goingtothedogs

Thanks. I had my final lab practical for A&P 2 yesterday... I feel good about it. I'm just bummed that I let everything get to me and have a negative impact on my education. I guess the whole 'if at first you don't succeed, try, try again' thing comes into play here. Just frustrated, and I'm sure that finals week has a way of making pretty much everyone feel negative. About everything. Aaaaaaah. off to study. Thank you for the hugs and the encouragement. I really appreciate it.

This semester cannot be over fast enough. I'm really disappointed in myself. I tried to be strong and stick it out, but I am still grieving my twin brother's passing, and probably should have taken a break this semester. (He passed away at the beginning of the semester) I thought if I stayed busy, it would help, but no. I'm a mess. My grades aren't what I wanted them to be. I will have enough points to get into my program in the Spring of next year, but possibly not the fall, but will apply anyway. Just very... ugh. Disappointed. Very disappointed. Anyone else just flat out miserable right now? I'm not questioning whether this is what I want to do, just really deflated right now. Ugh. Just needed to get it out. Sorry if this is a downer, but, gosh, the next week can't go by fast enough.

Two people. And I'll warn you, I'll probably get mushy. First, my twin brother, Nick. He fought a rare form of colon cancer for the last year, and his suffering was eased last Thursday. Throughout that time, he neglected to tell us it was stage 4. He contined to bolster other people's spirits, encouraged others, despite the pain he was experiencing. Years ago, he helped found a non-profit organization that helps ensure access to computers for everyone- for $50 or 24 hours of volunteer service, which includes education about building and using computers, anyone can turn to them and walk away with access to technology. Nick was an amazing human being, the outpouring of love people had for him is inspiring. He did a lot of really good things for a lot of people. The biggest, he donated his body for research. He didn't want anyone else to go through what he had. His form of colon cancer only accounts for two percent of all colon cancer cases. While I would give anything to be able to look at his face one last time, I am grateful for the giving spirit he had. I think we were meant to use our hands, hearts, minds, and whatever other means are available to us to help others. To increase happiness, ease pain, and perpetuate love. I'm working as hard as I can so that I can do nick's memory justice by being the very best nurse, mother, wife, friend, and family member I can be. My husband- he has been supportive and loving from day one. I want him to be proud. I want him to see that his patience and enthusiasm are not for nothing. Really, what we're doing, I really think it all comes down to love. At least for me it does.

Tomorrow, 8/16. Last semester of pre-reqs!!!

I took A&PI last semester, and for me, the absolute worst thing was neuro. Now, I was fine with most of it... But the pathways... Good lord... Honestly, probably the most involved set of information I have ever tried to learn/memorize. I'd be just fine if I never had to look at a diagram of a neural pathway again. Otherwise, I really enjoyed A&P.

Yes-- between Evernote, skitch, and penultimate (all provided by Evernote) I'm set. I use skitch to take photos in lab of models, and also to take pictures of useful diagrams and charts from my text. I can even annotate those pictures!! I save them and then insert them in my notes where I need them. I use penultimate for drawing diagrams and sometimes for note taking-basically as a substitute for pen and paper. And then the straight up Evernote. Can't rave enough about it. While taking notes, I simply hit the record button, and make sure to stop it at the end of lecture. The file is then automatically attached to my notes for that lecture. You can share your notebooks or even email individual notes to classmates who might have missed a lecture for some reason, if you're nice. :) I also use it to organize my personal stuff. It has really made me so much more organized!!

I'm finishing my last two pre-reqs this fall and then (insert dramatic pause here) applying for Fall 2014 at Wake Tech. Cannot wait to roll up my sleeves and get to it already!!! :)

I'm taking my last two pre-reqs this fall-- A&PII and micro. Based on my own experience, I (personally, anyway) would suggest taking nutrition with A&PI. You mentioned that this is your first semester of pre-reqs. A&P is hard, and requires as much time as you can imagine... and then some. I wouldn't personally pair it with something intense. Now, I had thought nutrition would be a walk in the park- but my instructor was a biochemist with her doctorate. While I anticipated a course that focused a lot on knowledge that we can pass along to our patients, she really got into the chemistry side of things. So be prepared for it to be harder than you might think, just in case. You didn't mention any other pre-requisites-- do you have any gen Ed type classes you could take and just do A&p with those this semester, until you get into the swing of things?? I don't mean to make it all sound intimidating. Grades are important and you want to make sure you give yourself enough time to truly learn and do well, so that you can be an exceptional nurse later on. Good luck to you!!!

