I'm new to this site, but have been following the allnurses posts regarding Samuel Merritt program applications religiously for a while now. I recently applied to the ABSN and ELMSN - FNP program for the July 1 deadline. Thought it would be great to have a place to provide insight, stay updated and share experiences with all of you through this terrifying journey. I mean we ONLYYY have to wait until October - November to hear anything. Let the wait begin.....
We have a few moms and dads in the program with mutliple children < 6 years old. They are actually one of the top students in my cohort. They make it work and work hard for their family - it’s hard, but totally doable. As far as school schedule, expect to be on campus M-F during the first semester. You’ll be taking 2 classes every 5 weeks + simulation and skills days on separate times. I can’t give you an exact preview since times/dates are always changing. My one advice would to be very flexible. If you have childcare, you should let them know your schedule can change last minute. This is something SMU will drill into you. During the California fires, last November, our cohort’s schedule was always changed (it happened during the first few weeks of the program) - it was definitely hard because our exams got pushed together, but we got through it. Now we are in the hardest class in the program and have alot more time. We’re only taking this one class + skills/sim day, so tons of time to study or relax.
Here’s my tip: this program is stressful - the material is doable but the pace makes things x2 harder. Stay on top of your work. Don’t work harder, work smarter. Find ways to de-stress, whatever it may be. Try to be flexible, things always change. Lastly, make friends in your cohort! Nursing takes a team — Good luck & welcome to SMU ?
Thank you, that's so helpful! It sounds like it's busy, but my kids won't forget who I am. How hard are the classes compared to the science prerequisites? How much studying would you say you have to do outside of class?
Honestly, I think these classes are easier than the science prerequisites. This is more “what would you do if your patient presented with this symptom?” Type of courses. For my learning style, it’s much easier and I’m more interested in this material because you go to the clinical the next week and use your knowledge. I am at the Sacramento campus, and most of our instructors will give us study guides (we do have weekly exams). I gained great study skills during my prereqs that I apply during this program (reviewing material within 24 hours of lecture, etc.) Being flexible is key, but that isn’t an issue for me like it is for others. I still manage to work 5 hours a week, and work out 4 days a week (I do get up super early to do it, but its my “me” time.) I’ve had one instance where they told me “classes for the next semester will be on Wednesday not Thursday’s” but it was 5 weeks in advance... so no biggy.
I’ve read a lot of scary posts about the program. And I had terrible anxiety entering the program and doubts after reading those posts. I am pleasantly surprised at how well I have been able to manage the courses. It will be an adjustment, and it will be an adjustment for your kids too. But it’s only 12 months, and then you’ll be presented with an opportunity to have an extremely flexible career so you can be there for your kids more. I would never do a two year program, I love this program. I love that the classes are short, if you have a hard class it’s only for 5 weeks!
My study schedule depends. I am finding they put one hard class with one easier class.
If I have a class on Thursday and my exam is the following Thursday:
Study Thursday night (reviewing lecture slides we went over that day)
Friday would be my biggest day: getting my study guide done! Maybe 2-3 hours and reviewing it a little
Sat/Sunday really depends on my schedule..... sometimes my fiancé’s son has baseball games and I’d rather be there for those! So I’ll review my guide a bit but enjoy me time.
Tuesday night after clinical I focus on my clinical paperwork (submitting that by midnight) and Wednesday night I’ll review my guide again.
It really depends on how well you retained the lecture information, which I retain it well. I don’t do well reading, so I don’t read. I’ll watch YouTube videos if I need some further explanation.
We have some homework assignments online too, and I focus on getting those done in the first week of class so I don’t have to do anything but study & we usually have 1 group project per 5 weeks. I manage my time well, I don’t cram, and I review here and there.
Like the person above said: make friends in the cohort. We study at lunch. It’s so fun, and we share study guides if someone has some family event or something come up. I love my cohort.
MamaMagic, I can't "reply" to your comment for some reason!
So I'm a mom of two young kids (my kids turned 3 and 5 in December), and I'm currently in the ABSN program at Sac campus. It's hard to give an honest insight but I'll just rant and let you figure it out - ha!
