Really thinking about UNH...

God, I just don't seem to know what I want to do with my life, do I? *sigh* I'm really thinking of taking my nursing program at UNH, its just extremely competitive...however.. it is a tad bigger than Great Bays. I emailed the head under grad professer last night and she answered me back:

"Crystal
Are you in the great bay nursing program? If so you have duel admissions to the UNH BS program and would finish Great Bay is two years then enter UNH for the completion program. It is competitive to get into the nursing program either as a direct admit or transfer. Students who are internal candidates (already enrolled at UNH) have a better chance of transferring in. There is a transfer meeting on February 4. Admissions determines requirements eg., SAT so you can contact them
Pam D"

So theres two routes I COULD take... I could bust my ass to get into Great Bay's Nursing program and then go straight to UNH to get my BS... or I could transfer to UNH and then transfer in to the Nursing program... *sigh* And in that case, I really need to see when I can take my damn SATs.

Registered!

I am NOW OFFICIALLY a student of Great Bay Community College! I'll be taking English Comp. and Ethics online, I am wayyyy excited. My blackboard account is set up and everything, I couldnt be happier!

Placement Testing!

So I got back on track with my school stuff, and took my placement testing yesterday at the school! I was REALLY nervous about the math section, REALLLLY nervous. And even the English at first I was like "ermm...what am I doing?" its been awhile since I've been in a student setting, almost three years to be exact!

The English was a cinch for the most part, and even the essay was easy, I think I wrote about 600 words and got an 8/8, thats the highest score possible! WOOOO! So I scored myself into an Honors English Class which doesnt surprise me because I took AP English 12 my senior year of high school and English is my thing! I excel in it! I should REALLY be a freaking English major...but... I would rather be delivering babies :)

The Math started out in like Elementary Algebra and then advanced to college algebra and stayed there. Now...I failed Algebra my freshman year, had to retake it sophomore year, passed and took geometry my Senior (remember I graduated a year early) year, so I have absolutely NO background in College Algebra...2!!!!! The CAPS advisor said I tested into Algebra II! I FREAKING GUESSED on half of it! I guess, I am a good guesser, lol. So anyways, I just have to take and successfully complete (with a grade of C or better) MATH 090 which is Developmental Algebra II before I can take Topics in Applied Mathematics. Pretty damn good people.

So my steps from here? I need to see if part of my grant can pay for my tuition deposit so I can register for my classes! SQUEEEE!

Oh, and I have decided to take this semester solely online. I will take English Comp. I, Intro to Psychology and Children & the Media (humanities elective).

I don't know what my issue is.

For some odd reason in my life, I get very gung-ho about things and then I find something else to be gung-ho about & forget about the first thing... as what happened when I started planning our party. I need to be well rounded, and I guess I am going to try that. I am being very optomistic in thinking that I would get accepted for Fall 2010's nursing class, so instead of stressing myself about taking my NLN in December, I am going to take a deep breath, study, but not take it just yet. I would fail it and then I would have to take the damn thing all over again and instead of using $70 it would be wasting $140. I have decided instead to take my Doula workshop in December, and start school half time in January and have my pre-req crap done in order to start Nursing 2011. Not a bad idea, plus I can start working to get my Doula Certification & work per diem with that and go to school at the same time. Yay me. So in order to be well prepared for that, I need to finish reading two books, easy peasy. But I NEED to remember to keep reviewing my NLN guide at the same time. I really need to well round myself.

My Doula workshop is $450, but we can afford it in November, after the party. And luckily, I know some pregnant women who are due after that and maybe they would mind me attending their births? I need to attend three in order to get my doula certification.

So here we go with the original plan & the second plan as one big plan, if that makes any sense, haha.

Honored!

It's 1:37 am and I couldn't resist making a blog entry!! My 1960s teacher from Upward Bound 2006 told me she would be one of my references & advocate for whatever I need. She works in the history dept. of UNH! She also said that she doesn't give out random compliments or take them lightly and told me to take it to heart... She wrote "don't worry about your exams... You're one of the brightest students I've ever taught. You can do anything. Remember that." that sooooo made my night. That made up for my missed study time due to Lilly screaming.

Got more studying done tonight. Out of the 119 math questions I did today, I got an 85% of them correct! Yay! I don't know what that translates to for the NLN but I did pretty well! All three subjects tomorrow :]

MCC & LRCC!

OMG theres a little hope! Manchester Community College & Lakes Region Community College do not, I repeat DO NOT have waiting lists!! HOW EXCITING is that!?!?!? Just wanted everyone to know. Manchester would probably be better to travel to.

Now I just need to get a ROCKIN' NLN score :)

One of those days.

