Pensacola Junior College

JENSHOO · May 8, 2009

i am in the RN program at PJC, due to graduate in December. the program is good, but the school is disorganized. the people in the nursing dept (not the instuctors) are all very abrasive, and they try to almost intimidate you out of the program. The instructors are wonderful. a typical schedule is open on Wednesdays. most people use that day to study, or to do pre-requisites that they didn't already complete. (sociology, micro, a&p2). you have a choice with the schedule you choose, but regardless, you will be in class two days, and in clinicals 2 days. sometimes the clinicals(especially in the first semester) are just at the school in the lab, learning and practicing skills. everyday is exciting. the program moves very fast, so you have to be dedicated. I am married and a mother of 2 boys, and it is very challenging. If you can quit your job to go to school, that is the best plan. that is what i had to do, and i don't know how i would have done it any other way. if not, then perhaps you could do the nights and weekend program, or work evenings (if you chose a morning schedule for school). the day is done by 2:00 on most days. the trouble with trying to schedule a job, is that besides your classes and clinicals, there are simulations you have to sign up for, that aren't part of your regular schedule. and there is so much information, it's not like other classes where you can cram the night before a test. you need atleast 2 hours everyday after class, to review on your own, before showing up to class the next day, because they lectures do not wait for you to catch on. sorry to go on, i just thought a realistic opinion might help you. all in all-it's a great program, and it is very much worth getting into. it just has to be your full time job! Good Luck! I am sure you will do great! -jenny

kayty2339 · May 8, 2009

Thank you SO much for your reply! You gave me a lot of great insight into what it's really like in the program. Right now I'm in between going to PJC and JDCC in brewton. The only thing I don't like about JDCC is the long drive! It's good to know that the instructors are good at PJC even if the administration is not. I found that a lot of people that work at PJC (not necessarily the instructors) have been pretty abrasive and rude at times. They really need to fix that. It's good to know that the program is doable with a family. I'm pretty sure I will just have to quit working. My husband is planning on hopefully getting a second job (his schedule allows it) and that will make up a little of my income and even if I have to get a student loan out to make up the difference, I'm willing to do it. I just hate to put more debt on my shoulders! I figure it would be worth it though to fulfill this dream and it will only be for about 4 semesters anyways right? Well, I just hope everything works out!

Thank yo uso much again for your input, I really appreciate it!

Mikey 0-0 · May 9, 2009

Hey buddy, I am starting in January of 2010, I may get in this august, but that chance is near slim to none haha :coollook: . I know what you mean about that drive to JDCC I have to drive to PJC from Fort Walton Beach :cool: (hour each way) :cool: . Did you get on the list for January? I was thinking the same way about the admin, Sarah has always been great, but everyone else is...DIFFERENT...hope to hear from ya! Hopefully we can get to know the people starting in january :)..See ya! E-mail me if you want, I still don't know this site vert well...Do you know how I can start a list for the January class?

tabacue · May 28, 2009

Mikey - I should be in for January 2010 too. I took my NLN last weekend and am finishing College Algebra next month. I had hoped that I might get in the Fall program too, but I checked a week or two ago and they already have 190 "candidates". I still had these two pre-reqs to do so, I don't think it is going to happen. I met a girl that was 32nd on the waiting list and she got in. I moved back to P-Cola 2 years ago and have been taking my classes remotely from FCCJ in Jacksonville just because PJC is not up to par with their class offerings. After this term, I lack an AA in Pyschology by one class and have taken 99% of my classes online. I could never do that at PJC. I took both A&P's online (actually taking 2 right now) and Chemistry. It has been a blessing because I work and have 3 boys.

