GourmandG

Congrats on knowing what you want to be at such a young age! Where I'm at, high school students can also take community college and state college classes concurrently. So if you're looking to get ahead, definitely take classes at the community college while you're in high school and/ or during summer breaks. Research RN programs that you are considering (community college nursing programs, state college, etc) and make a list of the general education classes that you need to graduate from the college itself as well as the prerequisite courses that you need in order to apply to the nursing program. Go to each school's website to view the prerequisites and/or make an appointment to see the counselor. Compare a few so you have more options and can apply at multiple schools. Once you know the classes you need, you can start taking them. They don't all have to be pre nursing classes. Take some general education classes too in case you change your mind, these units won't be "wasted". Get a copy of the nursing prescreening criteria and application checklist from the college's website. This explains how you earn the most points which increases your chances of getting into a nursing program especially if it's a lottery system. Here is an example from my program, in the grade point average sections, "Minimum 3.0 GPA in Anatomy, Physiology and Microbiology". This lets you know how important it is to do well in these 3 classes so you can plan your semester better. For example, you can take 1 "hard" class per semester to ensure you'll get an A or B and then take 2 or 3 "easy" classes another semester. It's different for each program. You won't get any nursing experience from volunteering at the gift shop or hospital. They won't remember you so volunteer/work part time later after getting into nursing school so that you may network and increase the chance of the hospital hiring you as an RN. You'll learn the skills once you're in the program so the best thing to do is start taking those classes now. The sooner you start, the sooner you'll finish. Good luck.

You had me with the first sentence! LMAO!

Omg, each story was better than the last. I am in tears from laughing so hard! Thank you for sharing!

It's frustrating when you know the material and put in the time but it isn't reflected on your scores. I was in your same situation hence my extremely long reply! But if I can do it, so can you! Study smarter, not harder. Figure out what you don't need and cut out unnecessary busy work because you end up spending time trying to complete everything in preparation and in reality, haven't even learned anything. Like someone else said, cover the answers so that you read the question and formulate an answer first. Then choose the one that is closest to your answer. The answers may ALL be correct but you need to choose the one that is MOST correct and is specific to the question. Do as many practice questions as possible and you'll learn things such as follow the ABCs and most of the time, you need to assess” the patient so know prioritization rules. Rarely is the answer Call the doctor” because you need to "assess" the patient prior to calling the doctor- right? And for questions where the nursing assistant is involved, they NEVER assess” so know their scope of practice as well. Re-read the question again to ensure you understand what it is truly asking. Is it asking for a right” or wrong” answer. What comment by the patient tells the nurse that the teaching was ineffective?” In this case, you are looking for a wrong” answer. Don't over analyze and overthink things. They're not meant to be trick questions. Know the important take aways that was stressed during lecture as these are what you're most likely to be tested on. Memorize your normal lab values and other important numbers so that abnormal values will stick out and help you narrow down your answer. Youtube has several videos on How to answer nursing exam questions” that I found very helpful. Answering select all that apply (SATAs) questions for instance, you already know the minimum correct answer is two. Then you read each option as a true” or false”. If your exam is online like mine, we were taught to save each answer before proceeding to the next. If you don't, the selected answers would jump” to a different one you didn't mean to select and end up getting them wrong. I noticed some of the end of chapter questions in the required readings were recycled on exams as well so it's worth doing them. And always read the rationales and ensure it makes sense to you because even if the question is re-worded, you'll still understand the concept. Figure out each professor's style and you can anticipate the type of questions that will be on that section of the exam. Does one professor ask questions from her powerpoint material while the other asks questions off of required textbook readings? Or are they off of random” stories during lecture that you didn't think was important but recognized on the exam? If the way you're studying is not working, change it. If you used to study by yourself, join a study group. Find someone who's doing well and ask them how they study. Recording the lectures and replaying them over and over has saved me. I play them at home and follow along with the powerpoint and add my own notes to it and study off of that. Always review the answers at the end of the exam and if you're allowed, ask the professor to go over your exam questions during office hours. The professor can break it down for you and help you to see what they were looking for. Ask the professors if something will be on the exam or how in depth you need to know something. My professors have always been upfront and tell us what we need to know and what we don't. Ask for a breakdown of how many questions are on each subject so you know where to focus your efforts. Take advantage if your school has special accommodations for students that have test anxiety as it allows you more time on the exam. Take deep breathes and stay away from nervous classmates right before the exam so as not to have them rub off on you. Chew gum or wear ear plugs if allowed. During the exam, you'll recognize which questions go with which lectures... focus and pull the answers from that lecture to answer those questions. Finally, nothing's wrong with you. Welcome to nursing school! And good luck.

