awhitt001

I actually took AP I and Micro at the same time. I didn't find it to be too difficult. The first couple of weeks were actually almost identical (cell structure and general biology). Although Micro spends the rest of the time covering non-human cell structure, I think it is very complementary to what you'll be studying in AP. I can't speak to Chem. Good Luck !!

I had one for Microbiology -- Which is not used to describe bacteria?.... and the correct answer was ..... wait for it........ TASTE ................. :barf01: You could tell how far along on the test thyat every person was based on the giggles, snickers and gags sounding off throughout the room. :lol_hitti

RLPORTEE -- I'm sorry to hear of your situation and hope that you ARE able to find a program that works for you. Again, try your state's Board of Nursing website. Also try looking on your state's government website. Our's (Michigan) lists programs that will pay off your loans in exchange for working in high need areas (urban and impoverished neighborhoods). If you are able to take out loans to pay up front, a program like that might work for you. Other options: - if you are a homeowner, you could take out a home equity loan - if you have fairly good credit, you could take out a personal / signature loan - talk with the advisor's at the school you're interested in attending about testing out of some of your classes (typically general ed.) or taking CLEPs for some of the gen. ed. classes -- this would lower the cost overall - most important --- don't forget to look into scholarship options, your school's financial aid office should have lists of websites you can go to for more info in addition to any that are offered directly through your school Good luck

RLPORTEE -- What you said in your original post did not offend me. What I said was that it was difficult to believe and I explained why. To be clear, I'm not saying that you lied in your post either. I'm only saying that you may not have all of the information you need in order to use your military benefits to the fullest. That is why I recommended contacting the VA. I understand that everyone's situation is unique and that I do not know the details of your situation. My intension was only to help. If the VA told you that you can not use the benefits, I recommend that you petition a re-evaluation. If it is someone at the school you are attending that is telling you that you can not use the benefits, one of a few things could be happening. 1) That school is not an approved school through the VA (not all schools are), in which case what they should be saying is that you can't use your benifits at their school, but they'll never say that because they know you'll go somewhere else 2) The councelor that you spoke with is unfamiliar with the VA benefit (usually one counselor specializes in veteran students), in which case you should ask to speak with the head of Financial Aid, the campus VA Liaison, or the Veterans Specialist who should be able to better assist you 3) Your benefits have expired (you must use the money within 10 years of exiting the service). If this is the case, then you'll only be able to reactivate your benefits if you re-enlist. I hope that something I've said helps. Good luck in finding a program that fits.

I'd second just about everything above and add a couple more.... 1) Get your book(s) as soon as possible and start reading. You won't know everything when you get to class the first day, but having already read the material, the lectures may "click" a little better. 2) Go to the publisher's website (the address should be inside the book's cover). Select your book and go through some of the animations, videos, etc. on the site. Like the previous poster's said, keep up with your reading (a little EVERY day) and you'll do fine. Good luck :heartbeat

I agree with John20. I'm currently at Baker finishing pre-req's -- received my AAS there and I like the school. But when it comes to applications for the Nursing program, I'm submitting app's to multiple schools. I've spoken with a few friends that are already RNs about the comparision between different schools in the area in regards to employability after school and the concensus is that as long as it is an accredited program, they are all viewed the same, so I figure.... where ever I get in first, that's where I'll go Good luck :redbeathe

A couple of things to think about..... 1) If you simply look at the predictable increase in patients due to the aging "baby boomer" generation, the projections for nurses over the next 5-10 years is anticipated to be at shortage levels, even with every available student seat full right now and during the next 5 years. 2) Add to that the fact that (just like in every other profession), people are always retiring when the financial outlook is good, I think we can safely assume that at some point during the next 5 years, there will be a rapid jump in openings as nurses that are in a "holding pattern" will begin transitioning out. This group would include people that are waiting for retirement savings to pick back up and those who's spouses have unexpectedly lost jobs. The schools' advertisings that mention the "nursing shortage" may not necessarily be referring to a current shortage. Think about it, the students that they are trying to attract will be graduating (on average) 2 to 4 years from now --- certainly not next month. From the school's standpoint, the people that their advertising is aimed at WILL be filling a shortage (anticipated as it is). Not only that, but realistically, no business is going to go into lengthy explainations in their advertising. The purpose of the advertising is to get you interested so you'll contact them to get more info. HOPEFULLY, when you do go to the admissions office, they will at that time explain what they mean. Having said that, I don't see their advertising as lying. To be clear, I am not in advertising, nor do I work for a school, it's just that I'm looking at it from the other side of the fence. I am a student and I'm looking at what the job market will be in 2011. I can certainly see where your frustration could be coming from though if you are currently looking for a job and can't find anything at this time. All the best to you !! :loveya:

Maggie -- I saw that you mentioned that your Anatomy grade will be 5 years old once you graduate, but have you looked into a school that has a "nursing as a second career" program? For instance, the University of Michigan has an accelerated program for people that have a non-nursing Bachelor's degree to earn a BSN in 12-months. http://www.nursing.umich.edu/academics/second_career/index.html Maybe there's a school in your area that has a similar program. Even if you would need to take Anatomy again, you'd end up with a BSN as opposed to an ADN and you'd do it in less time. Good luck :redbeathe

I'm a Baker student finishing up my pre-reqs to apply in Fall 09 for the Spring 10 term. (I already have a AAS from Baker as well, so I've been in school a while ) Because the competition is so tight at Baker, I've decided to hedge my bets and apply to a couple other schools as back-up -- one of them is MCC. I also went to www.michigantransfernetwork.org and was quite discouraged at first. However, I went in to MCC and had my transcripts evaluated and found out that MI Transf. Ntwk is not the end-all-be-all... just a starting point. All of my pre-req's as well as my required gen. eds transfer to the needed classes for the nursing program at MCC even though many of them showed as elective credit transfers on MI Transf. Ntwk. As to the issue of 4 cr at Baker transfering as 2.68, etc..... that is not a Baker specific isssue. It is because MCC (OCC, UofM, HFCC, et. al.) are on the semester system and Baker is on the quarter system. The same thing would happen no matter what school you are transfering from that is on the quarter system. Keep in mind that to get an associates at Baker (or another quarter system school) it requires 90+ credits. At a semester school, it's about 60. The credit adjustment made only reflects that difference. As for the specifics of say ENG 101 -- 4 cr at Baker, 2.68 at MCC, MCC's Nursing requirement says you need 3 credits.... this too concerned me at first. The advisor explained that because I have the English class with the needed graded, my English requirement is meet, just that by the time I'm ready to graduate, I need additional classes as electives to get the total number of credits required. Thankfully, I can use other classes (like computer classes) for those electives, so the "extra" thing I need is to take the HESI at MCC (NET at Baker). I guess what I'm trying to say is, you REALLY need to check out the other schools, IN PERSON (over the phone you're likely to get bad info). Make sure that when you go to take with the admissions advisor that you've printed out a copy of your transcript from Baker to take with you. They'll still require an official copy from the school, but they wouldn't discuss any specifics with me without at least a student copy. Good luck with which ever school you settle on!! :heartbeat

I too am in this situation and will be submitting my appeal in a couple of weeks. I'm not expecting any problems, but if I do have them, I'll be up a creek From what the financial aid advisor told me, this is not a school thing, but a federal thing. Pell grant, Stafford Loans (subsidised and unsubsidized) and PLUS loans are all administered by the feds. I guess they figure that if you've already got a degree, you shouldn't need another one --- WHAT EVER !!!! :lghmky:

If your credits are from a Michigan school, you can get a general idea of which schools will accept your credits and which classes they will count towards at www.michigantransfernetwork.org If you are hoping for more of your credits to transfer than are listed, or you're wanting the credits to transfer for a different course, you can speak with an admissions counselor about specifics (typically, they will only discuss in person though). However, if the credits that you are refering to are specific nursing classes, I have yet to find a school that will accept those classes from another school. They will accept pre-req. courses and general ed, just not the nursing specific classes. I know that some of the school websites aren't the easiest to navigate, but any school with a nursing program will have the entrance requirements posted (somewhere) along with info about what they will / will not accept from other schools. Hope this helps.... :loveya:Good luck to you

Great advise !!! I second them.

I'm just the opposite. After two separate HORRIBLE experiences with male GYNs, I will never agree to a male GYN again. I even refused a male OB and made quite a scene when they tried to send one in at the last minute when my daughter was born. However, I don't think twice about any other male medical professionals (doc's, nurses, techs, etc.). The wierd thing is, even when I consider having a cath put in by a male nurse that doesn't bother me, just male GYNs (and OBs). Go figure !!

I "googled" her name and found and address for her in a siting on http://www.springerlink.com/content/xg8m88506g5r1t42/ It lists: Department of Medical Research, Methodist Hospital of Indiana, Inc., 46202 Indianapolis, Indiana You could start there. If that doesn't work, try her publisher. They should have contact info or at least be able to forward correspondance for you. Good luck.

It probably also depends on the state. I'm in Michigan, and have only attended a private college, so can not attest to the teaching styles of CC -vs- U profs,. I am applying to multiple schools for NS and I have researched the transferability of credits between the schools in my area (a mix of 11 CCs, Univ, and private schools with accredited nursing programs) and have found in all cases that the gen eds transfer but non of the nursing track does. Not sure why, have never asked, but suspect it has something to do with the clinical portions / scheduling. In my opinion, if the credits are transferable, the coursework and information is the same. Here we have a website to check transferability ( www.michigantransfernetwork.org ) of credits. Google your state to see if you have one. Hope this helps.

Yep, sounds like yours is the same as mine. A "B" is a 3.0 here too.

