kgb0217

I just finished my 1st year of nursing school. By the second semester I had a good routine. It may not work with everyone, but I thought I'd offer my advice. 1. Before the semester started, I organized my course box (I don't know if you guys get course boxes, but it contains our addendum, syllabus, Unit Outline, & our clinical objectives) by week in a binder and separated each test with a divider labeled test #1, #2, etc. 2. I also created a color coded weekly calender. They gave us one in our first semester and I just altered it for next semester. It was all spread out onto a couple pages and included important assignments, clinical, class, lab, tests, quizzes, etc. All the info for each test that was color coded when it was taught on the calender and each test had it's own color. 3. Since I work 24 hours on the weekend, I would prepare for class the day before. The whole day would be dedicated to making notes and reading for the lecture the next day. Because I'm a visual person, I made colored charts comparing/contrasting what we were learning and creating my own outline in ppt or word. 4. While in class, I used my charts, ppt, and word to follow along and add notes ( I brought my laptop to school.) I also recorded the lecture on my ipod. 5. The next day, I would spend about 4-6 hours at Starbucks/Panera with my textbook, notes, and audio and go through my notes and write in anything I missed or anything that hints it will be tested on. Then I study whatever I put together and anything taught previously before and repeat the same routine weekly until the test. 6. I also bought the success series and that REALLY helped a lot. It's important to not only study the info but also study critical thinking questions because it will get you used to how you will be tested and the NCLEX. 1. Fundamental Success - http://www.amazon.com/Fundamentals-Success-Applying-Critical-Thinking /dp/0803627793/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336157408&sr=8-1 2. Med-Surg Success - Amazon.com: Med-Surg Success: A Course Review Applying Critical Thinking to Test Taking (Davis's Q&a Series) (9780803625044): Kathryn Colgrove, Ray Huttel: Books 3. Psych Success - Amazon.com: Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Success: A Course Review Applying Critical Thinking to Test Taking (Davis's Success) (9780803618794): Cathy Curtis, Audra Fegley, Carol Tuzo, Curtis: Books 4. Pharmacology Success - Pharmacology Success: A Course Review Applying Critical Thinking to Test Taking (Davis's Success): Ray Hargrove-Huttel, Kathryn Colgrove, Hargrove-Huttel: 9780803618213: Amazon.com: Books 7. I was told once that to be successful, I had to pull all-nighters. The one time I did, I lost my A. If I want extra study time without staying up all night, I will count 7-8 hours (whatever works best for you) and set my alarm for the time I want to get up. For instance, if I wanted to get up at 4am to study, I'd go to bed at 9pm. Nothing is more important than a clear, awake mind for a test. 8. Working out is also good for your brain. If you don't make time for it, it won't be happening because you will get very busy. I set my alarm earlier to get up and work out. 9. When practicing for tests..or even taking the test if your allowed..I highlight/underline/circle important key words in the question. Not everything in the question is important, so deciding the importance will help you understand the question. And then I completely mark out the answer I know is wrong...so when eliminating or deciding...I only see the important ones. This turned out longer than I expected and the post above me definitely summed it up better. :) This may also seem overwhelming too. After you start out, you will find out what works best for you. It may take some experimenting and trying things out and even getting into the groove of things before you figure out what works best for you. The #1 most important thing to do...find time to relax. It gets stressful. I would light some candles, but on some relaxing music and enjoy a bubble bath for a small amount of time. It gets busy and stressful sometimes and it's important to relax. GOOD LUCK!!

I loathe group projects. This past semesters group project was such a NIGHTMARE. Two of the girls appointented themselves bosses of the project, picked our topic (which was wrong) and refused to listen to anyones input. When I told them they picked the wrong topic...they laughed at me and kept talking about the same topic until the teacher got involved. The project was so extremely ugly and I was utterly embarrased. My biggest issue was they didn't care if they did it right or not and had a scary inability to not READ. It drove me nuts and my grade I worked so hard for plummeted because we failed the project. The day we got together, the two of them set at the table and bossed everyone around. Luckily that is all over...at the expense of my grade and 9 others.

