To say I worked hard to get here would be an understatement.
Took a little more than three years, broken down into 13 consecutive quarters: 25 courses ranging from high school algebra to statistics, chemistry to microbiology, medical terminology to music appreciation, psychology, english, soc... and everything in between. It all came down to needing a science GPA of at least 2.85. Countless hours studying, worrying, stressing, crying, and celebrating. I can say that I have felt every emotion possible during my journey thus far. I only dreamt of being able to make it as far as I have. I found out my final grade in my final nursing pre req a little more than three days ago. I needed at least a C+. Well, a C+ is what I earned equating to a science GPA of 2.88-- only slightly above the bare minimum. I imagined getting this far would be nothing short of a miracle and that I would feel exhilarated by knowing I DID IT!
I don't feel this way at all.
I feel scared. Actually I feel terrified.
I felt so strong all this time only to be brought to my knees at the thought that I did it and I actually have a chance.
Can't get too excited yet. One final, HUGE hurdle to overcome… Application of intent to enter the nursing program mailed: June 18, 2014… Next step/ final hurdle: the TEAS test.
You can't win if you don't play….
P.S. On the bright side, I got a B in statistics! Pretty darn proud because math has been a big challenge for me in the past :) :) :)
Sunday, June 22, 2014
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Micro.... (and stats)
Senioritis maybe? I don't know what it is but this is my most difficult quarter EVER. I'm sure I've said that before but these two courses are the worst yet. A minimum of a C+ in micro is literally my last step before I can apply to nursing school and I don't see it happening at this point.
Stats was going great- I had an A and even got an 88% on the midterm. This is huge for me because I am normally terrible at math, but it took a sudden turn and got really difficult almost out of nowhere.
For the first time ever I have found myself questioning if I even want to do this any more. I know I WANT to but I am seriously doubting if I am ABLE to. Yes, it's that bad. I got a 55% on my first micro exam and the second exam seemed just as bad (grade pending).... The labs are so different than other bio labs and smell worse than the cats did.
One thing I know for sure is I'm taking summer off from school. This is my first quarter ever in 3 years that I'm taking a break. I really need to recharge and reevaluate everything. I haven't lost all hope though- I've already signed up to repeat micro in the fall.
Stats was going great- I had an A and even got an 88% on the midterm. This is huge for me because I am normally terrible at math, but it took a sudden turn and got really difficult almost out of nowhere.
For the first time ever I have found myself questioning if I even want to do this any more. I know I WANT to but I am seriously doubting if I am ABLE to. Yes, it's that bad. I got a 55% on my first micro exam and the second exam seemed just as bad (grade pending).... The labs are so different than other bio labs and smell worse than the cats did.
One thing I know for sure is I'm taking summer off from school. This is my first quarter ever in 3 years that I'm taking a break. I really need to recharge and reevaluate everything. I haven't lost all hope though- I've already signed up to repeat micro in the fall.
Friday, March 28, 2014
B is for phys....
I did it!! I got a B in human physiology! Not an easy class by any means but anatomy, cell bio, (and chemistry... gasp!) helped me to prepare because this is the course that brings them all together. One of my strong points is memorization, which was great for anatomy, but in phys, thoroughly understanding the difficult concepts and being able to apply them in different scenarios took a ton of studying. I made "best guess" choices on probably half of the exam questions.
I am glad it's over and am ready for my next and final pre req: microbiology. I have heard mixed things about this class and I'm looking forward to something new. GPA wise I need at least a C+ but I'm shooting for a B. I am also taking statistics because I needed a second class. Crossing fingers for at least a C in stats!
After three long years it all comes down to one test. The TEAS. I spent a whopping $99 bucks plus tax and shipping on the study guide and practice tests for this entrance exam. I believe it will be a very good investment. As long as I get at least a C+ in micro, I will be eligible to apply to the nursing program at my #1 choice school! That being said, I have about 4 months to study before I take the TEAS. Scary to think that all this hard work comes down to one test.
I am glad it's over and am ready for my next and final pre req: microbiology. I have heard mixed things about this class and I'm looking forward to something new. GPA wise I need at least a C+ but I'm shooting for a B. I am also taking statistics because I needed a second class. Crossing fingers for at least a C in stats!
After three long years it all comes down to one test. The TEAS. I spent a whopping $99 bucks plus tax and shipping on the study guide and practice tests for this entrance exam. I believe it will be a very good investment. As long as I get at least a C+ in micro, I will be eligible to apply to the nursing program at my #1 choice school! That being said, I have about 4 months to study before I take the TEAS. Scary to think that all this hard work comes down to one test.
Monday, December 30, 2013
"A" is for anatomy (take 2)
Okay so it's actually an A- but WOW!! I am filled with pride and a great sense of accomplishment knowing that my hard work paid off. I literally cried tears of happiness when I saw this. I can't even describe how good it felt! Next up: human physiology. A "B" is the minimum grade I need and I expect this class to be as rigorous as anatomy was (hopefully I won't need a repeat) but I am ready to go!
