Kennesaw State Spring 2011

ktm90 · Oct 19, 2010

I dropped my contract off today. I've had a few letters and packages get lost in the mail, so I didn't want to risk this one. And I can save a bit on postage :)

slc0788 · Oct 19, 2010

K thanks. I'm going to drop mine off tomorrow. I'm getting excited!!

KSUHopeful · Oct 22, 2010

Hey everyone! It's really encouraging to read all of your success stories. I'm one step behind you guys. I applied for the Summer 2011 entrance to the nursing program at KSU so I'm anxious to find out if I will get an interview!

Can anyone reading this tell me if you did volunteer/ shadowing with an RN prior to your interview? I work full time and am still finishing up my pre-req's so my schedule is pretty packed. I want to make sure that I can address the question of why I want to go into nursing without having done any job shadowing. I don't know if my true answer will cut it...and that is...that I just know!

I would really appreciate any info from those who got an interview on whether or not you volunteered with a nurse & of course if you got in to the program. Thanks! :)

blueyes3452 · Oct 22, 2010

Hey KSUHopeful! I just got accepted into the program and I interviewed twice. I did not do any volunteering or shawdowing with a RN. They asked me, " What has motivated you to be a nurse?" I pretty much told them that family was a hugh motivator because I have two sisters that are nurses and I got a good understanding of the good qualities a nurse should posses and I see them in myself (then they will ask what good qualities do you see in yourself). You don't really have to volunteer to answer this question. Try and pull anything that is honest from your life that really has inspired you to be a nurse. It could be a life experience, family, friends, etc. When they ask this question, they are looking for passion. If you say "Well I just want to help people"..that is way too broad of an answer and is generic. The most important thing to remember is to BE SPECIFIC and don't give generic answers that they are expecting to hear. I learned this the first time I interviwed. I wasn't prepared and my answers were way too broad. Set yourself apart from everyone else. They really like hearing specific stories and examples from your life.

KSUHopeful · Oct 22, 2010

Thank you so much for the insight! I will definitly prepare myself with stories that honestly reflect why I'm pursuing a career in nursing! Congrats again and maybe we will see eachother at KSU when we are both there next year.

keno2 · Oct 22, 2010

If your schedule is packed, I would not shadow. I would concentrate on A's! Like blueyes said, be specific. You have to tell a specific example or story for every question, but I felt like the "tell us what brought you to nursing" or "why do you want to be a nurse" was just a warm up question and you could be a little more broad. But then they go into "tell us a time when...." and that's when you have to tell a specific story that relates. It's a little nerve wracking and you kind of feel like your stories are stupid, but they want a story to write down and then it is rated. Be sure to prep by writing down everything in advance and then I found it easier to pull from those stories. The questions seem to be the same, for the most part, every time (I've done it twice and got in the 2nd time, but not due to the interview....I had high interview score the first time). I was nervous to the max both times....I'm just not a very good storyteller, but I made it thru! Good luck!

KSUHopeful · Oct 22, 2010

thanks keno! your feedback is greatly appreciated. i'm working with 4 a's and 3 b's on my 7 classes for my competitive score, a total gpa of around a 3.5, and a 92.4 on my teas. so, i'm hopeful that my grades will at least warrant an interview. i took most of my pre-reqs at boston university where an a is a 96 or above, so that's where the b's came in to play. i'm just keeping my fingers crossed that a letter comes through the mail one of these weeks!

i'm incredibly nervous about the interview. i have only interviewed a handful of times in my life and never has an interview been more important to me. i want this way more than i wanted my job that i have now and interviewed for 5 years ago. i know that sounds crazy, but it's the truth! i will definitely compile some specific stories that speak to how i found myself wanting to pursue this career. any other insight or questions that you think you could share with me would be appreciated.

congrats on making it in to the program. i don't think that anyone understands how of an amazing accomplishment that is as much as all of us nursing student hopefuls (especially those of us with our sights on ksu).

thanks again!

keno2 · Oct 22, 2010

Your stats sound VERY good! :up:

slc0788 · Oct 23, 2010

I didn't shadow a nurse exactly but I'm a tech in a very busy ER so I did have those stories to pull from. The most important thing is that you have examples to share. They ask specific questions so they don't want vague answers. Think of good examples of a time you had to make a decision, a time when you had to show compassion to a difficult person, a time you had to be detail-oriented, etc. They focus on the essential skills that every nurse should have. The good thing is that they make you feel extremely comfortable. I had 2 people interviewing me and they were super sweet and were interactive instead of just sitting there and taking notes on what I said. And think of questions to ask them. At the very end they'll ask you if you have any questions and it's definitely helpful to say something so they get an idea of your interest level. It doesn't have to be a monumental question, just something to start conversation.

And most of all, RELAX! Your stats sound great! I know very few people with a TEAS score that high and many people with a score lower than yours that got in. You're obviously competent and passionate about getting into the program so that will reflect in your interview. I know exactly how you feel but nothing feels better than getting the interview out of the way and having it completely out of your hands. I hope you get your letter soon!!! :) :)

KSUHopeful · Oct 23, 2010

Thank you so much for the information on the interview. You guys are great on here! I'm so glad that I found this posting and joined in. I will absolutely use this information to help me prepare, that is if I get an invitation letter soon. Let's keep our fingers crossed! :)

blueyes3452 · Nov 19, 2010

To everyone beginning this Spring, I'm looking forward to meeting you all at orientation Dec 13! So exciting!!!

ktm90 · Dec 8, 2010

I got a call from Fran today, I got a spot for the spring! :D

I can't make it to orientation next week since I'll be out of town (Fran said I could have a smaller one in January) but hopefully I'll see some of you in class next semester :)