I’m here for the ABSN and I regret it. You will deal with the most unresponsive, incompetent administration that will impede your experience and make it as difficult as possible. Facilities are ancient and it seems like at least half of the student body doesn’t care about their studies. Look elsewhere if you can.

I’m still waiting on another school, but I don’t think I’ll get in either since they favor current students over non-students. I’m upset and I most likely will have to wait until Fall 2027, unless I go to Rasmussen. Ive been told to stay far away as their class pass rate is 28% (78% nclex rate), but not being able to start pushes me back a year and as a 34 year old with a family, time is not on my side.

I figured I’d share a few things I’ve learned so far, especially for those heading into their second year. Some of these are things I wish I’d known earlier!

1. Be prepared to switch gears when it comes to studying.

Previously, I would prepare organized class notes ahead of time using the PowerPoints, add anything emphasized during lectures, and create a study guide from those notes. I’d complete the study guide thoroughly, and that was essentially how I prepared for exams. That system worked beautifully for me in 102.

However, once you get into third semester, particularly OB, you may find that your usual study methods simply aren’t realistic anymore.
OB is an amazing class, but the sheer volume of material is A LOT. There were times I had to read through the material or watch the recorded lectures, without taking notes, hoping something would stick in my brain. 😂 There simply wasn’t enough time to organize and document every little detail the way I normally would have liked.

My advice is to be flexible. If you’ve found a study method that works for you, that’s great! But don’t be afraid to adjust it when the workload changes. Sometimes getting through the material and understanding the bigger picture is more valuable than having perfectly organized notes.

As for the Med-Surg portion of third semester, I’ve only just started that class, so I can’t really speak on it yet. Maybe I’ll share an update later!

2. Be aware that instructors may be listed as TBA during registration.

During my first and second semesters, I was able to choose my instructors when registering for classes. Granted, registration was extremely competitive, but at least we knew who we were signing up with.

For third semester, however, all the instructors were listed as TBA. And from what I’ve seen, fourth semester appears to be the same.
I’m not sure why Malcolm X has started doing this, but just be aware!

3. There is an official way to submit compliments or complaints about instructors (or other school-related concerns).

This is something I actually didn’t know existed until this semester!

Of course, you can always communicate directly with your instructor or leave a review on Rate My Professors. However, if you have a praise or concern that you genuinely want documented and addressed, there is an official form you can submit.

From my understanding, these submissions go directly to the assistant dean, so this may be a more meaningful way to formally document an issue.
I’ll leave the link below:

🔗 https://applications.ccc.edu/compliments-and-complaints/

That said, I want to emphasize something that should be common sense.

Please use this responsibly.

Submitting a formal complaint can potentially affect someone’s professional reputation and livelihood. Personally, I would never report an instructor simply because they’re difficult, strict, or because I don’t particularly like them.

The only time I’ve felt the need to submit a formal complaint was when I was genuinely concerned that the quality of instruction was significantly interfering with my ability to succeed in nursing school. For context, nearly everyone I personally spoke with in my class had failed the first exam. The instructor was not following the calendar at all and was not even covering 1/3 of the materials listed the first 3 weeks. Combined with other concerns regarding instruction, I felt that the situation warranted a formal attention.

And remember, the form isn’t just for complaints! If you’ve had an amazing instructor who deserves recognition, that’s worth documenting too.

4. If anonymity is important to you, be careful about how you raise concerns.

This is another thing I wish I’d understood earlier.
If you’re planning to submit a complaint and maintaining your anonymity is extremely important to you, I would be cautious about discussing the issue directly with faculty members or communicating through email.

Even if you’re told that your identity will remain confidential, I wouldn’t automatically assume that anonymity is guaranteed. Because I have seen it fail before.

Just something to keep in mind!

5. Have your classes ready in your shopping cart BEFORE registration opens.

Registration at Malcolm X can be ridiculously competitive, especially when everyone is trying to get into particular sections.

