The Nursing Program: How To Be A Competitive Candidate

This one is for my prospective nursing students from the class of 2019! I have been getting several emails and messages on Hope on Facebook regarding applying to the nursing program, so I thought I’d blog about it! It’s all in a Q & A format. At the end, I also have some advice from current junior and senior students. I hope you all find this useful, future Hope nurses.

1. How difficult is it to get into the program?

No sugar coating here. Hope College’s nursing program is a competitive one. And as the years go on, it gets even more competitive. Because more people hear about how amazing the program is, more people apply. Simple math. But the department can only take a handful of students. These students are the ones who are the most competitive in the applicant pool. To answer this question, it is competitive to get into the program, but for good reason!

2. When do you apply for the nursing program?

Great question! Applications can be found on the nursing website and the application process starts in the FALL of your freshman year. Applications are due SPRING of you freshman year. Details on application dates can be found on the nursing website. Applications come out early so you can perfect it. It is important to establish connections and relationships with your professors and faculty because you will NEED references, so make them great ones! When you submit your application, your grades from fall semester play an important role. There is a GPA requirement, so you’ll need to do well in your classes. Also, you will have to take a test, termed the TEAS. This merely measures foundational knowledge so it will give the department an understanding of your knowledge.

3. What classes should I take for pre-nursing?

Read up, this is important! If you are applying for the program, make sure you apply for the classes that are needed to apply for the program. The department has established a “Plan of Study.” This outlines which classes need to be taken each semester in order to graduate. It also lists the name of the classes and whether they are offered only during the fall, spring, or both semesters. When you register for classes later on, you will know for sure which classes to take!

Now, for some advice! I hope these quotes will help you out!

As a freshman you’re excited about being away at college for the first time and there’s so much freedom & opportunities that can fill up your time. Although it’s important to build friendships & find extra curriculars you enjoy, school & grades are important in your first semester at Hope if you’re going to apply to the nursing program. I would recommend maybe picking one extracurricular your first semester to give yourself a break from homework, but focus on school. That first semester is a quick 4 months that can effect the rest of your college career; have fun but work hard so you have the grades to show you’re committed & deserve a spot in this wonderful program. – Junior Nursing Student

Advice #2

Involvement in volunteer services is key! Gain experience through shadowing opportunities, volunteering in the community and CNA/medical office work. Buy the TEAS study guide book and use it to take practice questions. It will help to boost your score on the TEAS as well as prepare you first NCLEX-style questions in nursing school. – Junior Nursing Student

 

Advice #3

Get ready to work your butt off. It’s going to be difficult at times, and you will definitely want to quit. I have thought about quitting on several occasions. But the result of working hard is success! Because of my hard work, I was able to have great grades and was accepted into the program. Make sure to focus on academics, but get involved. That’s why its hard. Involvement makes you a well-rounded individual, and those make the best nurses.

-Senior Nursing Student

 

I hope that this blog gives you some comfort about the application process. If you have any more questions, please please please do not hesitate to email me or message me. I tweet and post instagram pics quite often regarding my everyday life in the nursing program. If you want to follow me on Twitter at @HopeMarvin15 or follow me on Instagram at MarvSolberg, that’s always an option!

My friend Molly and me as freshmen. Now are are seniors in the nursing program!
My friend Molly and me as freshmen. Now are are seniors in the nursing program!

Rest in Peace, Tree.

On December 17, 2014, we lost a big presence on the Hope College campus. Its loss has changed the scenery and displaced many squirrels. Its vibrant colors added to the bright ambiance of the campus in the fall. As winter came, despite its change in appearance, it was a familiar sight on the hill beside Van Vleck.

I would like to dedicate this post to the Giant Tree.

On December 17, 2014 we lost a big presence on the Hope College campus. Its vibrant colors added to the bright ambiance of the campus in the fall. As winter came, despite its change in appearance, it was a familiar sight on the hillside beside Van Vleck. Its loss has changed the scenery and displaced many squirrels. I would like to dedicate this post to the giant tree.
The Giant Tree is on the right side of this image that I took when visiting Hope my senior year of high school.

I live in Van Vleck Hall so on the 17th, the day the tree was cut down, our Residence Director, Mary Cantor, posted on Facebook about mourning the loss of the giant tree. Mary was told there was a mold problem so the tree had to be cut down. Comments flooded the post about the sadness of losing such a great, old tree. It stood on Hope’s campus for 144 years! That’s just four years after the College’s founding.

Looking through my own photos from my first semester the Giant Tree made its way into my memories.

