Jan 2017 RPN - George Brown

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Didn't see a thread for GBC January 2017 intake so I thought I'd start one who else has received an offer ?

Finally received my offer of admission to George Brown's Practical Nursing program for January 2017 on Tuesday and accepted today so I'm super excited :)

I was originally set on going to centennial because they had a flexible program which allows less courses per semester but slowly became turned off after accepting my offer by the school's lack of organization , lack luster tour and the struggle to get any information . I didnt even think I would get an offer for George Brown because of how competitive it was I remember being wait listed last year and being devastated so I'm really ecstatic! I was abit worried at first because of the first semester course load but GBC is much closer to me, I've had nothing but positive experiences when communicating with staff and just received and overall more positive vibe in the environment so they eventually won me over haha .

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Hi there,

i got accepted st Gbc as well, I'm super excited to start there. The first semester look sort of heavy with 9 courses but it will work with time management and prioritizing.

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Congratulations! Honestly there's disorganization in both programs but I think that's just the reality of PN. You get what you put into this program. So being ecstatic is a great start. :)

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hi futureNP95

omg! ur story exactly same as mine, i also was interested to join centennial flexi program, but they r so rude! i personally had to go their campus to find out some information which they refused to share over phone. while, George brown was very informative so i choose to go with this college. btw, do u hv any idea how many break we gonna have? i wish they had the 16 month continuous program like sheridan. coz, waiting for 4 month or 8 month within this 2 years totally waste of time :(

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Hey guys :)

First off, congratulations on being accepted! The PN program at George Brown is very competitive so you should both be very proud of yourselves. I am just finishing up my first semester now and getting ready for exams, so if either of you two have any questions don't hesitate to ask.

Overall I think it's a pretty good program, the campus was recently built and absolutely beautiful. I also liked my teachers this semester, they were all very kind, and most of them were very on top of everything.

What's good about this program is that all the content and course objectives are uploaded to blackboard, so check it religiously and follow it! Staying organized and keeping on top of your work is the key to doing well.

I don't want to scare you guys, but around half (or possible more) of the 200 people who make it into this program don't end up finishing. It is a lot of work, and you will spend a lot of time studying, however if nursing is what you love, then you will enjoy a lot of the work.

I will say though that from what I've been hearing, and what I can see about what is in store for me next semester, first semester is more of a trial than anything, and you shouldn't find it very difficult (If you are really struggling in the first semester, continue on! But it may not be for you:( ). I have been told that second semester is where the grind really starts, and it's when people start dropping out.

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I'd agree with that. I didn't see anyone drop out in my semester 1. But once you're placed in an agency (for me, I had it in semester 1 but that changed) starting in semester 2 and actually need to master your time management skills it becomes too much for a lot of people. And that's okay.

My personal experiences have been fine. It's disorganized at times as the program changes so much (adding courses, placement problems, etc) so being flexible and staying calm is key. I swear they forget to place me every semester. : p Just don't be afraid to politely advocate for yourself. I think Lisa is right in warning of the drop out rate, not as a scare tactic of course but just to be mindful that it does get tricky and staying on top of your work is the only way to get through it. I saw too many people expect the information to be spoon fed to them by their professors and at the end of the day you're responsible for knowing what you need to know. Not really an issue in semester 1, but later on you'll see what I mean.

Make friends! They double as a support system and study partners. And no one knows what it's like better than the people experiencing it with you. Be skeptical of rumours, but don't ignore them as the communication between faculty and students isn't always perfect. Obviously check the sources! Get an agenda. They offer them for free at the Student Association.

Also, be kind. There's a strange culture in PN that's highly competitive and cliquey which still bothers me. I didn't come straight from high school so it was a shock to me. It pays off, honestly. When you help others, they're willing to help you, and hopefully they pass it on. You'd think teamwork would be a natural skill in nursing but...nope!

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Wow thanks for the insight ! :)

Personally I feel many of those who drop out are those who aren't prepared for how demanding post secondary school is and how independent they need to be when it comes to their learning (not saying this is always the case) . Some people can quickly adapt while others fall too far behind

In terms of questions :

- Do you need to wear scrubs to every class ?

- Do you need to be in attendance for every class ? (In pre health I could get away with missing a few of my classes on a regular basis because I understood the material thoroughly but I had a friend kicked out of her nursing program at Humber because she missed a week of classes after having a baby)

- what class did you find the hardest ? ( I heard people didn't move on to second semester due to their anatomy marks but I found that was the class I did best at during prehealth)

- is their tutoring available on campus ?