One thing I’d recommend is adding all your desired classes to your shopping cart ahead of time. You can usually do this before registration officially opens.
From what I remember, you can also proceed through several additional steps before reaching the final submission button.

My suggestion? Get as close to that final submission step as the system allows.

That way, when registration opens, you have fewer steps to complete.

6. My experience with ATI: Fundamentals vs. OB and Mental Health

I remember being told by former students that Fundamentals ATI (second semester) is the hardest one, and now that I’ve taken Fundamentals, OB, and Mental Health, I can somewhat agree!

All three were challenging in their own ways, but I’ve completed Practice A and B for all three subjects, and I personally felt that the actual Fundamentals ATI was significantly harder than its practice exams. I didn’t feel quite the same level of difficulty gap with OB and Mental Health. Mental Health wasn’t too bad and personally felt that OB A & B were much harder than the actual exam.

Another thing I HIGHLY recommend, especially for Fundamentals, is doing lots of ATI Dynamic Quizzing questions!

I noticed several questions on my actual Fundamentals ATI that were extremely similar to, if not directly from, the Dynamic Quizzing questions I’d practiced. I genuinely think that was one of the biggest reasons I was able to pass Fundamentals relatively comfortably.

Interestingly, I didn’t notice nearly as much overlap with OB and Mental Health, so your experience may vary.

Anyway, that’s what I have for now!
Third semester has definitely required some adjustments, but I’m glad to be making progress. Just one more semester after this one! 🥹
I’ll probably share more once I’ve gotten further into Med-Surg.
Hopefully, some of this helps those of you getting ready for second year. And if anyone else has tips or experiences to share, feel free to add them!

Hi! I’m 31yo. Finished by Bachelor’s Degree in Kinesiology back in 2024 at UIC. I have about 1-2yrs left to use my prerequisites for admission (I read that schools only accept pre reqs completed within the last 7yrs prior to admission). Although I’m not a CNA, I have about 8 yrs experience working as a private-hired caregiver. I’ve also volunteered a few times while I was completing my BS in Kines. I understand that regardless of which program I pick, I’d have to start working bedside and will be paid roughly about the same as others that started on the same level. However, my goal is to have room in the future to “argue” for more pay after a couple of yrs of experience working bedside and maybe transition to a remote job (perhaps an admin position).

Regarding choosing which program to get into, I’m not sure if I should do Associate’s as it is more practical (tuition wise) or soldier on and just go straight with DE MSN, more expensive but more opportunities later on according to my research (pls correct me though if Im wrong). With the accelerated BSN, I’ve heard that some hospitals would pay for a Master’s while working with them so even if I do ta accelerated BSN I can pursue the Master’s later on with the hospital’s help, is this common or still true to this day? As mentioned, I’m already 31 and I guess one of my priorities is just to finish school asap and get a job.

Hi! I’m 31yo. Finished by Bachelor’s Degree in Kinesiology back in 2024 at UIC. I have about 1-2yrs left to use my prerequisites for admission (I read that schools only accept pre reqs completed within the last 7yrs prior to admission). Although I’m not a CNA, I have about 8 yrs experience working as a private-hired caregiver. I’ve also volunteered a few times while I was completing my BS in Kines. I understand that regardless of which program I pick, I’d have to start working bedside and will be paid roughly about the same as others that started on the same level. However, my goal is to have room in the future to “argue” for more pay after a couple of yrs of experience working bedside and maybe transition to a remote job (perhaps an admin position).

Regarding choosing which program to get into, I’m not sure if I should do Associate’s as it is more practical (tuition wise) or soldier on and just go straight with DE MSN, more expensive but more opportunities later on according to my research (pls correct me though if Im wrong). With the accelerated BSN, I’ve heard that some hospitals would pay for a Master’s while working with them so even if I do ta accelerated BSN I can pursue the Master’s later on with the hospital’s help, is this common or still true to this day? As mentioned, I’m already 31 and I guess one of my priorities is just to finish school asap and get a job.