Today is one of those days where I'd like to RUN AWAY from everything, to relax and get something product done. Like for example, some math review that I SO DESPRETELY NEED and can't do because my demon toddler is REFUSING to nap and instead is screaming in her crib. I need a break, I'm sorry. I cannot attend to her every second, I absolutely NEED to study this or I am screwed. I HAVE to get into nursing school for next fall, I absolutely HAVE to and in order to do that I have to study my ASS OFF. Does my daughter understand this? Well of course not, she's 16 months old. But christ, I wish she had a mute button or sleep button, I cannot work under these conditions.

How sad is it that a (almost) 20 year old forgot how to multiply & divide fractions or convert fractions into decimals?? ITS VERY SAD and EXCEEDINGLY pathetic. So you see, in trying to better myself for my personal goals and my family's wellbeing, I absolutely NEED to study this stupid math, because I MUST get a 50 or better in that section on my NLN...I absolutely HAVE TO.

On the bright side, I did get a bunch done this morning, more than usual, so I guess all in all it was okay, but I was trying to do something pretty challenging this afternoon and all shes done is scream. I hate that cry, it annoys the shit out of me. So obnoxious.

Waiting Lists & NLN studying

So apparently theres a stupid year waiting list for Great Bay's Nursing program. This fall is already full! Thats just not fair. And next fall is already filling up!! Although the tech in Laconia doesnt do the stupid waiting list crap, so I will apply there, Great Bay and Manchester CC. Fun Fun. Which also means I am going to have to take my NLN earlier to ensure that I have my scores in time. FUNNNN. Not so much. I completed the first English & Math sections yesterday... 83% for the English and 75% for the math...still working on the science. Although they do have a big review section about science, I just need to finish looking it over and such. So yep, I have a ton going on right now! I am still going to school in January and my Papa reassured me that he is so proud of me :) That made me feel good.

Got my NLN Study Guide!

Thursday Andrew & I drove to Manchester to pick up my NLN PAX study guide... wow does it have a lot of information! And LOTS of practice tests which is great. I got a notebook, some pens & highlighters as well to help me study. So far Ive done some reading comprehension sections and defined words I didnt know, some math sections and didnt do THAT bad, and a science section which I sortof did okay.

Alot of my family brought up school at my cousin's son's birthday party Saturday, that made me feel good. My mom told me to work hard on studying for my NLN because its so hard, so I gotta keep focused and work hard. My workshop is this upcoming month and my exam is in December.

My grandfathers wife was asking how my school stuff was coming along and said that they were both supporting me and that I will make a wonderful nurse midwife someday! I CAN DO THIS!

Although last night when I was working on some reading comp in my study guide and feeling like crap (I swear I have retrograde mensturation!) and in a ton of pain while Lilly wouldnt settle down and sleep, I failed almost every question I worked on :( That sucks, royally. Ive been out of school so long!

Getting my NLN PAX Study Guide Today

Andrew gets paid today and I just put on hold the NLN Pre entrance exam study guide at Barnes & Noble, yayyyy me! I need start studying, I HAVE to pass that exam!! So I figure if I start reviewing NOW...it will give me an advantage! I should also get a notebook to practice! I heard this test is hell on wheels, but at the same time... my mother passed it and so did my cousin so Im not so sure how hard it really is? Whatever, I still need to study it, absolutely. Im am NO GOOD with math, so I really need to concentrate on that.

Loan is still processing and beginning the certification process, wonder when I will hear from financial aid again? Soon enough I suppose.

$72 a test! WHAAAATTT?!

Omg, what a mess. So I got an email back about CLEP testing... its $72 a TEST! WHAT?! That is very expensive for a damn test! But I guess it would be less than taking English, which would be $732, so thats considerably less, but STILL. French would be $549 so I guess it would be less in the long run. Okay, so I DO save $1137, so why am I bitching exactly? Ugh. Plus I dont know WHAT they are testing for on the French one...are they testing advanced french or entry level? I dunno, still waiting for an email back.

Pre-Reqs & Such

So Ive been looking over the course catelogue for school and found something called a CLEP exam which you can take in several subjects, and perhaps I can take English and French, which would eliminate two of my classes should I pass the exams. I took French for years in school, and already took college level English (AP English 12) but never took the AP exam (Im an idiot!). So that would help IMMENSELY if I could do that!

I found out that there is a pre-req to Topics in Applied Mathematics and its Developmental Algebra II with a C or better or adequate placement testing scores... which I suck at math, so Im going to have to take the Developmental Algebra I bet, oh joy.

My stafford loan crap is being processed I guess, which is good, my loan status is "Borrower Application Complete--Certification in Process"

College; A Huge Success in my family

The only person in my family that had successfully completed any college is my maternal Grandfather, my Papa. He has his bachelors in some sort of Forestry. No one else in my family has graduated from college, in fact a lot havent even completed highschool. My mom got her GED when I was about 7 and took most of her nursing classes but dropped out because my brother Dilyn was born, my Dad dropped out of highschool and never got a GED, my grandmother never finished highschool I think, my paternal grandparents either. My cousin went for like a semester of college and didnt finish. My siblings are all too young, all in elementary & middle school, which the exception of my half sister Tiara whos a freshman this year.