Everyone has their opinions, and I'm certainly happy to offer mine. . I'm finishing my last two pre-reqs in the fall, and I primarily use my iPad. I take notes in Evernote-- you can type them in OR use Evernote penultimate if you do better writing by hand. In evernote's suite of apps, I am able to add diagrams from my book, pictures, video, and even the recording of my lectures. For me, it has been extremely handy and helpful. I've used my iPad for projects, to collaborate with other group members, and this morning, I used it to rough out a landscape design for my side yard. (Eeeeee!!! Fun stuff when school is out but I'm still busy as a bee preparing for teas and CNA exam!!) Personally, I have a laptop at home, and for writing papers and for some of the things my iPad just doesn't do (flash), the laptop wins. However, really, I use my iPad more than anything else. I always have it with me, and always have access to my notes, the Internet, etc. it's handy. If you have a laptop that functions for writing papers, and it doesn't need to be replaced just yet... A tablet might be helpful. But remember, you can't use them for absolutely everything, and you may want to check with your instructors to see if they'll allow you to use it in class. Otherwise, you might wind up buying something you can't even use.

Kml0807-- hiiiii!!! I'm good, preparing for A&PII, studying for CNA, and TEAS... What's been going on with you???

Just be sure to call health sciences advising, not jut regular advising-- regular advising can't help health science students. Good luck!!! Crossing my fingers for you!!

Talk to advising-- if you don't want to transfer that course, they might let you just retake it. Psych courses count for double points for us (I'm finishing pre-reqs at wake tech this fall) so it would be worth retaking it, especially if they will let you choose not to transfer over that D. Good luck to you!!!! We have some great instructors, and I hope you like it at Wake Tech!!!

This happened with my school also. Pre-nursing and nursing students do get early registration, however, we have staggered assigned times based on the number of credit hours we have taken at this school. I was able to register on the sixth, and had to reconfigure the schedule I had already figured out the day before I could register because the instructor with good ratings classes were filled. (He only had two sections) I had to choose a different micro section, which was hard to do because my options were limited- both classes require a lab and there were only two I could take together without having a scheduling conflict. (The labs would overlap). I immediately texted a former classmate to let him know to make several schedules just in case- he didn't get into micro, which means he will have to take one class only in the spring, which may delay his applying to the program. Being that we attend the largest community college in the state, with a brand new building on campus complete with lab space and classrooms, I'm a little confused. Many people will wind up not taking more than one class this semester. Also, with as many non-traditional students as there are, and as our school promotes how flexible an education they can offer, I would think there would actually be some real flexibility in scheduling by offering varied times for each course. I don't currently work, (thank goodness hubby said I need to focus on school) so the only conflicts I had were between those two classes. Imagine having four or five classes to contend with!! It was not like this during any previous semesters since I have been attending this school... Just crazy. I guess it bothers me for the people who won't get to move ahead with their dream, and it bothers me also that we have these amazing facilities available but aren't making use of them. Okay, that's enough huffing and puffing. Just wait list what you can, and plan several different schedules to make sure you aren't scrambling to figure out what will work at the last minute.

