To all perspective SMC ABSN San Mateo Summer 09 students:
As the Nov 01 application deadline approaches, we should be at least finishing up with our application; some of us may have already mailed it out. Congratulations on taking an important step toward a successful nursing career!
I'm going to mail out my application this week. Currently taking English 1B and patho, I'll take speech and sociology next quarter. Life is not as hectic as when I was taking A&P and chem classes; attending both lecture and lab is so time-consuming. Now I can go zumba-ing 3-4 times a week at Clubone in San Jose. Life as a pre-nursing student is still good, even though I'm not contributing to my 401k.
Please use this thread to get to know each other, to prepare ourselves for the rigorous ABSN program, and to help each other succeed. Why? Because it's in giving that we're receiving!
I should have just turned in the rest of application then...maybe it made a difference, maybe not... I really hope I can start in January but don't think that'll happen.
What a pity! Maybe some applicants chicken out last minute and you get the call. Stay by the phone, just in case. Wow, they have filled all San Mateo seats for Spring 09! Good for SMC's bank account!!
Secretly and selfishly, I don't want you to start without me. Just kidding. In the meantime, let's chill out and smell more roses before the onslaught of stress inherent in the life of a nursing student. Take care.
How do they know that everyone will accept their offer?
I suspect that some of the applicants who got waitlisted for non-San-Mateo SMC campuses, Oakland in particular, were offered seats in San Mateo so that all 48 spots are occupied. I read on this forum that people got called up as late as 2 weeks into the program.
I suspect that some of the applicants who got waitlisted for non-San-Mateo SMC campuses, Oakland in particular, were offered seats in San Mateo so that all 48 spots are occupied. I read on this forum that people got called up as late as 2 weeks into the program.
There's a lot of shuffling around at the end. I am in the April 2008 SF cohort and I heard that some people that listed Oakland as their 1st choice ended up with their 3rd choice, San Mateo. Then when people in Oakland dropped out or didn't accept their spot (b/c they got accepted elsewhere or for whatever reason), that left more spots open so they (at the last minute) got into the Oakland campus. I think San Mateo class this year has about 38 students or so.
Some people in our class didn't get call backs until the week before class started.
You're right, SMC is doing really well in this economy:chuckle
It would be nice to be in a cohort with someone you know but it would be also nice to start in Jan. because I don't know what to do for the next six months.
latebloomer&Rianna,
Thanks for the info. That's encouraging. Not holding my breath, but still nice to dream...
How about taking a CNA course at an adult school ($500), volunteering at a hospital, or studying for NCLEX? I bought the Saunders book (my X'mas present :gift:) and plan to go over it as soon as I get my patho final done (today). I even thought of doing an 8-week phlebotomy class, but it costs $2000+. The one at De Anza takes too long. I might look more seriously into working as a home help aide (both my CNA license & CPR cert have expired).
It would be nice to get a short term job to make some $$$. But it does not come by easily in this economy, especially for those who have been out of the job market (the loop) for a while.
How about taking a CNA course at an adult school ($500), volunteering at a hospital, or studying for NCLEX? I bought the Saunders book (my X'mas present :gift:) and plan to go over it as soon as I get my patho final done (today).
Wow! You are already studying for NCLEX? That's actually a good idea.:urck:
But doesn't it require what you would learn in NS?
Wow! You are already studying for NCLEX? But doesn't it require what you would learn in NS?
I had the impression that the ABSN program we're interested in is so fast paced that we'll be rushing through a lot of concepts without really grasping them.
If we allow ourselves more time to study something this dauntingly enormous, we will be more inclined to investigate the "why" instead of just memorizing the "what."
Given that we have taken Patho and Pharm--2 NS courses, and that NCLEX reveiw book covers a lot of what we will be tested in NS, why not give ourselves a head start and an early finish--ready to take on the NCLEX exam as soon as we're done with NS. What do you think?
Check out this thread on when to start studying for NCLEX:
Wow! You are already studying for NCLEX? That's actually a good idea.:urck:
But doesn't it require what you would learn in NS?
Hi I have applied to the oakland campus for summer 2009.. Though when I did that I thought that I could commute from Brentwood.. Now I know that I can't and want to go see the San Mateo campus.. That was my 2nd choice. What do you all think of the campus there? Also I am and have been volunteering for almost 5 years at John Muir in Walnut Creek.. It is really lots of fun. I took a buyout from att in October ,, so I could attend nursing school this summer. I have taken all my prereqs. Problem is is that I started taking them in 2004 so I really want to refresh. I am also retaking nutrition. I applied to mt st marys in los angeles as well as some other schools. They wanted a health nutrition class. To help I am also taking a medical term class. My union is paying for me to take one more class and I am hopefully starting a cna course next week. I think that is a great idea to get some first hand knowledge and experience. I have spoken to students and they say it is easier for people that have already been nursing assistants.. I got some anatomy flash cards also.. I think anything we can do to keep our knowledge fresh will help. I am very worried about pharmacology. I can't say that I feel great in that area ... I hope that we do get to learn that as we go along...
oh I forgot to say I have an old NCLEX book and I started going over the questions. I was surprised how much I knew from my prereqs. I think it is a good idea if we have some time to take a strike at it..
I'm with dmskoka - pretty overwhelmed by pharmacology. I'm restudying everything, but find it hard to know which drugs we should know. My online pharmacology class at Barstow left a lot to be desired and I don't know the best way to get organized around this subject.
Question for Hatingthewaiting: do you continue learning pharmacology throughout the ABSN program? Do you have any recommendations for studying this immense topic?
I spoke to Laura and she gave me the breakdown of applicants for the different campuses.
Oakland: 107
San Mateo: 55
San Francisco: 48
She commented that there were not as many applicants this year as in the past ...
As those of us who received the latest email from Lizzie know, the above numbers have been revised upward. Here is what was revealed:
Total Applications: 313
Oakland: 166
San Francisco: 74
San Mateo: 73
It looks like that the competition for acceptance is more intense this year. Good news for SMC.
Judging from some SMC posts from last year, some of us may start to get notified as early as Feb 06-09, although Lizzie said late February. Please keep each other updated when "the big yellow envelope" shows up in your mailbox. Good luck!
Conditioning your body to work for night shift one day? :)
EM-RN
50 Posts
What a pity! Maybe some applicants chicken out last minute and you get the call. Stay by the phone, just in case. Wow, they have filled all San Mateo seats for Spring 09! Good for SMC's bank account!!
Secretly and selfishly, I don't want you to start without me. Just kidding. In the meantime, let's chill out and smell more roses before the onslaught of stress inherent in the life of a nursing student. Take care.
:onbch: