Well, this sucks (misadventures in online nursing school).

billythekid · Apr 17, 2009

Jo Dirt,

Which program are you in?

I'm enrolled in the online BSN program at Utica College, and am still awaiting an official resolution to last semester's Health Assessment debacle... :uhoh3:

Jo Dirt · Apr 17, 2009

Middle Tennessee State University

pedspnp · Apr 17, 2009

I'm about to graduate from a local university with a BSN (I did the online RN to BSN...wasn't totally online, I had to go to clinicals and such). You know those silly elective classes they make you take at the very end, like "Health Care and the Future" or some other tripe?
Well, I had to type a paper (APA format, which is stupid in itself) and talk about some "issue" nurses will have in the future. So, I did it, and I got slapped in the face with a 60%. That was enough to bring my grade down to an 89.4...not even enough to bump it up to a 90%. Over garbage like not having the comma spaced just right, and having too many resources.
Funny thing, I got my teacher evaluation packet in the mail today. Good thing I didn't fill it out before I got my grade for this paper...
Of course I was the one responsible for my grade, of course, of course. Of course I had the grading rubric available to me...of course...I won't be unfair, I will tell them how half of the time the assignments did not show up properly (it had to be something this teaching assistant did or didn't do, because none of my other instructors had a problem with this) and we were left taking pot shots at the assignments because they were not completely visible or had info. missing. I will also give my teacher good marks for being available, answering emails in a reasonable amount of time, and acting enthusiastic about what she was doing. But this was just a blow class, and I will no doubt get a higher grade in pharmacology and health assessment (two valuable classes) but this ding-a-ling class is the one that will bring my GPA down...heck, I'm not going to worry anymore, semester is about over.
Just one of the drawbacks of online learning, for those who think it is perfect and flawless.

When you talk abut APA format that is the format that the nursing professions uses. Yes they are strict about spacing and punctuation. Trust me they are trying to prepare you for graduate level education and writing, if you do a thesis it has to be done APA style, and your committee will not let your thesis get approved if the format is not done correctly. All of my graduate papers were done APA format, and yes they were stikclers for this. I cried through my whole thesis. Every t crossed every i dotted. You will get through this. There is a good program for writing papers according to APA it is called PERRLA, it costs about 25 bucks to down load but trust me it saved me a lot of paxil chomping. Good luck hang in there. ( my worse moment came when I had been writing at the graduate level for 3 years went to turn in my consent form and was told it had to be written at the 8th grade level so my subjects could understand it:bugeyes: uh uh

Aneroo, LPN · Apr 17, 2009

I also bought a program. It has a template I use to for Word. It automatically puts everything where it is supposed to (spacing, font, etc...) so I can focus on the material instead. I aced my last paper because of that program, but can't remember the name!

Jo Dirt · Apr 17, 2009

I also bought a program. It has a template I use to for Word. It automatically puts everything where it is supposed to (spacing, font, etc...) so I can focus on the material instead. I aced my last paper because of that program, but can't remember the name!

TRY to remember, please TRY!!!

I shouldn't be so hard on the teacher, she did email us telling us we had the right to challenge the grade we received (apparently, it was MOST of the class who bombed this paper!) and she would correct the grade. I don't think I will argue. I admit I didn't spend the kind of time on it I should have (it seems the hardest part comes at the end, so hard to focus!)

And I forgot to add in the pop quiz, which was just enough to still give me an A for the class.

All is well in paradise.

SouthernCarolinaRN · Apr 17, 2009

Ive heard good things about Styleease as well as PERRLA. I plan to use one or the other when my paper writing starts in my BSN program.

Sand_Dollar, BSN · Apr 17, 2009

I use PERRLA in all my papers, always told they were great. It was an excellent investment at about 25.00. Good luck!

Danielle379 · May 10, 2009

Billythekid...

Are you still at Utica? If so, how do you like the program?

mshultz · May 10, 2009

TRY to remember, please TRY!!!
I shouldn't be so hard on the teacher, she did email us telling us we had the right to challenge the grade we received (apparently, it was MOST of the class who bombed this paper!) and she would correct the grade. I don't think I will argue. I admit I didn't spend the kind of time on it I should have (it seems the hardest part comes at the end, so hard to focus!)
And I forgot to add in the pop quiz, which was just enough to still give me an A for the class.
All is well in paradise.

Glad to hear that you will be getting an A. That being the case, I would not argue about the paper, either.

Every paper at the college I attend has had to be in APA format. I have been attending so long (I started Fall 1993) that I had to buy a new edition of the Publication Manual. As formats go, it could be worse. There are no footnotes, just a References page at the end.

One of the criticisms I have read about online colleges is that they care far more about correct format than about content. Therefore, you must get the formating right.

billythekid · May 13, 2009

Billythekid...
Are you still at Utica? If so, how do you like the program?

Yes I am... have 2 semesters left of parttime classes... 6 credits / semester... there was one class 'health assessment' that I (and a number of ppl in the course) were unhappy with. Other than that, all other classes have been solid... not easy, but fair and time convenient.