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Honestly yes. It might be a little anxiety provoking at first but you will be fine. I seriously wish I did it. Some people work full time and I think that is feasible though a part time job would DEFINITELY suffice. The entire program isn't necessarily very hard, it is more so "busy." It is nothing like the prerequisites. In all honesty I felt that my initial undergrad was actually a bit more challenging.

Summer semester has been laid back. We do take four classes but three are staggered alongside the ten week theory class. Peds is first, OB second, and now psych. Peds was tough the first few weeks adjusting to a new instructor. OB was fun. Psych is currently ongoing. Theory was very easy. If anything, I would make sure you have a job. Once you get into a groove in the first few weeks of the Spring semester you will have a lot of time and especially into the Summer. A 12-18 hour job would perfectly fit into the Spring/Summer.

Sounds good. Def get the uniforms for cheap if you can from the past cohort. They made me pay for shipping twice and some people had to drive from Stamford all the way to SOMERS because they messed the shipping up. A lot of people did not even get their uniforms in time prior to the first day due to their mishaps. It was a mess. And they are EXPENSIVE for like 4-5 articles of clothing.

If and when you guys make a facebook group, please let me know and I will have our class rep reach out to the admin of the group. It is super helpful to have people from last year's cohort in the group because we give study materials/resources and can provide equipment/books/uniforms at a discounted price. A lot of people got uniforms from last year's cohort which was huge because the uniform place is a bear to deal with.

Great article!

This answer is based on this year and can be subject to change when you matriculate into the program. Everything can change every year. - Is there any specific requirements for clinical/lab materials? Are they strict on these things, or are we free to express ourselves through the materials? They will tell you what is required when the time comes at orientation. - Such as the shoes we have to wear? (type and color) For us this year it is black shoes. Doesn't matter what kind. I wear Hokas and like them. - And the type of stethoscope we bring? (can it be any color or should it be the general black color) Doesn't matter. - Do you suggest we bring book bags or more of a duffle/travel type bag to clinical? I heard that the duffle style fits more! Whatever works for you. I just use a backpack. A duffle bag is a bit excessive. - Are we allowed to wear our own badge clips, bring our own clip-boards, etc.? Yes, but they are useless. I bought those things and never used or referred to them. A foldable clipboard is the only thing I would recommend.

Nope. Enjoy your free time. Studying beforehand would be useless.

Yes I did not feel like I was caught off-guard for lecture quizzes and exams. Some questions can be written poorly but that is academia in general. I felt like all the quizzes and exams were fair. Every year the program is slightly different and COVID has obviously changed every academic program's approach to education. For example last year they had two weeks of lab every day for 9 hours before clinical. The year before that almost nothing was in-person outside of clinical. This year Patho/Pharm is completely online. Lecture this year was online the first five weeks and then in-person the rest of the semester. Lecture can be helpful but I live far away from campus and would rather save the time, money, and gas by just teaching myself from the PowerPoints and recorded lectures. ATI is different. It is all 'Nurse think' and what is the 'most right' answer as you probably already know. So far the program is not too ATI-intensive but who knows. There will also be a new dean next year. They are interviewing the candidates now. Everything I say can be subject to change.

No worries! Happy to help. If I had any advice it is to NOT buy anything that is NOT mandatory. Just buy the uniforms, book bundle, a cheap stethoscope, penlight, and scissors. Nothing more and nothing less. I bought a crazy stethoscope, goggles, clipboard, badge-clips for lab values, and a couple other textbooks that I have barely touched or used. Just do not waste your money on any of that stuff. Between uniforms, books, parking passes, background checks, and miscellaneous stuff I have probably spent $1,000 after tuition. Half of that could have been avoided and used for gas money for the semester.

