Looking for some advice(and some prayers) please


wyarwehere
 Share

Recommended Posts

It's a little long to explain, but I'll try to keep it as brief as possible.

I'm going back to college in less than a month(August 19th), I'm going to be competing to get into the nursing program. They select just forty students each year, 20 at the end of fall semester, and the other 20 at the end of spring semester. What determines if you get in the program is where you rank in the class. This ranking is determined by several factors, the primary one being your math/science grades(60%).

Technically, I don't have to take chemistry, my credits from my last college(six years ago) transferred in. However, the grade that transferred was a "C". This grade will be averaged in, I asked yesterday.

So now I have two choices. I can retake the course, and see(and hope) that I do better. Or I can hope and pray that my grades will be high enough to offset that grade in the average.

Say I decide to retake the course. One, comes the question, which semester do I take it. If I take it fall, I'll be taking it with A&P, English, Psych, and Algebra/Trig--13 credits. If I take it second semester I'll be taking it with(expected) A&P II, Psych, Communications, and Microbiology--14 credits. So if I take this course-an additional four credits-- that'll jump me up to a completely full course load.

Two--finances plays a part. Right now I'm not working, I haven't actually held a regular job since 2010, I'm on disability, but trying to get off. I put in an application about a week ago for a part time job at the hospital working nights. But there's no guarantee I'll get it. If I take this class, it's going to cost me(roughly) an additional $620. With the financial aid I'm getting, that'll leave me about $250 for my books, not even half of what I need. So that means taking out a second loan(I've already got my Pell Grant, and my Direct loans). If I take this additional course, there's really no feasible way I can get this job. I'm technically already employed for a Home Health company, which would work because I could study at nights(I'd work 3rd shift), but that started back in April, and I haven't actually worked a single shift. I don't know that I'm going to be able to get a second loan that would allow me to defer the payments till summer at least(the second loan would only need to be about 8-1500).

So now, I don't know what to do. I've asked several of the people in my real life--couple friends, my mom, and a friend who is like a mom--and I'm getting mixed reactions. Some say I should retake it, one says wait and see how first semester goes, and another says don't worry about it. I'm praying, and trying to reason it out. My summer adviser recommend I contact the the Assistant Director of Nursing and ask her if I should retake it, or how much it might actually have an impact. I'm going to call her later today and set up a meeting, but I'd like to hear you all's advice(especially any of you who have taken specific science courses--how smart is it to carry that type of course load, trying to work and do school, etc...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, you're on the right track with studying it out in your mind and viewing all the options. One option I'm not sure if you've considered though...

Have you gotten a priesthood blessing from someone with stewardship over you who is worthily holding the priesthood?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think its wonderful that your going back to school. Nursing is a wonderful career. Remember with GOd all things are possible. DO all you can and put trust and faith in the Lord and He will help you. He knows you are trying to improve your situation and he will walk with you and help you all the way. Just ask him.

I for one wish you the very best. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Martain--I hadn't thought about that. I'll definitely consider it.

Gretchen-it's really hard to take a science class online because most of the time you need lab credits. That's what this one entails. Three hours lecture, three hours lab. I can't take it during the summer because at the end of each semester is when they decide, and that would be counter-productive. Not to mention, that the English/Psych courses--a few are needed before you can take the next level class.

Roseslipper--Thanks. I'm excited. I've been trying to go back for six years now. I'm trying to remember that. I'll need to remember it more once they start and it's jumping right back in.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Retake? Yep.

Fall? Noooooooooooo dooooooooont do it.

Unless you're also retaking A&P. so it's just review.

A&P is often a course 18cr per qtr students take on its own. A 1 class quarter for 2 quarters.

Why?

Tonight. MemoriZe the entire skull. All bones, all bone features. Over 100 items. You'll be tested on it tomorrow.

Tomorrow. Test on skull. Memorize every bone & bone feature of the spine be able to distinguish a c2 & L4 without comparing them against anything. Over 100 items. You'll be tested the next day.

Day after. Test on spine. Memorize every nerve & muscle of the skull & face & upper thoracic, INCLUDING their origin & insertion points. Don't worry, you have the weekend to memorize All 500 or so items. But remember, you'll also be tested on the bones and bone features of the skull & spine that you were tested on last week.

And that's week 1. And. It's. easy.... Compared to a month in when more than half your class has dropped out, and you aren't worked "easy" but instead are told to know Ch6 (120 pages, with hundreds and hundreds of details -in Latin-) in. 36 hours.

A&P is hard. It's a washout class for both nursing & premed students. They come heavy, they come hard, they come fast. Put your dog in the kennel, kiss your loved ones goodbye, and prepare to resurface in 3 months. But wait. Then there's the 2nd quarter (the physiology portion), when you'll be using the Krebs cycle for dart practice, making rude gestures at mitochondrial DNA, and cursing life.

