Getting Started Day 4

Today was my first day in Therapeutic Nutrition. The class is only 2 credits and it takes up only half of a semester.

At the beginning of class the professor asked "How many of you are going into journalism"...silence "How many of you are going into criminal justice?" ....murmurs "How many of you are Nutrition majors?"...louder murmurs

"Okay, How many of you are going into nursing?" Every single student in the classroom raised their hand. Competition. I think I like that. Madonna is one of the greatest nursing school in the state of Michigan, what else should I have expected. The professor was shocked, she must be new. Checked it out, this is her first semester at Madonna University. She was nice, too nice. She will learn I suppose, I give her until Winter of next year to loose her "niceness".

Other news, I find out today at work if I am part of the top selling appliances in the nation (not likely) if I am in the top 10% then I win a good chunk of change that I can apply to my tuition! I will update later tonight.

Chizlov

Getting Started Day 3

I have been discussing nursing school with my friend, and former study buddy about what the nursing program is like. She has been in it for only a few months now and she said overall that it is hard work and it takes up a lot of her time. With that, she said we need to move out of or family's house. We are both currently commuting. We both have very loud and distracting families that we live with.

I got home from a horrible day at work from Best Buy and mentioned my mom how my friend Liz and I would like to move out by January 2011. Then I got that look, the one where know something is wrong, not the death look but the "I found a problem" look. She sat me down and told me that I have no money for the nursing program, let alone to move out. I let her explain, she tells me that I am maxed out on my loans, and financial aid will only give me money if I go to school full time, but not even half of what a full time tuition costs. I asked what are my options, and all my options are is to apply for scholarships and to save all my money from my part time job. What I make in one year at Best Buy will only cover half of my tuition, and I already lost 2 months of savings. I have car payments and gas money and food money to consider. Nursing credits cost $100 more per credit than any other major in my school.

The nursing program is already turning out to be stressful and I haven't even started!
Any one know of good scholarships to apply for?! HELP!

Getting Started Pt. 2

"Mom, Dad. I have news....I got accepted into the nursing program for Winter of next year"

Hesitation

"Congratulations! But what do you mean next year?"

So far, every person I have told this to hesitated and instead of a first congratulations I get "Next year?" or "What does that mean?"
And so, I am writing because I know there are so many other pre-nursing students who applied for nursing, who may have outstanding grades, who have worked just as hard or even harder than I have and yet you are still put on the waiting list.
My two older cousins have been applying for nursing for several years now and have been put on a two year waiting list finally, for a program. They are 25 and 27 years old.
Someone I studied with applied 4 times, and after the 4th time her advisor "advised" her to don't bother applying again, and she then suggested to change her career path.

The already high demand for nurses is growing quickly, and yet, in most schools, less then 100 students a year are accepted into the nursing program to receive a BSN. And who is responsible for solving this problem? The educators? The hospitals? The government? Does any one know who is trying to create better and larger programs for nursing students?

-Chizlov

Getting Started

Today I received a letter from Madonna University in Livonia, Michigan stating whether or not I am accepted into their nursing program. Before I open it, I would like to discuss how I got here. I started off going away to school at Central Michigan University. I transfered my sophomore year to pursue a degree in nursing. I am only an average student, someone who works their ass off in order to get a 3.3 GPA. I have worked so hard since I started in pre-nursing. I chose Madonna because though they do not have a high acceptance rate for students applying into their program, they are one of the best programs in the state, and I truly feel like I deserve the best with the hard work I have been doing. I spent many many nights with new study friends, going over anatomy and physiology and pathophysiology (most programs don't allow this class until upper division nursing) and other biology classes, getting through it with a lot of chocolate and a case of Monster energy drinks (until of course, we learned in anatomy what exactly they do to our body). I have failed tests and still managed to get my grade up. Since I am a transfer, I am already behind, most of the people I studied with applied for winter of this year, and they all got accepted. That was stressful for me, yet I am glad I decided to take my time, because I also got to study abroad in London, England, and none of my nursing friends can say they got the chance to do that.
.....

After opening my letter I got to the end of the first paragraph where it states "I regret to inform you that you have been put on the waiting list for the Fall semester of 2010, however, you have confirmed enrollment for the Winter semester of 2011. If any spaces become available, we will notify you via email and phone and you will be moved to the Fall semester. Congratulations, and we look forward......" blah blah blah.

I should be excited, 70% of applicants did not get accepted at all. But I have this gut feeling of disappointment. I could have done better, I know I could have. I am only second best. And in the medical field that is not enough.

I have a lot more to say about the nursing program and how I feel about my so-called acceptance letter, but right now, I have to put on a fake smile and tell my family the news. So until tomorrow,

Chizlov