determined 2succeed

Have you tried FedEx Kinkos? Staples, Officemax? Or any local printing company? I have read on other postings that those were the places people went to have theirs debound. I also saw on one member's post that they took an exacto knife and did it themselves - time consuming but maybe that's an option for you? Just be careful not to perform surgery on yourself

runtagua, If you decide to get a crate at any point. This is the crate I bought; I ended up getting the package that includes the rolling crate, lid & a huge insulated lunch bag. Rolling crate Thanks for posting your bag. It seems like it will be pretty functional. How many books can you fit inside it? I have quite a few to lug around. It will be a back-up option for me if I don't like my crate, but I have a feeling I just might make it work. :-)

Although I might change my mind about my rolling bag(crate) half way through the first semester because I don't know how it will work out until I actually use it - I don't plan on debinding my books. It may sound silly, but I just sold a bunch of my prior textbooks on amazon.com and made enough money to pay for about half of my new textbooks (I have 16 total). Any of my nursing books that are in good shape by the time I'm done with them will definitely be posted on amazon to make some of the money back that I paid for them. Just something to think about since money is probably tight for most of us.

drinkmoresoup, I got to the part in your message where you said your so-called friend called you stupid and was so angry at this statement, I skipped the rest of the message and felt compelled to immediately reply. DO NOT LISTEN TO THIS "FRIEND". First off, friends don't say things like that. And second, sure... I'm not going to sugar coat it - it is challenging to get into NS, but it's NOT impossible. If you want it bad enough, you'll get there and you'll succeed too! Take everything this pessimistic person said to you and manifest it into determination. If you have any community colleges in your area that offer nursing programs, they might be a bit easier to get into. For instance, they usually still have entrance exams and GPA minimums, but if they have a wait list like ours do in Phoenix you get on the list and then eventually your number comes up. Our state universities are competitive but it still doesn't make them unattainable. Maybe even check & see if there is a private college/university in your area; sometimes they have the ability to admit middle-of-the-road applicants over 4.0 ones because they are a private school. It all depends on which direction you want to go. Keep your chin up and know in your heart that YOU CAN DO THIS! Don't forget to send this "friend" a picture of you during your pinning/lamplighter ceremony - I would be so tempted to sneak in a middle finger in the picture.

I agree with "bekindtokittens", I would say you should stay in your program and move when you are finished. If you are both in Southern CA, I'm sure you'd still be able to see each other occasionally. When my parents were first married and my Dad was stationed in San Diego, my Mom still lived in Phoenix so he would hitch a ride from Cali to AZ anytime he could get a weekend pass. (Okay, so it was safe to hitchhike back in 1968 :nuke:) Anyway, as you probably know by now the military is fairly unpredictable (I'm a former military wife) so just stick to your plan of finishing school. I'd hate for you to move and not get right back into a program. Maybe call some of the schools near his potential new duty station and ask some questions. Worth a shot I guess. If for some reason my husband had to move away due to work or wound up commissioning with the military again, I would definitely stay in school where I live and join him when I'm finished. He completely understands that I've been waiting almost 2 years to get into a program and if I had to get on another waiting list I would be pretty heartbroken. Good luck to you and I'm sure whatever decision you make will turn out fine.

So true about wanting to drop people in the ocean - some are just that way. You're paragraph about how you & your son talk about NS brought tears to my eyes. I may not be a single Mom, but I am doing this to better myself and to make a better life for my family too. Thanks for the encouragement!

Okay, so I haven't actually started NS yet - I start this Fall too. But I wound up purchasing a rolling crate with a lid. The ad said it would hold up to 150 lbs and they weren't lying. I have received all except for 1 of my 16 books and I can get all of them inside, along with other misc supplies, and I'm still able to close the lid & it rolls with ease. The true test will be if it can withstand the abuse I put it through. I got it from completek-12.com they call it a go-cart. I looked for rolling crates on ebay, but most looked kinda cheap and were mainly equipped for scrapbooking supplies. I came across this crate by accident. I bought their package that includes the cart, lid & a lunch bag too. The lunch bag is huge! It's a soft sided zippered lunch bag, but it can fit so much stuff in it - including a bunch of ice packs. My husband likes it so much I'm buying a separate lunch bag just for him... he doesn't need the rolling cart.:wink2: I forgot to add that because the cart is so sturdy, with the lid on, it doubles as a seat (if and when you need it!). Oh, and I saw on a different school supply post that someone recommended getting a clipboard that opens for storing smaller items and a calculator attached to the top. I found one made by Saunders for about 16$ on amazon. I can fit my stethoscope, pens & highlighters inside. Good luck future nurse!

