jaywolves

Congrats.

Way to go! Congrats... many congratulations. Truly an accomplishment.

They absolutely do not have an option of saying no. In addition, much of the gear used by our servicemen/women is old surplus from previous wars. I know that when I was in the Marines, our gas masks dated back to the Korean Conflict, some of our rifles back to Viet Nam. While we whine about our family responsibilities and our desire to care for elderly parents, our servicemen/women are ducking bullets, out-gunned, out-armed and doing it with crap equipment. Seems selfish that we would even toy with the idea of not service the public in an industry we CHOSE to be a part of in their most desperate time of need. It seems comparable to professional athletes working their whole life to play the superbowl or the world series and then refusing to play on the day of the big game.

You could always adopt... during a pandemic there's bound to be some children left without parents. Just sayin'.

Yes. Sorry... I know it seems stupid to post it here, but we do kinda start this summer. Orientation is June 5th. It officially starts in September.

No one does. I'm sure there are many military personnel that wouldn't want their kids to grow up in foster care, either. They don't even have the option to say they won't go where they are ordered so that we have the opportunity to even have this debate. If and when there is a pandemic - I'll be on point, on my shift. Likely with family members volunteering to pick up where the ball has been dropped by many of my medical peers who have decided that their personal situation is more important than the welfare of the public.

I have also had to discuss this with my wife. She agreed that I have an obligation to go to work during a pandemic. If I were not going to be allowed to leave, she'd volunteer to help out. That's the way it should be. To say you won't work is to suggest that maybe you should have picked a different career. You work in public health. To abandon the public in times of the greatest need is admittance that health care is not for you!

GOT THE LETTER LAST THURSDAY!!! WOOHOOO!!!! Totally Sweet! A year of busting butt and I'm finally in. Feel great. To those still waiting - KEEP YOUR HEAD UP! Don't give up. The wait will be worth it.

I lean with those who would go to work. I chose to work in this field. We are exposed - everyday to infections and microorganisms for which there are no vaccines. We are tested yearly for TB and inoculated for potential disease transmission and we are still asked to give blood tests to Hep C patients, play with needles, wrestle the insane - sometimes criminally insane. We chose this field - some of us obviously - to help people. To stay home because there is an illness that is particularly scary seems quite selfish. This isn't the first flu that has claimed lives and it won't be the last. It's not the first virus that has proven itself difficult - if not impossible - to defeat. I'll be there doing my job to the best of my ability for as long as I can. Holing up in a neighborhood over run with children isn't going to be keep me safe from potential infection. May as well do my job and care for as many people as possible. If you wanted a safe job you shouldn't have chosen healthcare!

We won't know at TVCC until two weeks into May. Application has been in since January. The anticipation is killing me. Moreso now that I have been laid off from work. Working towards this goal for over a year has been incredible... OOOOOH to get that acceptance letter. Congrats to all of you who are getting yours. Make us proud!

Strong. Very nicely done.

Well said and well played.

Having hit the 99th percentile, I would echo what jaeldanielle had to say. If your school offers a review class, take it. Read that book cover to cover. Do EVERY sample test in pencil, erase your answers and do it again. Be prepared to be blown away by how difficult this test really is. It is probably one of the hardest exams I have ever taken in my life. You will walk out of that test room feeling like you have been hit by a truck. When you take the sample tests, time yourself. It is a timed test and they are SERIOUS about the time limit. I ran out of time on Math (not my strongest subject) and had to pencil in answers for about 5 of the questions in the remaining minute of the test. Don't spend too much time on questions you can't figure out. The vocabulary is incredibly challenging as is the science. Again, I would echo what jaeldanielle had to say. READ EVERYTHING YOU CAN GET YOUR HANDS ON. The older the book, the better since a lot of the vocabulary included words that have not been part of common conversational English in about 100 years. Look up things you don't know and know more than one meaning for them, the vocabulary does not always utilize the first definition of the word. It is a very hard test. Do not underestimate the ass-kicking ability of the PAX. Once you take it, reward yourself. It will take two weeks to get your scores back and remember that you can take it over if you score too low. A lot of students at my school chose to take the exam early and give themselves plenty of time for a retake if they scored too low. MANY of them scored low. jaeldanielle and I are exceptions to the rule. Not many people score in the high 90's - definitely not on their first try. Be prepared to be surprised by the difficulty of this exam.

