OLOL - Accelarated Program 2007

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hey guys! i finished the OLOL-accelerated program in may and just wanted to send you some words of encouragement/tips, as you guys are about to get started! last year this time, i was going into this program full of questions and with NO idea what to expect. okay, so let's get down to the good stuff!

1. the secretary....she is AWESOME! by far my fav person on staff. be nice to her!!!!

2. be flexible. go to class and expect to be there for the full amount of time that is alotted on the schedule. also, always be ready for schedule changes...it will happen and it will happen frequently.

3. aim low, you will never be disappointed! (sorry, inside joke...had to get that in there somewhere).

4. dont make friends too quick. sit back and observe....this will give you a chance to decide who you are most likely to study well with. and you dont get harnessed to someone who you most likely wont be able to stand in 2 weeks and be worried about how to ditch them! :)

5. X is your friend!!!! this is absolutely the most amazing woman and always willing to help in anyway. she was our BIGGEST advocate!

6. get a saunder's NCLEX study book. i'm not just telling you this....DO IT! i was given this advice and didnt follow it until half-way through the program. study for your exam and then when you have a good grasp on the topic, test yourself from this book. it will help you learn to be a critical thinker. also, the rationales teach you things you would never think of!! DO IT!

7. if you are given a HESI study book...USE IT! another piece of advice i ignored, but finally learned was very useful!

8. when you are doing clinicals...if you are on 5-C, stay AWAY from josie (that's all i have to say about that and you will figure it out anyway)!

9. dont be shocked when your stipend check is half the amount that you expected it to be. they are taxed like bonuses.

10. ask for WIA money!! there are funds for travel expenses, outside of tuition funds. we received 20 dollars/per class day!

11. remember, it is ONLY 9 months. take it one class at a time, one week at time, one test at a time........

12. for pharm....all you need to know is the notes....if you have ms. hurst...she is wonderful. when she tells you to just study the notes...do yourself a favor and just study the notes!

13. YOU CAN DO IT! dont think about that stats....dont think about how many dont make it....be determined that if 20 people graduate next may, you are going to be in that 20. worry about yourself and NO ONE else! you are not there to make friends....you are there because you committed 9 months to a program that will forever better your life.

14. PLAY BALL! :)

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Thanks soooo much for the tips. I have printed out what you wrote, for future reference. I am starting this Fall and am so excited about the program. I already bought my pharm books but am still looking to buy some used books from someone. If you think of any more good info for us, post it!

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Specializes in Peds and Well baby.

It is wonderful when someone takes the time to help upcoming students. I hope if I am ever in the hospital you will be my nurse. If there are any smaller tips that you can give please feel free to do so.

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no problem! i know how lost i felt and ANY information was welcomed. if you have any questions let me know!

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Specializes in Peds and Well baby.

One question please. Should we have a lap top computer or a PDA for classes?

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Specializes in Trauma Administration/Level I Trauma.
One question please. Should we have a lap top computer or a PDA for classes?

Not needed in my opinion, they give you the power point notes so all I did was highlight/write in the margin. I think only one person used a laptop in class, so I guess it depends on your note taking and study habits.

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hey guys! i finished the OLOL-accelerated program in may and just wanted to send you some words of encouragement/tips, as you guys are about to get started! last year this time, i was going into this program full of questions and with NO idea what to expect. okay, so let's get down to the good stuff!

1. the secretary....she is AWESOME! by far my fav person on staff. be nice to her!!!!

2. be flexible. go to class and expect to be there for the full amount of time that is alotted on the schedule. also, always be ready for schedule changes...it will happen and it will happen frequently.

3. aim low, you will never be disappointed! (sorry, inside joke...had to get that in there somewhere).

4. dont make friends too quick. sit back and observe....this will give you a chance to decide who you are most likely to study well with. and you dont get harnessed to someone who you most likely wont be able to stand in 2 weeks and be worried about how to ditch them! :)

5. X is your friend!!!! this is absolutely the most amazing woman and always willing to help in anyway. she was our BIGGEST advocate!

6. get a saunder's NCLEX study book. i'm not just telling you this....DO IT! i was given this advice and didnt follow it until half-way through the program. study for your exam and then when you have a good grasp on the topic, test yourself from this book. it will help you learn to be a critical thinker. also, the rationales teach you things you would never think of!! DO IT!

7. if you are given a HESI study book...USE IT! another piece of advice i ignored, but finally learned was very useful!

8. when you are doing clinicals...if you are on 5-C, stay AWAY from josie (that's all i have to say about that and you will figure it out anyway)!

9. dont be shocked when your stipend check is half the amount that you expected it to be. they are taxed like bonuses.

10. ask for WIA money!! there are funds for travel expenses, outside of tuition funds. we received 20 dollars/per class day!

11. remember, it is ONLY 9 months. take it one class at a time, one week at time, one test at a time........

12. for pharm....all you need to know is the notes....if you have ms. hurst...she is wonderful. when she tells you to just study the notes...do yourself a favor and just study the notes!

13. YOU CAN DO IT! dont think about that stats....dont think about how many dont make it....be determined that if 20 people graduate next may, you are going to be in that 20. worry about yourself and NO ONE else! you are not there to make friends....you are there because you committed 9 months to a program that will forever better your life.

14. PLAY BALL! :)

Thank you so much for all your advice. I start the BR accelerated program in October and I'm so excited. I know its going to different from the NO class in the fact that its their first one, but I'm going to take your pointers anyway for future reference. I'm excited, anxious, and scared out of mind all at the same time, so thank you for all your tips. And thanks for asking about that PDA because I was wondering the same thing.

We also have Ms.Hurst for Pharm in the BR class!! I feel much better now, once again for the 4th time, thanks so much.

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Hi everyone.

Also, you should understand that just because you are nursing students, you do not have to be treated like crap by certain staff members who put their own needs before students' needs. You can always call the Baton Rouge campus if anything is not right. We had to do that several times last year with good results. No one at the New Orleans campus wants the Baton Rouge campus to know what they are doing. Some staff members will try to get away with as much as they can until Baton Rouge administration finds out. Then they straighten their act up for a while. Just remember, you have power too.

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