Hi, I think I'm stuck with nursing, since I spent 3 years doing pre-requisites for it. I have about a 3.8 and currently at a CSU. I've thought of possible alternatives, but none work without years and years upon the 3 I've already done, sketchy employment prospects, and mountains of debt.
Anybody else feel like they're "stuck" in the nursing major bc 1) it's very specialized, and 2) it's hard to do any other career based off the pre-reqs, ect, done and some medical fields (like MD) are clearly out of reach...
I did get accepted to a program once, O-O-S, but things happened which made me come back to CA and wrecked a little. Nothing happened to my GPA, however.. but a year of absence later..
What are some easy CA programs to get into? I tried California State University, Chico... was rejected 2 years ago at #77 on waitlist or so. I know the Butte college program here is the easiest, if I wait 3 years. I should have applied 2 years ago, but then I thought I would go straight to bachelors route instead and got into that other program. I might end up waiting 3 years for that lottery, or get into a master's entry program after getting a BA (which will take 2-3 years) from csu chico. I'm in a hard spot where there are no other options, and I also cannot afford private programs (working on grants only - lost a scholarship, also) and bachelors programs are too hard to get into with only a TEAS score of 83%.
I have completed these pre-reqs:
Anatomy, Physiology, Microbiology, Gen Chem I, and Human Genetics (no lab)
Statistics and Trig (pass/fail)
Sociology, Psychology, Cultural Anthropology, Child Development, Basic Nutrition, 2nd psych class, Spanish I, American Lit, 2 English classes, one which is Critical Thinking (no across the lifespan devlop - not offered at BC or CSUC)
What do you suggest I do?? Go for BA while waiting for AA, and possible master's entry? Any help is appreciated! Either way, it appears years down the road bc I didn't apply earlier
Many students apply to several colleges to up their chances. It's hard to say what school is less competitive because it's based on what other candidates apply each co-hort.
I've heard of people who didn't get into a nursing program getting a degree in psyche or some schools have health science degrees. Just like some schools have nutrition programs to become a registered dietician but if a student doesn't do well in the heavy science prerequisites they can transfer to the nutrition-communication degree
Many students apply to several colleges to up their chances. It's hard to say what school is less competitive because it's based on what other candidates apply each co-hort.
I've heard of people who didn't get into a nursing program getting a degree in psyche or some schools have health science degrees. Just like some schools have nutrition programs to become a registered dietician but if a student doesn't do well in the heavy science prerequisites they can transfer to the nutrition-communication degree
If I'm understanding you correctly, you feel you are "stuck with nursing" because you have some pre-requisite courses completed? Courses which CAN be applied to other majors that might hold some interest for you?
If you are not interested in nursing NOW, please believe me when I say seeking entry into a nursing school isn't in your best interest. You should be at the PEAK of interest when trying for admission, not feeling "stuck" with it.
The next part of your post you ask about finding an easy program, or at least one easy to get into, in CALIFORNIA. Good luck with that. Then again, you might well find that easy-to-enroll program, but it's going to cost you an arm and a leg: there's got to be a REASON it's "easy" to get into. IOW, you aren't interested much in becoming a nurse, so how willing would you be to fork over a wagonful of money just for the privilege of getting into a for-profit school?
Beyond that.....going to save you some heartache later.....California has one of the highest rates of unemployment among new grad nurses; at the one-year mark HALF of them haven't found a job as a nurse yet. And by that time, yessiree, another bazillion new grads have emerged on the market that already can't employ them all. These people will spend years looking for work, OR will move out of State to find a job. Are you ok with you being one of them?
It would seem the time hasn't come for you to find an easy way to "use up" college credits, but rather find something that DOES interest you and go from there.
One person mentioned CSU San Bernardino. Would a 3.8 GPA overall and I think around a 3.7 or 3.6 in pre-req classes and a 83% overall TEAS work? I was looking at some admits from prev years on this site and it looks like it could work possibly. I took 1 class of Spanish, but don't have bilingual proficiency, so I don't get those points. I also don't live in that area, so those 5 pts I cannot get. I have some community service.
O-O-S means Out-Of-State. I did once get into a BSN program O-O-S last summer, but it's both in the wrong place and too expensive. It was a southern state and used HESI Eng and Math only (90%+ ea I had). I had to come back to Cali for many reasons... and I doubt that my mother will let me go O-O-S for a nursing program, also. She's also my only family. Since I lost my scholarship bc of leaves of absences, I only have Grants to pay for it, so it could mean stafford loans beyond that.
I could live with my parent while I look for work.. hopefully in critical care. My other option I was thinking about (law) has a 80%-60% unemployment rate for grads 9 months after graduation, and high high debt (like $150K), and also median salary IF employed is like 50K... looking for 6 months with much lower debt as an RN is good in comparison. There's no way I'd be able to go and work O-O-S on my own.
I'd be able to get VA benefits at $1040 a month in a nursing program, but I also have $7K in credit card debt which I need to pay off. I was going to use those benefits to pay the credit card debt... I have I think 22-24 months left of VA benefits.. if you take 3/4 of classes for ur major, it is $780ish.. I have about $7-8k possible for grants for 3 more years at California State University, Chico (Pell&Supplemental University Grant) beside 1 yr of Cal Grant left. I've done 3 years of college, and 1 year leave of absence (causing me to lose scholarship which paid for tuition and living costs to any college in US.. bc medical ect). No federal loans, yet.
