NYStudent18

I started nursing school not too long ago myself and it seems that the trend is that groups were formed from the initial orientation. We happened to sit next to someone and it grew from there. We currently have a close-knit group of 6, but no one ever hesitates when we get scrambled up and put together with others we don't particularly know. Most of us happen to be type A personalities and over-talk each other on a regular basis! LOL! One of the girls happens to be on the quiet side and I don't ever feel she is left out of the group, she simply isn't overtly talkative. I think if it is difficult for you to interject into a larger group conversation then a smaller group might be better. I don't think people with good intentions try to exclude anyone but due to your quiet nature they may have just forgotten to add you to their group app. I think we all struggle with our own weaknesses. I personally have high anxiety and compensate with a lot of talking. There's a lot of facets of nursing school that we never thought of until we actually got there. The bottom line is to step out of your comfort zone and do what you never thought you were capable of doing. Whether it be trying to be more social with a group of peers or getting in the personal space of your patient. Nursing is a profession that we are driven to but most of us need to overcome our own fears and insecurities to get there!! Keep an open mind and never forget that you need to constantly be stepping out of your own comfort zone!!!

It only took about 4 weeks.. you will have enough time as long as you pace yourself!

I didn't take either of those courses. The program I will be starting didn't require them. I can imagine they are all structured the same way, which for me was very easy to navigate and learn from. I would print out all the modules and organize all the material in a binder, that way you have the information to study from.

I also took several prerequisites at Portage and thought it was a great program! Just be careful because some schools do not allow transfer credit of online labs. I was applying to three schools and the community college did not allow for online lab transfers! Good Luck!

I took A&P I and II, microbiology and developmental psychology through Portage. The tests are at the end of each module and are timed (1 hour). You then get a final exam timed 3 hours. Unless you are really studying the material and carefully reading the information the tests would be very difficult. I found I learned the information and retained it with good study practices. For the lab portion you watch a video and I literally copied the material word for word in a notebook to study and review. Don't try to speed through these courses as you will need this information throughout your nursing journey! I thought it was a great alternative to the classroom, especially if you have kids such as myself! Good Luck!!!

Emmjay, I didn't know they offered CPR at the school in May, good to know! I saw that unofficial FB page as well and there were a lot of posts that didn't seem to have anything to do with the school at all. I definitely wouldn't be posting on there either!! LOL

I was hoping St. Joes had a Facebook page but I have yet to find one. It would be nice to keep in contact with other students in the program!!

Hi Emmjay, We recently received a letter in February about our orientation dates etc. for the July start. On their website it states you would receive Sonisweb info but that was not included in the letter. The letter stated that nothing else needed to be done as of yet and orientation material would be sent seperately. I'm not sure if it will come with orientation material or if they will give us that info at our first orientation in April. I was wanting to get a head start on all that too! There's a lot of things that need to be completed for the enrollment process and I had wanted to get going on it!! I'm just going to go ahead and get my vaccinations updated and get my physical exam done, along with my CPR to get those out of the way.

Hi Kemzyk, I completed the FAFSA for federal and state aid so we will see how that pans out. I looked into scholarships and it seems really difficult and very time consuming for some of them. I'm hoping to be eligible for grant money and cross my fingers that federal loans will cover the rest.

I start the program July 2016 as well!! I'm super excited to start and have been trying to organize my life as much as possible beforehand. The first orientation is in April so I'm looking forward to meeting other students and getting more information. I spoke to a girl that recently graduated the program and she absolutely LOVED it!! She took the NCLEX right after graduation, passed and got a job within a few months! Great to find a few others that start this July!!!

Congrats nurseynrs!! Sent you a PM!

Well I got my letter from St. Joes and what do you know... an interview! I guess I have more waiting to do!!!

Mine says INTERVIEW under the disposition so I'm a bit nervous about that... :-/ Which was dated 10/28

Anyone waiting for an answer from St. Joes? Feel free to PM... I noticed a change of disposition on sonisweb for the online application and was curious if anyone else saw it. Still waiting over here!

Hi nursynrs- I applied to both St. Joes and Crouse. I had originally wanted to get into St. Joes because I have other weekly commitments and the evening/weekend program seemed to work well for that. I have never actually been to that campus. When I went to Crouse a few times I really loved the atmosphere and vibe I got. Then I realized Crouse was about HALF the cost, so that was another positive!! I am still waiting on a decision to St. Joes and will decide at that point. I hope we get those decisions soon so I can make a choice.