sillywilly

Thanks for the reply, you just made my day! I was not able to make it to the information session and was assuming that if anything, the points needed for the bridge program would be higher than the 2 year program. Now I just have to wait for the letter in the mail to find out if I got in. Did you apply too?

I don't know how many community colleges are around your area, but check to see if they all require pre-req's for the pre-req's. If you can find any that don't require them, then check with the nursing programs you are applying to to make sure they will accept those classes. I got out of taking 2 different biology classes and 2 math classes this way. There are about 8-10 different CC's within a hour or two of my house, and I checked all of their requirements. I took anatomy, physiology, microbiology, and chemistry without any ore-requisites. Sure, I eneded up having to drive an hour each way to class for those classes, but I saved so much time! I made sure to sign up for the classes that were only once a week (instead of twice a week) to cut down on driving. I took me long enough to take all of my per-requisites, I cant imagine how much worse it would have been with pre-pre requisites! I was not able to find a physiology class with out prerequisites, but I was able to talk the professor into signing a paper saying she would wave the prerequisites for me. I got "A"s in anatomy, physiology, and microbiology, and ended up with a "C" in chemistry (math is my worst subject).

Congrats!!!! I'm so happy for you :cheers:

Hi RNHURT, Sorry for the delay. 50 an hour will EASILY cover a 1 or 2 bed apartment in Culver City. I see them advertised around 800 a month. If your friend wants to work in Santa Barbara she could live in Ventura. Lompoc is about 50 miles north of Santa Barbara. Im sure with traffic that will take forever! Lompoc is a really small town with not too much to do. There is a Walmart, a few small stores, and a tiny airport there. (I went skydiving there ) Ventura is about 30 miles south of Santa Barbara. With rush hour traffic it still may take 40-60 minutes to get there, but it would probably still be faster and closer than living in Lompoc. Ventura is a really cute beach town too(I may be biased because I am moving there soon)! I like their little downtown area. There are tons of small stores, restaurants, thrift shops, some bars, a theater where bands play, movie theater, ect. One of my friends has a pretty nice 1 bedroom apartment in Ventura that is 50 feet away from the ocean for 1000 a month. Your friend might be able to find a nice place in Santa Barbara if she really looks. There are always good deals if you look hard enough.

I would say traffic is much worse in Culver City. Its pretty much in the middle of Los Angeles, and only a few miles away from the airport so the freeways are always jammed. I went to school in Culver City and worked about 20 miles away. I would get out of work at 3:00pm and drive straight to school, (class was at 5:00pm) and sometimes I would be late for class. I got out of class at 10pm and you would think traffic would die down by then, but nope! It was like rush hour traffic all times of the day. It was slightly better, but still took an hour to a hour and a half to get home in stop and go traffic on a weeknight. I'm so happy I only had to take classes there for a year. I developed a bad case of road rage from my commute. Santa Barbara can get some bad rush hour traffic too, but it generally clears up during the day and at night (unless there is an accident).

Hi, I think it's normal to feel anxious or scared about surgery. I had my tonsils removed when I was 17, and it was awful! It took me almost 3 weeks to recover. After I was healed, I felt so much better. I'm glad they are gone! Stock up on jello, and just remember you will feel so much better when your all healed!

I don't know where Visalia is (central CA I think??), and have no idea about the hospitals, but between Santa Barbara and Culver City I would much rather live in Santa Barbara. Santa Barbara is a cute little beach town. Its safe, quiet, and very expensive (rent wise) compared to Culver City. Your friend could live in Ventura, which is a much cheaper still nice beach town about 20 min from SB. Culver City is pretty close to LAX (right in Los Angeles) and is much busier. If your friend likes city life, Culver City might be great. It is right in the middle of everything.There are some parts of Culver City that are safe, and some are not. Rent would be much cheaper in Culver City (maybe almost half the price of SB). It just depends on what your friend prefers. Does your friend have children? What is your friends lifestyle? What is the pay difference between Culver City and Santa Barbara?