The Giant Tree’s branches are featured in this sunset picture I took from my window on Van Vleck’s 3rd floor.
On a snowy midnight stroll in November I took this picture of the Giant Tree in Hope’s winter wonderland
I took this picture at one of Mary’s apartment open house parties in the fall. This was the view from her porch with the Giant Tree

Mary posted some photos of the “graveyard’ after the tree was taken down.

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Then this weekend my friend and I ventured over to its stump. Even that slight remnant is huge – I couldn’t take a picture of the whole stump while standing on it.

Me on the Giant Tree’s stump.
It was so big I couldn’t take a picture of the whole thing while standing on it.

The tree was impressive. It’s sad to see it go, but maybe in the spring we can plant a new one. And in 144 years Hope’s campus will once again have a towering presence on the hill beside Van Vleck.

I hope you have a fabulous Friday!
~Erin

You can follow me @HopeErin18 on Twitter @e_delaney333 on Instagram for pictures and thoughts from my life at Hope. 🙂

What Moves You?

Being a senior has a lot of perks, such as knowing the ins and outs of campus, having strong relationships with people in your classes, and generally feeling like you know what’s going on. Another perk I never really thought about was being able to look back on the previous four years and see how you’ve grown as a person.

In my Senior Seminar class, we had to write a paper called “What Moves Me.” The purpose of this assignment was to look introspectively on your life and identify what values you have and what motivates you in your life. I had never really thought about myself in so much depth, so I can already tell that this class will really allow for a lot of internal reflection, which is great!

Today in class we shared a summary of our papers with each other in small groups and it was really interesting to see how people look at themselves. There were certain people who pinpointed their values as a characteristic, such as loyalty, while others were moved through specific events in their lives that really shaped their character and personality. For me, I was able to use a combination of these two methods by realizing that what moves me are the values instilled in me at a young age.

Various events in my life have taken place that highlight what things are most important to me. These values I cherish the most include trust, being kind to others, and looking out for my well-being and others in everything I do. I find it extremely effective gathering in groups and talking about our lives and what makes us “us.” I have never been in another class where the topic is based solely on ourselves and assignments are for our personal growth instead of being driven by class standards and trying to simply get a good grade. I actually care about this class because the more effort you put in, the more you get back and learn about yourself!

If you are unfamiliar with the structure of this Senior Seminar class, let me give a brief description. Freshman year, every student is in a class called FYS (First Year Seminar) where they are being introduced to the liberal arts education. Fast forward to senior year and you take another class reflecting on FYS as well as the past four years. This class is designed to analyze your progress and growth as an individual and a student. The main assignment the Senior Seminar class is structured around the Life View paper, where you write about your life and it’s specific events in a 25-paged or so paper. Pretty intimidating, but I’m definitely looking forward to seeing how I analyze my life and what has impacted me the most. Something else that makes the class really great is that you know a good amount of people in your class, so opening up to people is easier and more effective class discussions take place, which is much better than when people are scared to speak up.

I hope this blog has inspired you to look at yourself objectively and see what makes you the way you are. Personally, I find it interesting and amazing to see what has caused me to become the person I am today and in what ways I have remained the same since childhood. The values I had as a kid simply adjusted to my current lifestyle and I continue to carry out these beliefs and way of living. I believe it is highly beneficial to take moments every once in a while to sit down and analyze your life just for the heck of it because you may be surprised to discover something new about yourself.

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter @hopeleslie15.

FINANCIAL TIPS FOR STUDENTS!!!!

Hello Hello Helloooo!

I am Forrest, the newest Blogger and I’d like to share with everyone what I have been working on during these cold, icy days.

Budgetting! Woooooo. NO MORE IMPULSE BUYING.big_9424e990d16d234fe3c61b02c4a3fc4a6471a006

It is important to always remember to be proactive about your bank accounts everyone.

I would like to spend a few moments and confess that shopping therapy is my favorite kind of therapy during weeks when exams and papers dominate my life.  My philosophy is: “TREAT YO SELF” moments are important to remaining healthy and motivated.  Going out occasionally for an ice cream or a dinner at the CityVu Bistro (such a nice view of Holland) can really make a rough day more relaxing.  However, I am often prone to making these special nights on my own or with my girlfriend the new standard and am tempted, making every night possible a “TREAT YO SELF” moment therefore destroying the special value behind the experience.  So here are some tips on how I analyze my spending habits and not have to worry about paying for emergency laptop repairs.

