sallybee

Hi, I am a nursing student starting spring 2011 at CSULB. I was wondering if I could ask a few questions that only you would know because you are now a second semester student and I'm just a first semester student : ) The questions are about the textbooks. I was advised by the Elsevier Representative to buy all these books online in a package from Elsevier (the publisher) that would also include an ebook for all of the books. However, the package is $600 and I could get all the same book on Amazon or online elsewhere for only $300! The package here lists all the books : ) ShopElsevier.com - Search for Course Materials I was wondering, how much help as the ebooks been to you? If so, which ebooks in particular do you find yourself using instead of physical books because you can "search" and "paste" for your assignments? Not just in lieu of say, lugging books around? Would you recommend an incoming nursing student buying the package from Elsevier or just the books from amazon and then one or two ebook individually? If so, which ones are used the most? I'm not sure if I should spend $300 xtra just to get the ebooks Thanks so much!!!

Hey guys! Are you planning on doing trimester or semester (3 years)? If anybody would like to provide more info about that b4 oreintation starts, that would really calm my nerves, lol., So I was just crusing around for more information about the CSULB program to satisfy my curiosity and then I see this thread trashing the Trimester program. I TOTALLY wanted trimester AHHH!! Now i'm totally scared. Does anybody else have any more information on this? I mean, what the heck? Or maybe this person needed to rant? Great, now I only have one more day to think this through.... here's the link. I think the person's username is Marielo or something on the bottom of that thread Current csulb nursing students!!! - Nursing for Nurses Here's the post... The girl who posted above is correct in that pretty much the only "external" difference is where you do your clinicals. Other than that, I am a (proud) csulb nursing student with only less than a year to go till graduation and I am also in the trimester program. While graduating faster definitely seems great, many times I have wished I had done the basic program-3 years-no summers. I do believe that would have made my gpa higher as I wouldn't have been so stressed. With the trimester program, you get one week off from spring to summer classes, and it's terribly taxing. I say that not as a single mother/nonsingle mother (lol)with 2 kids (like some of my peers are), but as a UC transfer (biology major, too), single, in my early 20's, and only working about 1 or 2 four hour shifts--basically no working. I've found csulb nursing to be just as difficult, or even more so, than bio at UCLA. There is just so much knowledge, you can't just get by being "smart" like in high school where if you're really good at math you can still ace the exam doing less hw. It doesn't work that way. you HAVE to put in the time, and professors are really supportive of you becuase they have to be--or else many won't pass. So while professors are REALLY GOOD, the classes are also REALLY CRAZY HARD. Also, to get your BS, you need to take upper division classes at CSULB to meet graduation requirements. If your in trimester, that really sucks... Moreover, with the budget crisis and the sad state of California's economy, there are immense numbers of people competing for spots into new grad resideny/jobs. I know a girl who graduated with a high gpa, great clinical performance, and she still can't find a job in CA (or most of the west coast for that matter, since hospitals tend stick to hiring new grads from surrounding nursing schools unless the applicant has years of experiance). I am worried about having to maybe take extra (un needed) classes so that I can put off having to pay my student loans should I not secure a job out of nursing school, which is highly possible. All the professors, etc, are saying that CSULB grads are nabbed right away for great jobs, I mean, of course they want to say the best about their own program : ) but from what I've heard from previous semester's grads that simply isn't the case. The economy should improve in two or three years. Right now, it's hard to find a job for ANY nursing schools, even UCLA's program, which is ranked top 5 in the nation last i checked. Was it really worth it for me to graduate sooner with bad job prospects and have to pay more interest on student loans or better to graduate later with a better job? I know people that graduated when the economy was good and they went straught to ICU. I also know people who graduated when the economy was bad and they went to work for home care agencies / nursing homes where you don't even need to be an RN, and they are worried that when the economy finally gets better the hopsitals will see that their critical care experiance/med surg clinical was from two years ago and wonder how much clinical skills they've forgotton?

Can anybody provide more information on this? I really wanted trimester but now I am having second thoughts!! Ahh!!

Does anybody know when the oreintation is? Is it mandatory? I am not from socal and I need to fly down to Long Beach. Luckily, I have an airplane credit from when I canceled a flight awhile back. But, that credit expires this week! I want to use it to book my flight for the oreintation--just don't know when that will be. I hope the letters come out this week!!

hi, bcho86. Did the superseniors get in?! If they didn't becuase they were superseniors...that would be pretty bad...

Im wondering how they are going to decide who of the 5 senior/super seniors to be admitted. Do you guys think (once the vp gives the go-ahead to take half of the whole 10 seniors) that the admissions comittee will just take the top five with the highest scores? Or the top five seniors/super seniors with the least amount of units (becuase they don't want to take seniors/superseniors in the first place) OR would it make more sense to take the top five seniors that happen to be FROM csulb? Which do you guys think will make more sense? You'd think that they would want whoever will do the best, so that should mean the first one. BUT at the same time, they are probably going to reject half of the seniors, who might even have higher scores than non-seniors... If anybody happens to be by the admissions comittee office, would you mind asking how they think they will choose between those ten seniors to take just five?

