kimbly9

hardworkpaysoff2, I graduated from JJC in May 2011. I was in the evening program, so your experience may be different. However, I was able to work a full time job while going to school. It was tough at times but definitely doable. Good luck!!

Hi mommy2isaiah1408. I am single mom who is working full time and I am headed into my 3rd semester of nursing school at JJC. I think it's definitely as difficult as everyone says it is, but life is tough sometimes. When I decided to go to nursing school, I knew I wanted to go the communtiy college route. Mainly for two things that you mentioned: I didn't want a lot of student loan debt and I didn't want to miss too much of my son's life. My son was almost 2 when I started and he will only be 3 1/2 when I am done. You may miss some cute things here and there, but it's not the same stuff you would be missing later in his life. I decided I would rather make it to all of his school functions, recitals, sporting events, etc. From the beginning, I committed to spending as much time as possible with him on the weekends. I try to do something special like going to the playground,the zoo, or taking a class at the park district (nothing huge) with him each weekend. I was fortunate not to have to go to school during the summer, so we have spent LOTS of mommy & me time since school has been out. As long as you have a good network of "help", you will be fine! I don't have family in town, but I have a couple of great babysitters and a few friends who will help me out in a pinch. As far as which route to go, you have to decide what you want. JJC's program is nice because you can get your LPN at the end of the 1st year and your RN at the end of the 2nd year. I have no idea what COD's program is like, but you should do what you can "afford" to do. Not only afford as in money but also time. Take a look at the available jobs...Are there many LPN jobs? Are there many RN jobs? Ask around about pay for each. Good luck to you!!! I hope everything works out!!

Hi *jacks*. I am currently a 1st semester student at JJC. There really isn't much that you can do to get prepared. If you have the reading list, I guess you could start reading from the books. Most of it didn't make much since until I got to lecture. (I didn't have any healthcare experience before this.) Just be prepared to study hard and work hard. It's not that the material is terribly difficult, it's just an INCREDIBLE amount of stuff to learn. It's good to know how you learn because you will need to know in order to make good use of your time. There is a lot of reading and it will be nearly impossible to keep up with all of it. I suggest that, if you can, skim through the readings and then go to the lectures. Only read in-depth on the things that you don't understand. It doesn't work for everyone, but it may save you a little bit of time and stress. I know it isn't much, but I hope it helped a little. Congratulations & Good Luck!!

almamatters, most of my questions from my previous post were answered at the orientation. Now, I am starting to really get nervous about how to manage it all. Any tips that you can give about studying or finding a routine would be greatly appreciated!! I know that it's going to be tough and I won't be the "hands-on mommy" that I am used to being. I know it must be possible because you are making it through, but people really discouraged me from trying to do all of this (i.e.-work, single motherhood, and school). It seemed like most of the girls I spoke to at orientation were not working or only working part-time. That just isn't an option. I guess I will find out how difficult it is soon enough!! I am planning to be on vacation al next week, so I can have some time to relax before everything goes into high gear!!

almamatters - My story sounds quite similar to yours. I am a single mom working full-time. I will be starting the evening program at JJC in the fall. I am wondering about what the schedule is like. I did read your previous post, but I am curious about how many hours of class each night & # of days spent on campus. I am trying to map out my childcare arrangements and I am wondering how many nights I would need someone, how long, etc. Most people describe it as being nearly impossible to have a job, manage your home, and succeed in school. I am reasonable in the fact that I know my life will be crazy for the next 2 years, but I don't want to have it all come crashing down either. Any wisdom/tips/information that you could share would be GREATLY appreciated!!

Congrats happyinillinois!!! Persistence pays off!!

