BCicalaRN

any word yet?

Congrats! I wil be in the Jan'15 cohort! So excited to get started.

I applied for the Jan'15 cohort as well. I received a call from my admissions counselor that it went to faculty on the 19th...she said it could take 1-4 weeks to hear back...I was accepted to the program at Simmons but would love to go to Georgetown!

Tasha are you part-time or full-time in the program? I was accepted to the Jan'15 cohort. Were you able to work at all during the program?

My ADN is 3.8 and my BSN is 4.0. A lot of schools are looking for more than GPA though. So GPA is not everything. Also since most programs are in the online environment now they are not necessarily tied down to a specific number of students and are more flexible, or at least that is what the admission advisors have said

3 days!!! I was so happy I didn't have to wait that long. I submitted the last transcript last Monday and received a call from my admission advisor Monday that it was sent to faculty. I got a call Thursday Morning that I was accepted! It seems like most have had to only wait about a week or so…what cohort did you apply for?

Just got accepted to Simmons for the Jan '15 cohort! Waiting to hear from Georgetown too….anyone else Jan for simmons

I just got my acceptance letter yesterday for Jan 2015! I only had to wait 3 days! woohoo!! Waiting to hear back from Georgetown too though…but maybe we will be in class together!

I just submitted my application as well for the Jan '15 cohort! Also received a waived application fee so hoping that means the beginning of good news?! waiting to hear…eeek

I just applied for the Jan '15 cohort and received confirmation that it is being reviewed by faculty and should hear within 4 weeks. How long did it take for each of you to hear back? And if you don't mind me asking what is your GPA and experience? I also applied to Georgetown's program as well. Waiting to hear back is so hard…..eeek!

ikapplegate can I ask what your GPA and background are? and how long did it take for you to find out acceptance?

I applied to Jan cohort! They just called me to tell me my application is being reviewed by faculty and according to others here, it seems like I should know within a week or so! Now I'm nervous! I also applied to Georgetown's program and have conditional acceptance (upon completion of my BSN in Nov), so waiting to here a final from them too! ahhh....waiting is rough!

How did you like the FNP program? were there any interactive or live classes or was it all online discussion? I will be done with my BSN in November and have applied for the Jan. start but have also applied to GU and Simmons. GU is my first choice so hoping for that, but wonder how the Walden NP program really is?

I just applied for the Jan '15 cohort...anyone going into that group? I also applied to GU. That is my first choice but have heard very positive things about Simmons and it's program mirrors GU's.

Hey there, I just applied to Simmons College online FNP program. How do you like it there? is the program and faculty good to work with?

I just recently applied to the program at Walden along with several other schools. I am finishing my BSN there right now and love the program. It is very organized and the professors are top-notch! I am eager to get accepted into Georgetown though, so we shall see. Good luck to you!

I have certainly not spent my whole summer in the books, however I did read through the "electrolytes made easy" book and the 'med-surg made easy" book. It really helped to keep my brain working and keep ideas at the front of mind that will be covered in more detail this coming semester. If you are looking for an easy and light read to act as a refresher and to give you some really great ways to remember the "difficult" stuff check out the "made incredibly easy" series- they have a book for just about everything in nursing school and they are great!! you can find them pretty cheap on amazon too!

hey there, I am also in the hybrid program, going into 2nd semester. Congrats to you both for getting into the program and good luck with getting into the hybrid section if that is what you prefer! I love it and could not imagine taking classes any other way. grades are like regular class grades but they DO NOT round up! You much get a 90.0 to get an A, an 89.9 is NOT an A! so 70-79.9 C 80-89.9 B 90-100 A. However, if you get a C on any of your tests or assignments you will get a "plan for sucess" and need to meet with a professor to go over why you got that grade. Never had one, but the professors drilled that to all of us over the semester! If you really really study and focus though you will do great! Most everyone would usually get B's and A's on the exams! They are not difficult if you take the time to study EVERYDAY! The trick with this program is that you need to study and go over the information at least for a little bit each day!! And find a study group as soon as possible!!! It is essential and really helped me through the semester. It helps to have others help you with material that may be easy for them to understand but difficult for you. Also there is usually always someone in the group that has a good way to remember key facts that you might not think of! In my study group we met once a week for about 3 hours (i know it seems like a lot, but its worth the As we all got on the tests!) each of us would take a section/topic on the test and prepare key notes and 10 NCLEX style questions for everyone in the group. You sorta become an expert on your topic and then use the guides from the others in the group to study the important information! The nurse mentor told us to do this and it worked like a charm and then you do not feel as overwhelmed with so much info all by yourself!! Also, focus on the powerpoints, then go to the book for clarification and detail on something you may not understand or need more explination on. They pull test questions directly from the powerpoints!! And first semester they provide you with study guides for all the tests- so you have an idea of what to study! For NUR121 if you answer all the questions on the study guide you will get and A on the test!!! They also have study sessions with the professors before each exam that I found very helpful! This is the only semester they do this so take advantage of it!! The more you know what to study the easy studying will be! Also- they provide you with outcome/objectives for each lecture- answer the questions!!! Again if you can answer these questons and take notes on them you will do well on the tests! It's a lot of work on your own but worth it and then you REALLY KNOW the info and are not just trying to memorize it! If you can start reading up on some of the chapter summaries now in the fundamentals book it will be helpful for you! I am sure that both of you will do great! Good luck to you! If you have any other questions let me know!

