FutureNurseNYC

Congrats! Seems like things are going well for you! I shadowed a Physical Therapist the other-day--which is also something I'm very interested in. The thing is, my two in a half years of college I have now won't do anything towards my nursing major, and I wont be able to apply for the nursing program until 2015 after I'm done with all these pre-nursing classes. The adviser showed me that I could use my two years of college towards a undergraduate degree such as psychology or health science, and than apply for the DPT program for Physical Therapy. The way the sequence works, I will have a DPT in PT the same amount of time I would have a BSN in nursing. I guess it still comes down to what I would really want to do, but I would honestly love doing both.

Oh I see. Thanks! If you don't mind me asking, are you in a nursing program now?

Thanks for all the detailed information, Fireman! From the sounds of it they only accept 4.0 students. I have a 3.9 now, but I think it will be slightly lower by the time I actually apply. When you said "Hours of experience" do you mean shadowing/volunteering? I'm also taking chem and pre-calc at Nassau over the summer. Hopefully that won't look bad on my application, but it's a lot cheaper and will speed things up. You're making me worried, however! =P Also, I heard they put a lot of thought into your personal letter/statement. I have a pretty out of the ordinary story, so I'm hoping that will play in my favor.

One or two students from SBU? Wow. Maybe things have changed since then. I've read on a few other forums and talked to a few people here at SBU, and they said you're more likely to get into the nursing program as a current SBU student because you're well aware of how hard the classes are. I'm also seriously considering getting my undergraduate degree in Health Science and then going into the PA program.

I actually love Stony Brook. I'll be sure to stay away from that Biology class, however. Can anyone give me some insight about what a realistic gpa is to get into most nursing programs?( preferably Stony Brook) After this semester, I am looking at either a 3.5 or a 3.8 if I really do well on my last two exams. I'm just so anxious. I could blow one test and ruin my chances for the program here.

I just have a quick question for anyone on here. I am thinking about taking pre-calculus online over the summer, because in the Fall I have to take calculus here. I would consider taking it in the classroom, but it's cheaper this way and I do have to work. Would anyone advise against this?

Thanks for the encouraging words, ProfRN4. I ended up taking out a loan and I am now a full time student at Stony Brook University. I'm living on campus so it's quite different, but so far I like the experience. Today I was slightly discouraged, or maybe upset is a better word. I have been doing very well on all of my midterms--especially my papers. Yesterday, my teacher came up to me out of a class of 250 and told me my writing was wonderful. She actually gave me a lot of extra credit, which put me well above the average class score ( I don't mean to brag, this is all just really exciting for me). However, like I said before I did poorly on one midterm, as did the entire class. The average was a 42 if I remember correctly. Anyway, I saw three answers on my test that were marked incorrect even though they were the right answers. I went to the teacher during office hours and he gladly fixed them. Out of curiosity he asked where I attended high school. All I responded with was, " My high school experience was quite different from most, and my mother wasn't the greatest teacher." He became very interested and started asking questions about my curriculum. I gave him a little information (not much) and he kept saying, " Oh, so you're at a disadvantage than most students here", or " Just do the best you can, you missed the part of your life where you were supposed to be plugged in." It wasn't the what he said exactly, it's the way he said it. He made me sound like some case he could work on, and he was very pretentious and almost condescending. It doesn't help he graduated from Yale. As silly as this sounds, I was dying for him to ask my GPA so I could tell him I was a straight A student. Every time I see him now he looks at me as if I don't understand the material he is teaching, even though I am constantly helping other student understand concepts. Maybe I am over reacting and being too self absorbed, but it actually made me upset. Anyway, sorry for ranting. I can't exactly talk to fellow students about all of this. Sometimes it's nice to come on here and just talk. BTW, someone messaged me, and I was unable to message them back. If you're reading this just know if I can do it, you can too! = )

Thanks, Missnurse01!! I actually don't as bad now. The way the class point system works made me feel a lot better. Two fellow classmates I have met actually got below 20's on the test. It is still possible for me to get an A, however. I spoke with the teacher about a better outline of what to focus on during our readings and he helped me a lot. On a better note, I have been doing very well on my English and electives classes. I'm worried about pre-calc that I am taking over the summer, though. I'm also considering going to see my mom over the summer and volunteering at the local hospital there. If I do volunteer on the weekends every summer, figured by the time I apply for the actual program I will have good references letter and such. I just wish I was a nurse already!