Op, I used to study alone as well but found that for nursing school, it was best to keep an open mind and get in with a study group sooner than later. You don't always have to meet with them and you can easily either meet before or after class too. When I realized that I wanted to join a study group, they've already been established and I wasn't able to find one. I ended up partnering with someone whom also didn't have a study group which worked out. Even if you don't need help and end up helping the others, you'll still benefit because you'll learn by teaching, having friends, someone you can call to ask questions and it's especially helpful if you have clinical together. My good friends whom I haven't had clinical with, we give each other a heads up on how the paperwork goes and what is expected. It's nice to vent to nursing friends because non nursing friends just don't understand. It's also an opportunity to network and these friends may have friends and relatives whom could put in a good word for you when it comes time to apply for a job. Do well grade wise but balance it out with hopefully forming some life long friendships and connections. Good luck!

Op, I'm proud of you for saying "no". It's difficult to say "no" to people especially when you consider someone a friend but you did the right thing as this "friend" was using you and taking advantage of your kindness and desire to help. I think you already knew this in your gut and that's why you came on to get support. Trust your instinct on what is right and wrong and people who are up to no good. Alas, you will find yourself in plenty of situations to have to say no so this is good practice. I liked the suggestion about sitting in the front row as it makes it harder for the classmate to talk to you since the professor is right there. When someone asks you to explain something during lecture, you can always tell the person that you don't get the material either. You're just doing all you can to keep up with writing notes and you'll read the textbook after class and make sense of it then. If you find someone keeps asking you for help and it's taking time away from your studies, it's ok to say no. I had a classmate that was apparently helping 2 other students and they both passed but the helper failed. You gotta help yourself first. It's also ok to say no to study groups but be careful to still have good relationships with everyone as nursing is a small community. You can also say you haven't had time to prep for a study group yet so you wouldn't be able to contribute, you have plans/ a prior commitment, or that you're a night owl and study best at 2AM. You can say that you find the study groups always end up being a hang out session with very little studying or simply, you're used to studying alone. Don't forget that there are resources these students can try as well including going to see the professor during office hours, tutors, youtube and khan academy or simply reading the textbook! I would also go as far as to save those text messages where your classmate asked to cheat off of you. It's sad but there's always a chance that this classmate will try and retaliate by saying you were the one trying to cheat! Don't tell her you kept her texts but just don't be surprised if the professor comes up to you one day and tells you someone accused you of cheating. You can confidently say, "That's not true. But if that accusation was made by so and so, she was the one whom asked to cheat off of me and I declined her and she is trying to get back at me. Here are her text messages to prove it." I know this sounds paranoid but I think it's smart to keep any text messages or emails to protect you. We call this "CYA". If you notice, your friend was doing some CYAing of her own when she replied "she doesn't know what I'm talking about and that she never cheated off me". Good luck.

I've never encountered anyone who has gotten a nursing degree as a back up plan” but have encountered many whom are going back for their ADN after receiving their Bachelor's (Accounting, Business, Psychology, Civil Engineering etc). There's a current dental hygienist and a retiree! She literally retired during our first semester to start her second career as a nurse. This should tell you something. You're worried about the time spent on pre reqs and the program, what about my classmates whom already have Bachelor's or the lady who retired? Basically, life happens. You're 22 and still very young. Your values will change as you gain life experiences and that will include career changes. This is ok. This is a part of life and growing. I don't see how successful of a back up plan” it would be. Let's say you graduate and pass NCLEX. You take a few years off to pursue writing and film but it doesn't work out. You decide to get a job as a nurse. Employers will question and view the gap as a red flag not to mention the required continuing education to keep your license. It's a fact that most grad nurses have a difficult time getting hired due to lack of experience. You could work part time as a nurse (you'd make enough) and pursue film too. And can't you write from anywhere? Have you even tried? Your parents are in the film industry and you are passionate about it… so what happened? Talk to your parents. How'd they get started? Do they have connections or can you get an internship? Now's the time to do it while you're young and (I'm assuming) don't have bills (mortgage payment, alimony etc) or kids. You're not tied down and can go where the work is. If you're not successful, you'll have no regrets and return to nursing or something else. By the way, orientation/bootcamp is supposed to intimidate you. They want everyone to take it seriously. After all, someone's life could depend on you. You're worried about being stuck in a good paying job that you don't love, what if you don't even make it? ;-) I don't think anyone can accuse you of failure if you stand by your decision. They'll respect your conviction. Your friends and family won't care because they want you to be happy. But whatever you decide, don't do it for others. Do it for yourself. The beauty of nursing is that there are so many specialties. You get bored with one and need a change or challenge, you can pursue another field. How do you know you won't like it until you try? Nursing school and clinicals don't count. Commit to a decision and see it through. Whatever decision is the right one based on where you are at your life. All you can do is embrace the change and adapt accordingly. You'll be fine. Good luck.

