j772

No worries. I was so stressed when I was accepted that I lived on this site searching for answers. I worked about 1-3 days per week throughout the program because I had to. It was tough the first semester & if you can avoid it I strongly recommend doing so. If not, I understand & just be prepared to have no life & limited sleep. I don't say this to scare you & trust me, it can be done. The first semester is the toughest because you are getting used to being in school again, juggling some tough classes and trying to balance your life with school. I recommend you get a study group going because your nursing friends will be your lifeline throughout this. Please feel free to ask whatever you want, I know how I felt after getting accepted & am willing to answer you honestly. The job market is tough in Boston, especially for new grads. I was able to get a job but had to move out of state. I hope things will improve by the time you get out and if you can get a CNA or other hospital job, it is a great way in.

You are on campus all day for about 3 days per week and 1-2 days for your clinicals somewhere in Western MA or Worcester. There are people who commute, but it is much easier if you can find a place to stay close to there, especially with snow. Classes are intense and requires a lot of time to study. There are also days that you need to be there late for Sim labs or other things that seem to come up at the last minute that you must attend. I know a few people from my program rented rooms out there for the week & would come back to Boston on the weekends. You will need all the time you can to study-especially the first semester. I am not sure how the classes are designed now since you are starting in the fall. Good luck!!

I graduated from this program & hope I can help answer your questions. The clinical rotations are mostly in Western MA & Worcester, you can ask to come to Boston for your senior clinical placement. Hope this helps you make a decision.

Hi, I am in an accelerated program & will say the cost is more than just the tuition. I was told my program (UMass) would be around $30,000 & only will receive $25,000 in federal aid. That doesn't take into account the cost of books, lab supplies, uniform, stethoscope, insurance & additional money for living expenses. That said, it is worth it. I just wish I would have saved more going into to it and had to rely less on financial aid. Good luck!

hi dhal72, My class is a diverse group with people of varying ages 20's-late 50's. Many people have young children at home & some are single parents so this is realistic. Regis has an accelerated evening program and I am not sure about other's. UMass does not have evening/weekend program for accelerated BSN, although some community colleges have evening/weekend ADN programs. Regardless of the program you choose, you must know that it is like a full time job + part time job with all of the studying involved in nursing & especially accelerated programs. This is not meant to scare you & trust me it is manageable. School is demanding & requires time management, dedication & tons of coffee! I had been thinking about nursing for many years & worked in healthcare so I knew what i was getting into. Volunteering is a great way to learn about nursing & see firsthand what it entails. You can check the hospitals, nursing homes, etc or even the local Red Cross has some kind of local emergency response thing where you can help out at large scale community health clinics, etc. Definitely do your research & make sure this is what you want b/c both school & nursing are not easy, but very much worth it. These blogs are great to learn about what new nurses, students, prospective students & experienced nurses are going through. I hope I was able to answer your questions & wish you the best.

UMass Amherst doesn't require interviews, but I think they are usually a good thing since you get a chance to convey who you are to the admissions committee. The best advice I can offer is to be yourself & really think about why you want to do this. I am enjoying Amherst & am happy with the program. Like anywhere there are some frustrations at times, but the instructors are committed to making sure you learn. We are starting clinicals next week which is both exciting & scary. The intersession was an intense 3 credit course, not terribly difficult but a lot of work. It was a good way to get to know your classmates & get used to being in school again. That has been hard to do after graduating over 10 yrs ago. As for the spring, we have classes 3 -5 days per week (M-F) this depends on whether you meet for clinicals that week or are in sim lab. Depending on your site, clinicals are either Th/Fr or 12 hrs shifts on either Sat. or Sunday. The weeks you have clinicals, we have classes 3 days (m-w) & meet pretty much all day for lecture/lab except on day which is only a half day. That said, there is a TON of reading, homework assignments, quizzes, lab practice techniques, etc to do the rest of the time. I haven't had too much of a social life, but it is possible to have one. Time management is crucial to any accelerated program & not getting far behind is key. It is really overwhelming & I panicked for the first few weeks. I'd be lying if I said I still didn't have periods of anxiety when I look at my upcoming assignments. It is hard to believe so much is expected in such a short period of time. I guess that is why is it "accelerated." The best advice I can give anyone is to save as much money as possible because figuring out your finances is frustrating & not the quickest process. It is good to have about 1-2 months of living expenses saved since the federal loans take a while & private ones aren't any faster. This was extremely stressful for me & not unique to UMass financial aid. Everyone says it works out & while it does, it isn't very comforting as you watch your bank account quickly deplete not knowing when you will get more money. Wherever you go, make sure you stay focused & not let anything stop you (even a rejection letter-although I am sure that won't be the case) . If you have any other questions, please ask. I was addicted to this site when I was applying & appreciated all the words of advice/support I received here.

