JChristn

I graduated with my BSN this May with a 3.88 GPA, got into a new grad program for ER and loving every minute. Don't give up!!

UPDATE!!! Graduated from HPU in May! I applied to a new grad residency program in CO and was accepted! Oh and I passed boards this week! HPU is what you make of it. It's up to you to put in the hard work. I am very grateful that I went.

Hbowden - first congrats! You have choices and that is always nice. As far where you want to attend, that is purely a personal choice and you'd have to consider many factors, i.e.: support network, costs, what you'd do in your spare time, traveling home during breaks, etc). If you attend HPU for two years, it means you'd have two years of pre-reqs done towards a BS so don't think of it as a waste if it doesn't work out. So, let's say worse case scenario you do not get into the nursing program, you'd have two years of pre-reqs done and can stick with the BSN or change your major to another Bachelor's of Science. Or on the flip side, let's say you attend APU for a semester or two and decide you want to move back to HI, then you'd transfer into HPU as pre-nursing and go from there. Don't feel like you are stuck with whatever program you choose, but definitely continue to think long and hard about it. Per the College of Nursing and Health Science Spring 2014 newsletter, "There are about 750 undergraduate nursing students (435 BSN majors and 315 in pre-nursing stages), almost 80 undergraduate health sciences along with 45 graduate students within the College of Nursing and Health Sciences this semester." When I registered for my fall level one classes, about 60 students registered for the same classes I did, but divided up into different sections (so about 30 per class). The labs/clinicals are going to be a lot smaller, approximately 10 students. I haven't started my nursing classes yet, so I can't speak about how it has prepared me. I can speak about the advisors and faculty - all of which have been helpful! As far as the BSN program, I just moved to Hawaii last June and have heard mostly good things and some bad. Honestly, it is what you make of it. No program is perfect and just expect to work hard if nursing is what you really want to do. NCLEX - passing is well over 90%. I attended a "Pre-Nursing" social in March and for the month of February it was over 90%. I cannot remember the exact percentage. At this social, current nursing students in all levels attended and they spoke about their experiences. All were good experiences and they all reiterated that you will be extremely busy studying and have no social life. But of course it is all worth it at the end. I hope I've helped to answer some of your questions. Feel free to ask more if you have any! Again, congrats!! Check out CNHS newsletter: http://www.hpu.edu/CNHS/Documents/CNHS%20Notes%20Spring%202014.pdf

I love "Call the Midwife"! I with you - L&D or OR!

I'm starting on my BSN for Fall 2014 - here is my line up of fun: Pharmacology Math for Meds Nursing Concepts and Processes Nursing Concepts and Processes Laboratory Communication for Health Care ProfessionalsComprehensive Health Assessment Comprehensive Health Assessment Laboratory

Congrats! I've been thinking the same thing! I've heard it's a lot of hard work, but definitely worth it in the end! Good luck to ya!

sewnmom - What is the name of the app you used on your cell? Thanks for sharing all of that amazing advice and I will keep it in mind when I start this fall!

I just got in HPU in Hawaii. It was the only school I applied to because it as the closest to my house and traffic here is awful. My undergrad GPA was 2.79 (graduated in 2005) and when I took my nursing pre-reqs in VA (2009-2010) my GPA was 3.5. HPU's minimum GPA is 2.75. Good luck to you! Oh, and ECON 1000 was a pre-req! So between my BS and the classes from the CC ,I basically was able to transfer everything over and not worry about them expiring my science course.

My undergrad GPA was less than stellar, 2.79 in micro and bio, that was back in 2005. I took nursing pre-reqs at a CC in VA from 2009-2010 and my GPA was 3.5. I recently was accepted in a traditional BSN and will finish in 5 semesters. I think my TEAS school helped me out a lot! As far as schools in NC, the only ones I can think of is UNC or ECU. Good luck!

I agree with RunBabyRun and 1fiestymama - take your last two at the CC. I was in such a hurry to get out of the small town I lived in to transfer to the state school, that I could've saved more money and had less student loan debt if I would have stuck it out one or two more semesters. If you can, take micro and a&p in the summer and then transfer. And you are going somewhere, think back to all those classes you've taken and all the CNA experience you've gained. You're motivated and you won't get stuck in your small town. Hang in there and best of luck to you!

