Portland Community College Fall

Hi there, thanks for starting this thread! I am so thrilled to finally have gotten to this point!! My name is Vanessa and I can't wait to meet everyone soon! Congrats on getting in!!

Good call. I've seen that people sometimes start a Facebook group too, but I'm not super savvy at that. I've gotta say that I'm super relieved- I applied to six schools and PCC is the only one that I got accepted to. It's been quite a past few months!! I'm looking forward to meeting with an advisor and getting my financial aid figured out. Next steps!!

As far as I know almost all schools start their own facebook page for students that have accepted. You then get invited to the page

You get a mentor (if you want) and the mentor team creates a Facebook group with all students and 2nd year mentors (which are a lot of us).

It was definitely a nice way to get in touch with everybody else in the cohort, as well as with those who have "experienced it all" the first year. 2nd years also give us a huge heads up on what to plan for during 2nd year.

Goal is to be transparent as possible, so besides e-mail communication, a Facebook group is a nice way to store photos, share some documents, funny images related to nursing humor, and to get clarification from others. Definitely helped with staying in "the know" all year for me. There's only 16 days left until first year is over!

Anyway, I'm super excited for ya'll and I've signed up to be a mentor to anyone who needs me! (or anyone else in the 2017 cohort). We're a good group of people who are willing to lend a hand.

I'm so curious as to what first year schedule looks like. I've got my kids half the week and am wondering what I'll need for childcare. Mind sharing what a typical week looks like?

Jenna2016 said:

I'm so curious as to what first year schedule looks like. I've got my kids half the week and am wondering what I'll need for childcare. Mind sharing what a typical week looks like?

I'm wondering about that as well! That's one of my concerns is making sure my boys are taken care of and wondering just how flexible my husband will have to be. I've been told before to plan on mon-fri 8-5 but I know it can vary from day to day.

Thursday and/or Friday? Did she indicate times?...

Pdx student- I think he's gonna have to be very flexible. My boyfriend works 6-3 so I'm concerned about the mornings wed-fri when I have my kiddos. The advisor also said there's some weekend clinicals :-( it's gonna be a rough couple of years, but we'll figure it out! It's gonna be worth it!

Mondays, you'll have a fundamentals lecture, and there are advising group meetings. Go to these. 2nd and 3rd term... not so much unless there's a group assembly or if your advisor says otherwise. Mondays are typically 8am to 1pm.

Tuesdays, I think Pathophysiology is from 8-10:50am.

Wednesdays, fundamentals again from 8am to about 10am.

This can very well change with a brand new cohort! But, good to keep in mind.

THEN! On any one of those days, you may have a "colored" skills lab (Green, blue, orange, etc). These are four hours long. Then there's purple lab that is broken up over two nights. 5:30pm to 7:30pm I think. You choose per your schedule. I chose to have my lab on Tuesdays from 1 to 4:50pm. So, Tuesdays were my longgggest days.

Clinicals begin 3rd week on Thursdays or Friday, or BOTH days, and are about 6-7 hrs long depending on if you get one day or two days a week. Get ready for some long term care love! Also- heads up. PCC will place you wherever they want you to be and there is no changing your placement. First year, we went wherever we were assigned. Mine was in Oregon City, and I live in Beaverton/Aloha. Nice, early wake-up! Oh, and they're typically day shifts, but I think there was one group that went from 1pm to 9pm. All depends..

Then, you'll have a simulation lab which has its own set of paperwork. It's great. You will love the instructors, too :) You will attend this with your clinical group and that can be scheduled any day during the term that there isn't clinical or class. It's only one day, but is from 8am to about 3pm.

Hope that helps! I'm sure you'll receive more information as you get closer to orientation and beyond. Just.... enjoy your summer while you can!

kcheck5 said:

Mondays, you'll have a fundamentals lecture, and there are advising group meetings. Go to these. 2nd and 3rd term... not so much unless there's a group assembly or if your advisor says otherwise. Mondays are typically 8am to 1pm.

Tuesdays, I think Pathophysiology is from 8-10:50am.

Wednesdays, fundamentals again from 8am to about 10am.

This can very well change with a brand new cohort! But, good to keep in mind.

THEN! On any one of those days, you may have a "colored" skills lab (Green, blue, orange, etc). These are four hours long. Then there's purple lab that is broken up over two nights. 5:30pm to 7:30pm I think. You choose per your schedule. I chose to have my lab on Tuesdays from 1 to 4:50pm. So, Tuesdays were my longgggest days.

Clinicals begin 3rd week on Thursdays or Friday, or BOTH days, and are about 6-7 hrs long depending on if you get one day or two days a week. Get ready for some long term care love! Also- heads up. PCC will place you wherever they want you to be and there is no changing your placement. First year, we went wherever we were assigned. Mine was in Oregon City, and I live in Beaverton/Aloha. Nice, early wake-up! Oh, and they're typically day shifts, but I think there was one group that went from 1pm to 9pm. All depends..

Then, you'll have a simulation lab which has its own set of paperwork. It's great. You will love the instructors, too ? You will attend this with your clinical group and that can be scheduled any day during the term that there isn't clinical or class.

I thought that the first term was only one nursing class?

Also any idea on your cohorts working during school? For the time being I will have to do full time, I doubt I will the second or third term.