1. USE CASH.

Yeah, simple right? I am pretty lazy and I personally do not like having to go to the ATM to withdraw cash, but I have found that if I leave my debit/credit card(s) at home, I’m forced into a position where I must count the pennies leaving my pocket rather than just swiping the card. You feel the weight of your wallet lighten with each day and it forces you to reconsider whether that 4-dollar coffee from your local coffee shop is really worth 4 dollars (buy a coffee machine, you save so much after the initial cost of purchase). By limiting yourself to a certain amount of cash per ATM visit, you can successfully save 70% of your paycheck for something bigger than coffee and before you know it, you’ll have the purchasing power to pay off student debts, fix your car, buy books, or invest in a personal hobby.

2. CREDIT CARDS.

So, now you are a student, but it is never too early to build your FICO score. Credit cards may have a bad rap, but keep in mind the people that are giving credit cards a hard time probably don’t know how to use one. Credit cards have many benefits to college students, “Discover” often do not require a FICO score and will give 5% cashback opportunities on purchases for gas or office supplies. The only time credit companies will charge you is if you are late on your monthly statement. These “APR Fees” are usually slapped on top of the amount owed and can range between 16-24% so pay those bills on time to avoid the late fee! Keep in mind some credit cards will require annual fees, do not get those. You’re a student; bootstrap your capital, there are plenty of credit companies that do not require you to pay a fee.

Here are some nice tips:

  • Don’t get too many credit cards, just stick to one, maybe two as credit companies will become wary about your intentions and it could hurt your FICO score in the long run.
  • PAY YO STATEMENTS OFF ASAP
  • Do not spend more than 20% of your credit limit within a month
  • Just use your credit card to build credit score, it will pay off if there is ever a day you wake up in Botswana and your bank account is frozen and you need to pay for an emergency plane ticket back.

Nerdwallet is a nice website to learn more about credit cards.

3. ANALYZE PURCHASES MADE ON YOUR CARDS

Mint.com is my best friend. I have it on my phone and I check on it every evening before I sleep to make sure I have not overspent during the day. Go ahead and take a look, it’s slim UI helps you budget your spending and attach your debit/credit accounts for free. It also has a cool pie graph to show where your money went.

Looking Back {From the Eyes of a Senior}

I went to the library tonight with the intent to do homework. Well, the library turned into a small social gathering with friends. We started talking about how fast the year is going, and how we can’t believe that graduation is in 94 days. But in all the craziness of the final semester of college, I started thinking back to the summer before my freshman year at Hope. And you know what? I can’t really believe how fast time has gone, and how far I’ve come from a nervous high school senior wondering if moving to Michigan was the right choice. So if you’re one of those high school seniors, nervous about what the future holds, I thought I would offer some encouragement. So here are 7 things that I wish I would have known heading off to college.

1. Everyone is in the same position as you. No matter what first impression people give you, everyone is in the same spot. No one really understand stands how college works, or even what to expected. So don’t worry too much! If you have a question ask it, if you want to get to know someone go introduce yourself, and if you feel sad or homesick tell someone! College is about learning and growing, so don’t be afraid to do so!

2. It takes time to find your true friends. If you feel like you keep meeting new people, but you haven’t met that perfect group, don’t stress! It takes time to make friends and develop close relationships. College is a time that people change and define their beliefs and values – this means that people you thought would be good friends at the start of your freshman year might not be the people you spend your Friday nights with. But bottom line, just because you haven’t found that perfect group doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you.

Wouldn’t trade these people for anything!
A tree, turtle, and Disney all in one picture!
Artprize!
Michigan in the Fall!
Friends!

3. Learning to live with someone can be a challenge. That initial feeling you have about your roommate becoming your best friend probably won’t come true. Living with someone new is a good and bad experience all at the same time. Why you ask? Well, you’re taking two people who have limited things in common and telling them to live in a small space – it can be a challenge. Now, all that to say, Hope really does a great job matching roommates; however, it’s still an adjustment.

4. The professors want to know you. I cannot stress this enough! One of my absolute favorite things about Hope College is that your professors care about you. You will never be just a name on a test. So take advantage of the professors here. Visit their offices and ask questions – but don’t just ask questions about school. Ask about their life, their experiences. Because here’s the deal: if you don’t get to know your professors, you’ve missed out on one of the greatest relationships you’ll ever have.

The best professor and advisor!
The best professor and advisor!

5. Find out your interests and follow them. Pursue something that interests you. Chances are that if you don’t like your classes (okay, find the material semi interesting) than you aren’t on the right path. The great thing about a liberal arts college is that you have opportunities to try different classes – and you should try out classes. I made the mistake of coming into Hope as a nursing major and learning later in the process that I can’t stand blood or the smell of a hospital. But through Career Services, family, friends, and professors, I found a major that is perfect for me! And you too will find the perfect major – but don’t stress, it might just take a little extra time!

