Something's I'm worried about...

CT Pixie, BSN, RN · Mar 22, 2013

Well, in terms of the BP taking issue, that is normally covered in the nursing classes (usually the first one, Fundementals). So you will be taught. But if you want to try on your own, you could google it or do a youtube search.

As for the ratemyprofessor, I've found that they aren't always accurate. many times, its a disgruntled student who put zero effort in and/or expect to be spoon fed who dont do well and then bash the teacher. I've had teachers with really bad reviews on that site and yet when I had that teacher, those posts couldn't be farther from the truth. Just as I've had teachers with great reviews who I found to be the exact opposite. The 'easy' graders aren't always a good thing. I want to learn what I need to know in order to succeed in my college courses that follow each other as well as what I'll need to know in my nursing career. I don't want a teacher who makes the class too easy and I don't learn anything. If you don't know anything about the teacher, you won't have any preconceived notions on how bad/good they will be. Give them the benefit of the doubt.

I never had to do a Kaplan entrance so I really can't help. Except maybe suggest picking up a Kaplan entrance exam book from your local bookstore/Amazon etc.

Sackery-Binx · Mar 22, 2013

Ill defiantly try the google search to try it on my own so I'm not completely clueless. & as for the rate my professor thing, i don't usually listen to the absurd comments. I normally look for the fairness in grading, I took a psych class in which the professor was undeniably grading unfairly. I do not like to take teachers that spoon fed either, i want to take a professor who will actually teach. So when i get to where i am going, ill know what I'm doing. Its a little lame i admit, to know a bit about a professor but it is not a huge determiner in whether i take them or not. I just like to have a little notion of how they are in the class room. Last, ill defiantly have to pick up a Kaplan book. You may not know but if anyone has any idea, can you use any type of calculator on the Kaplan exam?

&&, Thank you for the response & tips. Just trying to put my mind at ease.(:

CT Pixie, BSN, RN · Mar 22, 2013

The only tests I'm familiar with are the ATI, the HESI and the NCLEX and all three of those have built in calculators to use during testing. Maybe if you do a search on here on Kaplan entrance exam you may get a few hits and find the answer if no one comes up with it.

MusicToMedicine · Mar 22, 2013

Try not to fret too much about the professor. I'm making a career change to nursing and already have a four year degree and some grad work under my belt (all in music, if my screen name didn't give that away). In all of my years in the classroom, some of my most dis-likeable professors (as far as personality goes) have been the ones I learned the most from. The one I'm thinking of specifically was full of himself and a pain in the butt. If I met him outside the classroom, I can tell you that I would have thought he was a jerk. But he was insanely intelligent and had high expectations and expected his students to tow the line. Even though he was tough, he was fair and I learned a boatload from him and I'd say as far as teaching goes, he was one of my better professors. A lot of times though, students can't get past a professor's personality and will give a bad review based on that. And other times, professors with extremely strict expectations get bad reviews because they're difficult to please. But if you put in the time and the work, you should do fine.

I never bother with rate my professor because I find that the reviews aren't reliable. Have you taken statistics yet? When you do, you'll learn that volunteer surveys are the least reliable way to collect data because only the people that care a lot or are very very disgruntled care enough to volunteer their opinions. So you get a very poor idea of what the population really thinks. Go in with a positive attitude. Be willing to ask questions. Sit in the front of the class. Take copious notes. Get extra help from a tutor if necessary. Take advantage of your professor's office hours. Also, a great tip is to go up to the professor after the first class and introduce yourself. Say, "Hi, I'm 'so-and-so' and I just wanted to introduce myself and say I'm looking forward to a good semester." Do that especially in a big lecture-hall sort of class where there are 100s of students in the room. Professors (and teachers in general) appreciate it when students do that because they have a million names to remember and it can help them out. They do actually like to get to know their students. And if they can remember your name and know that you are an active participant who is interested (or at least pretending to be interested lol) in the material, and you happen to be that student with an 89.6 at the end of the semester - well, then you've got a better chance of getting rounded up to an A instead of truncated down to a B (most schools leave those borderline grade decisions to the discretion of the professor and an 89.6 doesn't necessarily have to be rounded up at every school).