I applied last year after getting my AA, but not taking Intro and I wasn't accepted. When I decided to withdrawal from nursing at Nova, I took Intro then and there were others in my class who got accepted while taking it. I've heard of others taking it during the summer in between and they were accepted contingently.

Yeah, a few days after I contaced Dr. H and she looked into it and I also got accepted. I'm very grateful that she was helpful in all this. It was probably more difficult once they added in the whole TEAS score requirements. I guess I will be seeing you July 8th! I'm really excited!

PSC is a joke. Last year I applied to the program for the Spring. I was completing Intro and was doing very well and I talked to the director and she said that I had a good chance of getting in. I never received a denial letter or a packet saying I was accepted. So, I called the director and my application had been LOST. The director was nice enough to rank me, but since they had already chosen the nursing applicants, I was an alternate. I had to attend the meeting and fill out all the paper work, complete a drug test and physical, and any other required component each nursing student had to complete. They said that I had to wait by the phone to see if I got in for the Spring. I waited...yet no call. I had already taken the TEAS before (I had gotten into a private nursing program for Fall 2010, but didn't go because it was $45,000 a year) so I knew what to except. I got an 80 and turned everything in the first day it was due. Well, I just got my denial letter stating they never got my TEAS results I turned in. This has been such a mess. Good luck to all of you though.

Yes. I had e-mailed him about it but he e-mailed me back with a poster that shows the financial aid process. Which had the arrows saying to fill out the paper work and accept monies, etc. I had gotten a couple stafford loans but for some reason I didn't get the full amount that I should be allotted. But I guess they had factored in the job that I have now and after I move down there, I won't have it. And that loans barely even dented the total amount I had to come up with. So that was extremely depressing. I also e-mailed the financial aid department at the main campus and I broke down my COA and explained to them my situation and they sent me back an e-mail breaking down my COA as I had and didn't offer any help. So that was quit frustrating. I was really looking forward to going this fall.

I got into the Fort Myers campus with a 3.0 and an AA. I'm not going to be able to start though because my mom was involved in a serious accident and I won't have a job when I start and also Nova wasn't trying to help me figure out what I need to do financially. Good luck!

Thanks! Yeah my gpa dropped a lot. I took between 14-17 credits a semester plus I worked 40+ hours in the pharmacy. My gpa was a 3.0. I had mostly A's and B's in my classes, except A&P I & II I got 78 & 79 so that was super depressing. And due to a car wreck this semester my stats grade also dropped to a C. I only had two W's. One was in Principles of Biology which I was taking when I was a pre-pharmacy major and Microbiology. I had tried taking micro a couple of summers ago with a professor who we couldn't understand and it was also a 6 week class....why I did it...I don't know. I dropped it with a 68 cause I knew I'd lose my scholarship with a C in the summer. This past term I got a B without really much effort. I wish I had put more effort in my classes so that I could have possibly had a better chance at other schools. I've just been praying a lot about it all and I feel extremely blessed. Good luck!

Thanks! :) I believe I applied either at the end of March or April.

I got accepted to the Fort Myers campus this morning. I live in Lakeland so I will have to find an apartment. Did any of you find anything good?

I got accepted to Nova this morning. I've already been denied from three other nursing schools (one community college and two public universities) so this was a relief. However, I was accepted to the Fort Myers campus and I live in Lakeland, so I will have to find an apartment, etc etc. Anyways, my dad thinks it's not such a good idea since Nova is pricey. He thinks that I should go to a tech school and get my LPN first and then try to get into an ADN program after. My ultimate goal is to be an ARNP so my personal feeling is that I should just bite the bullet and go to Nova. His other option is for me to retake my pre-reqs that I got C's in and then re-apply to public universities for Fall 2011. I feel kind of worried because I don't even know if I can get into other schools. It seems to be extremely competitive. I messed up my gpa doing music and nursing pre-reqs which was silly..so I feel like this is an opportunity I can't miss. Any suggestions?