I was going to apply to UMB but was accepted into UMass Amherst's accelerated program which started in January. The programs are similar, other than location, & I'd be happy to answer whatever questions you may have. Trust me, I understand the anxiety & stress of applying to school and am open to answer anything I can to help.

Thank you all for such great advice & support. I have spoken with my boyfriend & he says he is still committed to making us work. Although I don't think he has any idea what this will mean, I love him & will do what I can to make it work. Good luck to you all as well. It is really nice to have a forum like this where we can vent & get support.

I just started an accelerated nursing program and already my boyfriend is complaining that all I do is focus on nursing school. We had been living together for 1.5 yrs and I recently had to move about 1.5 hrs away for school. I thought I was trying to ask him about his life and make sure I was there if he needed me. I was so hurt when he told me I had "tunnel vision" and was self absorbed with school. He knows how important school is for me & I have explained that my life involves school, study, & sleeping so forgive me for not having much else to talk about. At this point I am wondering if we should stay together or end it now. I love him very much & hope I wouldn't do this to him if the roles were reversed. I just needed a place to vent with people who understand what this is like since my friends have no idea what this is like....

I am moving there from the Boston area w/o a job & am really stressing about loans. My sister is willing to cosign if needed, but the people in financial aid were not too helpful when I told them I needed loans to live on. I was also surprised by the cost of the program since I really thought it would have been less since it is a state school. I've been able to save some money (around $2500) which won't last too long & planned on looking for part time work. I have some questions about the health loans, can I send you a PM?

If you are talking about a second degree in nursing, I think a combination of grades, letters of recommendations, & experience matter equally. I would make sure to write a strong essay & play up whatever work experiences you have that make you a good nursing student. I didn't have the best undergrad GPA & was accepted into a 2nd degree program. Good luck & if this is what you want to do then don't give up!

thank you again for all of your help! See you at orientation, this is happening so quick!

Thank you! I just checked it out & saw that there are only 2br. I am hesitant to live with someone I don't know b/c I've had some bad experiences. It seems most realtors are only open M-F 9-5 & I live in Boston so it is hard to get there. Any other suggestions? I've checked some places on the internet & found some through Kamins real estate. Do you know anything about them? Sorry to bombard you with questions, I just moved to Boston last year & don't know anything about the area.

I haven't registered yet & was just going to wait until orientation. On a seperate note, I am moving up there from Boston & looking for a place to live. Can anyone suggest reasonable apartments in Amherst that aren't filled with only undergraduate students?

I haven't received anything yet, but did see what I was awarded in federal aid on my spire account. I have to explore private loans & was going to call the office to see what to do. As for the class, yes we are only there for 6 days 8-4.

I was stressed about the H1N1 since I just found out today & don't live near Amherst. I was told they are trying to offer it to us the day again in January. However, this afternoon I just learned that my employer is offering it (already got the flu vaccine thr/work) & you may want to see if the same is at your work place. It's at least one more thing to cross of our pre-registration to-do list.

