studentLJinCA

I start school next month, and I felt the same way! It had been so long since I had needed to apply any extensive conversion/math skills. But once you start reviewing, it's easy! Besides reviewing a quick "How To" book, I also have this website (http://www.dosagehelp.com/) that emails me a dosage question everyday. Just to keep it fresh in my mind :)

Don't rely on my word alone, but that should be sufficient! I would include that printout and also your SAR (go to fafsa online - http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/) From there, there is an orange "Start Here" button. You can access your 2010-2011 fafsa results from there. However, since we are in the 2011-2012 school year, you might want to include that one as well. If in doubt, just call the Nursing Department at Grossmont. "Hey, I qualify for the BOGFW, but what proof do you require? I can provide a print out of my SDCC Awards list and a copy of my SAR. Is that sufficient?"

Best to speak with a counselor about a lot of your specific questions. However - I know a couple things :) Your official sealed transcripts need to be submitted with your application to the nursing department. However, another set (yes, that's two sets) needs to be submitted to Admissions & Records in order for your counselor & the financial aid office to review them. The two departments will not share one copy. If you are eligible for the BOGFW, this should show on your Student Aid Report (SAR), which is available to you if you completed a FAFSA for the previous year. If not, there should be an online service through SDCC that shows your unofficial transcripts and financial aid history... If you have CNA certification, provide a copy along with verification of your past healthcare-related employment. For me, I had my boss write a letter of recommendation as well. All of your questions can be directed to the Nursing Department - they are all very friendly and willing to help. Specific questions about other college requirements (any missing classes, etc.) will need to go through your counselor and they will need an official copy of your transcripts to do that. If you order online, they come in less than 5 days! Good luck to you!

Good ol' Hunter Green! Not bad, but not flattering either :)

We were told the same thing at orientation! Some advice we were given is to take up a P.E. class in addition to your nursing classes. They are not hard, do not require a lot of time, but it motivates you to work out a little during the week and can also be a great stress reliever :)

Yeah, is there a reason your dentist did not RE-prescribe the medication? Or was it a scenario where you took it upon yourself to treat the pain? Did he recommend it and you can get further documentation from your dentist? Unfortunately, most schools & hospitals have zero tolerance for positive drug screens - because for them, they are going off a simple drug test. They have no way of knowing what the real explanation is... You at least need to bring in your old prescription and explain the situation to your school and/or drug testing center. Hope you are able to figure something out!!

It seems like your friend is just jealous. You got into a program quickly, whereas for her, she may have endured a bit of a waiting period and feels like you should too. I've seen that kind of reaction before... Try to not let it get to you - and if you're worried about the credibility of your future school, look up the retention and NCLEX pass rates online - or simply call the school for their information. Good luck in your future studies!!

If you are fearing the math part - best to get a head start now! Not sure if it is like this at all schools - but there will be a math-based test each semester at my school that is IMPERATIVE to pass (I begin this fall). I freaked out when I read that! So I started reviewing math that I hadn't done in a few years, including unit conversions. It's helped me A LOT and now I feel a lot more at ease :) You could try getting a cheap book on dosage calculations - or there are plenty of helpful sites that provide instruction and practice questions for free.

I opened my acceptance e-mail (a letter soon followed), and could not contain my excitement. I quickly called my boyfriend, mother, and anyone who would listen to me!!! Then went out for dinner that night :)

What makes you think that one person's experience at nursing school would apply to the whole field? There will always be difficult people to deal with in different professions - and sometimes they will be downright rude. There are "horror stories" that anyone can tell you. It's part of life, and that is just part of growing/maturing as a person and learning how to deal with it. I can't comment on your friend's situation since I don't know the specifics, but it shouldn't affect your desire to enter nursing which should have something to do with wanting to help people and have a positive impact on their medical care. If it's a true career choice for you - go for it!

Hi Luv2helpppl - Grossmont does not disclose point totals whether you are accepted or not (I think so people don't go around comparing point totals and looking to contest different application evaluations). So I was unable to find out how many points they gave me. But based on my own guess, I landed somewhere in the mid-80's (?). I had points for every piece of criteria except for previous degrees (I have none). Other than that, I had straight A's and other criteria that helped me make up for those 15 missing points. For the TEAS, I JUST made the 90's mark. I think as long as you have good grades and a decent TEAS score (plus you mentioned you volunteer), you have a pretty good chance of getting accepted. I believe they are still taking 25% from the existing waitlist as well. Good Luck!! :)

If you have the same exact publisher, edition, title - you're fine. If there are ANY changes, they will be very very minimal.

TIP: In order to make it easier on them in making the decision - you should enclose a copy of the class descriptions from your Florida school catalog. Photocopy or electronic copy. That's what I had to do when there was not a pre-established equivalency agreement between the two schools I attended. Good luck!!