This is GREAT! I laughed out loud as soon as I read it. If there's been one recurring theme to all of the advice I've been recieving the past few months on how life as I know it will change after I start school it's "you will be very distant for the next two years". I love this and plan on utilizing it even if it's not for an actual contract but for more comic relief with a small dose of reality mixed in. One thing my hubby and I have talked about is trading off dinner days. I will try to make dinner two days a week and he'll make dinner two days a week - its the other three remaining days that worry me - take out here we come! Well, maybe we could have left overs or something.

My --- definitely talk to someone that has been in your situation besides just talking to the recruiter. Although I have not ever been in the military, my spouse was and wanted to go back and join the reserves after 4 years of active duty. He was down at the MEPS building getting ready to "sign his life away" when the cheif conducting the orientation said "I'm gonna tell you guys, its not a matter of IF you're gonna get deployed to the Middle East, its a matter of WHEN." Keep in mind that Corpmen/Medics and Master At Arms/MP's are two rates that are agressively sought after by recruiters. Now, let me preface this next statement by saying that since my husband had 4 years prior active duty he had this option available to him; he got up, said that he needed to call his recruiter (who had fed him a different story), had his paperwork signed & left. He only had this option because of his prior service... if he had just been blindly led into this situation, he would have been committed to it. I'm not saying that what your recruiter is telling you is 100% lies, but just be cautious. The military is really hurting for new officers and enlisted personnel so they might bend the truth a little in order to get your signature on that dotted line. I commend anyone willing to enlist or commission for our country. I have thought about joining a branch of the military after I have my degree as well and both sides of my family are peppered with service persons. So, if you commission now or later I'd like to thank you for what you are doing. Just go with both eyes open & try to sift through any BS they may feed you. It's a hard offer to decline when money is waived in front of us starving students. Good luck! (Well, I guess my opinion was more like a dollar and change instead of just 2 cents)

I commend you for being able to do that! It is so hard for me to stay quiet. Well, in my pre-req classes anyway. My Aunt who just retired from nursing after 40+ years sent me a couple of books for me to acquaint myself with clinicals, etc. One of them had a quote from a "Nursing Instructor" (names were kept annonymous) and they said "The nursing student that scares me the most, is the one that knows it all." Now, in your case you seem to really know your material but I wouldn't consider you a "know it all" - that seems to be reserved for the obnoxious people I've had encounters with that just being the first one to answer or just like to hear themselves talk even when wrong. Keep up the great work, you've definitely worked hard for your A's.

Check out half.com or amazon.com for the cookbooks- they might be cheaper than the bookstore to purchase, but bookstores are so nice to have the book in front of you to look at. Where did you find multiple thermos sizes? To be honest, I really haven't thought about that I won't have access to a microwave; that I know of anyway. I live just far enough away from school that I won't be able to come home on lunch break.

MammaNurse2Be, This is a great post! Although you have a ton of ideas already, I have two cookbooks to recommend. Robin Miller Quick Fix Meals and Rachael Ray Express Lane Meals. These two books have saved my tushie more than once when I've been in a bind. They both have simple meals with minimal ingredients. I really enjoyed your meal ideas and I used to get the same response from coworkers when they saw how many different containers I brought my lunch in. :-) Oh, one of the best things about the Robin Miller book is she has these meals she calls "morph" meals. The first night you make a base meal with a ton of leftovers, then the next 2-3 meals are made from the main part of the first meal. It saves a TON of cash & time! I found it easiest to make the main meal on Sundays that way when the crazy Monday rolled around, I had everything ready to make dinner and to avoid take-out. Keep the recipe & snack ideas coming - this is totally up my alley... I love to cook and I'm dreading being so busy in Block 1 this Fall to keep up/

Ya know... It's sure funny that you say that. Before being accepted into nursing school I worked at a local consumer loan finance company for the past 8 years. MANY of my former coworkers have taken recruiting positions at GCU when layoffs and closings of our branches occurred over the past year. If you don't have "sales" experience, applicants need not apply for a recruiting position at GCU. NONE of my former coworkers have any enrollment or advisement experience other than being the student themselves. Now, on the other hand - there have been at least 3 people I've known that attended & graduated from GCU with their BSN. One was way back in 2000 before the changes that were made. All 3 are successful nurses in their own right because they made it happen. Put a crappy student at a good school and their probability of success is miniscule. Place a great, hard working student at a below average school and they just might succeed - but it is solely up to the student doing the work. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion about which school is better (aka a peeing contest) but I personally like that everyone on these boards has a different opinion. Anything that I don't agree with:down:, I take with a grain of salt and move on to a post that I DO agree with. What's that saying "Share our similarities, celebrate our differences"?

