JDavis2009

I'm sorry if my honest opinion of the program I'm in seems like "pushing"... but, i think i'm entitled to talk about the great experience i'm having especially since a lot of people are so eager to bash it. i take it personally when someone says that using tcn is idiotic or stupid... maybe i shouldn't but it seems to be the equivalant of calling ME and idiot. I guess I can try to tone down my enthusiasm in the future

have you seen or taken advantage of the online courses...? I only ask that because i think they're worth more than the $15-$30 you can spend on e-bay -- it sounds like the majority of the complaints regarding tcn material is based solely on the PRINTED modules which were offered to me as more of a supplement to what's online...

douglask, smat1, dstep102570: as a newer tcn student its easy to get discouraged with all the negative comments...(i feel like everyone is telling me im a total idiot for using tcn) so, i appreciate seeing the positive experiences you all have had -- i wish you'd post more!! thanks :d

as far as I know tcn wont finance the cpne -- you have to pay excelsior directly.

i asked tcns academics service about this.. theysaid that if you finance your exam fees with TCN then they are obligated to pay for them as you test (if your contract is in good standing)-- regardless of any increase. so if you financed your exam fees at $225 and they are now $250, they have to pay you $250 when you test. so, get on it!

Hi srfjesusppl, How are you doing so far in the tcn program? Have you taken your first exam yet? Just noticed you hadn't posted on this thread for a while -- :)

this is awesome! I noticed last week there were about A LOT more sites available for Excelsior exams in my area -- i drove almost 2hrs for my first exam, but that's been cut to only 20 min :)

I'm considering this as an affordable option for my BSN after I finish the ASN -- it's a blended program and has both test-out and online classes. You can contact Excelsior directly about this as well as College Network (if you haven't been scared by all the negative posts) bc they offer study modules for some of the nursing courses as well as the pre reqs -- i'm a student with tcn now and talked to the rep about this when we discussed the ASN. Ps. I'm enjoying tcn's program, but you can expect about ten people to jump on this thread and bash them at any second :)

OMG.. this is something my mom used to say to me and my sister when we'd get into arguments...haha.. I haven't heard this in a long time, but I would probably slap someone for saying it now :)

I thought about that after reading a lot of the bad reviews on here, but I decided to meet with a rep anyway. when he came out to my house he showed me how all the guides are now offered online and that really appealed to me. i hardly use the printed modules, to be honest... i like the online version better because i think its easier for me to learn when i can interact and constantly test myself with material instead of just reading and trying to remember everything. plus i can take the practice exams as many time as I want -- my tcn advisor told me not to schedule the exam at pearson until i was passing the online tests with at least a 90% just to be sure.. got an A in Soc, A- on LifeSpan, and a B on Micro (hate that class btw). I'm pretty ADD , so I don't think the printed modules by themselves would do a lot of good -- and i'm on the computer a lot anyway bc i'm a facebook junkie! if someone can study w/just the modules with absolutely no support (i talk to tcn advisors every couple of weeks) then more power to them, but u get what u pay for!

College Network is not a requirement for completing Excelsior's RN Program but some people (like me) have found their services very helpful. Some say it's a more expensive way to go, but having one online study guide per cousre instead of the multiple textbooks that I've heard Excelsior students have to buy and study is saving me a lot of time -- plus the practice exams are unlimited and FREE ...not free with Excelsior. I also like the fact that if I mess up on an exam they will pay a local tutor in my area to help me and may for my exams until I pass. I don't see Excelsior offering that kind of "customer service". In general, the excelsior program is not for everyone, especially those who aren't able to motivate themselves to study, or need the hand-holding of a professor, but in my college network offers a lot of support not found going directly through excelsior. Regardless of where you're at now you should always do your research before signing any contracts with anyone. go to the boards, visit the company websites, etc... i googled "college network reviews" earlier and found that tcn has a new website and blog page and and it looks like a good place for more information on there programs (kindof onesided tho). i also noticed a blog about consumer review sites and how its normal to find more negative than positive comments..haha... here;s the link: blog.collegenetwork.com/blog/college-network-reviews if want to check it out. happy 2011!

Telling people to "expect a high pressure sales pitch" an opinionated statement that doesn't reflect 100% truth, so the only reason to write that would be to scare people...unless YOU have personally met with a cn rep -- but it doesn't sound like you have. If what you're pointing out is "almost obvious" then your basically calling everyone who has used college network to earn their RN an idiot IMO. there are thousands of nurses who have been successful using college network and I suggest looking through the stories on their website.

I'm currently working with College Network for my RN and have had very positive experience so far. Just one online study guide for every class instead of regular text books. May not be for everyone though, because you really have to be able to make yourself study, and it is more expensive.. if your self movtivated it may be a good route. Obviously you want to research, but don't let anyone scare you out of meeting with someone who can provide you with more information.

I wouldn't describe my meeting as "high pressure" at all and I don't understand why you would try to scare people away from making an educated decision for themself. also buying them though ebay presents a couple of problems.... violation of copywrite laws and the chance the materials are incomplete/out of date, and absolutely no support.

There's no harm in meeting with a TCN rep... if you don't like what they say about the program then you don't have to pursue it. But I would at least meet with them so that you can get the info and make that decision yourself (dont let anyone else make up your mind 4 u). theres no questions that alot of companies have been in and out of the eductation-provider business, but TCN has been around for about 20 years...if it were a scam or breaking the law it would have gone out of business a long time ago. I love what the way they have structured the material.. not textbooks...no classes... a private tutor if I can't pass my course exams. It's pretty awesome. Theres a couple of nurses at my facility who went through this program and they say as long as you are self-motivated its an exccellent way to earn your license.