I have been a student for the majority of their lives, so I did have that going for me. I'm totally used to studying after bedtime and going to bed at 2am, etc. I know what it's like nursing a baby in the rocking chair while reviewing notes yadda yadda. This program is a whole different "monster". I went into it because I want to have more kids, and a two-year program just wasn't an option. I DO see my kids, but I miss a LOT which is very hard for me because I was a stay at home mom the majority of their lives. I miss family dinners, I'm going to miss Easter because I'll be in clinical, I'm missing a wedding where my daughter is the flower girl and my son is the ring bearer, etc. The workload is manageable 100%. I get good grades and I know my stuff. The hard part for me, personally, are the days when I leave and my daughter is crying because "I'm never there". They don't happen often, but when they do I cry the entire drive (just being honest!). And I hear a lot of "they won't remember these days" from others, which doesn't make it any better because that current day still sucks.
HOWEVER! With all of that said, I still would have applied to this program in a heartbeat. You just learn your "new" norm. You learn what works and what doesn't work. The schedule flexibility is really annoying because there are times when class goes a little later, etc. but I have to pick up my kids. So I need to scramble to find someone to do it. Luckily, that doesn't happen too often.
I think you should go for it! Just make sure that you set aside special time for just your kids. I have a rule that I don't study in front of my kids. It's probably a silly rule, but I don't want their memories to be filled with me having a book in my hand. Plus when I AM around them, I want my time to be committed to them and focused on things that they want to do. So schedule time for your studying and schedule time for your family. You'll find your routine and you'll be great. I'm still home for dinner almost every night (except clinical days), and I still get to drop them off at school, etc.
Feel free to reach out to me, I'm not one to sugar-coat things ? But I'm also so supportive of parents that are following their dreams. The program director really tried to drill it into us that this program is our priority, but in reality as a parent our family and kids are our priority. For example, my kids were sick during finals week and I wasn't going to choose studying over caring for them. So instead I had a miserable week, ha. But I survived! You'll figure it out and you'll work even harder because of your cheering section! ? Good luck to you!
One last thing: I totally agree about making friends in your cohort. The group of friends that I have made are amazing and supportive beyond belief. I wouldn't make it through without them. (Looking at you, WebbC1!)
@Amblanc90, @WebbC1, @ajy011 I just wanted to let you know that your words are exactly what I needed to hear right about now, so THANK YOU!
@MamaMagic And thank you for asking your questions! I am a mom as well (my son is 20 months old) and starting the ABSN Summer 2019 cohort in a few months. Definitely have some nervousness going into it, but it sounds like it's gonna be just fine.
As for the material, I wouldn’t say it’s any harder than pathophysiology or AP. But the format of the exams are clinical application based, which prepares students for NCLEX. If you have a good understanding of the material, you’ll do fine on exams. Also, the material is dense and there’s alot of information to digest in such a little time, so time is of the essence. SO if you have a good way of studying - just fine tune it. I record lectures, focus on powerpoint slides, use quizlets, and make my own study guides rather than reading the textbook. But I’ll refer to it if I need further clarification.
As for studying, I try to study as much as I can. During the first semester, I worked at least 8 hours/week and managed to do well. But now, I took the month off to focus on this class. I also try to be efficient with my time. I destress by working out so I study while cycling or walking on the treadmill. My friends in this program, who have children, are still able to participate in their childrens’ extracurricular activities/functions while doing school work.
I didn’t use tutoring during the first semester but I am in group tutoring for this critical care course. I’d recommend using all available resources. SMU really tries to make everyone pass!
Hi guys! How would you prepare for this program? I did extremely well in my anatomy and physiology classes, but I guess I'm really bad at retaining information. I can know all the information for a test, but I'll forget it soon after =/
I'm also having trouble with my pathophysiology and pharmacology courses. The information makes sense, but it's difficult for me to remember all the different diseases/conditions/disorders along with the many different causes, symptoms, diagnostic tests, and treatments for it. Any advice for how you guys learned and remembered it all?
@wanida hey! I didn’t prepare for the program any differently. They’ll do a review over some AP stuff you need to remember, like an over view of the heart. You’ll be surprised how quickly it comes back to you. I struggled in pharm and patho, and it’s not hurting me at all. I’m doing really well. Everything you learn in the program will keep coming back up, so you’ll be forced to retain it. You’ll do great!