I know a lot of guys that have the same goals of getting into the nursing program who believe that the smallest amount of effort that will get them into the program is the best philosophy. In a major outside of healthcare and medicine, I might be tempted to agree. However, when the educational pursuit is focused towards providing care for a human being, I have a hard time accepting this philosophy. Sure it's fine for business or marketing. It's simply not okay for someone who will literally hold someone else's life in their hands. If you can pull B+ and A- scores without putting forth an effort, you owe it to your future patients to pull the A. You owe it to your future career to give everything you've got, everyday. The exhaustion, the frustration of not seeing your friends and not having a social life are all parts of it. The sleepless nights, weekends spent immersed in a text, classroom presentations that captivate your peers because of your attention to detail. This is all part of the training experience. The ground work for a career where you may have to sacrifice dinner plans because a co-worker called in sick and you have to work a double. It is the foundation for a career where your compassion will mean MORE than your intellect. Where your ability to give 110% ALWAYS, isn't going to be asked of you, but expected. I see your point and yes, some of us are gifted students. A lazy approach to school isn't going to benefit your patients, I don't care what kind of grades you pull. Your desire to be the best, to work with the best, and to provide the best possible care are the only things that will matter. I am a bit concerned for you when you make comments that "you still have to have a life" or that "Just because you didn't get the A doesn't mean you tried to get it, Not trying and geting the A- or B+ is much more rewarding." It won't be rewarding to a patient's family when you "could have worked for it" and saved a life, but chose to "have a life instead." Personally, nothing quite irritates me more than a student who could have been the top student but didn't want to apply themselves. If it works for you - terrific. Don't think for a second you'll coast through your career with that attitude.

Somehow, I totally understand the lower grades. I'm just messing with you at this point. Don't take it seriously.

I just don't see that as accurate. What's wrong with striving for excellence? I'd rather give up some social time now and walk away from my undergrad studies with a strong GPA, possibly be able to get into a doctorate program, and live the life I've dreamed of for the last 33 years, than get distracted by friends and tank my GPA so that I can have instant gratification right now. Besides, as a non-traditional student, I've had my time screwing off with my buddies and chasing tail. It didn't get me anywhere. It's not narcissism to want a better life. Yes, I might be fanatical about my studies and my grades. But, I'm also running for office in honor society, working full time, and working in the biology lab as a work study. That doesn't suggest an inability to do more than one thing at a time and no, I don't have a perfect 4.0. However, if I find that the one B+ I did get keeps me from my dreams you can bet I'll go back and retake that class so it will drop off that transcript! There are too many opportunities to be considered once we get beyond the immediate undergrad studies to not be concerned with excellence. There are ADN to Master's programs, there is the possibility to get a BS and apply to med school. If you're only goal is to get your RN certification, I don't think anyone will fault you for having a social life. That being said, if you're shooting for the top, you owe it to yourself - and your patients - to give every component of your educational career 110%. Personally, I'm not competing with my classmates. I'm competing with myself and a lifetime of people telling me "you won't make it" or "you can't do it." It wasn't until I started school last March that I finally felt like I was doing what I was meant to be doing. I'll be damned if I'm going to let something slip now!

I am excited for you. Going back to school after a long time away was the best thing I've ever done. Enjoy it. Make the most of it. Take that wisdom and make it work for you. I'll keep a prayer out there for you. Here's to hoping all of us waiting on pins and needles for the coveted acceptance letters actually get them!

You have to sleep. You'll put your life, your children's lives, and the lives of your patients at risk if you don't sleep. I feel for you. There should definitely be a bail out plan for those of us trying to get the education to fulfill a needed industry in our country. It definitely seems like this path to becoming an RN is nothing but obstacles. I keep hoping that it's all an effort to weed out the bad ones. Let's hope it doesn't hurt the good ones in the process.

