Cassie_Flip

Also, have you already taken the pre-reqs required for admission to nursing school? Most community colleges ONLY look at your cumulative GPA for those classes only and don't even look at previous courses. You only have one chance to take the science courses (except for one repeat of ONE course depending on the school) and then can generally retake all the other classes for a better grade (english, psych, nutrition, etc). I would look into that if you still have those courses available to take.

They (ADN) seem to be having an even HARDER time finding jobs.

If you are planning to attend school and/nursing school while working as a medical assistant it is the least flexible job. General hours are 7-3,8-4,9-5 as an example. LVN jobs are slow starting to disappear as I heard they are trying to get rid of them. Also,some LTC facilities will train you to become a CNA and will pay you for it and give you a job. You can look into that.

Whoever is telling you not to forward your transcripts is giving you terrible advice. It is REQUIRED to list all schools attended previously, and it is especially required when you apply to nursing school. I know of a girl being permanently suspended from Nursing school half way through for not being honest about her transcripts. Unfortunately, you don't get a fresh start just because it's a new school. And yes, they can track your schools through the state that has provided financial aid for you to a different school.

The best time management you can utilize is to just always put your homework first. It's easy to get stuck on the couch watching t.v., surfin the web, stay out late, etc.. When I was loaded down with classes, I made sure to complete homework from each class on the day that I attended that class (or read the online material) while the information was fresh in my head. I also worked hard to complete all homework by Friday mornings (we had a week to turn in assignment) so I wouldn't have to worry about completing homework on the weekend, just studying. It's tough, but I pulled off 96%+ in all 5 classes.

Volunteering is a great idea! However you REALLY need to speak with the Nursing Adviser at the college you want to attend about their program. You must declare yourself as a nursing major and they will generally tell you what classes you need to take and when. Don't just try to select classes on your own. Your counselor can also help you with these questions and information.

Well I don't think there is a 'yes' or 'no' answer to this question. It really depends on the individual couples situation. HOWEVER, I do know of a few women that have attended nursing school only to promptly divorce their husbands after. May just be a coincidence.......... :icon_roll

"Advanced Standing" means that you have completed all general education requirements and can then apply to your school's nursing program. You must declare yourself as a nursing major when you get to your University. However, just because you are a "nursing major" doesn't automatically mean you will be accepted into the program. You have to apply, and competition is tough. Overall to earn a bachelors degree in nursing or any field you must complete a total of 120 units, which are 60 lower division (general education/pre-req's) and 60 upper division (your major's requirements). Good Luck.

Thank you very much. It was hard, but what isn't in life? Haha If you feel like it's a smart decision for you then I would say go for! Especially if your mom is letting you live at home for free, which is a nice bonus. If my parents were willing to help pay for school and/or let me live at home I definitely feel I would only need to work half as much as I do now! It's hard work but in the end it will all be worth all the struggles. Good Luck!! :)

If all your pre-reqs are complete you could apply to a CSU, but you'll need both HS and CC transcripts if you don't have 60 units and you would still be considered a lower division student. I'm near a CSU and to get into the Nursing Program is tough as are most programs. They accept spring applications in July/August and Fall applications are October/November I believe.

I might be the only party pooper, but unless you have little to no bills I would keep your job. Are job opportunities slim in your area? Do you live at home? Not having a job while trying to go to school was one of the biggest mistakes I made. Not only did I struggle having to pay extra costs for books, but my entire situation changed rapidly. I quit a terrible job on a Friday, had an interview Saturday morning (got the job), and was in a car accident Saturday night(four car pile up cause by elderly driver) and I lost the job due to being in the hospital and physical therapy. Savings went fast. I no longer had a place to live, I couldn't afford my car insurance, cell phone, and most importantly gas to get to school. I had zero money to eat and literally had to beg my Grandma to take me in. Needless to say I dropped out of school that semester. I was far to depressed, and couldn't even begin to focus on school. Not having money is hard especially when you've been consistently employed for 5 years like myself. I would suggest asking co-workers if they could switch shifts with you possibly. Saving more money before nursing school would be a benefit, especially if it meant you didn't need loans. I'm planning to quit working during nursing school and I'm saving for it now (working 40 hours a week, taking 15+ units). Good Luck!

I'll be taking Physio and Micro together in Spring as it makes the most sense for me. I have to take Anatomy before Physiology and Chem before Micro and I only have two semesters left.

As you can see there are quite a few schools that offer the classes online, but just as a thought check with the nursing program you plan to apply to, to see if they are accepted. The schools in my area do not allow online labs for admission to their programs.

You're college is implying that you need to complete at least 60 units in lower division classes before applying for the nursing program to receive your BSN (make sure to complete the required pre-req courses before applying). All colleges require this for any major. If you attend a community college first, you would do the same thing.

First, congrats on starting this journey! So I think this semester you have a great class load. If you add more science (especially with labs) you might struggle. And as far as completing those 60 units, that's what's required to transfer to a Nursing program at a university (BSN). You only need the pre-reqs to apply to a Nursing program at a community college (ADN). Most nursing programs are 4-5 semesters on top of pre-reqs and/or general education depending if you go to a CC or a U. Try to maintain at least a 3.5 GPA to remain competitive, as nursing programs are VERY impacted and schools have there pick of the best candidates. It could also potentially take 2-4 semesters (1-2 years) of applying to Nursing school to be accepted.