-What was your clinical / class schedule like (how many days per week)? Schedule is dependent on when your clinical is. My schedule is lab Monday, clinical Tuesday/Thursday, and then class/quizzes/exams on Friday. Some people have lab Saturday, clinical Sunday/Monday, and then we all have class together on Friday. This is for the Spring semester. I am not sure what the Summer or fall will look like as they make minor changes every year. -Is there a standardized test that count as finals like ATI? I used to be in nursing school at SCSU and we had to take HESI exams which were our finals that counted for about 20-25% of our grade. Yes but it is 10% of our Spring semester grade. There is a convoluted extrapolation that goes into the grade with multiple exams that I would rather not explain. It is not just one exam but a number of exams and remediations. They understand that we cannot cover everything ATI asks for in just the Spring semester but it is the best preparation for the NCLEX. If it was up to me I would not have us pay for any books and just use the ATI book and exams. It is much more succinct, helpful, and dynamic with the quizzes and reviews.

- How was pharmo and pathology together? (since I know it's combined for the first semester) Pharm/patho is very surface level. Our instructor does her best to make sure we know what we have to know and the quizzes are not too difficult. It is nothing like the prerequisite courses to get into the program. Very cut, dry, and straightforward. Quiz every week, midterm, and final are the makeup of the grade. If majority of the class does poor on one question she actually gives credit for it despite everyone getting it wrong. - Are you or any of your classmates able to work while participating in the program? There are some people working. If you HAVE to work to support your family and avoid debt, then work. They discourage it but the resilience I have seen from the parents in my program makes me feel so lazy LOL. I am not working due to health insurance (currently on State CT Medicaid) and I will be spending the rest of my life working. I also have A LOT saved up from my past jobs and live at home (nursing is my 2nd career). I could easily hold a job but I do not want to. I like to spend my free time relaxing and not worrying about school. - How are the online classes? Do you like them? I do not like them. I teach myself from the PowerPoints and read the book. Personally I never liked online classes. Attendance is not mandatory outside of quizzes/exams. - Are the clinical placements close to your location? They can be. There are two clinical setups: Dedicated education unit (DEU) and general clinical. DEU is 1:1 nurse/student ratio at the same hospital for the whole year which can be tough if you live far away. One of my classmates lives in Danbury and has to drive to New Britain because she is in the DEU. This is something you have to apply for and can be very beneficial but you never know if you will like your site or instructor until you are actually there. General clinical is applying for clinical sites in the Spring and fall at various sites. I am not entirely sure how they rank them outside of you ranking your preferences from 1-7. All the campuses have different clinical sites although some may overlap. I was fortunate to live close to my clinical site and others are the same. Some people messed up and live in Bristol and have to drive to Danbury because they did not pay attention to their email. - Do you have any advice/tips for keeping up with an intense program/studying? Pretty much do not slack. Everything is very general but straightforward. You will not know everything and that is fine. I go through the PowerPoints, take notes, and then listen to the lectures on 2x speed. Some people form study groups. If I need to review with something I will just rewrite it over and over again. - How are the staff? Are they helpful in any way? The staff of the program are helpful. I would be more comfortable answering this when I am out of the program. Overall they answer every question and concern you have and want you to learn and progress as a student nurse. They also have great experiences to draw on. - Was it easy for you to get adjusted to your schedule? Yes and no. There is a lot of change at random points. My clinical instructor backed out last second and our schedule switched up a week before the semester started. They rolled out a new book bundle that people were confused about. But the professors are all willing to answer questions and give you complete answers. If they do not know then they will direct you to someone that will. Overall my schedule is pretty straightforward. I recommend exercising and meal prepping to make your days easier and less stress-filled. Overall I love my classmates and am excited about the program and prospects of being a nurse. Saying that, I cannot wait for the program to be over. I am very tired and am ready to make money and contribute to the workforce again LOL.

Hey everyone, I am currently in 2023 cohort. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns with the program. I am happy to answer them!

Hey congrats! Yeah I applied 4/1, verified 4/4, and was accepted 4/30. Super quick turnaround. I just posted on the forum a little bit after because I was lazy LOL.

Anyone else get in? I just got the news that I was accepted at the Waterbury campus.