STCC anyone?

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Hi, I was just wondering if there were any other students (or alumni or instructors) from Springfield Technical Community College on here.

Hi everyone! I am a new member to this website and have read many prior threads. I already love the support and information that everyone is sharing. I have recently decided that STCC is where I am going to apply. I am not applying until next year with hopeful acceptance to start in the Fall of 2010. I am so nervous because I was between Capital Comm College and STCC and now I'm just going with STCC so all of my eggs are in one basket. I did look at AIC (which someone reported was easier to get into) but that is for a Bachelor's Degree. I already have my BS from UConn but have had a career change and decided to go back to school. I am so worried with all of the applicants and only so many spots. When you want something so bad and are not guaranteed it's scary. When I take the HESI I will be done with A&P1 but just starting A&P 2. I am going to buy the HESI study guide so I hope that will help. Has anyone noticed a lot of chemistry on the HESI? I haven't taken chem since high school and I just want to know if it's on the test and if it's just basic stuff that would hopefully be covered in the study guide? I know that I am going to strive for the best grades possible. Any suggestions and words of wisdom are welcomed! Thank you!!

For STCC, you do not need to take the chemistry portion of the HESI. They actually suggest that you do not attempt it because it tends to bring down your score. The hesi study guide pretty much sums up the exam: English, biology, and A&P if I remember correctly.

-Have you considered a second bachelors program as well? You could apply to UMass Amherst and graduate in the same amount of time (maybe sooner)

-Another thing, if you are not going to apply to attend STCC until fall 2010, going to AIC would probably not take you that much longer - and you would graduate with a BSN. Might not be a bad idea to meet with them. Plus it takes the pressure off if you know you have been accepted to another school incase you are not accepted into stcc.

Don't get me wrong, I love stcc's program but you might be overlooking other opportunities....good luck and keep us posted.

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Hi tero80! Thanks for the input. So why do they put chemistry on the HESI if you don't have to answer those questions. How long ago did you take the HESI? You can literally just skip those chemistry questions? Did someone tell you to do that? I do plan on getting the study guide of course and will do my absolute best to prepare. I will have A&P fresh on my mind, too!

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Hi tero80! Thanks for the input. So why do they put chemistry on the HESI if you don't have to answer those questions. How long ago did you take the HESI? You can literally just skip those chemistry questions? Did someone tell you to do that? I do plan on getting the study guide of course and will do my absolute best to prepare. I will have A&P fresh on my mind, too!

Hello,

Sorry, I should have explained myself better! I am a freshman in the program now, and I took the HESI in the summer of 2007. The chem questions are on there because some people are applying to more than one school requiring the hesi exam - some schools must want you to take the chemistry part.

The exam is broken down into sections, so you could click on what ever section you want to do first, like say the biology part, then the A&P part, etc, so you just dont click on the chem. It's not like you are skipping certain questions..if that makes sense. I almost wanted to try the chem, I figured how hard could it be...but I am glad I didn't...I got an 88 on my first try without having even finished A&P 1. I was so nervous about the exam that I figured I would take it once to see what it was like then take it again after I finish A&P, since they take the best of 2 scores.

The way the exam works, it scores each section (the different english sections, bio, A&P, etc) then the final score you see is an average of all your scores combined. I know of several people who had their score drop by over 10 points (making them need to retake) because they attempted the chem portion. And others, got a passing score but the biology section and A&P sections were really low - and those are the most important parts!

What I did for the A&P part was review latin roots, prefixes/suffixes, because I know many terms that are used are derived from latin, so if I didn't know a word - that helped. Like if you saw cholecystectomy (which I did) and were clueless as to what the heck that was (like I was) you could break it down:

chol = gall, cyst = bladder(or closed sac), ectomy = removal hence the word mean removal of the gall bladder so if the question was asking you something abot the liver or bile and this was an option you could guess (like I did) and end up correct.

To answer your question, I met with the Dean of the program and she told me that the chem part was not required for STCC - (But it was also stated at the nursing information session that I went to) I haven't heard that they changed it since I took it but you never know. You should go to one of the information session in April, it will ensure you get all the correct information. The dates are listed on the website.

Anyway, feel free to PM me or make more posts if you have any other questions! I wish I had someone to get the inside scoop from before I got in.

GOOD LUCK ~ BTW, what classes are you taking this term and plan to take in the summer or fall?

Oh another thing you could consider is joining the phi theta kappa honor society - the advisor for it is a nursing instructor and there are quite a few nursing and medical assistant students - another way to get your name out there amongst all the applicants!