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Summer quarter 2013
My school highly recommends (and may require it in the future) taking a statistics course. In order for me to take stats I needed to complete algebra. Math 99, or the slower paced sequence of 91 and 92, isn't even college level math but is the final math pre req before stats. I chose the 91 and 92 over two quarters and got a D in 92 in Winter 2013 quarter so I repeated it over the summer and passed with a C!!! This is a huge relief because math has been a giant pain for me (almost as much as financial aid has). In all I took 3 algebra classes and two of them I took twice so 5 quarters of math total- high school math at that! I am thrilled to be done with it. I hear stats is pretty rough but I won't be taking it until Spring 2014 so I'll cross that bridge when I get there. I also took nutrition this quarter and got a B+. This class isn't required for my school's program but it is at almost every other school and since I'll need to apply to multiple schools I figured I'd just get it out of the way.
This is also a good time to reflect on this journey so far. I can't believe how far I've come and almost nothing went as planned. Pre req's typically take about a year but I'm sitting at 2 years (and counting!) right now. As of right now, if everything goes ideally, I will be entering the nursing program this time next year. A whole 'nother year away... Wow. I have moments all the time where I think about just giving up because this has been so much harder than I ever thought. But my determination kicks in and I refuse to give up. After repeating anatomy this next quarter, I only have physiology and microbiology left. I've completed over 90 credits in college so far (which must equal some sort of degree) and I'm literally only 2 classes away from applying. Praying for no repeats but I will need at least a B in both classes, and yes, I will be more than willing to repeat to get the grade I need if necessary because I really have come so far.
This is also a good time to reflect on this journey so far. I can't believe how far I've come and almost nothing went as planned. Pre req's typically take about a year but I'm sitting at 2 years (and counting!) right now. As of right now, if everything goes ideally, I will be entering the nursing program this time next year. A whole 'nother year away... Wow. I have moments all the time where I think about just giving up because this has been so much harder than I ever thought. But my determination kicks in and I refuse to give up. After repeating anatomy this next quarter, I only have physiology and microbiology left. I've completed over 90 credits in college so far (which must equal some sort of degree) and I'm literally only 2 classes away from applying. Praying for no repeats but I will need at least a B in both classes, and yes, I will be more than willing to repeat to get the grade I need if necessary because I really have come so far.
Anatomy. Round 1....
Spring quarter 2013
For technically being on "academic probation" anatomy was NOT the class to be in but thankfully it was my ONLY class this quarter and I passed with a C+. This is considered to be a good grade for how difficult the class is, but unfortunately, isn't good enough for my cumulative GPA for consideration into the nursing program so a repeat is immanent.
The subject of human anatomy is truly fascinating and one I very much looked forward to but the amount of information crammed into 11 short weeks was more than my brain could handle. It was everything I thought it would be; interesting, overwhelming, mind-blowing, gross, fun.... And more: above all else, it was hands down the most memorization- intense class I have taken so far.
I was handed seemingly endless lists of things to memorize for this course and I have so much more room in my brain than I ever even imagined:
206 bones plus markings? Sure no problem.
10 organ systems? Check.
A mere 10 percent of our body's muscles plus actions and innervations? You got it.
Nerves? Veins? Arteries? Definitely.
The part I disliked most? The cat dissection. This lasted about 8 weeks and was actually a disappointment because I thought we used human cadavers (gasp!) to learn on. The cat dissection alone is worthy of it's own post but I won't go into too much detail right now. Overall I think it wasn't entirely relevant to what we need to know. There are some differences between human muscles and cat muscles and they are obviously very small and difficult to learn on. It was common to accidentally cut off and remove an entire muscle or sever a nerve/vein/artery. It just made for a frustrating experience and it was pretty gross. We did also dissect a cow eye and heart which was pretty cool!
To sum it up.... I had so much fun I thought I would do it again (not)!... Gotta bring my C+ to an A (or at least a B).
Round 2 (Fall quarter 2013) starts tomorrow and back to anatomy I go! BRING IT ON.
For technically being on "academic probation" anatomy was NOT the class to be in but thankfully it was my ONLY class this quarter and I passed with a C+. This is considered to be a good grade for how difficult the class is, but unfortunately, isn't good enough for my cumulative GPA for consideration into the nursing program so a repeat is immanent.
The subject of human anatomy is truly fascinating and one I very much looked forward to but the amount of information crammed into 11 short weeks was more than my brain could handle. It was everything I thought it would be; interesting, overwhelming, mind-blowing, gross, fun.... And more: above all else, it was hands down the most memorization- intense class I have taken so far.
I was handed seemingly endless lists of things to memorize for this course and I have so much more room in my brain than I ever even imagined:
206 bones plus markings? Sure no problem.
10 organ systems? Check.
A mere 10 percent of our body's muscles plus actions and innervations? You got it.
Nerves? Veins? Arteries? Definitely.
The part I disliked most? The cat dissection. This lasted about 8 weeks and was actually a disappointment because I thought we used human cadavers (gasp!) to learn on. The cat dissection alone is worthy of it's own post but I won't go into too much detail right now. Overall I think it wasn't entirely relevant to what we need to know. There are some differences between human muscles and cat muscles and they are obviously very small and difficult to learn on. It was common to accidentally cut off and remove an entire muscle or sever a nerve/vein/artery. It just made for a frustrating experience and it was pretty gross. We did also dissect a cow eye and heart which was pretty cool!
