Nova students...what do we think so far?

are u in Nova? im putting in my app in January for the Fall term..Im finishing my reqs @ mdc now..Nova is my 2nd choice school (after MDC)..what do you think of it so far? is that anatomy in the 4000 level a killer? whats your schedule like? lol sorry for all the questions

I was just looking back on the threads about how excited and nervous we all were....so now that the first semester is almost over, what do you think so far?

I have a few opinions, but want to open it for discussion first.

I know that I did not finish at NSU, but when I was there, I felt that I was getting a good education, that was worth every penny. Nova is a challenging program, the advanced A&P was a difficult course for me that I did not conquer--- but overall, I think that the students end up getting well prepared for the nclex-rn exam.

I had my interview not too long ago for Nova fall 2009 program. How do you feel about the program so far? (NovaRN2010) I'm just playing a waiting game to see if I got in.

To be honest the program is going through some growing pains at the moment as far as the students are concerned. The A&P was tough, but fair, and if you study and A is definitely possible.

They changed a lot of things this semester that were not in place last semester or for the previous classes. It is nearly IMPOSSIBLE to keep an A in any class. They clump the tests together so you have nothing for a few weeks then an exam in each class plus a quiz and a clinical assignment due in the same week. All the material is not covered in class, there are only 40 questions on the exams and there is no possible way to keep up on ALL the reading and really study everything. What is right in one class is wrong in another. A lot of the times it is dumb luck if you pick the right answer. The schedule is constantly changing, more classes, extra labs in which we accomplish nothing....I could go on and on....but I won't.

There are a lot of very intelligent students who are struggling, and so far we have been told, "Too bad."

I'm trying to be honest and fair. I'm not in danger of failing, but a lot of people are and its not because they are not smart, do not understand the material, or don't study. If you get in and chose to attend, be prepared to study like you've never studied before. There are several people who have prior degrees ranging from psych, to chem, to computer programming. All of these people are having difficulty pulling the grades reflective of the work they are putting in.

Are we going to be prepared for the NCLEX, yes. Is all this added stress worth it, especially for the $$$? I'm not sure. Are we going to be great nurses? Yes. Are we going to be perhaps better prepared than those in other programs? Maybe. Are our grades going to be reflective of what we learned? No.

The RN-BSN program is very different - I know some people about to graduate and they cannot believe what we are going through.

Thanks for all that information. I heard such great things about Nova. I'm soo confused and scared now. I really want to go there but I'm a little nervous now! I know nursing school is suppose to be tough... I just want to come out of it being the best nurse I can possibly be. Thanks for the heads up. I wish you the best of luck.

Sorry to confuse you, I certainly don't want to scare you! Trust me, I wish I had nothing but glowing things to say! If you chose Nova you are going to have the opportunity to learn to be a great nurse. Just be prepared for some bumps along the way. Like I said, I'm trying to be honest and fair.

I understand and appreciate it! :)