I didn't receive anything yet. My email address was put in the system incorrectly so I am just now getting all of the emails. I am a little frustrated that we found out so late & am getting overwhelmed by all this stuff we have to do. Have they forgotten that many of us still work full time & don't live in that area? Sorry to complain here, but I am just getting stressed by all of this stuff & how to pay for everything. I really thought this was less expensive when I applied.

Hi Kimburlee37, Thanks so much for the info. I am heading up to Amherst on Monday to look at some apartments near campus. I don't want to deal with parking & want to live near a bus route or walking distance. I am meeting with Kamins real estate & will be viewing some of their properties. As for financial aid, I am still waiting and hope to hear something soon. I called the nursing school & was told tuition was $510 per credit. I think there is a total of 59 credits which means it close to $30,000. I am not sure if it is less with MA residency but certainly hope so! I was shocked to hear that it was so much since regular tuition is only $110 per credit. This is supposedly one of the less expensive programs if you can believe it. Thanks again & please let me know if you hear differently about tuition.

You are ahead of me. I completed the CORI and still need to sign up for CPR. My sister is a nurse & was so excited about me getting accepted that she purchased a stethoscope for me. I am going up there on Monday to check out different apartments & will let you know what I find. I want to live close to campus so I don't have to worry about parking. Do you know how much tuition is? Initially I thought it was whatever the rate is for undergrad classes, but was told it was different. I can't seem to find out much on the website. Thanks so much for the help. I am sure we will meet at orientation. As for signing up for classes, I figured we will find this out at orientation. It seems all so fast now.

Thank you so much & yes, I have some questions about the area. I found a few complexes in Amherst but am concerned about living close to party animals. I am 35 y/o and not really into that scene anymore nor can I focus on studying if it is too loud (gosh, I am turning into one of "those people.") The other quesiton is about possible work. I hoping to find some per diem work or even something part time-if possible to help with the cost. Any suggestions on home care agencies or hospitals in the area- currently I am employed as a licensed social worker?

I was just accepted to the January 2010 class & am wondering about loans? I've submitted my FAFSA & am waiting to see what I'll get through government loans. Like you-1anonlycarol- I am moving there from the Boston area & will need to take out loans to help me live. I am hoping to find a part time job to help offset the costs. Any suggestions?? Thank you again for all of the great information you provided already. I am really looking forward to starting the program.

I am sorry about that. I was just accepted and am waiting to see what I will get in financial aid. I didn't realize it was hard to get private loans, is this state specific or nationwide? I can see how frustrating this situation is for you. I guess you need to see if nursing will be better for you in the long term vs. what you are doing now-both financially & otherwise. Is it worth the financial strain short term if it will pay off later? I would still look into scholarships to help offset some of the cost. Your school's financial aid office will have info or you can google them as well. I know there are private scholarships out there through hospitals. charities, & pharmaceutical companies although they are strained with the economy. Again, I hope this works out for you & hang in there.

I am about to do the same thing & am trying to find a part time job. If you need to take out the money, it is better to explore private loans and NOT use your credit cards since the interest is much higher on them. It is overwhelming to think about, but you will eventually get a job despite the economy. Who knows, things may improve by then for new grads. I am not sure if you have done so, but look into scholarships too. There are tons out there & every little bit can help. I have some student loans already (this is a 2nd degree for me) & I have found them to be managible for the most part. I don't say that lightly & remember you will have to pay them back. However, I find the interest to be low & you have a 6-12 month grace period after graduation to start repaying them. If this is something you really want to do, maybe you could also explore going to school part time while you work. I would strongly encourage you meet with the financial aid people at your school to see how much your payments would be & if this is something you are comfortable doing. I wish you all the best.

I am in the same situation & don't know much about the area. I looked on the UMass housing website b/c they provide housing resources for both apartments and roomate finders. Do you know if the orientation will be held on the 15/16?

I just received my acceptance letter!