Again, thanks the positive feed! I was hoping for a bit of advice, however. So, I am doing well in my classes. I've been acing my quizzes and got a 104% on my midterm paper. However, I am taking a class with absolutely no structure and the teacher is awful. The class average was a 48 on our midterm. It's history class about medieval times. I took it as a elective, and I am very much regretting it. I got a 44 on the exam, ( it's a point system out of 90 points) and I was very disappointing. The teacher is going to curve our grades since he cant fail an entire class, but do you think I would be better of withdrawing from the class? I'd rather have a W then a C. I am living on campus, though. I feel like only taking three classes would be a waste! Any thoughts?

Thanks for the feedback, guys! So far the classes I am taking aren't that bad and I have been getting good grades. My only concern is my one history class. There is only two exams, and the are worth 90% of your grade. I went to TA today, and she asked me so many question on the test I didn't know. It's not even hard material--it's just the fact that the class has 300 students, and there is no structure at all. Last semester the class average was a 72 during midterms. I feel like if I recieve a C in this class I will ruin all chances of getting into the actually nursing program!

So, I never go instate tuition, but I did get a private student loan. I started classes yesterday ( Mostly electives and general ed classes) and so far they seem like they are fairly easy-- except one of teachers has an extremely strong Russian accent and I have a hard time making out anything she is she is saying. I am kind of worried I might do bad in that class and recieve a bad grade and not get into the nursing school. Also, I found out today if you do bad in a course, if you retake it, you still have the bad grade in your gpa, so that is kind of scary. haha.

Hey which_path, I will check out that website. It sounds very useful. You can do it! Have you tried going to an Adult Learning Center instead of getting a GED? In my opinion it seemed easier and there was less testing involved, but it might take a bit longer. That is how I got my diploma. When I started community college, I had the option of taking the refresher classes in Math and English. It doesn't give you college credits or count towards graduation, but it gave me a much better foundation for other classes. So, I am still fighting to get instate tuition. I have been living in NY for almost two years now, and I have filed independent taxes here, and I also have the w'2s and pay stubs to show that. They are saying anyone under 24 are put under where their parent's reside. The reality, however, is I have been living independently in NY own my own for over a year. I am not under a lease, but I rent out a bedroom from my brother. I also do not have a NY license. It was foolish of me to not change, but I am thinking of doing that Tuesday. I figured showing bank statements, w’2s, and paystubs would suffice. They mentioned another option if I could not get the instate tuition, it was a Parent Plus loan. My parents have horrible credit and a tax lien so that is not an option. I would ask my Grandfather to cosign but I do not think that is an option. They also mentioned that if you are denied the Parent Plus you are loaned an automatic 4000 to help, but I will still not have enough especially if I have to do that each semester. Has anyone been in a similar situation? What are my other options besides a student plus? I already have a federal loan and financial aid, but it does not meet my needs. I assumed my needs would be met by loans, because Stony Brook is a relatively cheap school, and I didn’t think a lot of people had huge chucks of cash lying around. If it doesn’t work, I will do one more semester at a community college, and apply for a lot of scholarships. I am told I will get a lot due to my strong gpa. Any suggestions or thoughts?