Wowzas!! I have two pre-requisites to go before I can apply to my program, and thanks to early registration, was able to register today. I had planned everything out, selected my sections weeks ago, and yesterday, I logged in to just double check things. I wound up having to change everything. Now, early registration started on the 3rd, but our times went by how many credit hours we have taken at this particular school. I managed to get a semi-decent schedule, though it was the result of taking a class with an instructor with awful ratings... I figured out that initially, total, there were 120 seats for A&PII. That's all. For the largest community college in the state. Being a community college with a large population of non traditional students, the courses were really not easy to schedule this time around. And I only had two. I messaged a previous classmate, who I know registers later than me and he said he can't register until the 10th. I'm just thankful I got into the two classes I needed. I don't know how anyone else later than this week is going to manage-- there's seriously barely anything available. Two seats left in micro. 40something for A&P. god forbid they need both, because none of the remaining sections will work together without creating a scheduling conflict. Anyone else experience this?? I was honestly quite frustrated. Maybe it's the result of the pool of prospective candidates dwindling down further and further, but I was anxious all day until I was allowed to register. Imagine how it would feel to need one or two more courses and not be able to get into them. Eeek. Just plan. Plan a, plan b, plan c, and then some.

I second that... We've been in Raleigh for three years (almost four) and couldn't be happier to have chosen to live here!!

I think you make an excellent point-- we are more mature and more focused than some of our younger classmates. I know that I am far more level-headed now than I was fresh out of high school, and I do believe that has had a positive impact on my experience with school thus far. We also, for the most part, understand what a huge opportunity an education is, and we don't take it lightly. I had a 17 year old classmate in one of my first pre-req classes-- it was online and she constantly emailed me a few hours before the end of each week, asking questions about the assignments. She didn't understand how things worked, and she really wasn't focused. It became a joke of sorts in our house-- around 9 each Sunday my husband would say 'so, any word from xxxxxxx yet?' Sure enough, usually if I would check my mail, there it would be!! At the end of the semester, she thnked me for helping her. I wrote her a long email, telling her how blessed we all are to be getting an education, and asked that she please not take it for granted. Among other things, I also asked her to remember that she needs to do this for herself, because it really is te best gift she can give herself. She wrote back and said nobody had ever encouraged her like that before, and she got straight a's last semester. That's my girl!! It seems to me we have an advantage- we can put things into perspective and have life experience. Hopefully less drama. I'm excited to see there is such a large group of us on here-- very encouraging!! I'm proud of all of us for being so brave. We can make such a huge difference if we work hard and make this happen. I can't wait to see where we all wind up and what we wind up doing!!!

I have an iPad as well-- I've been a huge Evernote enthusiast since I started back to school last fall-- by installing Evernote, skitch, penultimate, and peek (all Evernote- and I believe they are all free or cheap) I have been able to have my notes, lab photos, and lecture recordings all in one place. It's great. In Evernote, you can record your lecture by tapping the record button at the top of your note- when lecture is over, hit done, and it attaches the recording to your notes for the day. Just be sure to hit done or it will continue to record as you sing along to the radio alllll the way home. I used skitch to take photos of all of the lab models, and then was able to label them and add them to my notes. I used penultimate sometimes, when there was material that she jumped around a lot in... That way I could cut and paste everything and rearrange my notes easily. I also put an x in there wherever I wanted to add a picture or a figure from the book- after class I went back through my notes and added what I needed. By also having Evernote on my iPhone, I could study wherever I wanted. I could listen to lectures in the car, at the airport, and could study at the doctor, in line at the grocery store, at the hairdresser, anywhere. Even if I didn't have my iPad with me. There is a storage limit with the free Evernote membership-- I pay $4.99 a month during school to have the premium membership, that way I have no issues trying to save everything. Evernote makes it easy to share your notes with classmates who might have missed class for illness, or even whole notebooks if you have a study group. You can also have notebooks you use for collaboration-- really handy for group projects and study groups. Peek is like flash cards. You make a notebook in Evernote, I did one for each chapter, and have the subject line of the note be the question, and the body be the answer. You choose which notebook or notebooks you want to work on, and flip up the lower panel of your Smart Cover to see the question, and then open it a little more to see the answer. You can mark it wrong and it will keep quizzing you until you get it right. Penultimate still needs some work. I have an adjonit jot stylus and it works best for writing in that portion of my Evernote suite. You can mail these notes as well, and open them in Evernote also. So, as you can tell, I recommend Evernote. You can do pretty much everything you could want in it, and if you have suggestions, they have a great customer service dept you can chat with-- sometimes it's to make a suggestion, other times they tell you how to do what you are suggesting. Really awesome .

