sweet_lime

Hi, so far it is going great. We started clinicals two weeks ago and it is really great. I have learned so much from the patients. I will admit that at times I have been very overwhelmed and stressed... but I can handle it. Everyone is very supportive and caring. We only have 6 weeks left in the semester and we registered this morning for next semester! Pneumothorax - what I have experienced this semester is that all the instructors have their strengths and weaknesses. Some of them are great at teaching and some not so much, but they might be better at the clinical experience in the lab. So if you happen to get a teacher that you don't click with then look for their good qualities. I am very impressed by the overall caring of them. And you also have classmates that you can comiserate with :)

Hey, just wanted to update you... I started classes this week. So far so good! Lots of paperwork, assignments and stuff to do right away, but everyone is very encouraging and helpful. In 8 weeks we will be on the floor doing clinicals! :) Let me know if you have any more questions!

Hi! Yeah, its exciting, but I'm pretty overwhelmed getting all the paperwork in. Since it has been so quick, I've decided that we are going to stay here (about 1.5 hours away) and I'm going to commute and get a study room for this year and then we will reevaluate for next year. I'll pm you with some specifics :)

Yay! I'm so glad that you decided to come to IL! St Francis offered me a seat this fall since I had all my prereqs done, so I'm starting in August! I'll definitely be there, whether you come to the meet and greet or when you start in Jan.

I would do it... I've got six months until my core classes start. My program told me they wouldn't release the book list until 3-4 weeks prior to the first day of class, because they wanted to make sure you had the newest versions of the books and if any of the instructors wanted to make changes In a way that's a good thing, but I'm sad I can't read ahead. Instead I've been borrowing books off of nurses that recently graduated

I think that Peoria Heights is a nice neighborhood and that they have a good school district. I have also heard that the north of War Memorial Drive in general is pretty nice. Otherwise outside of Peoria, there are quite a few smaller communities, it depends on how far that you would be willing to commute & if you need to take school districts into consideration. Dunlap is a good school district, Washington is a good community. I go through Kickapoo on my way into town and have liked the looks of it. Stay away from the South side of Peoria, though.

I decided to go! girly8208 what did you decide?

Hi! I've been accepted for the Spring at SFMCCON, too! I'm likewise trying to decide between Saint Francis or my local state university that is just starting their nursing program. So I'm looking for more info, too! I'm from IL about 1 1/2 hour away from Peoria. They are a magnet hospital, so they get trauma transports from this region. I know lots of people who have been treated there, including family (my husband has been there with trauma and I got to be at my sister's most recent birth). All the nurses that I have had contact with from OSF are awesome.

Awesome! Congratulations!

We have to turn in those kinds of things with our application at my school. To apply you have to have CPR training, updated Vaxes including Hep B and Tb skin test, background and some other thing done. But they accept pretty much everyone, too.

yay! I'm still waiting....

One of my friends taught me this: (RA, RV, LA, LV) Run Away! get an RV head to Los Angeles and then to Las Vegas! I thought it was cute and it has helped :)

Those are really interesting studies :) Of course I was just giving a quick generalization for an ex. on how to apply it to things you know or think you know already

Flashcards help me immensely! Try to concentrate on definitions and processes. In the first few chapters, different cell parts, action energy, different stages of protein structures, enzymes, carbs, lipids, etc. Its fun stuff... try to apply it to your life if possible. ei Vit C acts as an enzyme in your body and you take it to help your body get over colds. Enzymes help your body work. After the first test you'll be able to gauge how to study for the next test even better. Try to do as well as you can, but don't beat yourself up about it.

Nope, not crazy! Yes its possible. I'm doing the exact same thing - 29yo, graphic designer/nursing student, with young children at home. Do what your hearts leading you to do! :) Good luck!

Well, I've got my binders ready... I've got loose leaf paper, dividers and page protectors in them. Our school isn't quite as high tech - we have to wait until day one of classes to get any info. As soon as I get my syllabus I highlight all *very* important info, transfer dates into & onto my calendars. Then I load the syllabus into my page protectors at the front of the binder. Each divider separates the information for each test. So I'll label the dividers too if I can. Every piece of paper I receive is skimmed and highlighted right away. Then, all reference handouts go in page protectors, all homework/assignment handouts are three hole punched and everything is added to the binder. Then in the books, I usually try to get them before class starts, I look over the chapters and helps. I flag & label all reference tables that will be used all semester (ei, in Chemistry I flagged the common equalities table and the periodic table, in Anatomy the overview diagram of each the bones and the muscles. We also had a semester long project on the brain chapter, so I had that flagged so I could quickly flip to that and work for a bit.) I'm up for any more hints or tips - I love this stuff

Thank you! I was just looking for some good reading to fill up the last couple of weeks of break. :)

Hey Sand Dollar! I homeschool, too! I am sooo anxious to start this semester too. However I'm not anywhere near as organized yet... but I'm working on it. I need to buy a paper shredder in the worst way so that I can clean up my office. But I'm getting some major dust removed and the toys are getting sorted out. Then if I could get my hands on a label maker all heck would break loose! LOL

I'm taking: A&PII Microbiology I'm so excited about starting both of them!

chemistry - A A&P I - A Yes, I'm pretty stinking proud of both of them

No, its not easy. But I love it. It is intriguing, and applicable to life and nursing. I'm getting a 100% but I'm studying everyday - and in multiple ways especially with the more difficult concepts. This is the first semester that I've been working on prereqs... I've got a B.A. in another subject area from several years ago. So I came into this semester pretty fresh and ready to learn and absorb. I quite literally put everything into the first couple of weeks of class. And when I took my first test and got my first grade back I felt really accomplished and was so proud of myself for getting through.... And then it dawned on me - this is just the beginning. In A&P I have learned that even though I'm learning so much, each new section is another hurdle. There is no real 'getting over the hump'. But at the same time it is good. And its amazing how infinitely complex our bodies are! It gives me a whole different perspective on the career that I'm entering.

I agree with the others - once you get started with the dissection, it loses its stigma. The cat doesn't even look like anything much. Look at it this way -someday you're going to be a nurse and you're going to see a lot worse :\

We just tested on the first part of the nervous system this week. It was hard, but with a lot of study time it was alright. I think that the hardest thing was figuring out how the physiology of the nervous system worked.

I can't wait until..... Long term: I save a life! I just had CPR training last night and While I hope that I would never have to use it, I know that it will happen someday - especially when I'm an RN! ... Or deliver a baby for the first time. Shorter term: I can't wait to turn in my app and get the congrats letter And even shorter term: I can't wait for class tomorrow. Its just one step closer to getting there.

Thanks! That is very helpful!