I know there's a huge debate about some schools being diploma mills. My thoughts are, any private school can accept any student - but which schools are going to educate their student nurses thoroughly in order for the student to pass their boards? This is a link for the most recent NCLEX pass rates in Arizona. The numbers speak volumes. We can go back and forth all day about which school is better, which degree is better, which hospital is better etc., but don't we all make our own success? I can attend the school that I think is best, get the highest degree, and work at the most renowned hospital yet it's up to ME if I am to become just a mediocre nurse or if I am to become an excellent nurse. Every school has their good and bad points. My philosophy was to attend the first school I got accepted into... that's what I'm doing and I'm going to achieve my absolute best. Good luck to everyone :nuke:

I'm so glad I'm not the only one starting nursing school this fall that has organizational/supply questions! I don't know what specific books your school requires, but checkout this website www.unboundmedicine.com & see if any of the books you need are available for download to your phone (iphone, palm, blackberry, etc). I know a lot of students are using this program during clinicals instead of lugging around a bunch of books.

CONGRATULATIONS!!! :anpom: You're half way through!!! That is outstanding. Thank you so much for all of your helpful advice with the Boswell program. Can't wait for orientation!

I recv'd an email from my instructor with a tentative schedule for the Fall Boswell program. I know that there are two different groups, so don't take my word as gospel. It looks like our "school time" including clinicals will be Monday 830-4, Wednesday, & Thursday 7-4 respectively - adjustments seem to be made for the holidays that fall on any given Monday. Towards the end of the semester there are a couple of 4 day weeks. I really hope this schedule holds true... when I looked at my schedule on the my.maricopa.edu website, it also included Fridays. So I'm not positive. I know it will get cleared up at orientation, but I'm a HUGE plan ahead type person so I emailed my teacher to clarify the schedule they emailed. I can't wait to meet everyone!:cheers: I'm so excited yet nervous at the same time.

kss0740, The contact name and phone number is in the application packet for the Maricopa Community Colleges. I'm sure all campuses may be inundated with calls at this point, but I guess it doesn't hurt to try - right? I'm wondering the same thing you are about supplies - I don't start at Boswell until the Fall, but it's just in my nature to plan everything early. Good luck at GCC! Congrats on getting through their waitlist too!

KMM03, Are you at the MCC campus or Boswell this Fall? I will be at Boswell - PM me if you will also and maybe we can exchange email addresses.

sweetsmuckers, Do you happen to remember what your Block 1 schedule was like? I'll be attending Mesa/Boswell starting this Fall. Since I'm a very much a "plan ahead" type person, I'm chomping at the bit to find out what the first semester will be like in regards to hours for classes/clinicals. Any additional info would be wonderful! (such as supplies you would recommend, etc) Thanks in advance :-)

I got into Mesa CC/Boswell Program to start this Fall. It was my 4th campus choice & they received my application March 13, 2008. I hope this helps anyone who is wanting to establish a baseline for how long the waitlist might be.

studentnurse777, CONGRATS!!!! With your high scores, you totally deserve your spot. That is excellent. Unfortunately I didn't get into ASU, but 3 days before I received the denial letter from them, I got my acceptance letter to Mesa CC/Boswell (Associates Program). I always told myself I would go to the first program that accepted me - things happen for a reason right? Yay! Good luck future RN!

Just wondering if there are any fellow ASU Fall 09 BSN hopefulls out there.... Is this your first time applying? Or have you applied before? I have applied before this application and I'm trying to get an idea if I will get in this time. I missed the Spring '09 advancement & was pretty bummed. If anyone is willing to share their total advancement score I would sincerely appreciate it! Thanks, determinded 2succeed

Every educational institution has their faults (I've dealt with ASU, GCU, Maricopa Community College and Chamberlain - ALL of them have mislead me in one way or another). Plus every career choice has a downside, I haven't worked at an employer yet that I haven't been talked down to or yelled at. Nothing is meant to be perfect... but as long as the school is an accredited nursing school and my future employer pays me what I'm worth and has great benefits, I'll deal with the bulls**t bureaucracies they throw at me. I'm not trying to say that it doesn't suck to keep applying with the only result being "denial letters". Everyone that didn't get in has a right to be angry and disappointed right now. I think about all of us that were turned down who are VERY qualified to be nurses ~~~ hell-a-good nurses for that matter! I didn't get in either but I'm gonna keep trying to get in somewhere. Keep your chin up jjax85 :icon_hug:everything will work out for you the way it was meant to.

Yep, I opened my email today and saw that same message sent from ASU yesterday. Too bad they couldn't have fixed these "system issues" over the summer.... sounds like a case of poor planning and procrastination got the best of them; when the time finally came for them to use their new computer program it caused this delay. I'm just frustrated I guess since it seems as though all of our lives could change drastically upon receipt of our acceptance/denial letters. Not to mention that the Spring semester starts the 3rd week in Jan.... lots to do by then to prepare. (financial aid, student loans, quitting job, etc) Sorry, I'll get off my soapbox now. Thanks for letting me get that off my chest everyone! I'm pretty positive I am not the only one that feels exhausted from all of the waiting during this application cycle. Uuuuugggh!