I still remember when I took astronomy in my undergrad. A year later, I ran into that professor at a planetarium program my university was putting on. After the program, we got to go to the roof of the science building and look through the telescope at Saturn and Jupiter with its moons. My professor was manning the observatory and when it was my turn to take a look, he said, "hey! I remember you! You're the only one in that class that ever asked any questions. Thank you. You made that class better for me." So yeah, introduce yourself, ask questions and do the work. You'll be fine whether you have the sweetest professor in the world or the guy with an awful personality :)

Sackery-Binx · Mar 22, 2013

I have not taken statistics yet. I don't know if its a pre req at my school, or if ill have to take it once I get into the program! Another strange thing I noticed is we also don't have a drug administraion-dosage class? Do have it where you are? Or @ CT Pixie, did try have it when you were in school && was it a pre req or a class after fundamentals? See, we have a whole rotation schedule and I don't have it at all. I find that weird especially since they are having us go through algebra... Do you use algebra as a nurse? Cause from what I read its mostly dosages and calculations. So I find it strange that we don't have that class! As for the professor, I will defiantly take your words for it! Maybe it will be best going in with a clear slate and no presumptions! If all else fails, I will defiantly ask quetions and be active (so hard in math... Terrified of getting board work incorrect, lol). But regardless, it will be done!(:

ashk · Mar 22, 2013

hi i m gonna start my two year nursing from nassau community collage . but they want me to complete my 13 credits first but i have no idea that after this i m able to get admission because they have very limited seats . if i couldn,t able to get admission whats the next option for me. plz help me i m vey confuse

CT Pixie, BSN, RN · Mar 22, 2013

I have not taken statistics yet. I don't know if its a pre req at my school, or if ill have to take it once I get into the program! Another strange thing I noticed is we also don't have a drug administraion-dosage class? Do have it where you are? Or @ CT Pixie, did try have it when you were in school && was it a pre req or a class after fundamentals? See, we have a whole rotation schedule and I don't have it at all. I find that weird especially since they are having us go through algebra... Do you use algebra as a nurse? Cause from what I read its mostly dosages and calculations. So I find it strange that we don't have that class! As for the professor, I will defiantly take your words for it! Maybe it will be best going in with a clear slate and no presumptions! If all else fails, I will defiantly ask quetions and be active (so hard in math... Terrified of getting board work incorrect, lol). But regardless, it will be done!(:

During my LPN schooling we had a specific dosing calculation/nursing math class, our drug administration 'class' was during labs. now in my RN schooling, the dosing calculation was encorporated into the fundementals calass.

You use algebra in the sense of using dimentional analysis to do dosing calculations. Now you'll never see anything like:

2xy+ 3w(2b-5c) divided by 7xy - 18w(93b+57c) = 4xy-w+bc

but you do use the concepts of algebra when figuring out a calculation.

A pre-req for all the programs in my area is college level algebra.

Sackery-Binx · Mar 22, 2013

Okay that's good to know! I thought they just totally took out those classes and it made me a little worried considering my lack of skills in mathematics. I however am not going through LPN schooling, but RN. Which if the classes are included in the fundamentals, it would explain why I didn't see the individualized classes on there! As for the algebra concerns. I have already taken the basic math and pre algebra so this upcoming semester ill be doing the actual pre req math. Intro Algebra! Ill be studying non stop for that class so I have the basic concepts ill need to use when I become a nursing student-nurse. Thanks for the help!(:

**NICU Guy, BSN, RN** · Mar 23, 2013

Don't worry about your lack of nursing skills before starting. All of that will be covered in your fundamentals class labs before you start clinicals