Since it seems that there's quite a bit of interest, I'm attempting to start a new thread devoted exclusively to the OU on-line RN-BSN program that will hopefully build on the comments on assorted previous threads.
I'd like to ask nevergonnagiveup, mtsteelhorse and babynurse73 - all of whom (I think) are either already in the program or have applied for admission - to post about their experiences. I just sent in my application and plan to post periodically about relevant issues. If we can populate the thread with good material, it could become a very useful resource for both those considering the OU program and students already in it. Once that happens, I'd hope we could prevail upon the forum moderators to make it a sticky thread.
As indicated, I've only recently applied to the program. So far, I'm happy with the support and information I've gotten. I've been contacted by an OU "enrollment specialist" who was somewhat helpful (I suspect that they have dual roles, one being to provide basic information to prospective students and the other to follow-up with the prospects and help to fill the roster for the program). This person e-mailed me, followed up with a phone call and was able to provide some useful, if basic, information about the program. I also sent a lengthy e-mail to OU with quite a number of specific, detailed questions. This too resulted in both an e-mail and telephone response, this time from an academic advisor in the OU School of Nursing. Again I received some useful and quite helpful information. All in all, my early experience has been pretty positive.
As indicated above, I plan to post about relevant issues that come up as I work my way through the admission and evaluation process. I'd very much like to hear from others about their experience with OU and I'm sure that there will be a lot of interest by others in our collective experience with the program.
I am statistic illiterate. This 5 week stat class is going to be the death of me. It is like learning Chinese. Anyone willing to tutor for 4 weeks in the Lancaster area?
Kelly --
It's been a while since I had stats but I'm usually pretty good at figuring things out, especially when I have access to a couple of good sources, like a stats text. I actually have an excellent one that I kept from grad school that you can borrow if you think it will help. I'm in the Philly area.
PM me and I'll give you my contact info (my e-mail address may be in my profile).
michellemybell, how do you take the Mod1 tests twice???!!! I can't get it to open. It just shows that I'm still waiting for the grade. Please advise! Thank you!
michellemybell, how do you take the Mod1 tests twice???!!! I can't get it to open. It just shows that I'm still waiting for the grade. Please advise! Thank you!
Just open it again and at the bottom will be a "retake" button next to a "review" button. It will start again! Let me know how you make out.
I have some questions for you all about the Ohio DARS:
Who has the ultimate responsibility for preparing it? Who goes through your transcripts and decides which courses are the equivalent of Ohio University courses? Does your advisor do this? Is it the registrar's office? Do they have to clear courses with specific departments (i.e., if you're getting organic chemistry equated do they have to go check with the chemistry department and see if they'll allow it)? Have any of you been asked to provide a catalog from a previously attended university so they can read the course description to find out what it equates to?
I have gone through their catalog and have a pretty good idea of how everything I've taken SHOULD equate to their courses. If everything is exclusively up to the advisor, I have a good mind to prepare a spreadsheet of what I've taken and what the equivalent is along with my rationale if that will help speed things up.
I have some questions for you all about the Ohio DARS:
Who has the ultimate responsibility for preparing it? Who goes through your transcripts and decides which courses are the equivalent of Ohio University courses? Does your advisor do this? Is it the registrar's office? Do they have to clear courses with specific departments (i.e., if you're getting organic chemistry equated do they have to go check with the chemistry department and see if they'll allow it)? Have any of you been asked to provide a catalog from a previously attended university so they can read the course description to find out what it equates to?
I have gone through their catalog and have a pretty good idea of how everything I've taken SHOULD equate to their courses. If everything is exclusively up to the advisor, I have a good mind to prepare a spreadsheet of what I've taken and what the equivalent is along with my rationale if that will help speed things up.
There is an evaluator assigned to your file at the school of nursing. I've spoken to mine a couple of times and exchanged several e-mails with her. While I haven't asked the question directly, I don't think that your advisor - who is a different person - plays a role.
I've found my evaluator to be a very decent person who seems to honestly want to make sure that you get a fair and thorough evaluation. I've actually done what you mention - a spreadsheet listing the OU requirements with the corresponding transfer coursework - and provided it to the evaluator. It worked out quite well and highlighted the fact that OU had not gotten my complete academic record from one school (they sent only my grad transcript). I also attached catalog descriptions for certain courses that I thought might be problematic (e. g., my Intro Psych course was called Human Behavior I, which has caused problems with transfer credit in the past, so I sent that catalog description). One thing I learned from my talks with the evaluator was that OU could not give me undergrad credit for my graduate courses in statistics. Much to my relief, she went on to say that she could however waive the stats requirement. I don't know if this is true in all cases but if you have grad courses it's worth exploring.
As far as speeding things up, I don't think that's possible. As I've posted previously, I applied to OU in Feb and all of my transcripts (with the one exception listed above) were received by March. Yet I still don't have a DARS. That's actually not quite correct; I have 3 DARS reports, all of them preliminary. I spoke to my evaluator after getting the 3rd DARS in late Aug - I p*ssed and moaned about it here since it showed I needed just about everything. She apologized for it and stated that I should not have received it since it was still preliminary (apparently, it was a system error due to the new computer system still not being up to speed). She also stated that that this version still showed only the automatic, computer-matched requirements and that the OU evaluation staff still needed to make the manual adjustments. While she was still not able to say when the final DARS would be available, she stated again that as per previous DARS conversations, it looked to her that I've satisfied all of the non-nursing BSN prereqs.
So, 6 or so months later, a week into my second semester in the RN-BSN program, I still don't have a DARS. I'm reasonably optimistic however that at the end of the process, I'll make out OK.
Delta, thank you for providing the websites that helped you with statistics. I already had them bookmarked from where you mentioned them to me already but had actually forgotten I had, so I will check them out. Chuckster, I appreciate very much the offer for the book but I am feeling like I am going to just need to sit down with someone at this point. I am sure it is simple but the lightbulb just hasn't clicked on yet. Thanks again to both of you. It is nice we all can be here for each other :)
Delta, thank you for providing the websites that helped you with statistics. I already had them bookmarked from where you mentioned them to me already but had actually forgotten I had, so I will check them out. Chuckster, I appreciate very much the offer for the book but I am feeling like I am going to just need to sit down with someone at this point. I am sure it is simple but the lightbulb just hasn't clicked on yet. Thanks again to both of you. It is nice we all can be here for each other :)
Oh and I forgot to add Youtube. There are a lot of instructor videos on their that literally steps your through the process. Yes, stats is definitely like you are teaching yourself... Is there a college/university in your area. Might want to place an ad in the student union or local coffee shop regarding needing a tutor. Or you can try tutorvista.com
chuckster, ADN, BSN, RN, EMT-B
1,139 Posts
Kelly --
It's been a while since I had stats but I'm usually pretty good at figuring things out, especially when I have access to a couple of good sources, like a stats text. I actually have an excellent one that I kept from grad school that you can borrow if you think it will help. I'm in the Philly area.
PM me and I'll give you my contact info (my e-mail address may be in my profile).
Charlie