Good Luck!!:up:

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Hi again tero80! Thanks for the info. I did go to the Nursing Info Session last week and was told that chem is not a requirement...wahoo!!! I just didn't realize how the HESI test worked and that you just simply skip over the chem part. Right now I am at Asnuntuck in Enfield taking Bio 121 and math (a class I don't need but didn't know at the time) and over the summer I'm taking math for nursing and microbiology (which I'm taking at STCC...any suggestions for teachers for that?) and in the fall I'm taking A&P1 and a Health class.

I do plan on joining some type of honor society once I get to that point. Can I join at any time or just once I'm in the Nursing Program? Thanks for all of your info and good luck to you and I'll keep you updated. It is great knowing some of this info ahead of time. I appreciate it!!! Have a great rest of your week!

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Hi again tero80! Thanks for the info. I did go to the Nursing Info Session last week and was told that chem is not a requirement...wahoo!!! I just didn't realize how the HESI test worked and that you just simply skip over the chem part. Right now I am at Asnuntuck in Enfield taking Bio 121 and math (a class I don't need but didn't know at the time) and over the summer I'm taking math for nursing and microbiology (which I'm taking at STCC...any suggestions for teachers for that?) and in the fall I'm taking A&P1 and a Health class.

I do plan on joining some type of honor society once I get to that point. Can I join at any time or just once I'm in the Nursing Program? Thanks for all of your info and good luck to you and I'll keep you updated. It is great knowing some of this info ahead of time. I appreciate it!!! Have a great rest of your week!

As long as you have a B, you can apply to the honor society. I had a great micro instructor, but she just passed away, she would have made it a breeze to take in the summer too. There is a great and very fair A&P instructor that teaches in the summer and fall - I took it with him during the summer and got an A. He is by far the best &P instructor at STCC. If you think you could do well, I would take the A&P over the summer instead of micro - that way you will have them done when they review your application.

is the one to take if you can get him...he books up within the first week of registration, thats how great he is! I learned alot in his A&P 1 and 2 classes and he made it seem easy! One perk too is, lets say you take an exam and get an 80, you get it back, take it home and look up/correct everything you got incorrect, then turn it back in and for every answer that you fixed correctly, you get 1/2 of a point...so if you fixed all of your mistakes you end up with a 90 for a grade in the gradebook. anyway, I should get back to studying...exam 2 is next week!

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I'm going to be taking A&P1 this Fall at Asnuntuck and it will be done before the HESI. That's a bummer that your fav micro teacher passed away. I do hope I get a great instructor for micro over the summer. Good luck on your next test!

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I meant if you took A&P over the summer you would be done with both 1 and 2 before the application deadline of March 1st. I hope the next test goes well too...my kids have been sick so I have been a little distracted for the past week or so.

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I may be wrong, I'm just going by what I was told when taking the Hesi back in 2006. But they had told us when taking the Hesi.... that if we plan on going on to transfer and get our Bachelors, that some colleges require that you take Chemistry. Which I remember thinking, thats seems like BS to me. But I took it anyways. As far as I remember, it was all stoichiometry. In my opinion, it helped my grade in taking it as it was my highest grade. LoL.

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Whoooohooo!! I got my acceptance letter yesterday!! I am so excited!!

So what happens next? I thought the packet would have more information!

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Specializes in OR-ortho, neuro, trauma.
Whoooohooo!! I got my acceptance letter yesterday!! I am so excited!!

So what happens next? I thought the packet would have more information!

Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so excited for you!!!! They will send you more info and last year they held and info session in late May.

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Congratulations on getting in!! If I remember correctly, first you need to secure your spot in the freshman class with the required deposit thats indicated in the acceptance letter. Later they will send you something letting you know when the first orientation will be, I think we met in June? They just give us a run down of what to expect, a schedule for September, a book list, and what the required reading will be for the first two weeks last year. They'll also let you know when they will open up registration for the freshman class. I checked about two days before, and they had already opened it before they said they would. As you'll soon find out, certain lab days go quickly. You can probably expect test days to be Thursdays at 10:10am. So you might not want a lab before then...so friday might be a better option. Good luck and congrats again!

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Congratulations on getting in!! If I remember correctly, first you need to secure your spot in the freshman class with the required deposit thats indicated in the acceptance letter. Later they will send you something letting you know when the first orientation will be, I think we met in June? They just give us a run down of what to expect, a schedule for September, a book list, and what the required reading will be for the first two weeks last year. They'll also let you know when they will open up registration for the freshman class. I checked about two days before, and they had already opened it before they said they would. As you'll soon find out, certain lab days go quickly. You can probably expect test days to be Thursdays at 10:10am. So you might not want a lab before then...so friday might be a better option. Good luck and congrats again!

Thank you! That was very helpful!! Keep those insider tips coming!! I am so excited. I have waited for this for so long. I can't believe it is finally happenning!

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