CFI7

No - I just referred to Med Surg because it was the biggest class basically with lecture and 12 hour clinical days. However, I also had physical assessment class (with clinicals as well) and Gero... with that said I know they are switching up the program since they were mandated to cut the number of units down so they got rid of Gero and I do believe added women's health (basically L&D) into 2nd semester - but I am not 100% sure. You will never just have 1 class.

Well looks like you are allllllll ready for nursing and know it all, Joe the EMT. Best of luck.

Hey Joe Friday! I just wanted to comment on the following that you posted "Now, the Trimester cohort beginning in Spring will have 2 summer sessions!! So, it's inherently the most difficult to pull good grade averages throughout the entire program...." This is not necessarily true. Fall cohort will have their preceptorship (which is essentially working all the time in the hospital) during the summer which makes it somewhat easier since its not a class class they have to worry about but rather just being nurses on the floor. HOWEVER, they do have 3rd semester in the summer which is critical care (N331). As you will learn - critical care is a beast and when you add on care planning and clinical - it makes it an even bigger beast. Having critical care in the summer means that you have two 12 hour clinical days for 331, psych clinicals and class, in addition to care planning for 331. I was spring cohort and had med surg N250 (2nd semester) and community health (5th semester) during the summer. Yes med surge during the summer was difficult as it also combined advance physical assessment however, community health is essentially an easy semester in general. So yes - spring cohort technically has 2 class semesters during the summer it does not make it easier what so ever. In my opinion knowing what they went through vs my schedule.... I would much rather enter in the spring cohort vs fall if there was a choice

No matter what your cohort is you will have 2 semesters each in the fall - if you start in the spring you will have your 2nd (med surg) and 5th (community) semester in the summer.... if you start in the fall you will have 3rd (critical care) and 6th (preceptorship) in the summer. You can not compare who or what cohort has it worse because there are pluses and minus with each situation. With that said - just focus on your own situation, and don't compare what other classes have going on or the differences because it really doesn't matter or affect what you have going on. As far as getting A's - no it is not impossible. If you are organized, stay ontop of your work, and work hard - getting an A is very achievable. With that being said - one of the biggest mistakes incoming students to the program make is that they are very grade driven rather than being knowledge driven. Nursing and NCLEX questions are a completely different style of questioning. You will no longer think in a way of regurgitating information... you have to take the information that you have obtained from reading and from lecture and apply it. Nursing is all about critical thinking and application. Half of the battle is understanding what the question is asking and how to answer it - this is something you will learn with your Fundamentals class (N200) first semester and continue to work on all the way through the program. Everyone in this program are straight A students - you wouldn't be in the program if you weren't. Yes we all want the A - but you have to understand and accept that getting the A is no longer the main prioirty. You are in this program to be a good nurse and even if you get a B in the class - doesn't mean that you don't know the material and won't be an excellent nurse on the floor.

As far as someone saying basic students find jobs easier: Thats not necessarily true. Trimester students have the advantage of working closely with Long Beach Memorial Hospital. With this, you have the opportunity to be hired even before you take the NCLEX - basically you apply for a contract...saying once I graduate I will work for you for 2 years and in return you get a stipend on the spot (I'm not sure the amount but its around 15-20K) to help with loans and what not. Do not worry too much about the basic vs. trimester. If you are a good student, who knows their stuff, and has networked and done well in clinicals thats all that matters. Not whether you are basic or tri.

Books vary from each semester - the first semester is the most expensive bc of ATI. However some semesters are as little as $100 for books. Just be smart, ask students in the higher semesters if they are selling books, rent them, and make sure the class actually uses the book. it gets better.

I am currently in the program and a Trimester student - hopefully I can clear somethings up for you .... 1. Trimester teachers are not harder-nor easier- than basic teachers...in fact they are usually the same. Since you are entering in the fall your whole cohort will pretty much be together for your first two semester (fall and spring), however when the basic students get summer off, trimester will continue and this is when you essentially get "split up" So come Fall 2015 trimester students will be entering their 4th semester and the basic students from your cohort will be entering their 3rd. Trimester basic students will now be intermingled with the basic students from the cohort that started before them since you essentially caught up to them even though they entered the program before you. Basically it all overlaps because some students get summer of while others don't. 2. there are no instructors that specifically teach trimester, and others that teach basic. It all just depends on what semester it is and what season if its Fall, Summer, or Spring. For example, some teachers take summers off, while others don't, or some teach certain courses only in the winter while others teach in the spring. It just depends on their schedule. You may have a great teacher for one class, and a not so great teacher for another - its like any other program. The only difference with professors is for clinicals. For trimester students, you will have all your clinicals (except for Pysch) at long beach memorial hospital therefore your instructors will be employees of the school through Long beach memorial hospital. Basic students get placed at different locations for each semester with different clinical teachers. 3. When someone tells you that trimester students are "smarter" or have it "harder" they either just trying to show off or brag. I am a trimester student and I suffered just as much as basic students did for the most part. However, what I will say is that there is a difference when it comes to summer sessions. Essentially, you are fitting a 15/16 week course into 8 weeks. So yes, every week you will have stuff due, you feel like you have a tests on tests, and the load is a lot NOT because the content is different but because its just faster. However, if you stay organized, and don't complain and just do the work, your fine. Its all personal preference, if you want your summers off - go basic program. If you don't really care and want to get done quicker - go trimester - just know that during summers it is fast pace, and it is a lot but it goes by quickly, and yes its 100% all the same content.

I have the pharm book you will use and most definitely need, and I have the path book - if you have the teacher we had you won't need the book to be honest, I bought the old edition and didn't even use it. I will check back in closer to when you get your schedules! also for some advice...when you get your schedule and the teachers start putting up the class schedule...I suggest for 200 - complete all your vocab that you will be tested on ahead of time when you have nothing to do. This will save you some stress through out the semester and it really helped Also to add some words of encouragement for those who are Tri - don't let the "fast pace, intense" words scare you. You will do just fine, and a week is more than enough break to relax and enjoy time off. I actually enjoy it because you never come back rusty from break and retain a lot of information. Don't let anyone scare you...the content is the same and the teachers are the same, in fact a lot of our 250 class for summer was online because our teacher said we had too much time for what we needed to do. Summer session feels just like any other session. Plus, EPIC at LBMH is amazing and saves you a lot of time care planning, and as a bonus not only will you have your BSN but you will also be trained in the EPIC program which is a nice little resume booster.

we used the "Williams basic nutrition diet therapy" edition 14th, however I went for the cheaper option as we had just dropped $$ on the book bundle and went for the 13th edition and it was basically the same book (not to mention we didn't really use the book at all) If you have the same teacher we did she is super awesome and only use the book for equations ... she teaches all the stuff you need to know during lecture.

Hey guys - I am currently in the CSULB program (tri) er - do you guys have a Facebook group going yet? ps let me know if you have any questions - I know this particular time can be confusing.

Hey does anyone want to start a Facebook group - figured it would be easier to search for roomies ?

Yeah just turn in the acceptance paper to Ml.W's office I just handed it to her yesterday and she said that was it.

No problem! The guy who teaches it is really good. It's long but not too bad! And I hope that's the wrong date too I deffinetly haven't finished either lol

No problem thank you for clearing it up! :)

I wish I was but I'm not. I wish they told us sooner when I was enrolled!