I worked as a Vet Tech for years before getting my LVN license. If you don't want to deal with people, that is probably not a good career choice for you. As a Vet tech you are going to be dealing with people all day long. You put owners and their pets in exam rooms and will get the patient history and vital signs in front of the owners. You will have to explain estimates, plans of care, answer questions, and get consent forms signed. The worried pet owners need to be taught how to care for their sick animals, and they usually have lots of questions. Having your LVN license is not necessarily going to get you a job as a Vet Tech. The medical side is mostly the same, but there is a whole skill set you need to have as a Vet tech, which you don't learn as a LVN. Vet Techs/Vet assistants do not need to take any classes or any tests, they are usually trained on the job. RVT's (Registered Vet Tech) go to school for 2 years, and take a test to get licensed. In the Animal world there are: Kennel assistants which are sort of like CNA's. Vet Tech/Vet Assistants which are sort of like LVN's or MA's. RVT's which are sort of like RN's. If you are interested in working with animals you can try to find a place that will train you as a Vet tech, you might get lucky. Usually animal hospitals require that vet tech's have experience and already know how to restrain animals, take blood, run lab tests, place IV and urinary catheters, run fecals, do ear cleanings, perform dentals, take X rays, set up surgery, ect... You should be able to find a job as a kennel assistant with no experience. Usually after working as a kennel assistant for awhile you will slowly learn how to do new things here and there, and eventually will become a tech. I LOVED working as a vet tech. Good luck finding a career that makes you happy.

Chemistry was the WORST for me. The teacher was terrible! He had such a thick accent that no one could understand a word he said. I am bad at math, and that made it really hard for me. All of the non math related concepts I understood, but I would get almost every calculation wrong. I spent almost 500 dollars on a tutor for chemistry.Out of 45 people in the class only 10 people passed. I somehow got a "C" in that class, it was a miracle! I was so stressed that semester I developed heart palpitations. I really hope I get accepted into the RN program before that class expires because I don't know if I could do it again! I'm sure if you take algebra before chemistry that will help a lot. Also, make sure you take it with a decent teacher and it shouldn't be that bad. If I had a teacher I could understand and was better at math it would have been no big deal. I got "A"s in anatomy, physiology, and microbiology, but that "C" in chemistry really hurt my GPA. Oh well, at least its over!

I used to work at a pharmacy, and not only did they hire me on the spot (with no reference check or employment hx verification) they asked me to start working that second. I was a little thrown off and very suspicious, but I accepted. They walked me down the hall, introduced me as the new employee and started training me. That job worked out great, I was there for 5 years.

Congrats! Passing is all you can hope for with nursing school sometimes. It is so hard to balance your time in school. Yes, you always need to study because there is just so much material, but you need to maintain some sanity at the same time. I had some classmates who would always stay up cramming until 4am the night before the test. They would get 2 hours of sleep and take the test at 7am and do just fine. I tried that once and failed miserably! I was so tired I couldn't even remember the things I did know. I am one of those people who need sleep and a full stomach to function. Good lock with school!

I know you already took your test. How did it go? I usually give myself the day before a test off. I like to relax, eat a good meal, and catch up on sleep so I am ready to go the next day. If it is a big test, or I don't feel confident I will get to class a hour early to refresh my memory before the test. Just experiment and see what works for you.

I would not say anything yet. I would give it another month or so and then tell her.

Just the other day I had a sweet little old man come up to me with tears in his eyes. I asked him what was wrong and he said "I am worried that if I accidentally tighten my Cpap straps too tight they will cut off my coronary artery and I will get a heart attack" Poor guy

I am in the same boat as you. I wish I had some advice to give, but I don't know how to get motivated either! I am taking my TEAS test on March 3rd and am so not motivated to study. I found excuses all weekend, but I have no choice, I just have to do it I think work is what is killing me. I am so drained when I get home that I can barley think. I tried exercising the second I get home, and that wakes me up a little... I can't drink coffe after work or I will not be able to sleep at night. I think I am going to set a study schedule and try to tell myself that I cant have any personal time everyday until after I study. Good luck!

The majority of Veterinarians I worked for in the past didn't know how or care to handle their stress in an effective manner and would take it out on everyone around them. He may just be stressed because the place is short staffed, or he could be dealing with money or personal problems. I would talk to him when he is in a good mood and say that you have noticed things are really tense on Saturdays and you were wondering if there is anything you can do to make the day go smoother, or is there anything you can do differently. Maybe he wants you to do things differently, or he may admit he is just stressed or whatever the problem is. But this will bring it to his attention in a non-confrontational way. He will either give you an explanation or suggestions, or he will ignore it and keep doing what he is doing. But you might as well talk to him before you make any decisions. If nothing changes and the stress is affecting you, I would quit if I was in your position. Personally, I would rather have as little stress as possible while going through nursing school. Keep us updated!