Hi! I really agree with the above poster who suggested shadowing both a nurse and a teacher. Both professions require a special person. I've know a lot of people to get to nursing school without any health care experience and realize nursing isn't for them and is very hard, thus failing grades or dropping out. Shadowing a nurse would be real insight into the profession, and always ask about the best day for a nurse and the worst day. Both careers could be very rewarding. Pay should be a consideration, but not the deciding factor. There would be pro's and con's for each. Nurses work long hours generally 12 hour shifts (that can turn into 13, 14, or 15 hour shifts depending on the floor) Which means that down time will be spent first on resting. A lot of nurses also are required to do over-time when needed. So making sure your children have a stable support group would be very important. However, nursing gives the option of exploring many different types of medicine and specialties and the option to work with children if you wanted. I only know one teacher and she absolutely loves it, but their are some negatives. Firstly, she's home everyday after school with her child and is always there for homework, meals, bedtime, sports, etc. But I do know she can be up late grading or planning classes and isn't paid for this extra time. She has the same vacation times as her child, and so rarely needs additional daycare. It's all on how you view the negative, and if the positive outweighs that negative. Good Luck!

I'm personally going the ADN route and I feel that for myself and my circumstances it is best. I'm not willing to incur massive debt for a University education when I know for a fact that my local community college has professors better than said University (they often share instructors as well). I pay 100% out of my own pocket for my education and for me it's the most practical choice. Also, the fact that it will take me 3-4 semesters to finish my undergrade requirements just to apply to a University versus the 1 semester I have left for my CC makes it more appealing since I still have to work full-time while taking pre-reqs. For my local U I know of it taking several times applying just to be accepted. And while it could potentially take up to 3 times applying to my CC for acceptance, time is a consideration. This univeristy also offers a 15 month online RN-BSN and with all the health care professionals and nurses in my life, they think this is advisable because the local hospitals will pay towards tuition after being hired. CC's will usually only look at your pre-req cumulative GPA and you'll want at least a 3.5 to remain competitive. And as far as some one saying that science classes are better at a U is a matter of opinion. If it is a concern you can speak to your advisor and ask about the labs and teachers for those courses. A good instructor or a bad instructor is generally what makes the class.

Yes, you're science GPA (and other pre-reqs) is generally all that matters. Nursing is a tough profession and you need to be strong in science and basic math. Nursing is VERY competitive and just having the minimum GPA to get in to school doesn't always mean you will get in if the other applicants have higher GPA's. For me personally I don't think I know anyone to get into Nursing school with lower than a 3.4 (on a lottery) I believe, but most are 3.5 and above, plus stellar test scores. The best I think you can do is speak to your college counselor and see if they offer grade petitioning at your school (which is to remove bad grades from your record with cause). If not, and you have already used your one time option for a repeat I'm afraid I don't think you'd be accepted to any schools. Also if you end up looking into some sort of vocational school that will accept you (I'm not sure of their requirements) please be sure to make sure they are accredited and what their pass rate is for the program and NCLEX. These schools are in the habit of "stealing" tens of thousands of dollars from hard working people that can never use their degree of become hired. If there is still an LVN program near you I would also check that out! They can be competitive as well but I do know that the pre-reqs are less.

Very Impressed!!! :anpom:

Hi! If you truly feel the nursing is your calling than I think you should go for it! I would arrange to volunteer at a local hospital or ask to job shadow a nurse to see what nursing really entails first. The most common thing I see with a lot of my classmates after being accepted into the program is that they realize that nursing isn't what they thought it would be and they drop out. Others complete the program and then realize nursing isn't for them either. Long hours running around on your feet, lots of charting and paperwork, difficult patients/families, lots of bodily fluids, risk of disease, death of a patient, etc. Nursing can be a dream job if you are truly a person who enjoys helping others, but just remember that there are aspects of the job that aren't always that pretty. Some go into nursing to because they have finally seen what potential they can have in the field, and some just think it's an easy career change with a big paycheck. Nursing is hard work, and can be an expensive education. Those who truly are meant to be nurses will be. So if it your dream, I would pursue it while you still have the nerve and my best advice is to make contacts through the local hospitals. The truth is that there really isn't any shortage of nurses in most areas, and nurses are graduating by the hundreds every semester in most areas/states for that shortage. So just getting your foot in the door can be hard work as well. Passion and perseverance! Good Luck!! :) :)

I agree that I don't understand why you need all these math classes?? However if you're deciding that you want to get your BSN be prepared to bring your GPA up to at least a 3.5 for a nursing program. BSN programs are very competitive and it could take more than your first time applying to be accepted as they usually select students upon merit and not through a lottery like most community colleges do. So if the plan is that you want to complete a BSN degree in only 4 years you might need to be a little more flexible. For an ADN you generally only need at the most Intermediate Algebra for any schools I've ever looked at. Universities I believe require at least Statistics. And the most challenging classes are usually your sciences. So depending on your High School Biology and Chemistry you may need to take both 101's again to be able to meet the criteria for Anatomy, Physiology, and Microbiology. Again Universities generally require Organic Chemistry, so you might be looking at 1-3 Chem classes to get caught up depending where you're at. So just those classes alone could take 4-6 semesters depending on how fast you work. And is your universities nursing program 4 semesters? 5? 6? All of those are common so it could potentially take 5-7 years to complete if you were accepted right away. So you really have to decided if you feel like you can complete all the required pre-req's and general studies to apply for a BSN. It may be easier for you to do the ADN to RN-BSN. CC's usually only look at your cumulative GPA for your pre-req courses too, so prior bad grades may not effect you're acceptance for an ADN.But you have to decided which would be better for you personally. I wish you good luck! :):)