SoCalHeart

I'll be taking my last pre-req this summer, microbiology. Then this fall I can apply for Fall 2010 and I've registered for a few of the last "core" classes I need for the degree. I have no clue what I'll take the following spring semester, I should have everything but the actual nursing classes completed! Best wishes to everyone, study hard! :heartbeat

Congratulations! How beautiful you give glory to God!

You can also set up allotments to pay your monthly bills while you are deployed, then you don't have to worry about getting online every time a due date is coming up on a bill. Check with your bank, or once you are AD I think you can go through your MyPay to set it up, or if you use a credit union/bank affiliated with military service (Navy Fed, FSNB...) they'll have lots of info and be used to that! Then you can spend your computer time doing something you actually like to do:D, not trying to remember due dates, account numbers and passwords. Best wishes to you.

I second checking with Half.com or Amazon. I buy my texts from there and have saved soooo much over the school bookstore. I got my current Phys book from Half for $17 plus shipping in great condition with NO highlighting/writing while most my classmates spent $70+ on the same book. Also good to sell your older texts so you can afford to buy the ones you need now! As an alternative, your school library may have a copy of the text you need on hand. At my school you can check out texts for a few hours(can't leave with them though) and they will let you (pay to) make copies from the text. I am sure that probably infringes on some copyright laws somewhere but the school pretty much condones it and the students sure aren't going to be notifying anyone about that... Maybe you can borrow from a classmate and copy or try searching for the E-Book version online. I've heard of classmates that choose this option, they say it's much cheaper than the physical text. Check out the publishers website or try with google for that. Good luck on the book hunt!

Hi, I am not yet a nurse, but I have a suggestion, although I am in a bit of a bad mood, but here goes! If they think you're lazy, educate them! Do you do the cooking, errands, cleaning or other household duties? If so, stop completely for a few days. Only do what you need to take care of yourself, everyone else can fend for themselves assuming your son is old enough to take care of himself. When they ask what's going on say THIS is lazy, I thought I'd lounge around for a few days so you're not mistaken. Maybe they'll start to appreciate your schedule and sleeping needs a little more. I also like the idea of having them up all night staying busy and asking how they feel the next day. Best wishes to you!

Have you looked at Crafton Hills in Yucaipa or Valley College in San Bernardino? Not sure if those places are reasonable to get to for you but they both offer A&P and Micro. You may have better luck getting into them than RCC, I know they are super competitive to get into thier and registering for classes can be a nightmare! I also know that College of the Desert in Palm Desert and Copper Mountain in Joshua Tree offer the science sequence for RN programs and are not as packed as RCC, however they are both a bit of a drive from the Riverside area, especially Joshua Tree!!! But if it means you get into your classes and have your pre-reqs wrapped up sooner then the commute may be worth it for you. As far as I know I don't think schools look down on you if your pre-reqs came from other insitutions as long as they are accredited and you hang on to your course syllabus to prove the class you took is what your school requires and they'll give you the transfer credit. And if you have all your sciences taken within the last 5 years or so it shouldn't be an issue anyway. Best wishes to you!!!

I may be a little late on this, but last semester I had anatomy and we got cats to dissect. The preservative odor was really strong after a couple weeks so we got masks at the end, but I figured out if I sprayed a little body spray/perfume on my right or left shoulder I could always just lean over and get a wiff of that when the icky dead cat smell was getting to be too much. The smell wouldn't have been so bad if we weren't all leaning close to check out muscles and other structures on the cat, and you can't hold your breath the whole time! And to add to the discussion, I would have LOVED to have had a cadaver to work on, or even just to view one that was already dissected even if it meant shelling out a lab fee (here is CA CC tuition is only $20/unit for in state and we had no lab fee at my particular school). The human body is amazing and the chance to have an intimate look at our inner works would be worth the extra fees to me, seeing pictures in books or online just doesn't do justice to real life. I was also really glad we did not have to skin our cats, I thought I would have a hard time since I have a couple at home but I was more enthralled in getting to see everything and appreciative that the animals were getting to serve a greater purpose than just being disposed of.

I agree with the other posters you should probably take anatomy before physiology, then micro. You may want to double check your school(s) course catalog though. For my school students that are going into nursing HAVE to take their science courses in sequence and some are the pre-req for others. Personally I took chem first(was a pre-req for Phys) then anatomy(had to be before phys also) taking physiology now (A&P both pre-reqs for micro), and can complete micro next semester. This is kind of a pain because it seems like it makes the sequence slow going, but personally having taken classes in that order helped me have a good starting point and I understand how everything ties in together. Good luck in your journey!!

i am glad my rambling could help you in some way! take care and keep up all your hard work, you really are doing great with that 4.0!!

