spanky13

Uniforms, books, background checks, immnizations, and the physical were the most expensive parts (for me) about starting the program. Keep in mind - there's a group of people graduating right before you start. I would hit them up for their books and uniforms. :) I bought 2 polos (about $30/each?), 2 clinical tops (about $35/each?), and 2 scrub pants, plus the jacket. You definitely do not need 2 of each top, but 1) you'll appreciate the back up if/when you need it and 2) you'll do a lot of labs in the beginning, and I was thankful that I didn't have to come home and do laundry before I could go to bed. Same thing with clinicals - we had Thursday/Friday clinicals, and I was definitely happy that I had that second clinical top so I didn't have to do laundry on Thursdays. I am actually going to go buy myself another set of bottoms this week. If you're tight on funds, buy the books used, or share with someone you know. Wait on the recommended books until you start the program, then re-evaluate and see if you need them. Some books (especially for the UCF seminar class) can be checked out from the library.

They're actually working out all of the details about the boot camps now. We had 4, all about what nursing school was going to be like, how to prepare, etc. Since they're working everything out and changing them up, I can't really tell you what they're going to be about for you guys since I don't even know. You'll know more details as it gets closer to the beginning of your semester. :)

I'm with dawniepoo (Hey Dawn! :)) in the program. From January (when we started) until now, we've lost about 12 people. The biggest drop in students was between the first boot camp and the first day of school. Like Dawn said, don't give up hope - the whole reason why they have a list of alternates is because they know some people will give up their seats, and they liked you for the program! The one thing that almost made me give up my seat was when they told us during our first boot camp that we would not be able to work and succeed in the program. Now, YMMV, but I worked full time (36 hours/week, even during clinicals), I have a 4 year old, and I earned straight As this semester. I'm not going to tell you that it wasn't hard, or that I didn't have days where I wanted to just give up, but I'm telling you that it is possible. It's just very hard. I have heard from many people that the first semester is the hardest, but seeing as how I don't have any other semesters under my belt to compare it to, I can't tell you if that's true or not. If you have any questions, just let us know. Feel free to PM me if you don't want to post here. :) And PS - UCF doesn't send you a confirmation that they received your email RSVP. You'll get a nice long email from Dd a few days after the RSVP deadline. Be nice to Dd, she is awesome, and you will get to know her very well. :)

I work full time (3 twelves), I'm in a full-time concurrent ADN-BSN program (in my ADN classes Monday/Tuesday, BSN classes Wednesdays, AS clinicals Thursday/Friday and all of the prep work that comes with it) plus projects, checkoffs, and papers, etc, and I have a four-year-old at home. I've got As in all four classes (2 ADN, 2 BSN). I haven't had a day off since Spring Break, and between clinicals and working, I've been at my hospital for 12 of the last 14 days (I couldn't work on those two Mondays). I've been moving and out of my house from at least 7am (as early as 430am some days) to 7pm (or as late as 930-10pm some days) since late February, excluding Spring Break. I do have a husband at home to watch our son while I'm gone, so that does make it easier, but I am still doing all of the cooking and most of the cleaning, so it's a lot. I'm not gonna lie, it's hard, and if I didn't have to work, I wouldn't, but it's not impossible. My school told me over and over again that I would not be able to work and be successful in the program, and that almost prevented me from taking my seat. I don't have a choice - I have to work. But, I'm proof that you can do it, and don't listen to the nay-sayers.

.....

Congrats to those who got their acceptance letters, and those who haven't yet, don't stress too much! Last semester, some of us received our emails hours to days after others. I got both of my emails on Friday afternoon, but some people didn't hear anything until Monday or later. Do not deny the AS acceptance! SSC sends you an email saying that you were accepted in the generic program, then if you are concurrent, UCF will send you another email stating that you've been accepted to the concurrent program. DO NOT DENY THE AS ACCEPTANCE, or you will not be in the program!

Pros - it's not as bad as everyone made it seem, and it seems like the professors all really want us to succeed. At your orientation/boot camps, you'll meet some awesome people, and they will be your support system for the next two years. The first person that I met (on the day that we were fingerprinted) has become one of my best friends, and we're keeping each other in line. Cons - there is a lot to do. Always. Planners/Google calendar will be your best friend. It is possible to work and go to school, but it's hard. Yesterday was my first day off from both school and work since the program started. There was a lot to do before we started - it took time and it was expensive. No one had prepared me for that, and we got our letters at the end of October and started Jan 9. Hopefully you guys will have more time to prepare than we did. Neutral - I'm spending a lot of time at school, but I kinda like the people that I'm stuck with (you know, just a little bit, haha), so it's okay. :) ETA - I am in the concurrent program with UCF, but that doesn't change anything that I've said here, except that the people who are not in the concurrent program have a little bit more time to themselves.

I was also coming to say good luck! I was in your shoes just a few months ago, and now we're halfway through our first semester. Try not to stress too much while you wait for your letters - enjoy the last of your free time for a while. :)

Anyone else having problems with the immunization tracking website today, or am I just the lucky one?

Did you order from Meridy's or Uniformity? I'm waiting until orientation to order from Meridy's in the hopes that they'll have a few tops there that we can try on for size, but I'm wondering when my order from Uniformity will be coming in. And yay, a week! We need to all meet up somewhere before/after or something so we can put faces to the screennames we've been talking with. :)

I'm wondering if you're seeing something that I'm not? This is the schedule that I've posted here for all four classes (not including clinicals/extra activities): Monday 830a-920a or 930-1020a or 1030-1120a or 12n-1250p- Health Assessment Lab (UCF) Monday 3p-6p - Fundamentals of Nursing Tuesday 10a-1p or 2p-5p - Pharmacology Wednesday 9a-1050a - Health Assessment (UCF) Wednesday 11a-1150a - Health Assessment Lab (UCF) Wednesday 1p-730p - Fundamentals of Nursing Thursday 9a-330p (3p on some days) - Fundamentals of Nursing Thursday 3p - 550p - Professional Socialization Seminar (UCF) only on 1/12, 1/19, 1/26, 2/2 and 2/9.

I take back that last part. SSC must have taken down the Fundamentals course schedule to change it, because now it says FT3634Combined Lecture and LabALTALTA0409Open01/0904/27Staff9:00 a.m.3:30 p.m.TH FT3634Combined Lecture and LabALTALTA0348Open01/0904/27Staff9:00 a.m.3:00 p.m.TH. I'm assuming the Thursdays where we get out at 3 are those couple of days that we have the UCF class.

From the UCF website: NUR 3806 - Professional Socialization Seminar - 0081-LEC(20333) Days & Times: Th 3:00PM - 5:50PM Room: ALT1 0346 Instructor: Patricia Lafferty Meeting Dates: 01/09/2012 - 02/09/2012 Class Nbr - 20333 1 units UCF at Altamonte Springs - Location Instruction Mode - Face to Face Instruction (P) Lecture Class Notes Seminole Community College 850 South State Road 434 Altamonte Springs, FL 32714-3630 Class meets: 1/12, 1/19, 1/26, 2/2 and 2/9 (It was listed as a closed class, and we might have a class from 9a-330p on Thursdays, so I don't know how this one is gonna work)

As soon as you meet requirements, you can put in an application and you'll be put on the waiting list. I applied April of this year, and I was admitted for Spring 2013. I know people who applied less than a month after me, and they were waitlisted for Fall 2013.

I thought UCF had a separate immunization form and background check? And the blue form I'm trying to find is the one from my pediatrician. UCF has a copy of it somewhere, but I need it to fill out the immunization tracking forms.