6. Take initiative. I can’t encourage you enough to take initiative. There will be so many things you want to do while at Hope – intramurals, Dance Marathon, Pull, and Nykerk just to name a few. Allow yourself time to do these things. Work hard and work smart so you can also enjoy your time here!

7. Time flies: It’s true, time really does fly! You would think that four years doesn’t go by that fast, but it will. So make the most of every moment, because you’ll never regret the time you spent at Hope College.

My freshman year roommate
And how I feel about senior year

So there you have it – 7 things I wish I would have know 4 very short years ago. If you have any questions about Hope College (or college in general) make sure to follow me on twitter @hopechelsea15 – I always love talking to perspective students!

Looking Forward to Cottage Life

I have lived in Dykstra Hall for the past two years at Hope, and it has been great. I have met such great people by living here and I wouldn’t trade those friendships for anything. I requested to live here when I came in to Hope as a freshman and I definitely have no regrets about spending two years here. However, I am super pumped to live in a cottage next year!

My best friend Allix, aka my future roommate and RA, and I are living in an awesome cottage with six other people next year and we’re so excited. I don’t know the other girls that well yet, but I’m sure it’s going to be great!

Al Pal
Al Pal and I are so stoked to live together next year!

One of the things I am most excited about is the kitchen! It will be so nice to have somewhere to cook and keep more food than a jar of peanut butter and bag of Veggie Straws. You’re all invited to come over for my famous grilled cheese.

The cottage I’m going to be living in also has a really cute living room and a great porch, which will be so nice as well. I think they’re going to be great places to hang out.

Hope has a ton of on-campus cottages that are filled mostly with juniors and seniors. Some are themed, like the German house, campus ministries cottages, or Greek houses, but others, like ours, can be filled with anyone of the cottage’s designated gender. We are so excited for the group of girls we have and the house we’re going to live in! Junior year in a cottage is going to be so great!

Want to know more? Keep up with me on Twitter (@hopekathryn17), Instagram (@kathrynekrieger), leave a comment, or send me an email at kathryn.krieger@hope.edu. I’d love to hear from you! Thanks for reading!

“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” 

          – Matthew 5:13-16

Rushing A Sorority At Hope

The last few weeks I’ve had the chance to participate in sorority rush here at Hope! It’s a lot different than at big schools, where rush only lasts about a week. Here, it’s a long process, only in the spring semester, full of getting to know the girls in the sorority and finding your best fit. The Sororities here are all local, so there aren’t any other chapters at other colleges or universities: Kappa Beta Phi, Sigma Sigma, Sigma Iota Beta, Delta Phi, Kappa Delta Chi, Alpha Gamma Phi, and Theta Gamma Pi.

I decided to Rush at the end of the fall semester, and that was really surprising to me. Greek life never seemed like my thing. I’m a bit of an introvert, but I really want to make life-long friendships here, and it looked like an opportunity that I just couldn’t pass up.

Rush started off with Round Robin, where we got to meet all of the sororities. It was really nice to get a first look at them. From there, I was able to narrow a few down, but I still had four in mind that I thought I would like to visit.

After Round Robin comes a series of open and closed events. At open events we did things like scavenger hunts, crafts, cookie making, speed friending, and all sorts of other fun activities. Closed events are similar, but you have to get invited, and they’re longer so you can actually go places. For example we went sledding and to a petting zoo for two of the closed that I attended!

Cow from the farm we visited!
Bunnies!
A record collage I made at an open and hung on my door!

I went to four of the first open events, and decided that two of them weren’t for me. After that I went to more open events for the other two. I believe I went to both of those closed events before I finally decided to stop rushing one of them and only continue with one. It was the only place I could see myself. This was risky, because I could have ended up not getting to join one in the end, but I wasn’t just rushing to join any sorority; I wanted to be in one that I like.

The final closed event is called Final Tea. I got invited to the closed event of the sorority that I wanted to be apart of, and I was soooo excited! After Final Tea, we submitted our preferences (you get to put down three sororities in order of first to third).

My roommate and I with our Final Tea invites!
A gift the sorority gave us after Final Tea!

At the end of the night, I ended up with a bid (basically the sororities invitation to their group) from the Kappa Beta Phi (Dorian) sorority. I’m so excited because this is the one that I had wanted 🙂

My Bid!

If you have any questions regarding sorority rush I can probably answer them! You can contact me at brookelyn.wharton@hope.edu, through Facebook, or my twitter @hopebrooke18! I’d love to answer them!

Thanks for reading!