Blue Cat, I can at least tell you a little about my situation. I have a BA in Biology, so most of my pre-reqs were complete. I applied to the BSN program at Lewis and was accepted there. I decided against Lewis mainly because I didn't want to assume that type of debt in this stage of my life. I also was concerned about going to school for the next 4 years. (I am a single mom, so I didn't want my life to be turned upside down for any longer than it has to be.) Most of the credits that I had from college would have to be repeated because they had some rules about how old some of the classes could be. (I have been out of college almost 10 years.) I applied to the nursing progrqam at JJC this past Feb. and the only classes I hadn't completed were Psych 215 (which I am in now) and Soc 290. I had what I would call a VERY average GPA but I tested well on the TEAS. I was accepted on my 1st try. I heard a story about someone who applied while being enrolled in 1 or 2 of the science courses and the Psych 215 with a very high GPA (3.7 or something). The person also did well on the TEAS, but was not accepted. I would imagine that they would want most of the pre-reqs (especially the science courses) out of the way. I am sure the more, the better. I have heard that the average GPA for this class was a 3.4 or 3.5. I am pretty sure I was below that, but that's why it's called an average. My suggestion would be to do as well as you can in the pre-reqs over the next year. Try to prepare yourself for taking the TEAS (when that time comes). When I started the process, I told myself I would give JJC two rounds of applications (Feb & Aug) before I looked somewhere else. As pp said, it's nice that they take apps twice a year!! I hope this helped a little. GOOD LUCK!!

Hi tkokkine, I was just accpted into JJC's program for the fall. I have a son who is almost 2 & I am concerned about balancing motherhood, nursing school, and a job. I know you have more children so I am sure it was even tougher for you. I know that my house will be a mess and we may be eating takeout a lot, but is it possible? What was your schedule like at the beginning? Any tips for making good uses of time? Any tools that you found you couldn't live without? Those are all the questions that I have at the moment. I'm sure I'll think of more!! Kim

aimee8407, are you in the day or evening section?

I can't offer any tips about classes at JJC. This is my 1st semester there, so I have no experience with teachers or classes (other than Psych 215). I completed all of my pre-reqs except for Psych 215 & Soc 290 as a part of my BA in Biology. I got B's in all of my classes except Micro where I had a C+. I don't know my exact GPA, but I would guess somewhere between 3.0 - 3.2. As for the TEAS, my composite score was an 88.8%. I scored a 97.5% on the reading section. When I finished the test, the proctor told me those were the 2 scores that the program looked at. I agree COMPLETELY with aimee8407 about the science portion. I honestly thought it was a little tough. (Don't let that freak you out though. I only got a 73% on that part.) The science on the test was not the science in the study guide. I, too, had questions about volcanoes and earthquakes & none of that was in the study guide. I used the Barron's Nursing School Entrance Exams guide. I felt that it helped me. I can't say that I studied hours and hours, but I did go through the whole book. I did all the practice tests and I even did the timed tests which are great practice for the TEAS. I hope this helps!! Good luck in August!!

I got my acceptance email today. I was pretty excited!! This is my 1st time applying, so I wasn't too sure how it was going to go. My gpa is probably average (at best) but I scored really well on the TEAS. When I finished the guy that proctored the test said that I should be very happy because I scored well in the 2 most important areas. Even with the good score, I was really nervous the last few weeks. I really don't have much wisdom to share because I am in a unique situation. I had a bachelor's in biology, so I only had two pre-reqs to complete (Psych & Soc). I am in Psych 215 now & I guess I will take Soc 290 in the summer. The advisor I talked to suggested that I wait to apply because I got a C+ in micro (from the univ. I graduated from) and she said I would have a better chance if I retook the class at JJC. I planned to do that but I figured I would apply anyway this time just to see. I guess I'm glad I did! Now that I've gotten in, I'm nervous all over again. I hope that I can handle all the work!! I have a job and an almost 2 year old son, so I know it's going to be tough! Good Luck & Congratulations to the others that were accepted!

Glitter Bug, How quickly after you took the test did you get your letter about acceptance? This is my 1st attempt but it doesn't sound promising. Thanks!