New LPN students to start soon !! Come share your experiences :)

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I am starting in September I figured it would be nice to start a thread where all of us new students could come and and share our experiences/help eachother out as we are on our way to be nurses :)

Our orientation was July 20th, and we went over so much my head was spinning. It seems like a well rounded program and the instructors are nice and have great reviews from former students. I know several nurses from this program and they all passed 1st time.

They also say to plan on doing a LOT of reading and studying, and that the clinicals were good and that the support was good. I am anxious to get started and also to finish.

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I am 3! weeks from finishing my first semester of LPN school.....each of our 3 semesters are broken down into 2 terms (A & B) of 8 weeks each.....I would recommend all new just about to start students to relax and enjoy brainless entertainment - read strictly for fun and watch as much tv as you can stand.....I didn't watch tv my first 1/2 of this semester at all. In our break between terms I caught up on everything I had recorded on the dvr ;)

The first week you may find yourself thinking....what have I done? It isn't that the material is hard, it is just that there is so much of it...and each teacher doesn't care if you have other classes and other homework...that isn't there problem, it's yours. Prepare your family and friends to miss you - if they love you and support you, the best thing they can do is leave you alone to READ and STUDY. 4-6 chapters per class of reading per week is pretty much typical...then there is the homework, etc...I'm half way through pharmacology now.....if you want to get a jump start and make your life easier, get a pharmacology dosage calculation book now and start working on it. If, like me, math has not been your friend, you better change that mind set. I promise you if you work at it you can do it! Unless you are good at math, you will probably find that the formula method is the easiest to master...stay away from ratio and proportion unless you enjoy them!

If you don't have to work - don't! Make studying your job. I'm doing quite well in my classes, and my classmates will tell you how much I study. I feel like there is no way I can learn too much, and I like my A's!

With all that said, I have enjoyed my experience thus far and wouldn't change anything.

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Wow, and thanks. Are u in a self-paced program? I do have to work, so I will just bite the bullet and do it. I have wonderful support from my family and co-workers. Thanks for all the advice, I will look for the dosage calculator today and work with that.

It sounds like you are doing wonderfully well, and are enjoying it! Best luck to you.:yeah:

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:nurse:I will start my LVN on Sep. at St. Francis. Cheers!

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No, I'm not in a self-paced program.....I'm actually in an "accelerated" program, hence the two terms per semester...With three classes I was at school every day (mon-fri) from 8:00 to 12:00 (1:00 on the day we had A&P lab)...the accelerated program does away with "pre-requisites" - those classes are included as part of the curriculum (i.e., Anatomy & Physiology)

Only two more weeks in this semester.....one down (almost) and only two to go!

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That is a great way to do it, and it should make it easier to bridge to RN if you choose. What state are you in? I have not heard of this program in OK.

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I'm in Alabama.....the bridge program is only 3 semesters (accelerated) as well...

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Specializes in Med Surg.

re: new lpn students to start soon !! come share your experiences :)i am still waiting for somebody to tell me how their first weeks in ns were. i know some of you have mentioned that there was too much information all at once and also exams like immediately after but i need to know more information like stories one hears about instructors being mean and dropping as many students as they can. i have heard of classes starting with about 50 students and then half of them being dropped so the school can have just like 20 students after the other 25 students have bought books and everything needed, only to be dropped. i have also heard of students being dropped at their last semesters. i do not know the reasons this happens but i am curious as to why. do medical students and students in other careers get dropped as easily as nursing students are? i would also like someone to advise me on what fundamental of nursing book i can read before we get a list of books we can buy when i start school in two weeks. i will appreciate any information from anyone on any tips before i start school.

as far as dropping students goes, i never saw an instructor deliberately try to flunk out students. i started in a class with over 60 students. at the start of the second term we had 43. we lost three in the second term. we just graduated with 37.

some of the drops in the first semester were due to uncontrollable circumstnces. you know, death in the family, sick kids, house burned down, etc. others dropped because they realized they were in over their heads. some were dropped because they didn't make the required grade (75 minimum). every one we lost in the second and third terms were dropped for going over the number of hours they were allowed to miss. i think most all of the people who get dropped from a program pretty much do it to themselves.

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Hi I am new here, just joined last week, but I've been lurking for quite awhile and love these boards.

This past week I FINALLY got my acceptance in to the LPN program that I was hoping for, I begin actual LPN school in February but will begin my Health/Science Core at the end of the month. I am sooo excited I can barely stand it :yeah:

I've already begun pre-studying for the Med. calculation stuff since I know that math can be a stumbling block for me, so far I am getting it pretty well :)

Well, I just wanted to jump in and say hello to everyone and sort of introduce myself. My name is Gabi.

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hey i started the lvn program on june 24 2009 i'll have my last final tomorrow so far i have one A and three B's . i love it .we went to a nursing home for clinicals; it was an awesome experience. i am looking forward to start my pharmacology class i heard that it is not an easy class. allmy instructors are great! they all desire us to succeed. we have lost a couple of students ; i am not sure but i think 5or 7 students dropped out.

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hi everyone, is there any community college in NYC who offers LPN program on weekends. i work on weekdays. i would be so thankful if somebody could help me? wat are the prerequisite for LPN and how long the LPN program is?

thanks

sherikhawo

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Well, I took the NET today and I get my results Friday or so! AAAH I'm so nervous. I want to know so badly if I passed math and if I can enroll for September. I met some nice people today, too bad most of the people I talked to are applying for the night class. I read online that the school is known for being a decent education but that the students cause lots of drama...I am just going to try to keep out of it. I'm a little nervous about starting school in general. Anybody else starting soon?

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