regina9979

MIABeck, Have you talked with financial aid about the GI Bill? I believe that even though the time spent is full time, we still only get part time status because the actual number of credits taken. I have been getting financial aid (although not the GI Bill) and I have to supplement with other classes to keep my full time status and to receive full funding.

Bumble B, I know several students in my cohort who are doing the concurrent enrollment and doing well. You just need to be a motivated person to stay on task and get assignments/ reading done ahead of time. This first year of the program is extremely busy. The studying is nothing like what you have done in the past. Everyone says the same thing; it is all applied knowledge and critical thinking. It seems easy enough but you have to change everything about the way you think and study. I am starting the concurrent ODU program in January. They have changed it so people can take that program even if they do not hold a bachelor's already. The applicant must have all their pre-req's completed before beginning the program though. I have heard good things about ODU's program and Janice Hawkins told me that it is very different than what we are doing for our ADN at TCC. Best of luck to you Bumble B - if you really want to do both programs at the same time DO IT! You will never know until you try. Worst case scenario is that it is too time consuming and you have to put a hold on the ODU program. (which you can do) Enjoy what's left of your summer because once this program starts you won't have any spare time.

Bumble B, I am starting NUR201 next Monday, so I've been in since August 2013. The courses are fast paced (8 weeks each), the instructors expect you to come prepared for each class and there are group projects. I work full time and have a family and am doing well in the program. It is possible, but you HAVE to be determined and self motivating. Reading 10 chapters is normal for 1 test and generally we go over material well before it is ever tested. Clinical time is not the time to study, you really need to focus on the experience. If you are like me and learn through "doing", this is where you will "learn" what you are taught in class. Individuals who fail out do so for various reasons. The standards are set high so getting less than an 80 on 1 test out of 3 tests could have a negative impact on the overall grade. Keep in mind that most of these classes only have 2 or 3 tests and 1 final that make up your entire grade - the other work is simply pass or fail. Some instructors will give "extra points" in their course, but don't get used to it. I know many students in the program that have English as their second language, and they are doing great. Don't stress too much, once you are in for a couple of weeks, you will get the hang of it. Best of luck to you!! Maybe I will see you around.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!! Enjoy this time before classes start because it will be a whirlwind once you begin!

Yes, It is quite busy! The first class (NUR108) meets 4 days a week and when you aren't in class you are studying. The second class is a little less busy - but by no means easy. It meets 3 days a week for the first 4 weeks and then only 1 time per week. This means there is a lot of at home learning and studying. I hope you guys find out soon. I know how difficult it was for me to wait for my acceptance letter. ;-) Best of luck!

Best of luck to you all! I pray that you all get accepted and start this crazy journey soon.

SipesMD, When I received my acceptance letter it did come with information on things that needed to be completed before the start of the semester. It will have all the physical requirements as well as the background check. Make sure you get everything completed and ready to turn in. Best of luck to you! I hope this helped. ~ Regina

Spicersweeney, There really isn't any advice I can give you other than that. The tests are different from any tests we took up to this point. It is all about applying your knowledge. The questions are critical thinking questions. You need to take your time and read them carefully. In class, it is virtually impossible to take notes. The instructors will provide their notes for the class. USE THEM! But they will also inform you that sometimes they can mess up, they are human. So, if in doubt, Kozier & Erb is the gold standard. That's the Fundamentals book, the instructors refer to the books by the authors name. You will not need to bring all your books with you to every class. Just make sure you bring the Kozier & Erb book to the first class. Be prepared to jump straight in the first day. If they assigned reading, make sure you come prepared tomorrow. I hope this helps. ~ Regina

Well, the end of nur108 is near. We have our comprehensive final on Tuesday and then a one day break before the next class starts. This class was very fast paced and if I can offer any advice it would be to keep up on the reading, and form study groups quickly! There is a lot of information in this course and weekly tests. Clinicals were great, you guys will love that part. Good luck to everyone starting in Cohort 2! See you on campus next week.

Spicersweeney, yesterday was packed full of information. We covered 4 chapters in our fundamentals book. We get 30 minutes for lunch and its not enough time to leave campus. They gave us extra time yesterday and I had to rush in order to eat my food. Make sure you guys bring your lunch with you in a cooler of some sort because there is not a fridge, only a microwave. The class itself was interactive and fast paced. This will definitely require study groups! We are already putting one together to study tonight. We ended up with 5 alternates being called in at the last minute- so if anyone out there is an alternate that's still waiting, stay positive! Good luck to everyone in Cohort 2, your time is fast approaching!

I am also attending Camp Nightingale. I look forward to seeing everyone there. Hey, does anyone in cohort 1 want to switch to cohort 2? A friend of mine is in cohort 2 and would like to switch to cohort 1 if possible. Let me know and I can get you in touch with her. Thanks!

Krystal, I am planning on working full time during the program but I am getting pretty apprehensive about doing so. I will try it out; hopefully I will be able to do both.

bananaphone, I applied while I was in the Spring'13 microbiology class. They do not make decisions as to who will get into the program until after the grades are posted for the Spring semester. So, if you are taking those classes when you apply, just make sure that you make them as currently enrolled in them. This way, they will be able to flag your application for review of those grades when they are made available. I got into the 1st cohort starting in August, so you can still get accepted even if you are finishing up your last prerequisites at the time the applications are due. Good luck to you, it seems like you are going to be taking a lot of heavy courses all at the same time! A&P 2 in the summer is a great idea, just remember that they are cramming 16 weeks of course work into 10 weeks over the summer. It means two lab days a week and quiz/ tests just about every time you go to class. (It is doable though.)

Krystal, I think that is a great idea. Let me know when you sent up the facebook page and I will definitely be joining. I am feeling a little stressed just thinking about the grading policy and how anything under an 80 is considered failing. Congratulations! I am in Cohort 1 also, we will be working together starting in August!

That's great! Are you planning on taking A&P2 and Micro together? That's going to be a heavy load. A&P goes into a lot of depth in the physiology aspect of the course and micro is a quiz every time you go to lab. (once a week) Not sure which campus you are at but I took micro with CB and she was wonderful. I would highly recommend her for lab and lecture in VA Beach. For A&P, I would recommend CG in Norfolk. She just started teaching the lecture portion last semester and I had her for the lab. I loved her hands on approach and willingness to help everyone.