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thanks bootzie LisaStone

could u guys please tell me in this 2 years program total how many 4 month break u'll get 1 or 2? n how many days of classes per week? just curious :sarcastic:

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Well there are a lot of parents in the program. For many this is a second career, and speaking as a student without children, I have no idea how the mothers of the program manage it. They're superheroes.

It's also different than university in that there are many little assignments and presentations as opposed to the odd paper, midterm and final exam. I personally found university easier! It's not the difficulty of the content, it's the volume.

1) No. You wear scrubs to lab based classes and placement.

2) No. (that's a super weird situation too with the Humber student!) I mean, yes, go to class. Most people need the auditory benefit of instruction. I don't...but...I went to university and am an independent learner and my grades are fine. Going to class keeps you on track though, and sometimes professors drop hints about upcoming tests. It's generally a better thing to do, but don't sweat it if you need the time to study for a test that happens to be that day. Labs, however, are mandatory, as they should be. Clinical is mandatory. I see students taking a day off from clinical and I don't get it...you're paying for that education and it's a direct window to your future career.

3) Depends! The most common classes to be offered in the spring for those who fail are pathology and pharmacology, I think. Theory is tough for many as well. Anatomy is memory based, not application, so I wouldn't say that's tough compared to the others. For semester 1, I'd guess Theory will be the most challenging. Attend Peer Led learning sessions, they help. :) I think I had all A's in semester 1...I can't recall struggling with that level.

4) Not for nursing, but there is a place in the library for editing papers and APA checks and such which will be important later if you struggle with that. There are Peer Led Learning Sessions (CALs) that can be helpful as they engage you with the material. It's run by students (hi) and they review the material with you.

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Hi there,

great insight! Thank you for your information. I hope you keep in touch with us during your run. And maybe we can bump into each other.

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1. Like Bootzie said, you don't wear scrubs to every class (Only one class - lab). It isn't required the first week, but I would still buy it right away because they can sell out fast.

2. I can only speak for semester one, but I don't think it's necessary to attend every single class. That being said, try to attend as many as you can. I got away with missing a couple PN Role classes, but I wouldn't miss any anatomy classes! Luckily all the power point slides are posted online, along with the required readings, so it is possible to teach yourself the content if you need to. But I wouldn't recommend missing classes unless you reallly need to.

3. Going into this program, I was most nervous for anatomy because I knew it was going to be a LOT of memorization, but it's now one of my best marks. It starts off slow at first, but it builds up toward the end, so it's key to stay on top of it or you can fall behind really easily! Personally, I find Nursing Theory to be the hardest, although not super difficult. The content isn't too tough, but the tests can be tricky. A few people struggle with Math/Pharmacology (you need an 80% or higher to pass). Although there isn't much math involved, it wouldn't hurt to brush on basic arthmytic if you struggle with math.

4. Just to add to Bootzie, there isn't nursing tutoring, but you would really benefit making friends and sharing notes with them/forming study groups. I learn well on my own, but I still learn some good tips when I study with other people.

Bootzie, do you still attend GBG? What semester are you in now?

Akhi, since I started in September, I have two one month breaks (Christmas) and then one 4 month break this summer, I will be graduated (hopefully) in April of 2018. If you start this January, then you'll have to go through an extra 4 month summer break, although I know a student who did two semester in a row to avoid that.

I have classes every day this week, there were no options to have a day off this semester. Monday and Tuesday are very short days for me (8-10 and 11-1) since I took English/Elective during the summer to lower my course load.

There are options for semester two that offer a day off during the week, but I wouldn't recommend it because on one of those days you have three classes spread out from 8 am to 6 pm on one day, at least personally I wouldn't like that.

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Very good advice re: brushing up on math! I got 92% in university calculus but trying to remember long division (because we weren't allowed calculators) for that math course was actually a struggle. If you don't use it you lose it!

I'm still there, yes. :) Finishing up semester 3. And still alive. Somehow. *runs on 3 hours of sleep*

Sorry I completely missed the other question! I believe both semester 2 and 3 get a day off? I think? This program changes so much I can barely keep track. SOME students can do their last semester in the summer, depending on how good your grades are. Most people opt to take a break because third semester is not easy and you need to breathe a bit.

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