I started out in the bachelors program at UMAB SON, and after having to take a leave to have my son, I returned to the Associates program at AACC. It was a hard decision to make because I was going from a bachelors degree to an associates degree, but I now had a family and I am not in a position to NOT work. They only way for me to finish was to go back to an associates degree program and the best part is the program I am in is online and my clinicals are on the weekends. I have time to work and be with my family (sometimes haha). but I was told that too, that the BSN "looks" better and it might, but I will be starting an externship at a Magnet Hospital in a few weeks (as you know Maganet Hospitals dont hire a lot of ADN) and they pull RNs right from their current staff and externs. They made me feel great about my opportunities once I graduate and I will have the option for them to pay for me to finish my BSN. I think you are on the right tract anf if you can work somewhere at a hospital or facility that you are interested in working at once you graduate, you may be set! Also hearing from my friends who are already working, both ADN and BSN there is no difference in pay, maybe a few cents in some cases!

hey there, I had two friends that attended the hagerstown campus for Towsons nursing program and they loved it! They said it was much for intimate learning and had a great relationship with their teachers. Good luck!

also quick note- if you are in the traditional on-ground class you will have class M-T 8am-4pm (there were not classes on Fridays, although that could change, but it seems to be have been consistent the past few years)

Hi there, I am currently in the nursing program at AACC going into my second semester and I am in the hybrid program. I LOVE IT! It was the only option for me to be able to go back to school after having my son and still needing to work. There are 16 slots in the hybrid program and they split us into two groups of 8 for labs and clinicals. It makes the entire experience more intimate and I have formed life long friendships with my fellow nursing students as well as an AWESOME study group! They have completely changed how they are accepting students both into the program and into the hybrid section, so I am not sure what to tell you about your chances of getting into hybrid. Last semester was the very first semester they started this- we are kinda the guinea pigs! And they chose the top 16 GPAs to be in it. However, they did say that this time around they may base it off of the TEAS exam score (just rumor-not sure if true). I have alwasy done well in online courses and I like being able to move at my own pace. It's hybrid, so you still meet once or twice a wekk with your group and have labs and then on the weekends you have clinical. The first semester you meet twice a week in the evenings from like 5-8pm and then have clinicals from 7-2 on Sat and Sun. The exams were on Monday mornings but they have since changed that so that exams are in the evenings as well to better accomidadte a night and weekend program! This semester it appears that we only have one lab class the first week of classes and then the rest is evening exams and clinicals. It is a self-directed program, you have to be motivated enough to do the necessary work on your own, or you will not do well. However, it seemed this past semester that the hybrid students preformed at the same level or even above that of the on-ground students- so it just matters what you feel better doing. We had to attend one class on-groud and I was trying not to fall asleep! ahh it was aweful and all they did was read the power points. But some students will just be on ground and not have any other option. Nursing school is what you make of it anyway and you have to put the work in. Belive me, even if you go to on-groud traditional classes you will still have to come home and study and read., If you are online, you have to do the same you are just having class on your own time. Good luck to you both and if you have any other questions feel free to ask!

I have worked both 7a-7p and 7p-7a and I have to say I prefer night shift. I am currently finishing nursing school and I have a 2 year old so working while him and my husband are sleeping is a way to get in further clinical experience, make some money and attend school all the while not really missing out on their lives as well. Or at least that works out sometimes- with school ther is no life anyway!

I agree it all depends on you and what you feel comfortable with. I currently in the nursing program and have a 22 month old. But 5-6 of my friends in the program have more than one under the age of 5. There are two girls in the program with me now that have 6 month olds. They seem to be doing fine, but I know they relay that it is indeed a lot of work! I know where you are coming from though, my husband and I would love to try to have our second child now, but for me I just want to focus on finishing school and so we are going to wait until I am finished. A bit hard to stomach that my baby will be about 4 by the time I have another one- but I know it's whats best for me. Nursing school is not like anything else! You have to study ALL THE TIME! I barely see my son and husband now, I don't want to bring another little one into that and plus I can't afford the daycare to help me do it! Just some thoughts!

I am also in the hybrid program, finishing up the first semester. To help answer a few of your questions: 1. Once you are admitted into the program them will send you all the required information that you need to fill out for them, including the health forms that you will need. Don't try to geth that stuff done now, because they have to be dated for certain dates in order to be valid- so just wait till they give you the info. 2. You do not need a palm piolot. As long as you have a smart phone you will be able to download the required skyscape program, however to be honest I don't know if they will keep it or not because we did not really use it at all. At least not in the hybrid program. As far as books are concerned- there are a lot and the first semster usually costs right around $1100. Be prepared, it's a big chunk of change! But we are told that there are a lot fewer books to purchase in the coming semesters. 3. You do not need to get your scrubs through the school, you can order any white top and pants that you would like. Before clinicals start they have a re-sale of scrubs through the NSA where they sell tops and pants for $4 from previous students with the patches already on. You get the patches from the booksotre- they are like $2 each. 4.Clinicals do not start right away in the first semster. They start the second 8 weeks of the semester. You have three classes two of which are only 8 weeks long. So when they end you start clinicals. They will go over all of this stuff in the orientation, but this just gives you a heads up. I agree with Hill that if you can get in the hybrid program it is the way to go. This semester it was new and so they determined who got into it by GPA, however we have heard that they may do it differently in the comming semesters. It is well worth it if you can do it and if you are a self-learner. I work and I'm a mom so it's the only way I could really do the program- I am so happy it was available! Being the guinea pigs it's a bit more stressfull, but we are trying to work out the kinks for the comming students! Good luck to you!