bonn_bai

Oh seriously? I didn't realize you guys went summers too. An advisor told me it was just fall and spring. It wasn't an actual nursing advisor though. That's great - that definitely speeds it up.

I don't think you could get through the part-time program in 2.5 years. I think the part-time program is 7 semesters, no summers, so that would be more like 3.5 years. I could be wrong on that, but I think that's what it would be. Pre-reqs for the program are A&P 1, A&P 2, Microbiology, Mth 100 and English 101. Also you have to take the Compass Reading test and the TEAS test. The full-time program is 5 semesters with summers (I think), so you could get through it a lot faster. So like if you started Fall 2011 for instance, I think you would finish Spring 2013. If you started the part-time program in Fall 2011, graduation would be like Fall 2014. Definitely verify all that with an advisor though. Thanks for serving our country!

According to this: http://www.bestnursingdegree.com/programs/associate-degree-nursing/alabama/ The NCLEX pass rate at Jeff State for 2009 was 90.3%. Seems pretty good. I am not in the program yet but am planning to apply to start Fall 2011. I am currently taking A&P 2 and Mth 100 at Jeff State (pre-reqs for nursing). I haven't decided if I am going to apply for the full-time or the part-time program. At first I thought I would have to do the part-time because I have to work full-time, but that puts me graduating school SOOO much later, so I am trying to decide now if I can manage the full-time program. The time difference in graduating is like 2 years.

You sound like a very amiable and flexible person - I think you would probably meld into whatever community you were in. Having been in your shoes not THAT long ago :), and come out on the other side (I'm 25), I realize now that you have your entire life to go anywhere you want to go. I wish I had stayed closer to home for college and used it truly as a transition time between being a teenager and a true working adult, rather than acting like college was my time to really leave the nest. It would have been nice and much easier for me had I been able to go back to the nest sometimes. Now, though, I am kind of like, I can go anywhere, I can do anything, because I have that grounding...who I am, what I want in life, etc. And like I said I'm only 25. So try to look at college as a continuation of your schooling and your growth, rather than as the beginning of your "life". Your "life" so to speak as an adult can begin after college, when you are a little more experienced and knowledgeable (not that you aren't now, but believe it or not, you do learn a lot as you age). When you graduate you can focus on what community you want to be in and what you really want your life to be all about. I hope that makes sense. Basically I'm just trying to convey the idea that college shouldn't take you completely out of your comfort zone - it should be challenging in such a way that you grow toward being on your own, but it should also be a time when you can still rely on those people you've grown up with (ie your family).

Sounds like it to me. Good luck to you :)

Is it totally based on the merits of the university? No dilemmas based on moving far away from home or tuition costs or anything like that? Really, all three universities would be great. Me personally, if I had a choice to stay near home I would choose the one nearest home. If I had the choice to even LIVE at home, I would do that. Much cheaper and easier to study than living at school. I don't think I would choose Univ of Portland, just because I like Seattle and San Fran better...but that's just my personal preference. Seems like more is going on in Seattle and San Fran. Seattle in particular.

Absolutely. I've found that people freak themselves out too much by listening to other people talk of their failure or how hard things were for them. Don't do that. Just commit to what you want to accomplish and put your all into it. Don't fret about it - just take control of it. Make a plan for how you will study, get organized, do things that will make you feel comfortable about your studies. You can do it. You absolutely 100% can do it.

See here: http://www.austincc.edu/support/admissions/changingresidency.php You can petition for a residency status change after 1 year. You fill out a form and bring in documents proving you have established residency. I had to do the same thing at a different school. So in that case, if I were you, I would get a job (part-time or whatever, just to have verifiable evidence of Texas residency) and go to school part-time to get your pre-reqs out of the way. Also, make sure you get a new driver's license as soon as you get to Texas. You would then after 1 year be able to get in-state tuition, just as you could start the nursing program.

These are all very nice to read. Thanks for posting the question. I am pre-nursing and with all the negativity around here, I was starting to wonder if the bad would outweigh the good. Reading these has been nice. :)

Yes. People don't seem to get this crucial point and it really hurts them.

This is so strange to me...practicing empathy on a mannequin...all you can really do is talk to it because it's just a mannequin lol...but sometimes talking isn't the right thing when you are actually with another human being who is in pain. When I am with someone in pain, I do a lot of just listening and "mmmhmm"s and then I may ask a question like "How do you feel about that?" or something like that. But you can't exactly have that kind of convo with a mannequin. I'm enjoying reading the answers from the experienced nurses out there. I agree with you OP that it would probably come naturally with a patient.

ER. Think about how a future employer would look at ER over unit secretary if you are applying for an RN position.

I would work even if I didn't have to because jobs are so hard to come by these days. Even that little bit of extra work experience is going to help you in the future. Also, when you are working you are networking with people who could potentially employ you later. I am single, working full-time while in school and I have a child at home. I would never quit working, not as a single person anyway. I have seen too many people lose jobs and sit at home for months and months looking.

I was going say, $15/hr where I live for an LPN is probably right about there. LPNs here may even start out less than that (Alabama). I don't know who could live on that salary without some serious budgeting, or a working spouse.

Echoing the other posters, you can do anything you want with a solid budget! My dad has been laid off numerous times throughout his career and each time he and my mom get back on their feet by immediately adjusting the budget. There are lots of good resources out there like Dave Ramsey and "America's Cheapest Family" who can help you if needed. "America's Cheapest Family" paid off a house in like 9 years on 35k/year salary with 5 kids! In Scottsdale, AZ, no less - not a cheap city! One thing I heard a few years ago from the owner of a large grocery chain stuck with me. He said that when he and his wife got married, they were dirt poor. They bought a cheapo 2 bedroom, 1 bath house and lived on a tight budget until they got that house paid off. Then they sold it and bought a 3 bedroom 2 bath house and had a very small mortgage because of the down payment. Each time they've moved up it's only been because they paid something else off and had the means to truly afford moving up. Now they are millionaires, but they started out making sacrifices so they could have control over their money, rather than their money having control over them.