How difficult would you say the TEAS test is? I just bought the standard $99 practice test and study guide bundle and hope to take my test by the end of this year. I got A’s in anatomy, physiology, microbiology, and statistics. Im taking chemistry right now and I’ll probably do fine but it’s a hybrid class and I just cannot stay disciplined in hybrid classes like a real class so I have a B right now. Im usually a pretty strong test taker and plan to study well so I’m not super worried, but I’m just curious as to what people who have already taken it think.

Anyone have experience with bio 156 or even 201 at Rio Salado in the last few years?

I’ve done very well on everything but the Exams, they are dragging me big! Part of them feels disconnected from lessons, if you can call them that, and they are so ass backwards line they tryyyy to trick you or something and want you to trip up. I know that sounds ridiculous but just trying to give an idea oh how difficult they make it for a course you’re basically teaching yourself.

Idk what to do to get a grasp on the exams because I’m am studyingggg hard and re-reading and quizzing and none of the shit hardly helps. Halppp?!

Hi everyone, I just recently took my TEAS and got an 85.3% on my first try. I know this score is in the advanced range but I’m debating whether or not I should retake it.

Two of the ABSN programs I’m applying to require the TEAS. My top choice only requires a level of proficient or better and the other program requires a 78% or higher. Should I retake it and aim for a better score to make my application more competitive, or will a couple of extra points not make that much of a difference?

Anybody attend herzing . What are you guys studying for hesi exam for funds,
, mental health

The more research goes into this the less clear the answer feels. ADN progs are shorter and cheaper upfront but a lot of hospitals list BSN preferred for new grads and tye bridge becomes another step to figure out while already working ft as a nurse. Going straight for BSN solves that but it a longet commitment from zero healthcare experience and costs more upfront. The part that is hard to figure out from the outside is whether BSN preference is enforced at the point of hire or whether it shows up more in promotions and pay later?

And whether bridge progs are realistically finishable whilr working a full nursimg schedule or whether people end up dragging them out for years. For anyone who made this decision which way did you go and would you go the same way again?

Sooo I’m currently a CNA I’m also a cosmetologist and have been a cosmetology instructor. I have ADHD and possibly autism but high functioning. That being said I have traits that make it really beneficial to be in school such as hyper focus. I did my CNA fairly quickly it was all I focused on and got done in about 90 days able to pass my state boards and all that.

I do well with more on my hands but had a hard year in 2025 due to fraud and being scammed out of a lot of money. That being said I have always been frugal and done well with my own financial situations. I focused 2026 on getting back on my feet and saving and have worked 60+ hour weeks since October of 2025 which I absolutely love.

I tend to be a workaholic but I attribute it to my ADHD and being able to be all in and whatever I focus on. I have been laid off from several jobs in the past but do well at my current jobs in healthcare. I have 2 jobs right now and I work overnights, I have the downtime and availability to do school right now so I’m highly considering going back to school to get my RN.

I have wanted to get a formal education for a while and mostly didn’t after cosmetology school (I thought I would go back and become a psych major) but I loved cosmetology and was very good at it so I put my sole focus into working and getting a good job.

During COVID I was out of work with the salons closed and got into caregiving which lead me to get my CNA and the consistency in income and all that helped a lot. I went through a divorce in 2024 and feel like I’m back on my feet and putting myself first for the first years in a while and am considering going back to school to get my RN.

Basically community college or Weber state is what I’m recommended with living in Salt Lake City utah and wanting to do the most affordable option. I have been working a lot and more than one job at a time which works well for me for some odd reason. Trying to date has been hard and I really just am not interested in putting my focus into that, I feel like the right person will come in the right time but I just was wondering recommendations or something maybe experiences as to whether continuing working and going back to school or just working more with the free time I do have?

I’m single, no kids, 36, don’t have much of a social life being sober and I am fine with that but want to be putting my time into productive things for my future and with not having much family or friends I wanted to see what the Reddit world thought.

I want to become a nurse. But I have many repeats, 3 withdrawals,and 6 failed grades. I have bipolar disorder with psychosis, I’m now medicated. but when I took those classes I was manic and psychotic for years and fucked up my course history. My academic advisor says I still have a chance, an that I’m not disqualified from becoming a nurse. But I have to pass with a 90 on the teas test to get in. I fucked up everything, I don’t even know if I could ever be a nurse.

Hi everyone! I’m posting anonymously because this is a personal situation, and I’d really appreciate honest advice from people who have experience with Queensborough Community College’s nursing program or other CUNY nursing programs. I’m currently finishing my Health Science degree at QCC, and my goal is to start a nursing program in Spring 2027. This is my second time applying to QCC’s nursing program, and I’m honestly scared that I might not get accepted again or that other CUNY nursing programs might not consider me because of my academic history. Nursing has been my dream, and my long-term goal is to become an RN, continue my education, and eventually earn my doctorate. I know it’s a long journey, but I’m willing to put in the work. I’m not expecting anything to be handed to me. I just want the opportunity to prove myself.

My academic history and what happened

My academic journey hasn’t been perfect. I experienced personal hardships during college, and those circumstances affected my grades. I started college during COVID, immediately after graduating from high school, and struggled with the transition to college. When I first took Anatomy and Psychology 101 in 2020, I didn’t attend either class. I didn’t understand how college worked, how to navigate Blackboard, or how to drop or withdraw from a class when I wasn’t attending. I didn’t know how to handle the situation or where to get the help I needed, and I ended up failing both courses. I recognize that not attending class was a mistake, and I’m not trying to avoid responsibility for that. At the time, I was inexperienced with college and dealing with personal hardships, and I didn’t have the knowledge or guidance I needed to navigate the situation properly. I attempted Anatomy again but withdrew. When I took it another time in 2023, I earned a D-. I took the course during the summer, which I later realized wasn’t the best decision because it was extremely accelerated. I was also still dealing with personal challenges that affected my ability to focus on school. I also had withdrawals from Anatomy and Physiology coursework, including an earlier attempt at A&P II.

Taking time to heal and confirm that nursing was right for me

Before returning to retake these courses, I decided to take a step back from school and give myself time to heal from the personal challenges I was experiencing. I needed time to work through those circumstances, reflect on my future, and make sure I was in a better place to continue my education. During that time, I earned my EKG and phlebotomy certifications and gained healthcare-related experience. I wanted to explore the medical field and make sure nursing was genuinely what I wanted to pursue. That experience confirmed it for me. Nursing is exactly what I want to do. Taking that time wasn’t about giving up on my education; it was about working on myself, gaining experience, and returning to school with a clearer sense of purpose. When I returned, I was more mature, more focused, and better prepared to take responsibility for my education.

How I strengthened my academic foundation

When I returned to school, I didn’t simply repeat the same classes without changing anything. I wanted to strengthen my foundation and prepare myself better for the science courses I had struggled with. I took additional science coursework and earned strong grades before retaking Anatomy and Physiology I. I also took chemistry courses, including General Chemistry I, and earned an A in General Chemistry I. Chemistry wasn’t necessarily required for my intended nursing pathway, but I wanted to challenge myself and build my knowledge of the sciences. After strengthening my foundation, I retook Anatomy and Physiology I and earned an A-. I also earned an A- in Anatomy and Physiology II. I continued working hard in my other courses as well. Some of my improved grades include:

Anatomy and Physiology I: A- on my most recent attempt
Anatomy and Physiology II: A-
English 101: B+
English 102: A on the retake after initially failing
Psychology 101: A on the retake after previously earning lower grades
Psychology 220: B+
Statistics: A-
Algebra: A
Microbiology: B, taken during the summer

I’m proud of the progress I’ve made. I know my earlier grades and withdrawals are part of my transcript, and I’m not trying to hide them or avoid responsibility. I want people to understand the circumstances behind those grades and recognize the work I’ve done since then. I experienced hardships, but I didn’t let them stop me. I took time to heal, gained healthcare experience, confirmed my career choice, returned to school, and worked to improve my academic performance. I’m not the same student I was when I first started college.