To sum it up.... I had so much fun I thought I would do it again (not)!... Gotta bring my C+ to an A (or at least a B).
Round 2 (Fall quarter 2013) starts tomorrow and back to anatomy I go! BRING IT ON.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Academic warning....
Final grades for winter '13
Cell bio: C+
Math 092 (algebra II): D
Quarter GPA: 1.67
I got a friendly warning from financial aid that I did not have a 2.0 last quarter and risk losing my aid. (Have I mentioned how much I hate math?!) I didn't even need to take that math class but it's required if I eventually want to take statistics (which I do), and once again I needed a second class in order to qualify for aid. I can retake the placement test and test out of it altogether. The placement test is multiple choice and I just took the course so I think I could probably go this route. But that ugly D will stay on my transcript forever unless I retake the course so I will probably go this route but not for another few quarters.
My grade in cell bio is rather disappointing. I maintained a B/B- all quarter long then came the final which was a real doozie. The thing that irks me most is I received a C+ in chemistry. I know I learned and understood WAY more in bio than I did in chemistry so how did I walk away with the same grade? Oh well, I did pass and can move on to anatomy but I will need at least an A- to average out the devastating C+ in cell bio. I'm not going to lie, I am terrified. Anatomy is a very hard class and it can make or break someone pursuing a chance at nursing school.
I did finally meet with an advisor this quarter for the very first time in 2 years of trying! I am on the right track (but MUST do VERY well in my 3 remaining science courses), she also explained the recent application requirement changes.
My school now requires a 2.85 science GPA (separate from the 2.0 in the other pre reqs) in order to APPLY to the nursing program. Then you are invited to take the TEAS test which has minimum requirements in each area but I'm sure those who are accepted score much higher. There are 40 people accepted each quarter so they just accept the top 40 scores. They used to require a 3.0 with higher penalty requirements if there are any repeats in the science classes. I am glad they lowered it and repeats are no longer penalized! Still though a 2.85 is basically a B average which is a challenge in itself. All of the nursing schools in Washington state are so very competitive and I literally lose sleep at night worrying if I can do this. I want it so badly that I would actually consider moving out of state to attend school elsewhere. It would put a ton of stress on my family and presents challenges of it's own but I will have to cross that bridge when I get there.
All this is just so overwhelming and I can see why so many people would give up. I won't give up though and am trying to stay focused on only one step at a time. Anatomy is 6 credits and will be the only class I am taking this quarter that way it can have my full attention. I am very excited but equally apprehensive for anatomy. It's going to be an exciting class and if there is one thing I am good at, it's memorization so hopefully I will do just fine!
Cell bio: C+
Math 092 (algebra II): D
Quarter GPA: 1.67
I got a friendly warning from financial aid that I did not have a 2.0 last quarter and risk losing my aid. (Have I mentioned how much I hate math?!) I didn't even need to take that math class but it's required if I eventually want to take statistics (which I do), and once again I needed a second class in order to qualify for aid. I can retake the placement test and test out of it altogether. The placement test is multiple choice and I just took the course so I think I could probably go this route. But that ugly D will stay on my transcript forever unless I retake the course so I will probably go this route but not for another few quarters.
My grade in cell bio is rather disappointing. I maintained a B/B- all quarter long then came the final which was a real doozie. The thing that irks me most is I received a C+ in chemistry. I know I learned and understood WAY more in bio than I did in chemistry so how did I walk away with the same grade? Oh well, I did pass and can move on to anatomy but I will need at least an A- to average out the devastating C+ in cell bio. I'm not going to lie, I am terrified. Anatomy is a very hard class and it can make or break someone pursuing a chance at nursing school.
I did finally meet with an advisor this quarter for the very first time in 2 years of trying! I am on the right track (but MUST do VERY well in my 3 remaining science courses), she also explained the recent application requirement changes.
My school now requires a 2.85 science GPA (separate from the 2.0 in the other pre reqs) in order to APPLY to the nursing program. Then you are invited to take the TEAS test which has minimum requirements in each area but I'm sure those who are accepted score much higher. There are 40 people accepted each quarter so they just accept the top 40 scores. They used to require a 3.0 with higher penalty requirements if there are any repeats in the science classes. I am glad they lowered it and repeats are no longer penalized! Still though a 2.85 is basically a B average which is a challenge in itself. All of the nursing schools in Washington state are so very competitive and I literally lose sleep at night worrying if I can do this. I want it so badly that I would actually consider moving out of state to attend school elsewhere. It would put a ton of stress on my family and presents challenges of it's own but I will have to cross that bridge when I get there.
All this is just so overwhelming and I can see why so many people would give up. I won't give up though and am trying to stay focused on only one step at a time. Anatomy is 6 credits and will be the only class I am taking this quarter that way it can have my full attention. I am very excited but equally apprehensive for anatomy. It's going to be an exciting class and if there is one thing I am good at, it's memorization so hopefully I will do just fine!
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