Community Living… Not So Bad After All!

So many of you are probably thinking, Hmmm… community bathrooms do not sound fun at all. I was definitely in your boat before I got here at Hope. I mean, everyone wants their privacy when using the bathroom, we all know that, but honestly your gonna have to be open to the community bathroom living. It is fairly unavoidable, but I think that is a good thing.

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The community bathroom provides an area and a time where you end up having some great talks with people. I mean realistically what else are you going to do when you are shaving for 10 minutes. Just stare at your face in the mirror? Why not just talk with some friends and get to know them better as they are shaving as well.

If you are worried about not being comfortable in the community bathroom, here is a hint for you. Pick a favorite stall, urinal, and shower. This provides some individuality for you. Sure someone else might have the same stall, urinal, or shower, but then again, it is a community bathroom. You probably aren’t going to have all that stuff as yours and only yours, but this at least creates a homey feeling for you. It is a consistent familiar thing in your life. Then using the community bathroom can be a little more comfortable.

Honestly, community bathrooms are not at all as bad as they are cracked up to be. I really do enjoy the conversations I have with people when getting ready for bed. You will just have to experience the community bathrooms for yourself!

Hope you all figure out how to be comfortable at college!
Thanks for reading,
Jesse

Ski Trip To Crystal Mountain

Hey Everyone,

This past weekend I went on a trip up north to a ski resort called Crystal Mountain. I went with my two good friends Tom and Murray. It was a blast! It was a huge blessing from Tom’s very generous parents to invite us to their cottage. This was a great way to refresh ourselves to get back in the mindset to work hard in school. When you have weeks stacked on each other of endless academics, we all know it can get difficult. This was a great way for us to just focus on having fun and relaxing.

The biggest blessings here at Hope College are not only the opportunities Hope has in faith, but there are huge opportunities in relationships. We had a blast this weekend. Being able to spend time with your best friends and take a little road trip is one of my favorite things about college. Your friends are really what makes your time fun or not, obviously you have to be in the right mindset, but friends effect almost every aspect of your lives, but honestly Hope College has an endless amount of amazing people to become friends with and to spend time with. I have never been at a place in life where I am surrounded by the most amazing people.

I got back from skiing and got to go to the Gathering with some of my other great friends! Following the gathering we took a little homework break and then went to a worship session where we had the opportunity to pray, worship, and talk with our close friends. I got to witness some amazing works of God at this worship session as well. Overall this weekend would rank pretty high up on the list!

Here is my friend Murray getting ready to hit the slopes!

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Oh and not to mention I was surprised by my sister and brother-in-law, who decided to show up at Crystal Mountain to see me and do some skiing themselves!

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All in all I had a wonderful weekend. I hope you all did as well.

Thanks for reading!
Jesse Heerdt

Death by Winter Fantasia

I realize that Winter Fantasia was a week ago, but I wanted to share my awesome experience with you all. Firstly, Winter Fantasia is an event hosted by Student Activities Committee, or SAC for short where people eat and dance in Grand Rapids’ Amway Grand Hotel. It’s great because you get to dress up and kill it on the dance floor. Let me tell you, I ate copious amounts of food and really killed it on the dance floor.

I am so proud of my organization, SAC, for planning out this event. It took so much work, time, and energy. I applaud you, SAC! Seeing as it was my last Winter Fantasia, I went all out. I ate at an Italian restaurant just outside of Grand Rapids with friends, then I ate some more at the event. Followed by the dancing of course. Another way in which I went gung-ho was that I wore a BOWTIE, WITH ANCHORS. Wow, so Hope, right?!

It was great to be with friends. Many many many pictures were taken, many memories were made, and many laughs were a given. Winter Fantasia, you did it again.

But as you may have noticed, the title says, “Death by Winter Fantasia.” Why death? Because it took so much out of me. I feel as if I can generalize to others because it took out so many people. So much food, so much dancing, staying up late. And yes, being up past midnight is now late. That was merely not the case freshman year.

Anyway, after I drove back to Holland, it was around 1:00 AM and I was beyond ready for sleep. I hopped into bed at around 1:30 AM and I slept like a ROCK. I slept in like it was my business; recuperation is key. But ultimately, all college students are sleep-deprived so no matter how long I slept, I was still tired. To be so exhausted after an amazing event like Winter Fantasia is so totally worth it.

Check out these fun pictures from Winter Fantasia of me and my awesome friends. If you want to see what Hope life is like for me, make sure to follow me on Twitter at @HopeMarvin15 or on Instagram at MarvSolberg. My life is interesting so I say the follow is worth it!

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