You are only taking one class.... It's no wonder you are getting an A!

stpauligirl · Nov 16, 2006

Silly me, I've been taking two classes at a time while working b/c each science was a prereq for the next. I can't wait until I can get into the nursing program and have to quit my job so I can study full time. I really want to take a full course load and finish faster, they just wouldn't let me! I find it really strange how people get so judgemental about others. We all go to school at whatever pace is available to us, whether single, married, living at home, working, or not; and probably all complete the program as fast as we possibly can given our circumstances. We're all just looking towards passing the NCLEX and getting a good job someday that we'll actually enjoy (we hope)...

....And most of all we all want to learn the right things. I think it is most important to have adequate knowledge as a nurse so that we won't kill someone. What a wonderul combination....smart enough to NOT kill someone, working a job that we love and a NICE paycheck...it doesn't get any better than that.

luvmy3kids · Nov 16, 2006

Nicoleg is very, very correct. If you have never attended college on a full-time basis, you are in for a major shock as far as workload.

I'm not sure if you are speaking to me here or not, but.... I have a BS degree (I think I mentioned that in my OP), I took anywhere from 12-20 credits per quarter for 4 1/4 yrs. I graduated with a 3.2 GPA (not great, but not too terrible), and I can still remember (even though it's been a few years), how much work it was. I will not be in for a major shock once I start NS. I actually will have all of my courses completed except for my Nursing courses so my credit load will only be 8 credits per semester. And I know I can handle that as my children will all be in school full time during the day. As of right now, I have a 2nd grader, a MWF preschooler (only in the PM) and a baby. I'm pecking away at it the best I can. I'm fully aware of what it is going to require of me once I start full time.

luvmy3kids · Nov 16, 2006

This is not to scare you, but just keep in mind, that any of your prereqs classes can not compare to the NS classes. Nursing program is a fixed program and you can't choose to take only one class. Depending on your school it can be as many as 7 to 15 units at one time. What are you going to do if you have this big of a load? And the classes are completely different. The anatomy will seem like an easy course in comparison to the nursing courses. While I was taking my prereqs, I had A's, but in a NS its different. No matter how hard you try you get either A-, B+ or B's. In my fundamentals class there is not one person who had an A.

By the time I finish my pre-reqs I will have all 3 children in school, full-time during the day. My husbands job will not require him to travel anymore, and my mom will be retired (to help out with baby-sitting)...

I have my degree so I have all my courses complete except for the specific pre-reqs for NS. And I will not even apply for NS until those are all completed. So the most semester credits I will be taking is 8/semester. That is what I'm going to do.

BSNtobe2009 · Nov 16, 2006

Except that is NOT what I said. I said I did "what was required", not "whatever it takes". Please do not put words in my mouth. If you want to be ticked off because others are doing it one class at a time, that is certainly your right. Have fun with that. There are people who take one class at a time to get good grades, there are people who retake the same class 3 times to get a good grade, there are people who take classes only with certain professors because they know the tests won't change and they can get info about them from students who already took the class... and get a good grade, there are students who have no other responsibilities and live and home and don't work and so they can get good grades and blah blah blah. None of it is going to matter in most cases, if the selection committee doesn't care about these things and puts everyones grades on a level playing field, then your job is to meet or exceed everybody else's stats. The best way to get into nursing school is to worry about yourself and making yourself the most attractive candidate. You can't do anything about other people and their choices, so why concern yourself with it?

The selection committees must not be doing a very good job with the dropout rates that I have seen on this board. There are tons of people that are otherwise not getting into the program, the requirements keep getting raised, yet the dropout rates don't seem to change. Doesn't that tell you something?

Even medical schools graduate a higher percentage than that and the top medical schools are graduating with near 100% of those that are admitted.

smk1, LPN · Nov 16, 2006

The selection committees must not be doing a very good job with the dropout rates that I have seen on this board. There are tons of people that are otherwise not getting into the program, the requirements keep getting raised, yet the dropout rates don't seem to change. Doesn't that tell you something?
Even medical schools graduate a higher percentage than that and the top medical schools are graduating with near 100% of those that are admitted.

It is entirely possible that your selection committee isn't doing a good job of selecting nursing students. So what? You still want to be a nursing student and are planning on applying to the program and hoping this committee will select you. THerefore it is prudent to do what you can to make your application look attractive. If it is just high grades that they are looking for, then that is what you need to supply. If the selection committee is not interested in the surrounding circumstances of a students GPA, then the selectees probably shouldn't waste too much energy being interested in everybody elses circumstances. By the way, drop out rates are not as high as they use to be at my school, (before using a weighted science GPA.) I also personally haven't seen many (if any) on this particular board who have stated that they only took one class at a time, did well, got into the program and had to drop out or fail out because they couldn't handle the load. This is a great topic to research. Hasn't seemed very relevant out this way, but maybe it is a big problem in your area. I still maintain that focusing on our own choices and goals and ways to meet those goals is a more productive use of time.

