for the amount I needed, (cost of attendance while living on campus.)

I had to use an alternative lender and the first one I chose did not have a health prossions graduate, (outside of medical). However, I found an alternative lender that did indeed have an option for graduate school with a program of health proffesions-other!! I got approved with no co-signer, (citibank)!!

Yippie, good news for now, (of course my loans will take 10+ years to pay back but, then again, the ends...the means...all that :))

This first year I will indeed stay at UCC, (heck maybe the second one too).

Also, a student in my org chem class is one of the accepted students to UIC's med/surg program, (she was one of the two chosen out of over forty!) We were talking yesterday about this and it seems worth considering being roomates for the second year. Maybe very worth it.

There are so many logistical things to work out in order to work out attending graduate school.

Take good care!!

Gen

Kim123 · Jul 29, 2005

Hey Kim,
Congrats on getting into Regis! As Jess points out, you can get Dansko's locally. However, if you know the exact size and style you want from going to the Uniforms for America, you can always go on Ebay and buy Dansko's there. But you have to be positive about the size and style. I bought a pair from the shoeprofessor on ebay. They have a good return policy. The clogs can go for $75.00. But it all depends on the style and color. Good luck!
Smile123

Thanks Smile 123 and Jess for your tips and advice. I'm on such a tight budget, so this really helps. Jess- I'll make sure to say hi to your friend Rich in September.

Take Care!

Kim

krisssy · Jul 30, 2005

What is the age range in these accelerated MSN Programs?

Gennaver, MSN · Jul 30, 2005

What is the age range in these accelerated MSN Programs?

Hi Krissy,

I was very surprised to see several young 20 somethings at my orientation. I am 39 and I know there was one other woman in her 40's but, the general group of us, (about 30) were younger than 30.

Surprising isn't it. I have heard that some other programs prefer more mature but, I guess the bottom line is your experience, your background and your essay with your life goals.

Age does not seem to be such the factor but, experience AND potential.

So, if you are young, APPLY, if you think you are old, APPLY!!!

Give it a try, that is the first thing you must do.

Good luck!

Gen

elizabells, BSN, RN · Jul 31, 2005

A lot of us in my program are in our early to mid 20s. I'm 24, but we have a few people who just graduated college in the spring.

Things are fine with the move and studying, but one of my meds is making me, um, lactate. It's a little freaky. Apparently it raises your prolactin hormone levels. It should be fine, I'm seeing the doctor first thing monday. I might have to get an MRI of my brain, though, because it can be related to a pituitary tumor. (The pituitary is what releases prolactin) Wish me luck, k?