So, I was enrolled in classes, I was going to start on the 26th, but ]unfortunately after a very long process, I will not be able to attend Stony Brook after all due to complications with instate residency and so on.In order to attend, i have to pay 9000 dollars out of my pocket by feb 15. My only other option is a Parent Plus Loan, but my mother has horrible credit and actually is in trouble for not paying her taxes or something. It is a real heart breaker since I felt extremely ambitious and excited to attend, but nonetheless, I am determined to not let time and circumstances make me lazy. I will make it work some other way, I suppose. Hopefully it is not to late to register for some classes at a community college. Bleh! what a blow to the head!

I found the calculus thing weird, too. Anyway, I am not taking any math courses this semesters, just some basic pre-req classes that are required for the Nursing program. This summer, however, I am taking chemistry and pre-calc! If you transfer over pre-calc you dont have to take the placement test at Stony Brook. I don't want to have to take a math assessment because I know I will not be placed in calculus, but feel I will do just fine in the course. Since I am transferring over chemistry, I will not have to take calculus as a pre-req. I am thinking of doing this at Nassau Community College over the summer. It will be tough, but I think it will be worth it--plus it will speed up the whole process. What do you guys think?

Thank you, guys! So,I just got off the phone with an adviser... Apparently before you take chemistry at stony brook you have to complete calculus? Yikes! I've never even taken pre-cal. I had an idea, however. During the summer I plan on taking classes. I'm eligible to take chemistry at a local community college. I am thinking I can make sure that chemistry reaches Stony Brook's requirements and I can skip calculus and chemistry at Stony brook. I was panning on taking chemistry over the summer alone anyway. Any thoughts?

A little update for anyone interested! Just got my acceptance letter from Stony Brook. I sent in my housing deposit just barely, and I'm just waiting on my financial-aid package! Getting a little stresses but excited!

Thank you to everybody for the inspiring words and advice! Sorry I haven't got a chance to get on here in a while. So, my girlfriend ( the girl from the story) went to Maryland to see her family for a few weeks, and I now have no math tutor. I took online classes this semester, so it's pretty much me teaching meself. I spent literally 4 hours on three simple math problems,but it felt awesome after I figured it all out with out any feedback from anyone. I don't believe it was even hard math, just took me longer than most to grasp some concepts. I've been watching Youtube Videos and that's been helping. A few of my close friends love chemistry and they have been writing me up notes and such. I'm not half as worried as I was at first! I should get my letter from SB any day now and I can't wait to start getting my hands dirty!

I also forgot to mention I already applied at UVM ( University of Vermont) and got accepted. There program doesn't seem as flexible, however. Those are the two colleges I've narrowed it down to. Any suggestions?

I have also heard it is a tough school, but when I ask what makes Stony Brook tougher than any other University; people don't have much of answer for me. Could you please elaborate? Did you go to Stony Brook or is this something you have heard, too? Thanks!

Thank you so much to everyone who gave me feedback! I felt truly blessed and it definitely gave me a huge push in the right direction! I am very fond of younger kids, and have made my final decision to become a pediatric ICU Nurse. One way another I will make it there. I am still waiting to hear back from Stony Brook, but once I get my acceptance letter I'm all in. Again, I am amazed by the encouragement I have received from complete strangers on here. I wish I could responded to all of you l individually, but hurricane Sandy hit NYC pretty hard and I'm sharing my laptop with a few people. In case anyone is interested, my parents have come a long way since I was a child. My mother called me yesterday and offered to pay for my housing deposit for school, and my father offered to even help pay for some books. Things are looking up for me, and I keep getting this random rush of happiness go through me. Though I am still quite nervous, am I so excited to start learning! Again, thank you everyone! You have truly eased my mind. You should see me posting on here more often!

Thanks so much everyone! Your words are so encouraging! I'm going to go for it and devote most of time to studying. I think I'll make it out alive!