BSNtobe2009 · Nov 16, 2006

I don't want to be admitted if I am not going to graduate. That would be wasting my money, their time, and the future career of another nursing student who can graduate.

This isn't about MY school...it's about alot of nursing school in general. It's posted all over the boards here....100 accepted, and 22 graduate? 55 accepted and 19 graduate? What kind of stats is that?

Just understand that YOUR school isn't the example for all nursing schools, and in none of my posts was I referring to MY school...I am drawing my inference from nursing schools in general from what I have seen here and graduation rates I have seen posted in schools I have researched.

catzy5 · Nov 16, 2006

I don't want to be admitted if I am not going to graduate. That would be wasting my money, their time, and the future career of another nursing student who can graduate.
This isn't about MY school...it's about alot of nursing school in general. It's posted all over the boards here....100 accepted, and 22 graduate? 55 accepted and 19 graduate? What kind of stats is that?
those kinds of stats are message board stats I wouldn't use that for my research I take everything with a grain of salt that I read here.

luvmy3kids · Nov 16, 2006

those kinds of stats are message board stats I wouldn't use that for my research I take everything with a grain of salt that I read here.

:yeahthat:

stpauligirl · Nov 16, 2006

I don't want to be admitted if I am not going to graduate. That would be wasting my money, their time, and the future career of another nursing student who can graduate.
This isn't about MY school...it's about alot of nursing school in general. It's posted all over the boards here....100 accepted, and 22 graduate? 55 accepted and 19 graduate? What kind of stats is that?
those kinds of stats are message board stats I wouldn't use that for my research I take everything with a grain of salt that I read here.
ditto

luvmy3kids · Nov 16, 2006

I'm really puzzled by the attitudes displayed in this thread. I swear, we women (in general) tend to seek out things to be offended by. We assume way too much from likely innocent comments/venting. And we appear to need constant validation. What's up with that?
Really, if ya worry about yourself, disconcern yourself with what others around you are doing, and do as best you can given what you've got to work with, why get THAT upset when someone (possibly) implies differently? If you're secure enough with yourself, wonky comments should just roll off your back.
JMO.

I'm not seeking out anything! She came to me and said "You are smart for taking only one class. If I were taking one class I'd be getting an A too...."

I'm sorry if I find that offensive. I've worked very hard for my grade and for someone else to incinuate that my grade is due to the fact that I'm only taking one course at the time.... I'm going to be irked.

I can't stand it when people describe women as you have. Why do you think we would seek out something to be offended by?? This is a competitive program I am in. And I'll be dang sure that the people around me know I am very serious and I'm working hard to get to where I want to be. If that is seeking out something to be offended by then so be it.

She could have easily stated that she isn't doing well because she is overworked with her courseload, work, kids, etc. But she didn't. She said I was doing good because I only had one class. I was venting here. I stated that perfectly from the very beginning. If anything... I as a woman, am offended by your views on women (in general).... And no, I didn't have to seek that out.

AZmom · Nov 16, 2006

I'm not seeking out anything! She came to me and said "You are smart for taking only one class. If I were taking one class I'd be getting an A too...."

Exact words? In that case I stand even more behind what I said. You are reading waaaaay more into her statement than need be. Not everything is about you, not everything is an attack on you. How do you know her statement wasn't rooted in envy? She's likely envious that others are able to take only one class. For whatever reason -- financial aid requirements perhaps?? -- her grades are sufferring because she has to take more than one class.

Is that YOUR fault? Heck no. And she never once implied it was. She also never said that you didn't work hard for your grades. YOU assumed that, who knows why.

I'm sorry if I find that offensive. I've worked very hard for my grade and for someone else to incinuate that my grade is due to the fact that I'm only taking one course at the time.... I'm going to be irked.

No one can make you feel offended without your permission.

And I'll be dang sure that the people around me know I am very serious and I'm working hard to get to where I want to be. If that is seeking out something to be offended by then so be it.

Why do you care that everyone knows you're a hard worker? Worry about yourself, eye on the prize, and who cares what anyone else thinks.

stpauligirl · Nov 16, 2006

I'm not seeking out anything! She came to me and said "You are smart for taking only one class. If I were taking one class I'd be getting an A too...."
I'm sorry if I find that offensive. I've worked very hard for my grade and for someone else to incinuate that my grade is due to the fact that I'm only taking one course at the time.... I'm going to be irked.
I can't stand it when people describe women as you have. Why do you think we would seek out something to be offended by?? This is a competitive program I am in. And I'll be dang sure that the people around me know I am very serious and I'm working hard to get to where I want to be. If that is seeking out something to be offended by then so be it.
She could have easily stated that she isn't doing well because she is overworked with her courseload, work, kids, etc. But she didn't. She said I was doing good because I only had one class. I was venting here. I stated that perfectly from the very beginning. If anything... I as a woman, am offended by your views on women (in general).... And no, I didn't have to seek that out.

Somebody told me the same thing...(somebody who probably doesn't know how to spell the word "college")....he said, "well if you are only taking one class you should make 100%" Too many people are just stupid!!!!!