School thoughts

[ocelot]

I want to go to the nursing program at Humboldt State University. It seems to be pretty much a perfect fit interest-wise, and we've wanted to move to that area for years. It feels right.

On the other hand, it's a 3 year program after I finish the prerequisites, plus an extra semester of prerequisites. It's more expensive, both due to the increased length and the higher cost of the school.

If money were no object, I'd totally go for it. But it is.

From what I'm reading, there isn't generally a big pay difference between ASN and BSN. They're looking for an RN license, and that's it. It could make it more difficult to get hired in the first place, though. Management positions (which at this point is not my goal) generally require a BSN. More advanced degrees, such as Certified Nurse Midwife (which might be a goal), require a BSN first.

There are RN to BSN programs, including one at Humboldt. This is the most time consuming option (including prerequisites, 2.5 years for the AS, 4 for the BS, 4.5-5 for the AS-BS program). However, it's split up (the 2.5 years for the AS, and then another 2-3 years for the additional prereqs and nursing courses), so I'd have time to actually go earn some money in the interim, and it seems that a lot of these programs are at least partially distance education and designed to be done at least partially while working.

Admission to the Humboldt State program is score-based. They take the top 40 of the applicants (usually about 150-200). Sac City is lottery-based (1/3 of the class randomly selected from applicants who didn't make it in the previous semester, 2/3 randomly selected from all applicants). I'm not sure which is better for me, having no clue how I compare to the average Humboldt nursing applicant (I get most of the bonus points for Spanish, community service and so on, but I don't know how my grades or test scores will be in comparison) or how long it takes on average to get into the Sac City program.

I suppose I should go to one of their information sessions.

The other question is whether there is another program that I'd like (well, potentially like) as much as Humboldt's.

I wish I could just work on the prerequisites (which pretty much overlap) apply for both programs when it's time, and continue on with the Humboldt prerequisites if I don't get into the SCC program right away. But it makes a difference in what I do this summer. if I'm doing Humboldt, there's no real point in taking a class (at least not a lab class) this summer, as I'll need an extra semester to complete prerequisites anyways. Instead, I can get involved with the doula program again and get more community service hours. That's both something I'd like to do, and probably less stressfull on beeb overall. But if I'm doing SCC, I can finish all my prerequisites fall semester if I take a lab class during the summer.

I guess I really need to find out if you can apply to the SCC program while your prerequisites are still in progess (in other words, apply for the spring semester during fall). If I can't, then I have that extra semester anyways.

So yeah, sounds like getting more info is the next step.

And I just petitioned to get my lowest grade dropped from GPA calculations. That leads to the question of whether I should drop C or B grades that don't help my current objectives at all, but that I can't 100% rule out needing in the future. I guess this is another I'll have to ask about.

Comments

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

I would think that being a certified nurse-midwife would be right up your alley.

[therealocelot.livejournal.com]

Definitely not ruling it out, but since it isn't a decision I have to make until I'm ready to go for a Master's, I'm not making a decision about it until I've had more exposure to other things, you know?