At my school, the lowest grade that you can have in pre-reqs, as well as ALL nursing classes and clinicals is a B- (2.7 -- the bar is set high here). If you need to take a pre-req over, you can only do so once. Each class you take over causes you to loose points on your application. Once you get in to the nursing program, anything under a B- and you are dropped from the program and there is no garauntee that you will be permitted to return. That may sound a bit harsh, but to be honest, the competition is tight to even get in. This is a limited enrollment program with no "wait listing". There are so many "good students" applying for the program, that during the last round of admissions (twice a year at my school), the lowest GPA that made it in was a 3.6 and that person got over 80 on the NET test. Anyone that thinks they can get into the program with even a B average here is severly mistaken. The same can pretty much be said for anyone that needs to take a class over because of the lost application points. While I will agree, that not everyone is a good test taker, or a good care giver, or a good critical thinker, the reality is that if you aren't all three, then you need to be in a different line of work. When I or any of my family are in need of medical care, I expect that they are all of the above -- no if's, and's or but's about it. I expect that if a crisis arrives, my caregivers and medical professionals will react to the situation in a calm and determined manner, that the correct procedures will be followed, that the correct medication and dosage will be given and that it will be done in a manner that is caring. I can't imagine that anyone would want less from thier medical team. As some of the people that are in positions to hire or manage nurses have already said, grades do say something about your abilities. That is why they use them in thier hiring practices. The fact is that if you know the material, you should have no problems with taking tests or performing well under the "watchful eye of the instructor". If you are the type that "knows the info" but "just don't do well on tests", or you "get nervous when the instructor puts you on the line", then I don't want you as my nurse. You think that tests are hard?!? What do you think that the real thing is going to be?... easier?!? I really am not trying to be mean or offensive, and I am certainly not making a judgement of anyone as a person. The reality is that you don't always get to do what you want in life and IMHO, this is one of those professions where "average" just isn't good enough. If you are a "C" student, and you have your heart set on being a nurse, the question I'd have to ask is... why? If it's the money, why not tryout computers, or marketing. Do you just love taking care of people? What about going into hospitality or event planning? Is it being in medicine that appeals to you? How about going into billing or coding? As aways, I wish the very best to all of us :redbeathe

I think for you to get appropriate feedback, you're going to need to divulge your school so you can solicit input from students where you're attending. However if this helps, I attend an accellerated cirriculum school (10 week semesters) and I'm currently taking AP I and Micro (from what I've heard from other students at my school, AP I is harder than AP II). It's alot of work, but not impossible. I have to admit though, my daughter is a teenager and pretty much fends for herself, so I'm free to study fairly uniterrupted. Your little ones are quite an interuption to your studies, I'm sure. I think it all really boils down to --- does your scheduling have enough wiggle room to delay one of the classes and maybe take something else in it's place during the summer? Or will it throw your semesters off because one of the classes is a pre-requisite for something else you need to take later? If you've got the wiggle room, I'd give yourself a bit of a break to ensure the 'A'. Best of luck to you !!

MRSLRG --- Oh I agree. Today was beautiful !! (I'm in Sterling Heights.) Although I will be taking classes during the summer, I am taking full advantage of the break between terms to do some planting. I'm putting in some flowers and a few veggies. I LOVE gardening and look forward to studying outside. I used to do that many, MANY years ago when I was in the service -- I find it very relaxing. Gotta do what works, right? :flwrhrts:

MRSRLG.... Thanks for the encouragement. I'm going have to work on reminding myself to just do the best I can or I'll drive myself nuts. You've got good advise. :redbeathe

Hi everyone !! I'm at CT and will be applying in Fall for the 2010 Spring term RN program. I just found this site a couple of days ago and man !! if I wasn't anxious before, I sure am now after reading all the posts about the entrance score cut-offs from the last few batches !! I've actually lost sleep over it. Guess it's time to start looking at other options (at least as back-ups). My grades are good, but who knows what will happen with the NET. Just talked with HFCC today --- 18 to 24 month wait list. Gonna go to the info meeting at MCC next week and plan to take the HESI and submit for their Fall 2010 program. SC4 is a bit far (50 miles), but it may be an option. Unfortunately, I'm on a bit of a time crunch -- I'm trying to use NWLB funds which means I have to start the Nursing track in 2010. I'd really like to stay at Baker. The school really is a good fit for me. I got my AAS in Computer Science there back in 2001. I'll admit the classes are a bit more expensive, but I like the class sizes, the location, the fact that each quarter is only 10 weeks, and the fact that the instructors have worked in the field they teach. on a side note... for those of you out there that think that 10 week quarters means Baker is easier or that you don't learn as much, you couldn't be more mistaken !! We're in class for 4 hours a week, unlike the other schools that only do 3 hours a week and we are required to learn the same material ( I'm so tired of the disparaging remarks from non-Baker people ... sorry, had to vent) Anyhow, I'm at AH on Mon and Wed and CT Tech CTR on Tues and Fri. I'm doing AP I and Micro right now if anyone wants a study buddy. I'm taking AP II and Psyc this summer .... anyone else doing summer classes? Good luck to you all !!