University of North Georgia Spring 2018 Cohort

foodnetwerk · Oct 2, 2017

Oh that's awesome! My main concerns are overall quality of the two programs and job outlook. I know nursing school will be extremely difficult, but I do want to enjoy it and have professors who truly care. I also want experience in hospitals or healthcare settings I may want to work in. I am very interested in CHOA. Also, I am interested in travel nursing and utilizing my nursing skills abroad to combine with mission work in the future. Do you know if either or these programs promote such a thing? Thank you so much for your time and response. If you have any other suggestions, advice, or input I would love to hear it. Best of luck to the both of you!! :)

Sorry I'm about to write an essay here!

I believe statistically, KSU has higher NCLEX pass rates and they say they have 100% job placement (I don't think UNG has enough data yet). However, UNG's BSN program is really new, just a few years I believe. Additionally, KSU is very highly regarded, and it's pretty difficult to get in, I'd say more so than UNG at this point (congrats!!) I personally chose UNG because I prefer the smaller school vibe that it offers, and because the cohort is split between Dahlonega and Gainesville, the classes are much smaller (60ish vs 120ish). I'm only in my first semester but so far, it's pretty rigorous and I actually am really enjoying it! I know a few students further along in the UNG program, and one already has a job secured in ICU, and the other is at CHOA. KSU has a heavy WellStar affiliation, so it's likely that many of your clinicals and, therefore, job opportunities will come through WellStar. Additionally, externship opportunities (promoted by each school) correlate to the area, so if you're closer to Kennesaw, it'll be easier for you to go to KSU, but if you're closer to Dahlonega or Gainesville, it'll be easier of course to be at UNG.

However, I believe a nursing school is a nursing school; you'll come out with the same degree. You have to factor in your daily life. For example, I'm living at home right now and I have a 45-60 min drive, which is about 8 hours of driving time per week alone. This semester, I go to school 4 days a week, so it really adds up. Also, at UNG, you sometimes have to go to the other campus (either Dahlonega or Gainesville) for various reasons, so you can't avoid a long drive sometimes, even if you live right next to the campus where you are placed. Additionally, no matter which school you go to, sometimes your clinical locations can be wayyy far away. However, my bf wanted me to add that KSU is big on clinicals in hospitals, while UNG is more diverse (some hospitals, some long term care, many different places like Northside, CHOA, Emory, rehab centers)

Pricewise, they're similar, with KSU being maybe a bit more expensive. Bf says, without any financial aid, the price is around $4000 for all fees and tuition. I'd say, without financial aid, I spent closer to $3000. HOPE covers a huge chunk, and bf gets Pell which helps too. Don't forget, first semester sucks because you'll need to buy scrubs (about $50), lab equipment (about $200), testing materials (about $200), stethoscope ($50-100) and books ($500-$800 every semester).

Travel nursing seems sooo cool! There's not any programs/classes we know of that cater specifically to travel nursing or mission work, but both programs offer trips abroad for credit hours! I believe they take place over the summer and go various places throughout South America and Africa.

The workload is difficult but doable, and you'll do great either way! Let me know if you're curious about anything! I'm happy to share!

cbhowell · Oct 2, 2017

Sorry I'm about to write an essay here!
I believe statistically, KSU has higher NCLEX pass rates and they say they have 100% job placement (I don't think UNG has enough data yet). However, UNG's BSN program is really new, just a few years I believe. Additionally, KSU is very highly regarded, and it's pretty difficult to get in, I'd say more so than UNG at this point (congrats!!) I personally chose UNG because I prefer the smaller school vibe that it offers, and because the cohort is split between Dahlonega and Gainesville, the classes are much smaller (60ish vs 120ish). I'm only in my first semester but so far, it's pretty rigorous and I actually am really enjoying it! I know a few students further along in the UNG program, and one already has a job secured in ICU, and the other is at CHOA. KSU has a heavy WellStar affiliation, so it's likely that many of your clinicals and, therefore, job opportunities will come through WellStar. Additionally, externship opportunities (promoted by each school) correlate to the area, so if you're closer to Kennesaw, it'll be easier for you to go to KSU, but if you're closer to Dahlonega or Gainesville, it'll be easier of course to be at UNG.
However, I believe a nursing school is a nursing school; you'll come out with the same degree. You have to factor in your daily life. For example, I'm living at home right now and I have a 45-60 min drive, which is about 8 hours of driving time per week alone. This semester, I go to school 4 days a week, so it really adds up. Also, at UNG, you sometimes have to go to the other campus (either Dahlonega or Gainesville) for various reasons, so you can't avoid a long drive sometimes, even if you live right next to the campus where you are placed. Additionally, no matter which school you go to, sometimes your clinical locations can be wayyy far away. However, my bf wanted me to add that KSU is big on clinicals in hospitals, while UNG is more diverse (some hospitals, some long term care, many different places like Northside, CHOA, Emory, rehab centers)
Pricewise, they're similar, with KSU being maybe a bit more expensive. Bf says, without any financial aid, the price is around $4000 for all fees and tuition. I'd say, without financial aid, I spent closer to $3000. HOPE covers a huge chunk, and bf gets Pell which helps too. Don't forget, first semester sucks because you'll need to buy scrubs (about $50), lab equipment (about $200), testing materials (about $200), stethoscope ($50-100) and books ($500-$800 every semester).
Travel nursing seems sooo cool! There's not any programs/classes we know of that cater specifically to travel nursing or mission work, but both programs offer trips abroad for credit hours! I believe they take place over the summer and go various places throughout South America and Africa.
The workload is difficult but doable, and you'll do great either way! Let me know if you're curious about anything! I'm happy to share!

Hey thank you so so so much! This was all very informative. I am taking everything in from people I talk to, so I greatly appreciate your time and response. Ultimately, I know both schools are fantastic, and something great will come out of wherever I choose to go. I am thankful to have this tough choice! It is so crazy to think in two-ish years I will actually be a nurse! Good luck with everything!