Gulf Coast State College Spring 2014 Class

U.S.A. Florida

Published

Anyone else out there apply to GCSC and waiting for acceptance or anyone already get accepted? I got my letter last Friday and have seen only one other person! Looking for other students!!

Used is definitely the way to go if you have time to track them down. I work with a recent grad and am going to see if she has any first semester books left that she wants to unload (assuming they are still current) but since our semester 2 is technically a new year, I'll have to get 2/3 at the same time.

They are definitely going to get their 80 bucks! That's the reality of colleges in general, not just GC. I am a FDLE certified officer and could supply them with a current BG check plus my prints with a phone call or two, but they won't let me. It's annoying but unavoidable I suppose.

I just had my yearly PPD and can say I have likely accomplished one of my main goals: leaving prison without any positive PPDs! I've had a few significant exposures but have been lucky.

That's cool that you're a CNA. I wish I had a medical certification of some kind to help me find a part time job. Are you going to use yours during school? Mind if I borrow it? :)

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That stinks about not being able to use your current BG check. They make money off of you anyway they can!

I had thought about CNA and LPN way way back when I first started doing my pre-req's but timing was never good with my girls.

Two of mine are in school full time and my youngest is in preschool 4 days already so I will be doing the same and putting her in full-time. My parents live in Navarre and help some but since I live on the farthest end of Santa Rosa Beach, well they can't help much. And they both work full time;( So I will probably have to get a nanny or sitter or someone to take them and pick them up from school. I am wanting to do the early clinicals is I can too so that I will not have to worry about someone having to pick them up every single day. I would like to still be able to do so every now and then.

This will all be so new to me not having them around as I have stayed at home for 7 years now and have taken them to and from school since I can remember! And now going to not seeing them until later is going to be tough, but I know it will be worth it in the end!!!! Just have to keep that in mind.

I have thought about volunteering or shadowing. My dad's boss said I could if I wanted to and they are in Ft. Walton so I might go and do that some and then I looked in to volunteering at Sacred Heart so I might do that too just to get a feel for it before we start. I have several friends who are nurses and my aunt is a dean/professor/NP at UAB so I will also have her to get answers from!!

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how funny, I actually grew up in Cantonment too (no one ever seems to know Cantonment, so I just say Pensacola..lol). I went to Tate until after my sophomore year, then my family moved down south to Boca Raton.

The schedule seems like it might be ok at first without being too crazy. I've already looked into making my 4 year old a full time pre-k'er, and both he and my 7 year old will start at bay base, so I have full open availability during the day, and time to study when not in class. I'd prefer the morning clinicals, but my parents would always be able to swing by and pick them up after work if I have to have the afternoon clinicals.

I have a large laptop too, so wasn't too sure about bringing it with me. I have an ipad, but its not the easiest thing to type on. I'm not sure if I will be bringing it with me or not. I have read that back packs used for hiking, like the North Face recon are good bags for nursing school, so I may end up going with something like that.

I may go ahead and buy some books as well. I am going to try to get them used to save as much money as possible. I wish they would go ahead and give us the list of everything we need to buy/have done (books, stethoscope, scrubs, TB test, ect) before results of our drug test and background check to save a little bit of rush when we do get it, but I understand the reasoning of waiting. I JUST paid for the criminal check a few months ago when I transferred my CNA license to FL, so it kind of stings to have to pay the 80 again lol. I haven't used my license in almost 4 years, but figured it would be good to have it active here just in case.

I went to Tate too! What year would you have graduated from Tate?(if you don't mind me asking)

Just seeing if you knew anyone I know! Small world!!

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I don't have any kids yet (hopefully this changes soon!) buy I can only imagine how hard it must be, especially after being a stay home mom for that long! You're right about it being worth it though, once you pass your NCLEX and get your first RN job, think of how much it will benefit them. I am hoping to be a parent within the next year so I'll have all the baby/toddler issues to deal with.

I am strongly considering sitting for the NCLEX-PN after the second semester so I can work as a LPN part time for the last two. It's not the same as being an RN of course but anyone I have spoken to who started as a LPN says they gained tons of valuable experience that made them a better RN in the long run. I'm sure it doesn't hurt as a resume builder either.

Wow, it looks like you have some great resources available through your family, don't be afraid to use them for either employment or further education. BTW, what are your nursing goals long term? What do you see yourself doing in 10 years?

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I only worked as a CNA for about 7months. I worked on an alzheimers unit at a LTC facility. I loved it, but it was just too much with my husbands schedule and I worked 2nd shift, so I missed so much with the boys. Since I didn't need to work, we decided for me to just stay home. Besides school, my kids have never been in any type of daycare or anything, and I am always the one to drop them off and pick them up, so it will be different for them as well, but when I mentioned going to after school care, they were very excited because a lot of their friends go as well. I am so involved with their school and volunteering and chaperoning that I think this will be a bigger adjustment for me then them! I am glad we have Fridays off so I can still do things with them one day a week if I can.

Ha! I would have graduated from Tate in 2005, but graduated from Olympic Heights down south instead. I played volleyball, basketball, and softball while I was at Tate.