I agree with WebbC1. I also struggled in patho and took pharm awhile ago in college, but it’s not affecting me now. Professors, in the SFP campus, advise us not to focus too much on patho details since we aren’t responsible for diagnosing. If you get to caught up in patho, it can make things more confusing. Rather, we are told to “think like a nurse” - so we need to know nursing management/ interventions. Some things like diagnostic testing, symptoms, and treatments you’ll just have to memorize. But I find that understanding the basic patho makes it easier for me to remember the indications for them. It’s the same for pharmacology - they expect us to know the basics (i.e. simple mode of action) and also the important side effects since nurses play a big role in patient education. Like I said before: don’t study harder, study smarter.
With that said, I don’t think it’s necessary to prep before the program starts. I didn’t. However, I think most Professors release Canvas access a week before classes start. You can get a head start with the readings if you have time. Other than that, you wouldn’t really know what to study for until classes start.
Thank you all so much for your thoughtful and in-depth responses! A month ago I was not going to consider applying to the ABSN program at all and was just going to apply to the CSUEB program, but after reading your comments I'm all in for ABSN! There are so many things to consider:
-Three semesters vs. 2.5 years of school is a huge difference, and CSUEB is much farther from my house. So that's an additional year and a half of commuting, paying for full time child care (sounds like we will have to get an au pair), clinicals, and the stress of being in school.
-It's more expensive to go to SM than CSUEB (80k vs. 50k), but I'll be able to get a job a year and a half sooner
-The admissions councilor at SM said the ABSN program is "a two year program compressed into a year" but that's not true, since it's a three semester program with 15 units less course work, so at least on paper it should be somewhat comparable to their regular BSN
-I think it will be easier to get into the SM program than CSUEB
@wanida hey! I didn’t prepare for the program any differently. They’ll do a review over some AP stuff you need to remember, like an over view of the heart. You’ll be surprised how quickly it comes back to you. I struggled in pharm and patho, and it’s not hurting me at all. I’m doing really well. Everything you learn in the program will keep coming back up, so you’ll be forced to retain it. You’ll do great!
2 hours ago, ajy011 said:
I agree with WebbC1. I also struggled in patho and took pharm awhile ago in college, but it’s not affecting me now. Professors, in the SFP campus, advise us not to focus too much on patho details since we aren’t responsible for diagnosing. If you get to caught up in patho, it can make things more confusing. Rather, we are told to “think like a nurse” - so we need to know nursing management/ interventions. Some things like diagnostic testing, symptoms, and treatments you’ll just have to memorize. But I find that understanding the basic patho makes it easier for me to remember the indications for them. It’s the same for pharmacology - they expect us to know the basics (i.e. simple mode of action) and also the important side effects since nurses play a big role in patient education. Like I said before: don’t study harder, study smarter.
With that said, I don’t think it’s necessary to prep before the program starts. I didn’t. However, I think most Professors release Canvas access a week before classes start. You can get a head start with the readings if you have time. Other than that, you wouldn’t really know what to study for until classes start.
Xoxo ?
Thanks so much to both of you! I was really thinking maybe I wouldn't be cut out for nursing since I can't seem to retain information well =/ but hopefully in this program, I will? Since we'll have labs and clinicals where I'll actually use the information I learned?
Any advice on how you both study? Do you read the textbook and if so, how? When I read the textbook, I tend to read every sentence, but I heard that's not reading efficiently!
RegisteredNurseRNnnnn, BSN, RN
50 Posts
Hiya! I’m in the program as well.
We have a few moms and dads in the program with mutliple children < 6 years old. They are actually one of the top students in my cohort. They make it work and work hard for their family - it’s hard, but totally doable. As far as school schedule, expect to be on campus M-F during the first semester. You’ll be taking 2 classes every 5 weeks + simulation and skills days on separate times. I can’t give you an exact preview since times/dates are always changing. My one advice would to be very flexible. If you have childcare, you should let them know your schedule can change last minute. This is something SMU will drill into you. During the California fires, last November, our cohort’s schedule was always changed (it happened during the first few weeks of the program) - it was definitely hard because our exams got pushed together, but we got through it. Now we are in the hardest class in the program and have alot more time. We’re only taking this one class + skills/sim day, so tons of time to study or relax.
Here’s my tip: this program is stressful - the material is doable but the pace makes things x2 harder. Stay on top of your work. Don’t work harder, work smarter. Find ways to de-stress, whatever it may be. Try to be flexible, things always change. Lastly, make friends in your cohort! Nursing takes a team — Good luck & welcome to SMU ?
Enjoy your time off before the studying begins ❤️