Hey Calinrse2b - finally, a future classmate! Haha I've heard good things as well - and August cannot come soon enough! Look forward to meeting at Orientation in June :)

BOTH! It's nice to see what others are going through, and gain advice from those with experience. But on the other hand, I also spend WAY too much time on here just looking & reading posts that have no relevance to me or my situation. I'm just nosey! :)

I have never taken a test where the time-clock is sitting right there on the screen - it does add quite a bit of pressure. The key is calming down. Much easier said than done, I know - but it's the only way you'll slow down your brain in order to answer the questions correctly. If you've taken the practice tests and the TEAS twice already, you realize that it gives you a decent amount of time to complete the questions. Not a lot, but enough! Rather than stressing about how much time is LEFT, take each question one-by-one and give yourself a time limit to read the question fully, pick your best answer, and move on. A lot of people deal with text anxiety - perhaps it would be beneficial for you to look up what others do to deal with this.

I agree with the first post by Malefocker - it depends on what area you are in California. Multiple community colleges in the San Diego area have made the gradual switch to the point system. Once they established that, I took the TEAS and applied with my 4.0 pre-req GPA and was accepted. But grades are only a part of it - there is your TEAS scores, past healthcare-realted experience, 2nd language (if you have it), even evidence of 'life hardships.' Before writing it off and just going for the LVN, you should check into the schools in your area to find out if they are really going 100% off of a waitlist. Plus, it's true - LVNs are slowly being done away with in the hospital settings and it might be hard for you to find a job.

I am interested in the answer to this question too! I start in the Fall, and like you, I have rent, car payment, insurance, etc. to worry about each month. Out of all the excitement of beginning the nursing program, money is what worries me the most. Plus, since I'm under 24, my parent's income was taken into account when filling out the FAFSA, regardless if they support you financially (which they don't). I've heard that those most likely to 'flunk out' of the program are those trying to work too much. I'm saving every penny I can right now and plan on not working the first semester just to gauge what I will be able to handle. I'd like to hear from those that have gone through nursing school WHILE working (without the help of a spouse/partner).

If you already survived your other classes/pre-reqs you will most certainly survive micro! Even though I enjoyed my teacher and classmates, that class was more difficult to me simply because of my LACK of interest in all the minutiae of bacteria! I heavily relied on being there for every single lecture, taking good notes, and highlighting in my book. I still don't feel like my brain retained most of it... but when will we be doing that in our nursing career??! I got my A and that's all that mattered to me :) Haha My best tip - go to every class.

RN.com is an online resource where nurses can attain CEUs (Continued Education). Here in California, you must get a certain number of CEUs each year in order to keep your license active/valid. So although I don't need THOSE each year since I'm not a nurse yet, my friend signed me up because she thought it would be helpful to go through the drug calculation courses in order to help me prepare for school.

I start in August... and to prepare I'm just reviewing my detailed notes from A&P. Then in order to prepare for the dosage calculations (even if they are easy, that's one part that scares me the most) - a friend signed me up with RN.com where they have online courses. There are two math/drug calculation courses that I plan on taking. I feel like I just need to be refreshing my memory on certain things here and there so that I don't start the nursing program with a completely empty brain :) Other than that, I'm trying to get my financial stuff in order and most importantly, RELAX!

I am in San Diego as well - and although the CCs may be quite competitive with the point systems, you will never know until you apply!! You may not have a 4.0 but you DO have other healthcare experience that will contribute to your total of points. If you are semi-fluent in another language, or even show financial/life hardships - bam! That's a few more points... In my opinion, apply to every CC you can - and wait to hear back from those before reaching out to NU. I went to NU's information session last year because I was considering just skipping competition and going there - but the with the price and not-so-great reputation (from the mouths of DONs and hiring NMs), I was more than willing to hold out for a CC admission.

As with anything else in life, you've got to surround yourself with positive, upbuilding people that support you & your goals. Don't let someone else's negativity get in the way! If nursing is something you truly want to do, go for it!

Woot woot! Congratulations :)

Are you SURE that you won't be accepted to a 4 year college? You never know :) Otherwise, I see no problem with that plan - in fact, that is what I am doing! In order to attend a 4 year college I was going to have to take different pre-requisites and gain more volunteer experience. For me, the CC route was the easiet, quickest way for me. So I applied and got in. I am set to start this fall. In the last semester of my 2nd year, I will begin in a bachelor's program that is in agreement with my CC - that way I will gain my BSN the following year (but be able to work as an RN in the meantime). We all might have the same goal - but there are lots of ways to get there! Just make sure to do what is best for you :)