Reconsider only taking 2 classes per semester because it'll take forever to finish! If your ADN program uses a lottery system like mine, you may not be selected on the first round which means more waiting. Is it possible to cut back on expenses and just work 1 part time job? Change your hours? Like someone else said, not all classes are offered every semester. Additionally, new students get first dibs on classes and the longer you've been there, the later your registration date will be! That one class you need may be full by the time it's your turn to sign up. If you haven't, take the Math and English assessment and get placed. You wouldn't want to save math for last to realize you need 3 semesters of it and none of them can be taken concurrently. Take A&P1 as soon as possible in order to take part 2. These classes fill up fast. And try to take them back to back. I do agree to take A&P1 by itself. It was my first true science” class and I had to adjust my studying style and barely passed! 2 was easier since I formed better study habits. You could probably do Humanities 1, English and Gen Psyc in one semester. Read the class descriptions first to get an idea of the workload. Also Rate My Professors - Review Teachers and Professors, School Reviews, College Campus Ratings to get an idea of the teaching style and assignments. Are you able to take any classes over summer? Look into weekend, night, once a week and classes that lasts 5 or 8 weeks. While working part time, I was able to take 4 classes one semester because two of them, were once a week. Another time, I took A&P2 and an 8 week Stat class so it only overlapped at the end. I recommend against taking a dosage calculation and med term class and the likes because there's a reason why they're not pre reqs – you don't need them! Your professors will cover what is needed. Those are extra classes that you're spending valuable time and money on! It's taking the place of a class that you actually need. What if you had to repeat a class? Plus, financial aid only covers so much and those units will count toward your max cap. Good luck!

I have been in your shoes! What I discovered was that my previous study methods just weren't working anymore so I changed them. Before nursing school, I studied by myself but decided to get a study buddy and I got my first A! Quizzing each other and asking potential exam questions really helped. You're already at school, why not go earlier or stay after? If you don't want to meet at your house, you can meet at school (library, café etc). We even went over our powerpoints/ study guides over the phone. Find someone dependable that you trust and feel safe asking questions. It may take a while because one never took me up on my offer, and another kept saying yes but never came through. The other ones I met, though nice were not compatible study buddies. Sit near the front of the class. Less distraction, easier to see and hear. Use Youtube, Google and Khan Academy. Sometimes, it just takes someone else to explain it in a different way. Record the lectures! At home, I listen to the recording and follow along with my hand written notes and make changes as applicable. Listen while driving or doing chores. You'll be amazed at what you missed in class. Review the answers after an exam and take advantage of office hours for further discussion/clarification of exam questions. One professor always gave us a hand out and basically told us to memorize the info. Another loved asking the select all that apply” questions so I knew to spend more time on her lectures. And the last one used questions straight from her powerpoints. Once you know their style”, you will be able to anticipate potential questions and study appropriately. Take the end of the chapter practice tests and try to explain something that you learned to a friend or family member to help gauge your understanding. Utilize test taking strategy books and read the entire question before answering. Usually, there are more than 1 correct answer, so the key is to select the best” answer. Unless it is a select all that apply” meaning there are at LEAST 2 correct answers. Do the easy ones first. Review your notes immediately after class, once you get home and before bed. Studies show that reviewing it multiple times will help you retain more of it for a longer period of time. Do the readings, objectives and review the powerpoints BEFORE class. Lectures will make more sense. My classmates average 36-40 hours a week studying which means no going out and no more Netflix. Focus on weak areas. Remember, you're smart enough to have gotten in. Study smarter. Not harder. You can do it. Good luck!