I also work full time and go to school full time. It can be done. It's NOT fun. There is very little that is fun. I get the guilt trips, I get the nagging, I get dragged away from studying for house projects, etc. Work does everything they can to be accommodating at some times - at others, it feels that they are working against me every step of the way. It's likely that I'll have to find another job very soon. The very best tips have already been given. BE DISCIPLINED. You have to learn to avoid everyone who will serve as a distraction. Choose your study partners wisely. Be diligent in the way that you study and STUDY! With all of it, I've managed VERY good grades - usually to the dismay of my fellow students. However, if are driven to reach your goal - you will succeed. Just remember why you are doing this. Remember why you started. Remember what you hope to achieve and when things get rough - AND THEY WILL - remind yourself of these things. When you have no option but to cry, cry. When you need to take a break - take a break. But remember that you have entered into a path that you chose with a goal in mind. Don't let an obstacle slow you down. You can do it. It hurts - A LOT. It demands - A LOT. In the end... it will all be worth it. I work for a newspaper as a designer. Lot's of stress, constant deadlines and no time to study. It just means that I have to give up sleep, family time, social life and fun. When I finally finish, I can make up for all I missed with a 3 day schedule. Remind yourself that there is an end. Focus on that and it will help get you through.

I was also IT. Almost a 50/50 split between IT and Graphics. I just couldn't ever decide what I wanted to be when I grew up. This is the third company I've worked for that threatened outsourcing and I took it as a sign from God. Finally a voice that was saying, "you should pursue this, you'll be great at it..." So I started my pre-reqs back in March. Turned in the application for the nursing program this morning. I won't hear back till May. However, I can say... that when I started back in March, I thought that this day would never come. The year flew past, I made the dean's list the first quarter while attending school full time at two different colleges in addition to working full time. Once I completed my CNA program, I've made the President's List each quarter. It feels GREAT to be older and finally pursuing a dream. If the next two years go as quickly as the last has, I'll be registered in no time and on to larger pursuits while working in a very fulfilling field. My hat's off to ALL OF YOU! May all of you have the amazing college experience I am currently having. Get involved. Join organizations, become TA's. Leave a legacy of excellence. Be the students that your instructors use as examples of how to do a good job for the next class. This is what it's all about. I never understood that when I was young and dumb. This time... it's MUCH different.

For open admission programs you may be correct. However, for any school on a lottery or points system - sex doesn't matter. You either have the points and meet the requirements or you don't. Doesn't matter whether you're the only member of your tribe or not.

The Anatomist is a really short book, you won't be able to put it down. Body of Work has caused the same problem for everyone I know who has read it. Very enthralling. Enjoy!

I have found, on returning to school, that my pursuits have become an obsession. During break from Summer Quarter, I found an amazing book called, "Body of Work" by Christine Montross. The book chronicles a young medical student's relationship with her cadaver during her first year of med school. It was amazing. Now, it should be noted that those of you who love fiction may not like this book. Everything I've chosen to read has been non-fiction. If I wanted to waste time with imaginary or created works, I'd just waste my brain on TV. However, this book struck a chord with me because I noticed classmates having a lot of emotional issues with working with the cadavers. It was a great read, a quick read, and definitely worth the time. Over fall break this last week, I read another book, "The Anatomist" by Bill Hayes. Another exceptional book. The subject is a biography of Henry Gray, the original author of "Grays Anatomy: Descriptive and Surgical," which has served as the most relied upon Anatomy text for 150 years. I wanted to share with the rest of you. I know that some are probably so burned out from reading assignments to make it through the pre-requisites that they may not want to take on additional reading. However, if you have become obsessed, as I have, with the tremendously interesting subject matter that we are learning, these books are amazing and definitely worth your time. If you know of others, please share. I find breaks between quarters almost more grueling than the quarter themselves. Maybe I'm too "type A" for my own good. I am totally obsessed with the science involved in this pursuit.

Now that's impressive!

Or lie because they feel inadequate. I would have to agree entirely with MatRNStudent. I didn't exactly apply myself in my previous scholastic endeavors either. However, upon returning to school, this is one of the few things that makes me really happy. I get feedback, I get to be excited about a job well done. It's something that may eventually even pay off by getting me into another school for my bachelor's or master's. I can't even be that happy about my day job or any of my previous career exploits. This thread is fun for no good reason at all.