Thanks for the encouragement! I've taking college algebra, mathematical concepts, and statistics for math classes.I received A's in all three, but I feel as though I was rushed through them and missed some important concepts. I won't lie, my gf helped me with homework tremendously too. I believe that played a big factor in my grades....The only science classes I've taken in community college were environmental biology and environmental science. There wasn't a big selection at that school so I took what I could. I forgot to mention I also took nutrition my first semester which I was told to be a hard class, but I did very well. Like I said before, I am good with concepts and memorization. I do have an idea, however. I think my first semester I will take A&P 1, Physiology, Sociology, and and whatever prereq required. During the summer, I will take intro to chemistry at a community college. I will be able to focus on just that class and put a lot of time into it. I'll do the same the following summer for microbiology ( another required prereq for Stony Brook) It sounds silly, but I am trying to make this all work! Has anyone else taking similar routes? Is transferring from a CC to a well-known university that much of a difference? I feel as though I can definitively pass the classes, but I would like to get a good enough grade to get into the actual nursing program.

Hello Everybody! I have been using this site as a tool for years now, but didn't make my own account until today. I'm 21 years old and living in NYC. I recently applied to SUNY Stony Brook and I'm trying to decide on my future career path. I have a different story than most. I'm just looking for a little insight from people more experienced than myself. Let me start by telling you a brief story of how I ended up where I am. I come from a somewhat crazy family. My father was an "evangelist "on Sundays and beat my brothers during the weekdays. My mother was also a religious fanatic with crazy views on the world. After my older brother grew up and left, I was left with my parents. My mother, being the religious person she was decided school was "evil" and pulled me out and moved to Vermont around the age of 10, the only problem was--she didn't teach me. She would tell everyone I was home-schooled but neglect my homework. By the time I was in high school, I was too embarrassed to go to school because I knew I was so far behind. I use to be threatened by the fact that "if people found out I was behind, the state would take me away from my family". I remember telling myself I wouldn't turn out like people predicted. I became straight edge, (No drinking and no drugs) and made a promise I would end up in college to be a nurse no matter what it took. Around the time I should have been a junior in high school, I met a girl who I shared all my problems and secretes with. She started teaching me math and science after school and was thankfully very patient and kind. Without exaggeration, I would start practicing math from 10am to 7pm every day hoping to catch up to my friends in high school. After about 6 months of this my girlfriend started bringing home her math homework to see if I could figure it out, and to my surprise I could with some help. I went to an adult education place in my local town, and started taking classes while taking college level courses at my local community college. Long story short, I ended up with my high school diploma, and I also have about 38 credits from a community college. I moved out of my house as quickly as possible, and I now live in NYC with that same girl from high school. My problem is I never took chemistry or physics in highschool. I am terrified of taking it at college. I have taken statistics and college algebra, and have gotten an A in both classes but feel as though my girlfriend has to spend extra time everyday helping me with my homework in order to understand it. I feel as though I have to work twice as hard to understand math than other people in my classes. I applied to Stony Brook University recently, I have a 3.9 gpa and I applied undecided because I still have to take a lot of the prereqs for the nursing program. My question is, will I be in over my head? I feel like everyone there has taken 4 years of science and math already, and I was just some kid who was taught by my girlfriend. She says she will teach me chemistry, but I want to be able to fully understand it and be confident in school. I am good with conceptual things. I have taken medical terminology and was at the top of my class. I just feel so nervous and I can't shake it. Should I pick a different major? I see all these kids with years of preparation failing nursing school. I can't help but feel as though I will have an even harder time than them. I want to be a ER nurse, it's something I am very passionate about. I just want to hear from people if I should go to a school known to be very difficult in sciences. Will Stony Brook be that much harder than the classes I took at community college? I'm sorry for rambling; any kind of response will help...I just feel as though I will be in over my head. I will be living on campus so I will have lots of time to study. I'm proud of how far I've gotten despite my situation--I am just unsure on how to approach all of this. Again, I am sorry for the unorganized ramble and rabbit trails! Any kind of response will be helpful! I am just looking for honest opinions.