So it is a very big deal when someone in my family even GOES to college. I had sent an email to my Papa a while back when I first applied to GBCC. He called me a few weeks ago while on vacation to tell me how proud of me he was that I would be starting college in January. I told him my master plan and how much school I had to do and he told me, "Crystal, you can do it!", and I totally needed those encouraging words.

My Papa has been the "male" figure in my life. My father was 18 when I was born and took off, my mom was just 17. He has been there since the very moment I was born and all the things that have happened, he's just given me a hug, some words of encouragement and supported me. He is truley amazing, I owe so much to my Papa. I love him so much.

Tentative Schedule

Heres a tentative schedule I made up, probably wont be like this at all though.

This vs. the 3 year plan... anyone have any ideas??


Sample Course Schedule Spring 2010-Spring 2012

Spring 2010
--INT101 College Success Seminar (required) 1 credit
--BIOL110 Anatomy & Physiology I 4 credits
--PSYC110 Introduction to Psychology 3 credits

--FREN110 French I (might take French II, since I took French all through school) 3 credits

Summer 2010

--BIOL210 Microbiology 4 credits
--MATH145 Topics in Applied Mathematics (hopefully...if I get a high enough score on my placement tests, Im terrible in math) 3 credits


Fall 2010
--BIOL120 Anatomy & Physiology II 4 credits
--NURS111 Nursing I 9 credits


Spring 2011
--NURS112 Nursing II 9 credits
--PSYC210 Human Growth & Development 3 credits



Fall 2011
--NURS211 Nursing III 9 credits
--ENG116 Introduction to Drama (English Elective) 3 credits

Spring 2012
--NURS212 Nursing IV 9 credits
--ENG110 College Composition (which I may not have to take, since I took in highschool, but didnt take the AP exam) 4 credits


GRADUATION!

Master Promissary Note: Signed!

HOOOOORAY! What a relief. Yesterday I contact SallieMae complaining that my info wasnt changed, well I checked a little while ago and it was ALLLLL set! Hooray! So yep, I signed my Master Promissary Note today and boy am I happy about it! One more thing on my list DONE! They did use my signature from 2007 but w/e, I dont really care anymore, its there issue now, ya know?

Hoping to go to the health and human services department in Rochester next week to get childcare funds for Lilly to go to school, while I go to school! It works out quite well and I guess we've decided on Dover Childrens Center :] Things are finally coming together!

Not next week but the week after I really need to get my placement testing out of the way so I can figure out where my classes fit and if I need to take a math refresher course before Topics in Applied Mathematics.

The Journey Begins...

I cannot even begin to tell you how often I have applied for Great Bay Community College...I think this last time was #4? Haha, Ive lost count. I applied twice in highschool, once last November and just this past August. So in short, Ive been accepted every time.

I did rather well in highschool, well the last two years anyway. I graduated Dover Highschool in 3 years, ahead of my class! I was supposed to graduate in 2008, but did exceptionally well my Sophomore year that I applied for early graduation for the following year and got it. Thats a pretty awesome and incredible thing to do. I was the youngest in my class :)

Now begins my college journey and the hell I am going to have to go through to get there. My best friend Amy and I wanted to do the same thing (Nurse Midwifery) but she learned how much school was attached to it and said she didnt want to school her life away and that is her prerogative. I, on the other hand, want to do this! This is who I was BORN to be! It NEEDS to happen, and I WILL get there!!!!

Well, Amy and I have been discussing our first step, our RN's. Associates that is. The entire program takes two years but they say to do it in 3 because of the course load. But I got to thinking... other moms are fulltime college moms ALL THE TIME! Its not like I have a whole brood of children, just Lilly and I think it'll work, so what I am planning to do is: Attend an NLN exam workshop in November, take the NLN exam in December, start school in January, Apply to the nursing program in February, take classes over the summer & start nursing 1 and another class in the fall (if I get accepted, please lord may I pass my NLN!). I am hoping and praying that I do pass it, I just need to study hard! Its a lot of math and science and those arent my strong points...Wait, why do I wanna do this again? Haha.

Ive been working on some financial aid lately and two years ago I was planning on attending Macintosh College for Medical Assisting. Well I had the loans approved & everything, but that school was going bankrupt so i said CANCEL THOSE LOANS!!! And they did. Well I went to reapply with SallieMae yesterday and my maiden name is still on there records because its attached to my social security number. Long story short I was on hold for 20, talked for 10 and had to fax a copy of my social security card & ID to there record keeper or w/e. I am hoping to sign my master promissary note at some point this week.

We went and looked at Dover Childrens Center yesterday and I have friends that work there. I think Lilly will like it. Now, we just need to go and apply for daycare assistance through the state and BEFORE October 1st!!