Reading your post gave me chills!! That's the kind of passion and dedication I think should be a requirement for all nursing students!! I asked a fellow student (the class know it all) why he wanted to be a nurse, and his response sickened me. He said that it was the quickest way to get a degree that would guarantee him at least 40k a year. I wanted to slap him. Fortunately,even though he is highly intelligent, he really doesn't have the personality or personal hygiene standards to compete with te rest of us after all is said and done, and call me catty, but the fact that he is brilliant won't mean a thing if he's just a rude and messy person. Anywho, I totally understand your situation. While mine is not as sucky as yours (my husband is an engineer and so After I lost my job in the fall- shortly after telling my boss I was going to school- we decided it was best for me to stay home and just focus on school). I do realize, from other life experiences, what desperation feels like-- and it's one of the most effective motivators ever!!! My advice for you-- while student loans suck, you can use those to pay for school and to help you have a place to live while you are in school. Maybe you could work a schedule out for your classes where you have all of your classes two days a week, at least for pre-reqs. Then you could work a few days (not school days) and have a day or two off to dedicate to your studies?? I know my school already has classes for fall posted so that people can figure out their schedules prior to registration. (I have mine all written down so I can just log in as soon as registration opens up and enter the sections I want-- bam! Donezo!) this can be done. You can do it. Why? Because you genuinely want it, for the right reasons. Keep on pushing yourself, and know that everyone here (save for the few meanies that lurk around every on e no again) will be here if you need us!!! :)

Awesome thread!! I'll be 32 in the fall, and the fall semester will be my last semester of pre-requisites. (Yay!!!!). I'll be taking micro and A&PII. This summer I am getting my CNA (requirement for my program, must be a licensed CNA on the state registry prior to applying) and will work as a CNA as long as I can. I'll be applying to my program in the fall, and if accepted, it begins the following fall. I plan on doing a RN-BSN program as soon as school is done, so during that waiting year, I'll do prerequisites for that. Might as well keep the old brain working!!! I'm excited, nervous, and determined. I struggled a bit in A&PI-- the instructor didn't cover a lot of things because I had a classmate who knew everything about everything and would often chime in, totally derailing the class. She skipped over a lot of info, and our exams covered four to six units at a time. She said our notes would be our study guides, but that didn't work out so well, because there was so much on our exams she just never covered. Oh well. That will be my only not fantastic grade through all of this. (I got a C. So heartbreaking.) Anyway, I have two children and a fantastic husband. I'm excited to finally be doing something to make a difference in the world!!

I'm currently a pre-nursing student at Wake Tech, and while they SAY the program is a 2 year program, it really isn't. I'll be done with pre-requisites in the fall, will apply to the program, and then, if I am accepted (decisions are based on points derived from your grades and TEAS score), I will start the 'actual' program in Fall 2014. Yup. Really. This isn't a quick and easy way to get your RN. While it is considerably cheaper to go the community college route, admission is really competitive. My suggestion? See what the pre-requisites are for the schools you want to go to in CA, and then see what you can do about taking them at Wake Tech. By all means, attend the information session, go talk with an advisor, and let them know you plan on transferring. They've always even super helpful- just be sure to go to the advisors at the health science campus because the other ones really don't know anything about the nursing program and often will tell you they can't advise you. Good luck to you!! Please feel free to message me if you have any questions about wake tech for pre-reqs!!