Where did you guys find the list of books we will need. Are there any with CD's that make you feel like you have to buy new? I almost always buy the ones so that they come with the CD's, but then I never use the CD!

I had no clue you could sit for the NCLEX-PN exam after the second semester. That might definitely be something to look into. I am very very fortunate that I do not have to worry about having a job while in school (hence why I haven't used my CNA license since transferring it here) but working as an LPN, even just PRN, might be something to strongly consider. My mom is the president of a local therapy company, so I am hoping to be able to use some of her connections to find work when its time, as she knows a very large number of people in the medical field, and even employs LPNs and RN's in her work.

Good luck on becoming a parent soon. It is hard, and I suspect will make nursing school more difficult, but so so worth it. My boys are the best thing to ever happen to me.

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Thank you! I know it'll make nursing school more difficult but my wife and her whole family are 100% supportive (all my family lives thousands of miles away). Honestly one of the reasons I went with nursing vs trying to go the md/pa route is the degree of flexibility in career paths. The fact that you can be fully licensed as a RN before moving further academically is a major advantage, not to mention the existence of MSN and DNP programs with some degree of schedule flexibility. There are options not only in what type of nurse you want to be, but also in how you arrive there.

Those family connections are a great thing to have. I am trying to network as much as possible for the future but you have a big head start already!

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Thank you and congrats to you too. Pharm is tough and I have Algebra and composition this semester so my brain is on overload but I will rest before January, I hope!

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You guys give me hope! I am taking A&P 1 lab and lecture, psychology, medical term, and sociology right now. I want to apply for FALL 2014 in Feb. I will take A&P 2, micro, and pharm next semester....so I've been worried I wouldn't get accepted since I won't have those classes completed by the time I apply. I guess it depends on how many people apply. About how long after you apply do you hear anything back?

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How are your HESI scores (if you have all ready taken it)? Unofficially, I am fairly certain that Gulf Coast places a heavier emphasis on test scores vs. GPA and corequisites completed than other programs might. Again, I did not hear this from the college, just from former students and a study I read that GC participated in on the correlation between good HESI scores and student success rate. If you score high enough it could be enough to boost you over someone else who has the extra classes completed.

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I have heard the same thing about the HESI test scores being more important than your GPA and prereq's. I have heard of students that had everything completed, but didn't do so well on the test and they did not get in, but you just never know.

Children are hard work, but def worth every second! Sometimes when I am frustrated with my girls I remind myself that they are only little once and that time flies by so fast. I look at my youngest who just turned 3 and just think where did the time go!!! It's crazy how fast they grow up and become little adults and then are grown and gone!

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I only worked as a CNA for about 7months. I worked on an alzheimers unit at a LTC facility. I loved it, but it was just too much with my husbands schedule and I worked 2nd shift, so I missed so much with the boys. Since I didn't need to work, we decided for me to just stay home. Besides school, my kids have never been in any type of daycare or anything, and I am always the one to drop them off and pick them up, so it will be different for them as well, but when I mentioned going to after school care, they were very excited because a lot of their friends go as well. I am so involved with their school and volunteering and chaperoning that I think this will be a bigger adjustment for me then them! I am glad we have Fridays off so I can still do things with them one day a week if I can.

Ha! I would have graduated from Tate in 2005, but graduated from Olympic Heights down south instead. I played volleyball, basketball, and softball while I was at Tate.

Where did you guys find the list of books we will need. Are there any with CD's that make you feel like you have to buy new? I almost always buy the ones so that they come with the CD's, but then I never use the CD!

I had no clue you could sit for the NCLEX-PN exam after the second semester. That might definitely be something to look into. I am very very fortunate that I do not have to worry about having a job while in school (hence why I haven't used my CNA license since transferring it here) but working as an LPN, even just PRN, might be something to strongly consider. My mom is the president of a local therapy company, so I am hoping to be able to use some of her connections to find work when its time, as she knows a very large number of people in the medical field, and even employs LPNs and RN's in her work.

Good luck on becoming a parent soon. It is hard, and I suspect will make nursing school more difficult, but so so worth it. My boys are the best thing to ever happen to me.

My brother graduated in 2005. You might know him?? Adam Hill

Well I say you might know him, but I didn't know since you were only at Tate 2 years. But maybe from middle?

Oh and I haven't found a list of books. Maybe Euphonicus did!

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This is the study I was talking about, by the way... I tried to pry any bit of info that I could out of my adviser during the application process, but GC is very tight-lipped about their selection methods in general. After I read this, it confirmed the rumors (to an extent).

http://www.nursingconsult.com/nursing/journals/8755-7223/full-text/PDF/s875572231200155x.pdf?issn=8755-7223&full_text=pdf&pdfName=s875572231200155x.pdf&spid=26168587&article_id=1157787

The GCSC bookstore has a great website in terms of course text info, they actually go into detail as far as what is required, recommended, or completely optional. Here's a link, I used our first class as an example.

http://doresstore.gulfcoast.edu/buy_courselisting.asp?

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