A&P is a monster.

((Its also where professors recruit for premed AND those golden letters of recommendation for nursing school... Because while about half the precedes wash out... 5 years for your RN starts to look like not so much different than 8+ years for your MD. And if you can hack A&P, and think diagnostically, med school is statistically easier to get INTO than nursing schools. By a lot. Some nursing schools accept fewer than 1:1000 applicants. In addition to rock star GPA you need 1500 hours of volunteer time in the medical field, letters of recommendation, Etc., just to be competitive. Although 6'000 applicants for 40 spots is obscene, people do make it. So whether its a major change to premed or a letter of recommendation... You want to SHINE in A&P. Which means pulling an A. Most A&P classes have 1-2 As out of 200 students. A B will still look good, becaus less than 10% of A&P students even manage a B.)

If fall is your FIRST quarter back... Seriously reconsider taking A&P at all. When you've been out of school for awhile it takes an annoyingly long period of time to remember HOW to learn/study. Now, that may work in your favor, because no other class requires about 10 hous of study every day, and you're running mnemonics in the showers and arranging your eggs into Metacarples... But is also a risk. There's nooooooo time to mess up in A&P. no time to remember how flash cards work, or that you need music playing to memorize. Or any of the 1001 other tricks students pick up to work at their most efficient. It's out the gate moving fast.

You know you best... Starting off at hardest means everything else in your prerequisite will be easy... But you're setting yourself up for failure if you ALSO overload on coursework.

If you need he credits for financial aid,... Take Gym (study on the treadmill for A&P) and underwaterbasketweaving. Some fluff class that you can skip most of them and still pass..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh. The 5 year for an RN thing comes up,a lot. And since I'll be offline a few days, I'm just going to add it up here now:

2 years for prereqs

1 lag year (because all your prefers need finishing before you're competitive to apply, and you also need to cram in as many volunteer hours as possible, and ideally be working in the field (HUC/EMT/etc) that year

2 years of nursing school

________

5 years

Then MOST work as a new grad RN for a year, and go back and "5th year" (7th at this point) to specialize (peds, trauma, L&D, etc.)... So you're on year 8. And sick of doctors, and WHY didn't you go premed? So it's time to go back and pick up your masters for 2-3 years.

Actually works out to apx the same amount of time MDs spend in school/residency/interning.

But we all get suckered with the 2 years for nursing school red cape they wave at us. A lot with the idea of JUST an RN (5years) instead of a BSRN (5years)... Which doubles your salary as a nurse, and allows you to 5th year specialize and master.

I'm adding this bit, because for your first year in prerequisite EVERYONE will be doing this math. It's the constant conversational piece as people figure out whether they want to just go to school strait (MD) or do it in 2-3 year pieces while also working (bsrn). Almost no one gets the strait RN if eh can help it. The pay is too lousy. In most areas the BSRN ads $20 an hour to your salary, and then it's 6 figures after mastery... So people want their BSRN / 5th yat/ mastery baaaaaaaad.

<grin> so I just wanted to give you the inside track to begin with!!!

Break a leg!

Q

Edited by Quin
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Gretchen-it's really hard to take a science class online because most of the time you need lab credits. That's what this one entails. Three hours lecture, three hours lab. I can't take it during the summer because at the end of each semester is when they decide, and that would be counter-productive. Not to mention, that the English/Psych courses--a few are needed before you can take the next level class.

So you can't take an English or Psych class online, and take the science class at the college?

I apologize. I just want to be sure I am understanding correctly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry Gretchen. Okay, if I were to take one of the classes online I would have to do it either during the semester or during the winter interterm, because English 111 is required to take the communications class, and the general psych is requred before the developmental psych. To do it during the summer would set me a year back.

I talked to my bishop tonight--he's a vet, and he said it was up to me, but he himself didn't do great in chemistry. I have one person to talk to tomorrow--or rather, later today, and then with that info, I'll go into my meeting on Monday with the ADON. Definitely still praying, i just don't feel like I'm getting a definite answer either way.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Had my meeting today, and it went well. I'm not taking it over, and I'm temporarily changing my program of study. Instead of the immediate RN program I'm going to aim for getting into the LPN to RN transition program. Not only because of the chemistry, but because what I didn't realize is that at the last college I attended, I had some classes I got "c's" in. Tho I don't actually get credit for those classes, because they are there, they count as a negative towards my overall ranking.

Thanks for the advice you guys. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The nursing programme is draining but I loved it. I have a friend that just graduated and two more that have decided to finish up schooling now that their kids are a bit older.

Just one thing to consider. Depending on your area, sitting on LPN can limit your placement opportunities, as many hospitals do not hire LPN anymore. But that's not to say there aren't any opportunities. Private homecare and nursing homes still hire LPN but the wage isn't competitive.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share