Hi Rubato, Not knowing how to plan is the worst part! I decided to plan as if I will get accepted, but have also come up with a plan B. I have already saved up a years worth of car payments for while I am in school. I will have one less bill while I am in school. My boyfriend and I have also discussed either moving into a smaller place to decrease rent, or the possibility of him paying a bigger portion of rent than I do. Plan B- Apply again next year and get a second job to save as much money as possible before I start. I can also start trying to teach myself some things in advance. Oh, the dreaded waiting game....

I don't even see it as a matter of burning bridges at that point. If the interview is that unprofessional, just imagine what you would have to put up with working with him. Sometimes it is just not worth it. You need to look out for your sanity and well being.

Hi everyone, I am waiting for my letter too. They won't get mailed out until May 15th, and then class starts a whole 2 weeks later on June 1st! Not much time to prepare if I get accepted. I am a real planner, I hate not knowing what is going to happen! I guess I will have to make a got accepted plan, and a got turned down plan. Then I will have all my bases covered.

Stay clear of that place. I can not believe how unprofessional people are. I love the barn story! My worst interview was at a clinic. The Dr took me in an exam room to interview me, and pulled out my resume. All of the sudden he backed me up against the wall and started screaming in my face "You used to work for Dr xxxxx! Well you tell him I hate him and he f****** ruined my life"! He went on and on about how since my old boss opened his practice he is losing patients because my old boss was cheaper and starting calling him names. It was crazy, he was so mad I thought he might hit me. Keep in mind the clinic I used to work for was about ten miles away from him. Its not like they were neighbors... I finally got back in the Dr's face and asked him if he called me in here just to yell at me, or did he actually want to interview me? He said "as you can tell, I'm a real a-hole. All the girls that work here are really mean and everyone is always fighting. Are you interested in working here?" I told him I did not want to work there and started walking towards the front door. This Dr "interviewing" me looked me straight in the eye and told me that he was serious about him wanting me to tell my previous boss that he hates him and how he ruined his life. I could not get out of that building fast enough! The best part was I am still friends with the previous DR I used to work for. I had so fun much telling him that I had a interview with Dr crazy and he wanted me to tell you that he hates you and you ruined his life. I told him the story and Dr xxx said he did not even know that crazy Dr I interviewed with. We both laughed and laughed, and it is still a ongoing joke to this day.

You can move into a cheaper place to save money while you are in school. Either get a studio apartment or just rent a room from someone. You may be able to find rooms for rent with all of the utilities included.

Yes, I'm in the same boat. Im taking the TEAS test on March 3rd. They will mail out acceptance letters May 15th and class starts in June. A whole 2 weeks of notice before possibly (hopefully) starting the RN program. I just hate not being able to plan anything!

I Love that SPF!!!!

Hi, I have not taken my TEAS test yet either, but was wondering the same thing. I just bought the ATI review book and tests last week. The school I applied to said they will call me in a week or two to schedule the TEAS test. They would not tell me how much time I would have in between being scheduled and taking the test. I am starting to get nervous, I hope they don't call me and tell me I will have to take the test in a week! I am going to start studying everyday. I just hope I have enough time to study before I take the test.

Make sure you really research what is involved in getting accepted to a LVN to RN bridge too. There are prerequisites which can be hard to get into in CC because there are too many students and just not enough classes here in CA. Also, it is very competitive and can be hard to get into the LVN to RN bridges. Im not saying don't do it, but just do some research and make sure you know what your getting yourself into. I had the same plan you did. I got my LVN license thinking I could bridge to RN right away, but it did not work out like that. After I got my LVN license it took me 2 years to finish my pre-req's, and I am now just applying to the bridge programs. A couple of schools told me flat out that the wait for the LVN-RN bridge is 5-6 years and I would be better off to apply to the regular 2 year RN program. They said I would probably be out and have my RN license years before I get accepted to the bridge program. And the worst part is I have not been able to find permanent work as a LVN. I have sent hundreds of applications and all I have been able to find was a temporary flu shot job.If I knew what I would have to go through I would have just gone straight for my RN license.