I'm sorry to hear that your family and friends aren't being very supportive. These are the people you expect and trust to have your back. Shame on them. Tell them firmly "Let's agree to disagree" and change the subject. If it keeps coming up, tell them, "I know you care and you're trying to protect me because you don't want to see me get hurt if my nursing dream doesn't work out. I appreciate this, however, it is exhausting. I don't want this to come between us. So let's agree to disagree". Refuse to engage in this discussion because it takes two to argue. So don't. If they usually gang up on you than visit them individually. If all else fails, you may need to distance yourself a bit from them because this type of negativity does wear one down. Once they see you excel and how happy you are as a nurse, they will come around because at the end of the day, your family and friends love you and just want you to be happy. "Smile that lights up a room" and "prettiest person in the world..." Sounds more like a casting call for models and actresses! Are these the movie and TV nurses? I'm glad I never got this memo otherwise I wouldn't be in nursing school right now! In regards to being fearful that you won't pass an interview... if you think that way, you've already lost. I'm an introvert myself and not as bubbly as others but you better believe me, during that interview, I will muster up the energy and bubble like no one else! Being friendly is important but don't forget other things that are equally important such as having a good heart, mind, patience, positive attitude, and qualifications/experience! Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. We tend to be our worst critic anyway. It's like this quote, "Do you love me because I'm beautiful, or am I beautiful because you love me?" Could it be that you respect, admire and look up to these nurses that they are beautiful to you? Heck, maybe your hospital is full of supermodel nurses but that is no reason to be discouraged from following your heart. What if they didn't apply because they were afraid someone would think they wouldn't be good nurses or that they were high maintenance because they were too good looking? :) Lastly, there is no way to know if you would be a good fit unless you give it a go. Even if it weren't a good fit, at least you won't have regrets. And if you do change careers, that is ok too. I'm on my 2nd career myself and plenty of my classmates already have degrees/ worked in civil engineering, psychology and business. Good luck and show everyone!

Hi! First of all, I am a bit confused as to you being a terrible test taker because your grades do not reflect that at all! And aren't your exams standardized meaning your entire class is given the same test questions (though it may be in a different order)? But if you fear you don't test well, I suggest that you focus more on your test taking skills. After all, if you don't test well, it doesn't matter how much you know. Secondly, there are a ton of books/resources that are dedicated to prepping you for taking the TEAS. There are practice tests where you time yourself and everything. The answers and the rationales are also provided and it tells you which areas to focus on to bring your scores up. There are a lot of free online resources too with practice questions. Google and youtube for additional test taking strategies. The more you practice, the more you will be familiar with the style/wording of the questions. Lastly, find out what the minimum TEAS score is for your school(s). Some schools only accept the first TEAS score so if you scored below their minimum, you won't be able to apply there, ever. Other schools will allow multiple attempts and will take the highest score. My ADN program uses a prescreening criteria with a point system. For example, the higher your GPA and TEAS score, the more points you will get. If you get the minimum points, you are eligible to apply and your name gets put into a lottery. This means that the person whom got the max points and the person whom got the minimum points will be eligible as long as they met the minimum requirement. Look at your program requirements. You might be surprised at the minimum TEAS score required. :) Good luck.

Welcome! I love your enthusiasm and am so excited for you! Doesn't it seem premature to worry about not getting in when you haven't even applied? And what do you mean you won't know what to do if you don't get in? You keep applying and keep taking the other classes that you need such as Micro in addition to general classes required for graduation, no? :) Don't over analyze it. If you meet your school's requirement, then yes, you have a chance. My school uses the lottery system. I got in on my first try but another classmate got in on her 7th. So she didn't get in right away. Life goes on and she survived and you will too. Another got accepted into two programs on her first try but flunked out while the 7th attempt girl is still in. Don't get hung up on needing to get in right away. The only person whom can truly answer this question would be the school that you are trying to get into. Talk to the guidance counselor/admissions and ask for tips on how to stand out if applicable. Make sure to pay attention to the deadline, fill out the application completely and follow the instructions to a T! The part that I could, I actually went in to see a nursing guidance counselor and had him look it over with me! You may also want to apply at more than one school in order to have a better chance at getting accepted. If you get accepted into more than one program, you can simply decline the others. Good luck.