Noel1221 · May 29, 2009

Hello, All I was wondering about this program as well!! I am finishing up the rest of my pre-requisites, I should be done by Decemeber. How hard was the NLN exam? I would love to know more about the program as well. Also, how long is the wait from when you turn in your final pre-reques to when they will accept you? Thank you!! :specs:

Mikey 0-0 · May 29, 2009

Hey tabacue and Noel1221 :). I received candidacy about 2 weeks ago, I am like 183, but remember 140 of those are for the fall, 110 seats, but the lady that does all the nursing paperwork sends out 30-40 more acceptance letters because on average 25% of people that are in the first 110 do not accept their letter (for whatever reasons that turn down the school for their acceptance). So in all actuality i am like 43. I have 2 friends starting in the fall, both of them live in navarre as I live in FWB. We will be care pooling when I start in january :yeah: . I don't know much about the program, but it took me 3 months to schedule the NLN, that was because all the seats were full. :cool: . The NLN was a joke, for real...I didn't study for it because I was planning on attending a different college at the time and I made well above the 50 that you need. The test is like 80 dollars and you have to sign up for it on the NLN web site. I don't how the program is, but I have met one graduate from there and shes pretty cool. The best thing about their program is that its only 16 months long. From start to finish of the nursing classes. If we start in january 2010 we will end may 2011. Congrats tabacue on doing all that online work, I am also done with everything for my ADN, and as of the end of this semester I will be done with everything for my BSN, and then one more semester to go for my CRNA, mind you, that is all the classes that I can take without the nursing classes, i.e. chem. spanish, etc. When you math class is done, you need to make sure your transcripts are like given to them with your hands around them or they will take forever to process them. He did mine pretty quick...

Noel1221 · May 30, 2009

Hey Mikey,

Yea, I am excited about the 16months, that is not too long, and fortanatley I will only have to do around 53 credits, beacuse I recently got a bachelors in a social science. But Nursing, I have decided is what I am passionate about! I will have to move to Pensacola, If I get excepted. I am taking an Online class now through PJC and so far it has been pretty good, however it just began, so you know how that goes. I hear the program is pretty tough, but I am hopefully ready for it. Let me know when your accepted into the program! I would love to know how it all goes and all about the process to get there. I bought a NLN study book, because I have not done basic math or anything like that in a long while, is there anything you would reccomend me study for? Also, what is the "Math related Test" I have to take that? Just wondering what all is involved in that exam. Anyways I look forward to hearing from you guys about your experiences!! Thanks!

Mikey 0-0 · May 30, 2009

Hey Noel, the math related test is a 35 question test. Its :yawn:ALL:yawn: fractions, like convert decimal to fraction, and back, etc. you have to get 26 out of 35 to pass. If you don't pass you can't take it again for 3 months. It was pretty easy tho... If you have a BS already, then you could just do an accelerated bachelor change at UWF, you get you BSN in like 2 years. Check that out. I Already got my candidacy letter, so I will be starting in January :cool: . The only thing I had an issue with the NLN was the language part, I am born and raised english ahah and some of those words I have never seen before :). So brush up on your vocab

tabacue · Jun 1, 2009

HRM was easy. NLN was fine, but I did study. Mikey, I am with you. I thought I would do the best on the verbal portion but there were definitely words I didn't know. I did best at Math, which is my worst subject. Our proctor said no one ever fails the NLN. That would have been nice to know going in...calm the nerves a bit.

Congrats on getting in for sure in January. I am on the fence - I started looking into Jefferson Davis CC because I am less than 20 miles from there, they have a point system for entry and they are accepting applications for fall until June 15th. I just don't know if that is where I want to go. They have been around for a while...I just want to get started!! One of the cons is that I would be licensed in Alabama and I would have to pay again for Florida licensure. I'll just have to see what happens. There is a possibility I wouldn't get in there either - they don't have a specific number of students, which is a little fishy. They should have an idea of how many it will take to fill the class.

Mikey 0-0 · Jun 1, 2009

Hey :). Ya PJC is on rolling admissions so every day someone could finish their required admission criteria and gain a seat in the program. So be sure to finish and get your seat, because even if you don't want to go to PJC you can at least know that you have a seat.

I thought about Jeff davis, but for one, its 2 years, and its farther than PJC for me. hehe...hope everything works out for ya! :)

Noel1221 · Jun 5, 2009

Hello again!

I thought about applying to UWF, it's just that I have to take another 3 or 4 classes to do the Nursing program there, and after December I will be ready to apply for PJC. Not sure if I shold take another year to complete the pre-reques for UWF, or just go for my ADN then later do a bridge degree? I would love to hopefully get into PJC for August of 2010, you think that would be possible if I am through with my admissions criteria in December of 2009? Good Luck to all of you as well, and thanks for all the great info!!