Honeybee

So...run....don't even THINK about HCC.... OMG = oh my gosh... I am so sorry to hear about your experience with HCC. There are just too many negative comments about them adding up. I decided a few weeks ago that I would not apply for their nursing program. The only thing I might have to do with HCC is take my pre-req's. That is only because the campus is convenient and after that I will apply somewhere else. I feel that everything happens for a reason, it is not always revealed at the time you want it to be though. I am also considering North Harris. I just have not made a decision yet. I hope you get accepted to their program if that is what you desire. I have a question, what is dh? Are you able to transfer any of your classes from HCC to North Harris?

Thanks for the information LLG! :) I am going to concentrate on the pre-req's this year and some of next year. Then, hopefully I will be admitted to the school of my choice. I am not sure which one that is yet but I will decide soon hopefully. Sound like good advice about the math classes. I hope to go for the BSN shortly after I receive my ADN. I will have to just see what else is going on in 2 years to determine the time lapse between ADN and BSN. Since I am getting married soon I just might have a bun in the oven or something. LOL I will make sure to verify my ADN courses will transfer when it is time for me to get my BSN. Thank you again for the helpful information.

Thanks for the information Graceful! I have not completely decided yet, lol....but I hope to make a decision within the next couple of months. San Jacinto is still in the race, their pass rate is in the 90's but they couldn't give me the exact percentage when I called. The same thing was told to me by Alvin Community College. Again, if money was not a factor, I would probably try my best to go to Houston Baptist University. They have a 100% pass rate....:)

I called North Harris and spoke with the nursing counselor, Sara Laidlaw. She said the NCLEX pass rate is 95.6%. I know I will have to take an Algebra class also. :)

Yeah, I was looking at the North Harris main location I guess because I think that is better for me than the Tomball location. :) Do you happen to know what their NCLEX pass rate is?

Okay good, then you are on the right track with the studying. I have been out of school for almost 12 years and believe me, I am having a hard time with certain things. Well, mainly one thing, ALGEBRA. UUGGHHH LOL... Oh well, I must say that it is slowly and surely coming back, the more and more I work on the study guide. The reading and writing portions are going well. I wish you intelligence on your test! :)

Well, I do not live far North, I live on the Southwest side of Houston, but it will not be a problem for me to drive. Wow, funny that you mentioned an ASSET test. I was going to take one for Houston Community College next month so I could try and take some pre-req's there. You should go to the library and get some study guides. The counselor at HCC recommended the TASP study guide. I have been working on that for 2 weeks now. After I finish with the TASP study book, I might try to find a GMAT study book because I think that will have more advanced information.

Hi Katt! No, I have not checked into that one. Thanks for the information. I am looking on their website now. When are you starting your ADN program there?

Thank you for the reply Graceful! Did you attend school in Houston? I have made my decision to pursue nursing a little late(to me anyway) at 30 years old, I am engaged to be married soon and I will probably want to try and start a family in 2-3 years. So, after that soul searching and discussing it with my finance, I think it is best if I go for the ADN now and then I will go from there. I know my goal right now is to eventually get a BSN, if the MSN happens that will be great but that will come after my family. If I get a job, I can hopefully get my BSN while I am working and get some tuition reimbursement from my employer. Now, with the second question I had, I am still trying to decide if it is worth the financial difference to go to a private University (Houston Baptist Univ) for an ADN, or should I just go to a Community College like San Jacinto or Alvin? Houston Baptist is the only University in the immediate Houston area that offers the ADN. They have a 100% pass rate on the NCLEX exam. Alvin said theirs is in the 90's. I do not know what San Jacinto's rate is.

This response is kind of late but I just joined this website recently. Houston's job market is slowly turning for the better. Last year it was awful. I was out of work for 6 months after being "downsized" from Worldcom. Enron was also a terrible thing for our city. However, I think the job market is looking better now. You should be able to find something in retail, since there are so many malls here. The traffic can be bad, depending on where you work/live. There are changes being made to decrease traffic though, there are toll roads being built and a light rail was built in the downtown area. You should visit again and start looking for jobs to see if the move is good for you. I wish you well. :)

The cost of living is lower in Houston than in Austin. That is one reason I moved to Houston. Austin is a very nice place though. Yes, I believe you can make more money in Houston, especially in healthcare.

I completely understand how you would not be able to work right now with 3 little ones. :) The general job market in Houston is slowly but surely turning around. I was out of work for 6 months last year (I was laid off from Worldcom) but I have a job now with what I believe is a stable company. I do know there are MANY medical opportunities in Houston and that is why I am pursuing a nursing career. I really wish I had the money to go to school full-time for a BSN (at a university) but I am not sure I can set aside 4 years of non-working time and all of the money for tuition. My fiance' would like to go to school to get a Masters Degree soon and I know that will be a challenge for both of us to be in school at the same time. I can only imagine adding children (we do not have any yet) to that equation would make it much more difficult. I believe it will all be worth it in the end. I wish you well in your job search and I hope everything goes as planned with your move to Houston. As you know, it will be nice n' hot when you get here..LOL Gotta love it though! I have lived in Texas all my life, originally from Austin.

Oh wow, that's the second negative thing I have heard about HCC. Well, like I said before they are not NLNAC accredited so that was my first clue. I was also thinking about San Jacinto but I have not gathered any information on their programs yet. Thank you so much for the information. Are you currently working in Houston as an RN?

I really didn't know where Alvin was until a few days ago. :-) The one thing that is steering me away from HCC is the fact that they are not NLNAC accredited. I have heard that is a very important factor when choosing a school. Do you plan on getting a BSN from another school in the Houston area when you return? Are you currently working as an RN?

Thank you for the reply. Did you get an Associates Degree from Alvin Community College? I was debating between Houston Communitiy College (located in the medical center) or Houston Baptist University.