hi! well first of all congrats on recently graduating and starting off in college! sounds like you are doing well so far here's my i think you should finish all your pre-reqs for the rn program at your school and apply as soon as you can with a complete packet. if that is what you really want, just go for it and don't let anything derail you. i am a little older than you and in a different situation, but was having a rough time myself debating on which way to get to rn. my husband is in the military and we could possibly be moving toward the end of this year, although where we are now, there is a high chance we could request to stay since no one likes to come out here. anyhow i really want to be an rn, but was considering the lvn route with a bridge because of the horror stories of the waitlists and if we did have to leave here at least i would have that completed and get some experience as a nurse. however, i decided to stick it out and go straight for my rn, after this summer i can apply to my schools program which only does one fall class and another school further away that does both spring and fall. i don't want to get stuck someplace that isn't what i truly want and even though the lvn route is fantastic, i think ultimately it would just prolong the process. especially in your case where you have to work at least 1000 hrs. plus my thought is that with the economy the way it is, seems like everyone is trying to get into nursing (people i know of anyway) for whatever reason. there are far more programs for lvns in my state that are just cranking out graduates(community colleges and private programs like voc. schools). there would be slim pickings for ideal jobs and i don't want to get discouraged if i can't help it. sorry that was long but i say if you want to be an rn go and get it. you're already a step ahead in being a recent hs grad with the determination and self knowlegde that has directed you to nursing. i know waiting around to get accepted into a program even for a couple semesters doesn't seem ideal, but you could always work as a cna in that time if you get that training or take more classes to go towards your associates or just to enrich yourself. also try looking for other programs aroud you, even if you have to commute a little ways, if that's the trade off for getting into thier program sooner it might be worth it to you. best wishes!!!

Congratulations!! What a wonderful example to your kids too!! They'll never be able to get away with saying "but this is too hard..." Best wishes to you!

You are NOT a failure! :redpinkhe My story-I am 23 about to turn 24 and almost finished with my prereqs and planning on applying to my schools LVN program this spring. I have no children, but have been married about 4 years. I went to a vocational school right out of HS instead of just going to college because I thought massage therapy would be a geat career and I figued if I ever wanted to go back to school I wouldn't be too "old". I think about it now and I really should have just skipped the vocational school all together! I graduated from there but never did massage again after a less than stellar male client creeped me out on internship:no:. Plus licensing is a PITA, you know some cities/counties in CA require massage therapists to have STD tests submitted to get thier license?! Excuse me but I am no prostitute, I didn't work my tail off in school to be grouped together with that!! Anyway, I feel like I wasted a lot of time, had I just gone to a CC and started my Gen Ed then I would be in a different palce, but I think it took those experiences so far to help me realize nursing is where I want to be and to take my classes seriously and RESEARCH this career choice and how I can get there. Thanks ALLNURSES for all the info too!! :heartbeat There are people of all different ages and backgrounds in my classes hopeing to pursue nursing, the kids right out of HS, some my age, married or not, and some ladies with families and children in college in thier 40s starting thier pre-reqs. I think it is wonderful and you know I would rather be in NS and a profession where people from all backgrounds and ages converge instead of everyone being the same age group and very young basically all on the same path. If this is what you want don't let anything deter you. I sometimes feel like I have nothing to show for all the good grades I got in HS and beyond, but one day I will, even if it takes 1 or 3 or 5 years. What is that when you have a lifetime ahead of you? Even those who are in thier 40's or 50's, there is plenty of time to be a fantastic and competent nurse!! career is a huge aspect of most people's lives but it's not the ONLY one. Keep working towards your dreams, they are not out of reach!

I agree with the other posters, inviting in that kind of misery from lack of sleep and maybe even danger (what if you're too tired driving home?) isn't worth it. Maybe you can talk to some of your coworkers who have children and see who they recommend for daycare? People won't recommend someone they wouldn't take thier own children to, and you can't be the only one that works there with kids! Best wishes to you on finding a doable solution for yourself and your family!

Hey, sorry to hear you didn't get into the program at your school. Have you considered perhaps RCC, I hear their programs are pretty competitive to get into, but at least it would be less expensive than a trade/vocational school's price tag! I don't know for sure but they may offer the VN program at thier Norco campus that way it's not quite so far for you? Perhaps you could apply to other community colleges if you have a reliabe car to commute, the gas and tuition there would be much less than the full tuition at one of to vocational schools, and if you already have your pre-reqs they should transfer just fine to the other CC's in the state. The school I am attending begins accepting apps for the VN program in Feb, and the program begins in June and ends next May. But I am out in the desert- a drive for you but it wouldn't cost you 10k either. Best of luck to you in your search, I hope you can find something that suits you!

I am not a nurse yet but have come across some interesting names! I know a little girl named Lark, and a friend of mine who was visiting her sister met the neigbors kids named Swan(little boy) and Dove(little girl). I thought Lark was pretty cute, but Swan for a boy?? I also worked with a girl named Mystery! We all had little memo boxes at the job I was at and about a week before she was sceduled they labeled her box. I saw it and asked when did we get a mystery box?! I thought they were trying to pull one over on me when they said it was the new hire, oh!