Pre-Nursing @ Bergen Community College

jjlaman,

Also......I should expect to be in class / clinicals.....everyday from 530 - 11pm ? is this correct ?

I didn't notice your post count my friend. How does this work.....can you still read the PMs....or just see that there is something there ?

I will PM my email addy and cell# if you can read it.

Let me know.

I can receive and read PM's but cannot respond to them yet.

jjlaman,

Also......I should expect to be in class / clinicals.....everyday from 530 - 11pm ? is this correct ?

Class on lecture days can range from 6:00PM-9:30PM (which for the most part is adhered to but you will have some classes that run late) and on clinical days can go from 5:30PM-10:00PM (but depending upon your Professor and location, can go until 11:00PM and with driving distance, you could be getting home quite late).

All you guys are the best, thanks for the information about the entrance exam! Also, thanks to you guys for having this conversation, I've gained a lot more insight into the program and also had a few of my future questions answered Good luck to you both!!

Thank you very much Crissy and good luck!

Wow, so that's what the evening classes look like in Bergen. Phew, I am gonna be getting home really late... ;(

Well, its worth the effort now (sacrifice) for the greater good..!

You will also hear from many a Professor that if you currently are working, it is strongly advised that you don't, lol. The program covers alot of material in a very short amount of time (we take the same exact NCLEX exam as those that have completed 4 year programs) and like me, you can plan on many nights of very little sleep.

While in my class, there are very few of us that didnt work throughout the program, the majority did work. I do think that I might point out though that those that have failed out of the program, are those that did work. It can be done regardless of whether you work or not. It is just going to require alot of lost sleep, less time with the family, and an eventual ulcer, lol

holy! i can't afford not to work, but does it help that my only classes will be that of NURSING? Either way I have heard that it's "advised" that you not work. This is my biggest fear, to fail because of necessity :*(

I will give it my all! Now I am extra nervous.. :heartbeat

Well try not to fret and remember what I said. The amjority of people in my graduating class worked all the way through the program. Your just not going to sleep much or have any social life, lol You will give up television pretty much entirely (unless its to watch a video for school) and whatever free time you do have is spent worrying over your next exam. Nursing school is what it is though. An extreme course load with no room for getting lax but anyone that pushes and applies themselves, will make it through.

Wow.....

I guess I am like Crissy with hearing this. I mean I heard it was demanding, but i thought the Profs would be a little considerate since it is an evening program. But hey....it's only temporary and something that I am very much interested in. So i have to make it happen.

Wow.....

I guess I am like Crissy with hearing this. I mean I heard it was demanding, but i thought the Profs would be a little considerate since it is an evening program. But hey....it's only temporary and something that I am very much interested in. So i have to make it happen.

Sorry guys but lets take a step back and take a breath. Dont let me get you nervous before you've done anything. You have to remember. Class and clinical is only 4 days a week. That gives you 3 days a week that you know you can study and get your work done.

Being in the evening program is a little bit of an advantage. Level 1 (semester 1, which consist of Pharmacology, Physical Assessment, and Basic Concepts) is the easiest level you will deal with and not to get you scared or worried again but level 2 is when you get slapped with a dose of reality about just how much work you have in front of you. That said, because you start school in the spring, you have the entire summer to read ahead and prepare yourself for level 2 (which consists of GI/GI and Cardiac). Level 2 is when the workload gets tremendous. Alot of material in a very short amount of time and you will have mutliple care plans, assessments, process recordings and other projects that are piled on top of that.

Being in the evening program you do have a slight advantage. You will have already completed all of your pre-requisite courses and don't have the additional course load of having to deal with A&P, Microbiology (which if you didnt complete already would have to be done during the summer between levels 1 and 2), and such. The people in the day program have it much worse. Although alot more in the day program don't work, their course load doesn't just consist of the nursing classes. I have seen alot of people fail out of the day program not because they failed a nursing course but rather didnt maintain their GPA by getting a low grade in A&P or Micro.

IMO, nursing school is basically all about time management. If you can learn to manage your time to get your work and studying done, anyone can learn the material. If I, with all of the problems I had going on in my personal life throughout the program (death in the family, wife out of work due to complications of pregnancy, 3 other children to worry about besides the newborn, bankruptcy, foreclosure headache, and on and on, lol) anyone can. I am not the only person that faced adversity like this. I am just trying to point out that no matter how hard things might seem, it is possible to make it through nursing school regardless if you stick to it.

good post jjlaman !

i think i am trying to anticipate to much and this may add to the stress levels. and having the summer to prepare for level 2 is a good suggestion as well. but it may be a good idea for me get thru level 1 first.....lololol boy do i need to relax......hehehe