TCC Applicants - Encouragement

[wannabnrn]

Yes, this is long, but you may appreciate it.........

This is a message for all of those who applied to TCC and did not get in this time and for those of you who are planning to apply in the future - you CAN do it! Please don't be discouraged by some of the messages you read on this site. I applied to the spring 2008 program. I completed all of my pre-requisites, took the TEAS and felt pretty good about my scores. I decided that I WOULD be starting nursing school in January. My friends and family even started saying "when" you start school instead of "if" you start school (I made them say "when", not "if"). We all convinced ourselves that I would be starting school in January.

Then I found this website. I cannot tell you how discouraged I became after reading message after message about people who knew people who had a perfect GPA and great TEAS scores and didn't get in to TCC. Then I read about how "impossible" it is to get in to TCC without a 4.0. It's hard to be positive when you're reading all of this and you're not even close to a 4.0 GPA and you didn't do great on the one part of the TEAS that it sounds like really counts, the science section. I did great on the other three sections, but suddenly that section is the only one that mattered to me. After a couple of weeks of obsessively reading comments and changing my positive attitude to deciding there was no way I would ever get into nursing school, I received my letter in the mail - yes, not a packet (like you've probably read about), just a letter. I had been placed on the alternate list. Thankfully, after reading so many messages about how hard it would be to get in to the TCC nursing school, I took it pretty well. I sat down and figured out everything I could take again and everything I could work on to improve my chances next time. Last week, I got the call - I got in!!!! Yeah, I almost started crying.

What I want to say is this - it CAN be done without being perfect in everything. Of course, you need to have good grades overall. Yes, you need to do well in your sciences. Yes, you need to do well on the TEAS. Please don't assume you're not going to get in if your grades aren't perfect and you don't score 99% on every section of the TEAS like some people would lead you to believe. Do well in your pre-requisites, study for the TEAS and, by all means, keep a positive attitude.

I swore after finding this site, if I got accepted, I was definitely going to post a message of encouragement to others. I was just so discouraged after reading the messages I read (with the exception of a couple of people, thank you "Heloisea3", whoever you are) that I wanted to let current/future applicants know that it CAN be done. It can. I think that's all I have to say, that was enough!

[lovely1213]

Thank you! Thanks you! I felt hopeless last night after reading everyones threads and I am just starting my pre reqs. this winter mini mester. Can you advise me on something. I would like to apply in Sept for Spring of 09. I want to get excellent grades of course but in order to apply I will have to do Chem, A/P I, A/P II, and Micro. along with everything else. I have spring, and 2 summer sessions. and minis How would you schedule yourself knowing what you know now?

Thanks!

[Heloisea3]

Which campus are you at? Do you have any of the pre reqs at all? English? PE? That is a lot to finish in that amount of time. What are you taking this minimester? Personally, I would be sure to take a 3 hour class over each of the minimesters, not PE. Then, I would take Micro and Chemistry in the spring, A&P I and Fine Arts elective first summer session, A&P II and PE second summer session. It would be really difficult to take anything else with A&P over the summer because the summer sessions are incredibly time consuming. That is a really heavy schedule. It is doable, but be sure to register early, especially for the science classes, and choose your professors wisely. I'm not saying to try to get the easiest professor you can find, but talk to people, and try to get a good professor. Nothing is worse than having to take a difficult class and having a horrible professor. Another thing that may or may not help, depending on your learning style, is to try to take some of your classes online or via TV during the spring. This saves traveling time and allows you to spend that time on classes rather than riding around. I took Speech online, and I have also taken a few TV courses. I liked all of them a lot, and feel like I saved time on them. I would not have done that for a science course, though. Anyway, whatever you decide, good luck! You can do it!!

[txmommyof3]

Thanks so much for posting this. It is definately a relief to put some of the nasty rumors to rest. I am going to be applying for the Fall 08 program at TCC and feel much more confident that my good grades can get me in. I appreciate your honesty.

[wannabnrn]

Wow - Heloisea3 has this schedule thing firgured out!! By the way - I'm now referring to you as H3 in any future posting. For some reason, I happen to refer to you anytime I post a message so I'm just gonna go with H3 from now on.

Lovely - I'm not familiar with the minimesters. I am very familiar with the online and ITV courses. I would highly recommend either of these options for just about anything other than your sciences. Of course, you do have to be disciplined in order to take an online or TV course. If you are disciplined enough to do it, it really does save you a great deal of time. One thing you may want to look for, if it works into your schedule, is a Saturday class. I actually took Chemistry on a Saturday. I LOVED it. It was only once a week, yeah it was like 6 hours, but it was early in the morning and then I had the whole week to concentrate more on my other classes.

I totally agree with asking around about professors. Again, you're not looking for an easy way out, but it would be nice to have an idea of what you're going into before that first day of that class.

It sounds like you are really trying to fit a WHOLE lot into a short period of time. Yes, it can be done. I know you really want to be able to apply in Sept and get started in Jan of 09. You really don't want to have to wait that additional 8 months for the Sept 09 program to start. That would seem like a freaking eternity!! Believe me, I know. Just remember, when you start nursing school, from what I hear, your life is school, school and school. Just don't try and kill yourself with classes before the nursing program has a chance to do that!

[lovely1213]

Thank you both for your insight and advise. I will be attending TCC NE. and would have been lost without the help of everyone and this website. For the last 7 yrs I have been ignored a continous "calling" to become a nurse. Through the Grace of God and sheer determination I will successfully manage the tight schedule. If I am not accepted for Spring 09, I will continue pre reqs for TWU or UTA. My goal is a MSN. I was taking the TCC route because of cost and it would allow me to gain work experience as a RN (faster) while I pursued my BSN (I'll need 1 yr ICU for my MSN). I'm in pursuit of becoming a NICU NP or CRNA. I know I probably sound like an ambitous 20 yr old, but I assure you at 31, a wife and mother of 2 kids and plenty of business adventures under my belt, my clarity is undeniable. Can anyone offer any words of advise on RN to MSN and TWU? Based on experience am I going about it the right way?

[leoprincess8]

thanks for such a nice letter iam new to the area iam a lvn from east tx and iam going to apply to tcc and weatherford iam woriied about the teas test any advice would b greatly appreciated also cause my sciences are old i have to take them over wat a bummer any advice on who to take at tcc sciences thanks so much in advance

leoprincess8