lbchick, do you have any idea *why* half of the ten seniors won't be admitted? Like, will nursing take in the top half with the highest scores? I know that csulb wants ppl to graduate in as few years as possible so they don't take up more space. So that would mean they want CSULB seniors to graduate already and not do nursing for three more years.... But what if you were a transfer student with senior standing coming in from another csu or even community college? Then you wouldn't take up space like a csulb senior would...you would just be one of the transfers and like most transfers just finish in 2 years... I'm kinda regretting doing a minor in music just for fun at my old colllege...if I hadn't done that, I wouldn't be a super senior! Oh, and I should get in with the scores I have...just worried about not getting in b/c im a senior..but a transfer senior : (

Wow, thanks so much for all this information! It's really great that we have somebody who's on campus to give us inside info lol. Yeah, I hesitated before calling b/c I didn't want to annoy them, but finally called and asked a quick question. They said they didn't know and that letters would be mailed out--and then hung up. I don't think they even listened to my question at all : ( The next time you drop by, it would be so great if you could ask about senior pluses for transfers! thanks!!!!

Aznbc105, When you said that the nursing department was still trying to get approval for super/ super super seniors, does that mean super/super super seniors from CSULB? Or does that also apply to super seniors who are transferring into CSULB from other CSU/Community Colleges? Because I do know some people who are transferring from other CSU/community colleges who have enough credits to be considered a super senior (upper division transfers) but they are not from CSULB? Becuase, these upper division transfer would be counted as transfer students, and maybe the VP is only concered about CSULB super seniors not graduating which would go into the average for statistics for CSULB's average time to graduation and make CSULB look bad? If you ever happen to drop by the nursing dept again, would it be possible for you to ask them that question? Becuase there are people here who are super seniors but not from CSULB, and we'd LOVE to know but we're not on campus : (, I wish I could be on campus to ask them these questions! haha, I did call the CSULB nursing office and they told me they aren't able to tell me anything. I guess, b/c , they don't want everybody to call them...but they were able to tell u b/c you were on campus lol

I was wondering how CSULB nursing factored in repeated courses? When I went on to the website, it says, "repeated courses will treated per the CSULB policy (catalog) and then went to look at the catalog--nothing regarding transfer grades/calculations. I am worried becuase I took a class that was basically chem without the lab, then I took chem WITH the lab again. Technically they aren't the same course and shouldn't be counted, but admissions might be busy and automatically assume it's the same course. Do repeats count against you?

Becka, I was just speaking to this girl in my lab and she applied for spring 2011 (was accepted fall 2010, but her mom became sick and she didn't go) and so of course she passed her interview. However, she hasn't heard back from CSULB nursing about whether or not she was in the running (and she can't find out through being handed interviews b/c she already passed hers last year). So she called and they did recieve her application. I was wondering since you passed your interview last year, if you recieved any notification if you were still in the running towards the nursing program spring 2011? She told me her score, i believe it's 9.2. If she didn't get any notification it could mean that she's not in the running and they are only taking 9.2? ~Sally

Also, i was wondering if at the lottery everybody gets what they want (like,usually for spring there are enough people who want trimester get trimester, and basic get basic?) I heard only 1/3 get two year trimester and the rest get three year, but that usually only 1/3 want two year and the rest want three year so it works out? (My source isn't really reliable though : P) thanks again!

Becka, I think you can help me answer a question I've been having for awhile now : ) you said " the 90 spots are currently 50% transfers and 50% CSULB students. The 50% of transfers have really high scores. IF full funding is received, then it'll probably be 75% transfers and 25% CSULB students for the 90 spots" I'm a transfer and got an interview : ) I find it strange, though, that CSULB nursing is even taking 50% transfer students (before full funding) becuase how can they do that? Transfer must be first be admitted through the university itself, and due to the budget crisis, none have been admitted so far. So the 50% transfer will still be taken for spring 2011 even if the budget doesn't allow more transfer students into csulb? Like, students from other school trying to get into CSULB just for the BSN program will be allowed an exception? to come to CSULB for nursing even if the budget can't take more students? So just csulb nursing transfers will gain admission to csulb? And the 75% transfer is IF the budget passes? I'm so confused! I thought that only IF the full funding is restored (the budget passes) then ANY transfer students will be allowed in. And if the funding isn't restored, NO transfer students will be allowed in becuase there must be funding from the budget passing to allow ANY transfers into CSULB itself, regardless of major?? Thanks so much Becka if you can help me : )

Hi, I was told by an acquaintance that interview invitations for spring 2011 BSN will handed out by september 20th. THis does seem kind of early, but I haven't heard back from CSULB at all and so I was wondering when the interviews are. The CSULB lady has been very busy and hasn't gotten back to me. Does anybody know if interview invitations have already been handed out for fall 2010 admissions? Thanks!!!!

Hi I am deciding between several nursing programs i gain admittance to. My main concern is that I wish to work in the ICU As soon as possible right out of nursing school. I am doing a BSCN of which I have two years left. I am mainly worried that I will not be able to secure a job out of graduation. I am physically small, less than 100 pounds with a thin bone structure and I cannot do very much in terms of pivot transfers and dressing and undressing patients. Thus, I cannot work long term care unless I want my back broken. I heard of the ontario new grad initiative where new grads can be given a job for 6 months into any speciality. I am wondering if that includes ICU? Even if it is just 6 month, id be more than happy since that allows me to get my foot into the door for an ICU program. Is this program still functioning? What is the hiring status for new grads in Ontario and how much are they paid? Has anybody heard of a new grad bscn from Ontario getting an externship in the States and then working there? I am an american citizen.