My current GPA, entrance exam, and appeal

My current GPA is 2.947, according to my most recent transcript. I expect it to reach approximately 3.1 by the end of Fall 2026 after completing four additional elective classes for my Health Science degree. I’m also graduating with that degree this fall. I recently retook the NLN NEX entrance exam and scored 249 out of 300. I’ve also submitted an appeal requesting reconsideration of my attempted grades because I hope my academic improvement and repeated coursework will be taken into consideration. This is my second time applying to QCC’s nursing program, so I’m nervous about what will happen. I want to understand whether my academic improvement can make a difference and whether I should be considering other CUNY nursing programs at the same time.

Why QCC means so much to me

QCC has become more than just a school to me. I’ve built meaningful connections, become involved in the campus community, participated in different activities, and developed a sense of belonging there. I also work on campus. QCC genuinely feels like home. I’ve invested so much into the school, and I’ve grown as a student and as a person during my time there. I really want the opportunity to continue my education at QCC and eventually enter its nursing program. I know that being involved on campus doesn’t guarantee admission, but being part of this community has made me even more determined to continue my education there. I want to finish where I started, and it would mean so much to continue building on the relationships and community I’ve developed while working toward my nursing degree.

My financial situation and future goals

Another major concern is finances. I cannot afford private nursing schools. I have a full scholarship for CUNY that makes continuing my education financially possible, and QCC is where I really want to pursue nursing. I’m scared that if I don’t get accepted into QCC or another CUNY nursing program, I won’t know what to do next. I want to be considered for QCC’s nursing program, especially because I’ve invested so much into the school and worked hard to improve my academic record. My goal is to start nursing school in Spring 2027, become an RN, continue advancing in the profession, and eventually earn my doctorate. I’m willing to work for that future, but I need a financially realistic path to get there.

I’d really appreciate honest advice

Has anyone been accepted into QCC nursing on their second application after being rejected the first time? Has anyone had multiple attempts, withdrawals, or failing grades on their transcript but eventually been accepted after improving their grades? Does QCC consider academic improvement and personal circumstances when reviewing an appeal, or are decisions based primarily on specific admissions criteria? With my current 2.947 GPA, expected GPA of approximately 3.1, and NLN NEX score of 250/300, 91st percentile what should I realistically know about my chances at QCC or other CUNY nursing programs? Has anyone successfully appealed a nursing admissions decision or had repeated-course grades considered? Which CUNY nursing programs should I investigate if I want to start in Spring 2027?

If you were in my position, would you continue pursuing QCC while applying to other CUNY nursing programs? I’m not asking anyone to guarantee me admission, and I’m not looking for empty reassurance. I want realistic advice, even if it’s not what I want to hear. At the same time, I hope people can understand that an imperfect academic history doesn’t necessarily mean someone lacks the ability, determination, or maturity to succeed. I had a difficult start in college, experienced personal hardships, and made mistakes while trying to navigate a system I didn’t fully understand. But I took responsibility for moving forward. I took time to heal, earned my EKG and phlebotomy certifications, gained healthcare experience, confirmed that nursing was what I wanted, returned to school, strengthened my science foundation, and improved my grades. I’m a hard worker, and I don’t give up easily. I don’t want my past to determine my present or my future. I hope my story can be seen as one of perseverance and growth rather than judged solely by the student I was in 2020. I genuinely want the opportunity to become a nurse, and I’m hoping to find a program where I can continue that journey without putting myself in an impossible financial situation.

Thank you to anyone willing to share their experience or offer advice. I truly appreciate it.

Hello! I’ve a prereq nursing student who decided to sign up for Nursify AI. I don’t think it’s a helpful tool for me so I’ve trying to cancel with no success. No one is answering my email and they charged me again!! Has anyone else had this issue with Nursify AI? I need help on how to cancel with them. I’m considering getting legal involved. I feel like I’ve been scammed

Has anyone gotten their approval from moorpark yet? I got an email that says fall 2026 application period has concluded but nothing about spring 2027.