I've been researching MECN and ABSN programs in Cali, too, though that would be atleast 2-3 years away til a bachelors in a non-nursing subject to apply to those.
If you want to know what the criteria and/or standards for admission to CSU San Bernardino are, you should contact their School of Nursing and inquire. Even so, if someone were to give you a snapshot of the successful applicant to their last admitted class, there is no guarantee that there will not be a change to criteria by the time that you apply. Any way you look at it, you have to get the best grades possible. That is a given. Any other points are something you can work on, to include moving to the San Bernardino area in anticipation of being admitted to their program. People go to great lengths to be admitted to nursing school. Good luck.
Has anyone done Western Undergraduate Exchange with nursing programs? I read about this online, and for some "western" states, they can get 150% of resident in-state tuition. California State University, Chico is a part of it (the college I go to)
Would this mean all these state colleges (or most of them) could grant in-state for RN programs, or as I heard, just some of them?
And just about all nursing programs are hard or take time to get into, I just mean easy i.e. "in reach" of my 3.8 cumulative GPA and about 3.6-3.7 pre-req science GPA (most of my pre-reqs apply to just about every RN prog), and 83% TEAS or the 90%+ I got on the HESI math and English (about 84% cum)... plus volunteering. I'm trying to stay in the west, not south. Thanks! Also, no privates bc too $$$
Thanks for the lead for CSU San Bernardino. I asked them about the statistics for averages, and although the Fall applicants are higher than my pre-req GPA, the Winter application cycle would be favorable to my 3.67 pre-req avg. I also emailed some other schools in California, and the RN to BSN program is also the best route, too (except for San Francisco - they said ALL their programs required a 4.0, which is strange bc RN to BSNs usually aren't like that, but okay haha). I have 2 ADN to BSN programs in CA on my list which I know I could get into 100% if I go to an ADN program first. They are 2 CSUs.
I also emailed some other schools and am waiting for replies. I might apply to a few BSN programs In-State and Out-Of-State (nearby states), including ADN programs in California. I'm hoping to get some leads on ADN programs here, too. The VA benefits I get also would pay full-time for a community college program.
Does anyone else have leads? I'm excited that I might be able to get into programs nearby!
It turns out my mom doesn't want me to move for nursing school... as she's said for the last 5 years or so... and why I end up just disappearing to go places without telling her. So, I'll need public transportation and student loans for living costs or something bc otherwise it's a 3 year wait (IF I apply Each semester) for the ADN program in this county.
It matters bc they have different requirements and usually they have an application Fee, too.
My bank account just closed bc it was Negative -190. I also lost my car, and it doesn't help that she cries about me wanting to move just so I can get into RN school and then also says she'll just throw all the stuff away. Been years like this.. says I am not the "type" that is able to move for school.. I am stuck here...
Why are you allowing your mother to control you like this? Your relationship with her is very unhealthy if you've accurately described it here. Your life won't go anywhere until you break away and grow up for real. Don't take that as an insult. My mom acted much the same way, and it wasn't until I got away that I realized just how toxic it was. You are an adult and need to live your life FOR YOU. She's had her chance and doesn't get to steal yours to make her more comfortable. She probably feels like she hasn't done a lot with her life, and keeping you in her orbit distracts her from that fact.
Until I moved from California to Illinois to get away from her, I wasn't really free. I truly became an adult when I did that.
I won't tell you it will be easy to move away, but I can tell you it will probably be worth it. And yes, I recommend a different state. Maybe someday in the future you can come up with parameters for a relationship with her, but for now, you need to get away and get on your own two feet or you won't achieve anything.
I am starting pre-reqs this month and want this really really bad. I don't want this because, it will give me job security or for the money; I am doing this because, I want too; its my passion. You should be working on something you really want to do in life. If you don't want nursing why are you perusing it? my semester didn't even start and I am reading books on nursing practice research and clinical practice. I have always wanted to be in the medical field. I wanted to be an MD but, fear kept me from going for it. Fear of failure. I wanted to be an obgyn;then I met a nurse. she was older than her other coworkers and she was truly a healer. I remember giving her a hug and saying thank you before I left. She made me look at medicine in another way; with another lens. I started looking into nursing and was ecstatic to find how the profession is diverse. There are many paths into nursing. I want to be a CNM or NP and I don't want to stop there I want that phd badly. Your post made me shake my head. You're even thinking of going for LAW. Why peruse nursing or anything in the medical field if you don't have a passion for it. I almost want to cry knowing you have already done most of your pre-reqs and I am here waiting.. I cant wait anymore. I want to be a member of this great profession.
RNKPCE
1,170 Posts
What is O-O-S?
Many students apply to several colleges to up their chances. It's hard to say what school is less competitive because it's based on what other candidates apply each co-hort.
I've heard of people who didn't get into a nursing program getting a degree in psyche or some schools have health science degrees. Just like some schools have nutrition programs to become a registered dietician but if a student doesn't do well in the heavy science prerequisites they can transfer to the nutrition-communication degree