I got an iPad in the middle of this semester... It has helped me to connect more with the info.. Rather than frantically writing my notes, I am able to type them... I have been using Evernote, paired with skitch,my notes can include model photos, quick diagrams, figures from the book... And I hit record at the start of lecture, and when class is over, I just hit 'done' and the recording is attached to the notes for that day. It's been good, though some earlier posters mentioned some other apps I am going to look into. Because I am able to make my notes comprehensive, complete with pictures and recordings, I think it has simplified studying for me (my book weighs so much, it's refreshing to not have it by my side at all times!!) I still bring paper to class, but just a few sheets. For me personally, my iPad has helped organize things for my life, satisfies my tree hugging tendencies by reducing the paper I use (I read a lot, less paper required reading on my iPad!), I tend to be kind of scatter-brained, so I can keep myself in line by adding everything I think I may need to my notes. But really, you don't need an iPad. I still make notecards while studying, and while I have the ability to write with a stylus on my iPad, I think that particular functionality has a long way to go. Do what you feel works best for your learning style. My instructor jumped around a lot, so I always wound up rewriting my handwritten notes because they were a mess by the end of lecture. iPads are expensive. But also useful. But if you can, there are other tablet options out there (think-- iPad still does not support flash) that are just as functional, or moreso, for less money. It is nice to study while traveling without lugging a 30lb backpack everywhere with you, though. Sleep on it. Check out youtube videos, go to the store and try one. Check ad see if your instructors permit you to use them in class, and if they allow recording of lectures. That would be a key consideration for me.

This summer I'll be self-learning for the CNA- I got the textbook, workbook, and the skills videos for my state. I'll work through those, and when I am ready, will take the exam. After that, I'll either volunteer as a CNA or work part time as a CNA to obtain the 40 clinical hours required for application to the program at my school. I'll also be preparing for the TEAS, which is also a requirement for application. Oh, and first aid for medical providers, they want that too. In the fall, I just have to take A&PII and micro. Thank goodness, only those two means that I can put a lot of energy and time into them. I apply to the program at my school in the fall. A&PII are my last pre-requisites. So very excited about that, and also nervous about applying. My school uses a points system... I have two B's on my transcript, but by calculating my points, I should be able to get in. Then the REAL stress begins!!

Amen. It is definitely a hazing exercise at my school. Everyone is well aware A&P's primary purpose at my school is to weed people out. So far, my class has been reduced by half. My lab now consists of ten people. Yup. And this is the norm at my school. We do need to know where things are and how the body works, but really, the even bigger, unseen purpose of this class is to see if we can synthesize large amounts of information in a short period of time and intelligently communicate about that information. I know we will need it, but I'm right there with you... I'm ready for it to be over. I'm exhausted. My classmates are exhausted. My instructor is even exhausted. It feels like a cruel hazing ritual, for sure. We study study study and try to anticipate what will be on the test-- we're always wrong. So very ready for it to be over.

Everyone makes very valid points. I knew before purchasing my iPad that throughout my program, we are allowed to use them. I knew also that carrying my very large laptop back and forth wasn't happening. I also travel a LOT and while I had a nook tablet, it was pretty useless as far as my schoolwork is concerned if I wind up stuck at the airport. So, I did my research, and for me, it was a sound investment-- not just for school but for my personal, 'real world' life as well. Good example- yesterday- I'm on break right now, so took some supplementary notes from two other a&p books I have as study aids. They're viewable through my nook app on my iPad. I took tr notes on paper and then snapped a quick picture of each page, added them to Evernote, and will be working on a 'study guide' for every chapter we have covered this far. I worked on two peer reviews for my English class, and I also completed an outline in Evernote for a psych group project that is due at the end of the semester, shared the notebook with my group members, and now we can collaborate and have all of our info in one place. I checked my email, paid bills, and then took a little study break by watching Downton Abbey. I went through my cookbooks on my iPad and made a menu for next week as well as a grocery list for shopping this weekend. When my husband got home from work, we checked out a few things on the Lowes website for the garden this year, and then my iPad said goodnight around 7 because hockey was on. I really do personally get a lot of use out of it. It does have its limitations, and I am hoping subsequent models will address those. Definitely check to e sure you can use it in your classes, and consider carefully if you will actually use it outside of class too. Evernote is a great tool and available across all platforms and on most devices and even your laptop or pc. Check that out and see if that would organize things enough for you that you may not even need a new device.

I have an iPad and a laptop-- I leave the laptop at home and take my iPad everywhere. Everywhere. My notes are so much more effective as study tools now that I can easily integrate pictures into them... A few classmates have gotten one after seeing what it can do. I do still write papers on my laptop, but I really spend more time with my iPad than anything. You don't NEED one, but it really is awfully nice to have and to use. If you already have a computer at home, I highly recommend the iPad. :)