I have a BS from New Mexico State University and took nursing pre-reqs at a CC in Virginia. I was able to transfer all my credits from my BS and from the CC into a BSN in Hawaii. I'd definitely apply now if you know what schools in CA you'd like to attend, and I agree with ShlebyaStar, CA is pretty competitive. I have a friend in Hawaii thinking about moving to CA and almost every school talks about a "lottery system" and wait lists. I don't mean to discourage you, just do your research ahead of time or get on a list ASAP. Best of luck to you!

Congrats!! Go Monarchs!

I agree! Don't give up if this is truly what you want to do! My undergrad GPA was 2.79 and I went back to a community college for pre-reqs and had a 3.5. My TEAS score was pretty decent (84.7%) and I was just accepted into a BSN program. If there's a will, there's a way. Hang in there.

Congrats on graduating! What a relief I bet!

I used that same guide Mini-wheat posted. In addition, I found a series of YouTube videos for the Math part that really helped me: . This instructor goes over every page of the math in the ATI study guide. I felt like the online tests helped me the most, but definitely it takes a lot practice tests to feel like your getting the hang of things.I studied for about a month about 4-5 days a week. I scored a 84.7% overall (83% in math; 89% in science; 90% in reading; 73% English and Language). I think I did poorly in the English section because I was rushing and it was the last section before I was done with the test and I was STARVING. Make sure to eat a good breakfast! Good luck!

I attended a pre-nursing social on Thursday, March 13th where they announced the letters were going out via email... March 14th I spent all day pretending I wasn't checking my email all day. I went to the beach with a friend to pass the time. FINALLY at 4 pm I got THE LETTER! My husband and I celebrated with Thai food and a new MacBook Air! And I was fortunate, I was accepted at a school somewhere tropical!

Thank you! Did you find another nursing school to attend instead of HPU?

I found out yesterday I was accepted to the BSN program at Hawaii Pacific University (HPU). I would like to share the details about my journey and perhaps it can be of help! About me: I have a BS in Microbiology and Biology and my GPA was a less than stellar 2.78 at NMSU. I earned those degrees about 10 years ago. Also, I took pre-nursing prerequisites at a community college in Virginia and received much better grades and had a 3.5 GPA (I took those within the last 4 years). I decided to hold off on applying because we were about to move (my husband is in the military). Also, I did earn my MPH and it didn't seem like HPU used it in their decision making. Although, I did use a snippet of my thesis for my writing portion when I applied to HPU as pre-nursing. October 2013 I applied to HPU as a pre-nursing student and was accepted within a week of applying. Next, I took the TEAS test January 2014 and got a 84.7% which ranked me in the 95th percentile nationally and 89th for the program. My ATI academic preparedness level was categorized as "advanced". The National Mean was 64.3% and the Program Mean was 70.6%. I used ATI's online practice exams, ATI study guide book, and McGraw Hills TEAS V practice tests to prepare. The ATI online exams seemed to be the most helpful, yet using all of these books together helped overall. I spent about a month studying for the test. I took the ATI online practice exam at first to get a baseline for studying. It help me focus on my weaknesses. HPU evaluates you once you are within a semester of finishing your prerequisite courses. After I had my transcripts evaluated, I only had one nursing prerequisite left - Economics. I am currently taking that online. As part of the ranking process to determine who gets into the BSN program, HPU considers your overall GPA from all schools; your GPA for prerequisite science-based courses GPA; TEAS score; and how many credits you have taken at HPU. I do not know what their calculations for my GPAs were since I had transcripts from multiple schools. The minimum is 2.75 GPA. Also, I do not have any credits form HPU and am working on getting 3 credits from the Economics class. As far as paying for my BSN, I fortunately am able to use the GI Bill. However, we will be out of pocket about $6K a year. The GI Bill pays $19K a year and HPU's BSN is $25K a year. I've been applying for scholarships and as a back up plan I did submit a FAFSA. HPU does not expire science courses, which was a good thing, otherwise I'd be taking a whole lot more classes! I hope this information is helpful. Good luck!