Do NOT go enter Pace University's Combined Degree Program (CDP)

Why would you expect Fundamentals to be an easy class? It was one of the hardest we had this semester, not so much because of the content but because of the testing style. Do they offer tutoring/testing strategy sessions?

A 77 is the lowest passing score at my program- they just raised it from 76.

Well considering I've never been to nursing school prior to this semester, I really had no idea what to expect. Clearly it was more difficult than I had anticipated. There is no tutoring for TC and Fundamentals, they've been really unhelpful. That is what I was tying to convey. I'm not even failing. I just think it's ridiculous when half the class is failing and the most they've done is to tell us we'll be dropped from the program if we do fail...which is the other thing I was trying to convey--their lack of sympathy and caring.

No tutoring for Fundamentals? Eesh, that does suck. After a certain point, there's really nothing you can do to help students are failing, but tutoring should be available to anyone who wants or needs it. Before every quiz and test at my school there are workshops where we go through practice tests with the learning lab staff or the TA for the class.

Have you tried using an NCLEX study guide to study with? I've just started using one after doing royally mediocre on our first HESI exam, and maybe that would help you and your classmates out some since the school isn't. How much longer is the program? Are you going to stick it out or cut your losses and look for another program?

Hahah I just made a thread about how I want to quit school and I didn't mention it there but I was referring to Pace. Seriously, DO NOT APPLY HERE. They (whoever runs the program) treasure the program and students at Pleasantville from what I've heard, meanwhile we get the **** end of the stick at NYC.

Reasons to stay away:

1. It's $52,000+ for the program. I don't know how many times we've said to each other that Pace is a money-grubbing vulture. I feel like we aren't getting our money's worth AT ALL. There are ridiculous and unwarranted fees for everything. $300something for a supply kit that we hardly used? $700 in lab fees? Making certain clinical groups pay for $60 masks? Making us get mandatory drug testing/background checks (they told us this only a couple weeks ago and said we had til New Years to get it done. on our own dime. GET OUT OF HERE!!)

2. Communication is nonexistent or extremely delayed/not helpful. DISORGANIZED would be the right word. You go in circles trying to get an answer from the professor, who has to do the same with the heads of the department.

3. It's like survival of the fittest. Sure you can't expect to have someone hold your hand the whole way through and you do have to study hard, BUT they breed a culture of fear here!! No encouragement. No guidance. Nothing. We don't have anyone to turn to but each other in the program because most of the personnel can't or won't give you the answers you're looking for. We don't have advisors. Our handbook that we were told to refer this whole time ('09-'10) to wasn't even available for us until a few weeks ago.

4. Miscellaneous: The dining hall has terrible food. The bathrooms (for women anyway) usually have no lock and/or no hook. The library here is the worst ever, people are NEVER quiet. The gym is a hole in the wall.

I could go on for days. I didn't even mention how terrible clinicals are.

If it was one or even two things... fine, I'll live with it. But there are too many things wrong with this program.

Oh wow, I looked at them online when I was thinking about where to apply, and something about their website looked disorganized and half-hearted so I stayed away from Pace. The $50K price tag put me off too. Instead I went to a 2-year combination diploma/ASN program through Hudson County Community college in Jersey City for a total of only $23K. If you really don't think the school is worth it, there ARE other options in the NYC area for half the cost.

Regarding cutting our losses and trying another program, we're talking at least $20,000 in loans taken out to pay for school plus expenses for this semester alone. To start at another school and have to take all their courses and wait even longer to get what I may have in less than 8 months is the last thing I want to do. If I fail out, of course I'll look for other options. At this point, since I've already suffered through 1/3 of the program, I might as well try to finish it.

moo0909: I wrote this post right after our disastrous Communications test. That was the last straw for me! Also, thanks for summarizing all the problems better than I did. I was too delirious with fatigue and disappointment to write more coherently.

One more thing to mention, they told us this past weekend a final we were supposed to have next week would be today. Who changes the finals schedule 5 days before a test?! These people are nuts.

Yeah, it sounds like toughing it out is the way to go. I'm sorry you guys are having such a bad experience.

LOL this is so funny to me... I was going to start the CDP this past January in Pleasantville but decided to hold off & attend Concordia College's 15 month ABSN program instead b/c I couldn't fathom paying so much for Pace. Thank God I did, I'm loving Concordia's program! I am so sorry you guys are having such a terrible experience... I got my undergrad degree @ Pace so I know what you're going through w/ that school, & from what I've heard from peers in the CDP program it's 10x worse! (i.e. um no access for Nursing students to the lab for practice, Peds clinical rotation was, "go to the zoo & observe children"). For the amount they charge, students should be given every opportunity to advance! Someone I took my prereqs w/ @ WCC ended up in the program & regretted it - they have since transferred to a different ABSN program. Yes, Nursing school is difficult, but there are just some resources that a school should offer its students, especially a school such as Pace. Even though it sucks, I hope you guys make it through. Just keep trying to tell yourself it's only 12 months LOL. Best of luck to you all.