This is not the time for mom to be prideful. Have a heart to heart talk and obtain all of her current financials (pension, 401k, Roth IRA, social security, checking, savings statements etc). This will give you a true picture of her finances. Order her credit report. If she owes money, you best address that before you inherit that too. Hire a fiduciary financial adviser. I see you pointing at the employer (and maybe they are truly at fault) but at the end of the day, your mom is the only one responsible for her own life/retirement. Perhaps she put all her eggs in one basket? There are other ways to save such as a regular savings account, Roth IRA etc that is not tied to her pension that she could have established. Also, even if she had a pension through her employer, she still is accountable in the sense of how much was she contributing and she also had a say in where her money was invested so if a fund wasn't doing well, she could have switched to another fund and she should have diversified. Make an appointment with her to go to your local social security office to see if they can help. She may also get social security benefits through your deceased father. Look into programs that assist the elderly and/ or low income such as section 8, food stamps, the food bank, medicare and medicaid. A doctor who takes Medicare assignment agrees to accept the Medicare-approved amount as full payment. Is there a generic version of her meds that is cheaper? Some retirees still live as though they are receiving a paycheck. If mom is living by herself, can she move in with one of you or can you move in with her? If she owns her home, look into a reverse mortgage. Would you be better off selling the home? Look into working as a nurse at a call center to avoid the physical labor. Saving her money from being a teacher does not mean she is a good saver. As you mentioned, she has been in the nursing field for over 20 years. How much of that did she save? Anyone can save enough temporarily. For example, you can make your monthly car payment but after you are done paying for it, how many of us continue to put that money aside in savings? Saving money alone is not enough. You need to invest it wisely so your money will grow and keep up with the cost of living. You said how your mom doesn't deserve to be treated this way (no one does) and that she worked in a field where no one wants to work (lots of people do, that's why there are so many new grads whom can't get a job and nursing school is so competitive) so I wonder if you got your sense of entitlement from your mom or perhaps neither of you understand how retirement works and need more education? I don't say this to be rude but the picture of how it is to be retired in one's golden years is simply that. It's what you picture but far from reality. It is a common belief that one's pension or social security would support you through retirement. Remember the days when one income was able to support an entire family? Maybe mom was taught this from her parents and that was true during their time? Times are different now. Most people live paycheck to paycheck. A classmate of mine with 2 kids didn't even know what a 401k was! This isn't her fault. Maybe she was a stay at home mom or her work didn't offer one. However, it is her responsibility to educate herself. Please do some research so you don't end up in the same position. Working 20 odd years does not mean you will get a good pension. Most companies, you need to work full time, a minimum of 5 years to get fully vested. My friend's state job, she can retire with a good pension and health benefits after 20 years but if she leaves before the 20 years (can be different positions but has to be within the state agency), she will lose it. If mom didn't stay very long with the same employer, she may never have gotten vested. Did she cash out her pension when she went to a new job instead of rolling it over? If she worked part time at all, she may not have gotten the same benefits as the full time employees. Maybe she had to tap into her savings in order to support you and your siblings. Besides food, clothing and shelter, did she contributed toward your first cars, down payments on homes, weddings or colleges? This all adds up and if she gave to her kids, then she was taking away from her own retirement. I too, agree that no one should have kids for that reason. One chooses to have kids and it is their responsibility to care for the children and that includes saving enough for retirement. Parents think they are doing a favor to their kids by paying for weddings or spoiling the grandkids but in the long run, it is a disservice. Let this be a cautionary tale. Start with taking a personal finance class at the local community college, and start saving now!

Don't tap into your 401K! Yes, you are young but you are already ahead of many others by contributing toward your retirement at an early age. Life happens and there will always be a reason to take that money. Pretend that it doesn't exist. It'll be worth it in the long run when it has a chance to grow. If possible, continue to contribute the 5% company match because as you know, that is free money! Contribute anything if not the max. And if you aren't able to contribute at all, look into a Roth IRA because the contribution is more flexible. You can contribute what you can, whenever you can (up to the max) so you are still saving for retirement. I worked 20 hours per week during my first semester and passed so you can do it too! Others passed while working full time, raising children and working multiple jobs. Give yourself a chance to see how you do. You can always resign later on however, it will be harder to get your job back. If you need a day to study for an exam, you can get someone to cover your shift, take a vacation day or call out sick. If you need to work, the first semester truly is the easiest! Necessity is the mother of invention! Can you move back home to save money? Can you downgrade your cell plan? Cancel cable? Can you sell old textbooks and other stuff on ebay or hold a garage sale? Do you really need to pay for internet with all the free wifi/ internet access via coffee shops, school, libraries and work? Also apply for financial aid and scholarships. Just as people have different levels of pain tolerance, everyone handles stress differently. Do you manage your time wisely? Do you procrastinate? How are you at multi tasking and retaining information? Does school come easily for you and are you a good test taker? You know yourself best. Good luck!

Ah, gotcha! Yes, yours is quite different! Thanks for understanding and being open minded to the fact that I was speaking from my personal experience and was trying to help. I wish I could help more! I went the route of completing all graduation requirements and pre reqs before getting into my ADN program and now simply have just the program to worry about which is one class per semester (though it is a 10.5 unit class). I find it more manageable this way. Some of my classmates still need to take additional courses alongside the program which is already intense otherwise, they risk completing the RN program but won't graduate until the required classes needed for graduation are taken.