Hi there! My name is Chase Christy. I look forward to starting the Marian University accelerated BSN program in Indianapolis this May. I have been taking classes through the Marian Adult Program (MAP) since October. But really, I’m sure you’re just wondering why there's a picture of my sweatshirt at the top of this blog article. Well...it’s sort of a metaphor.
Just like all the other ABSN students, I have attended college before. I approached my education at Marian through a construct set up by my previous experiences - I was looking for a program that would help me reach my career goals in the most efficient way possible. I wanted a good, accessible education, but what I have gotten is so much more than I expected.
Marian University is just a different kind of college education. One of my degrees from yesteryear is in history from a large state college. The other is from a small Christian seminary. In the big school, whenever I needed something, I have to say the office staffs made me feel like I was putting them out. Like when I’d go to the Registrar, I’d get air puffs of exasperation across the desk along with my unofficial transcript copies (the puffs of air were evidently included in the 15-dollar per copy price).
At the other place, the Registrar was only in the office from something like 9 am to 1:45 pm three days a week. I attended a satellite campus in a different city, so I’d call the office and hope to get a call back within A WEEK. Yes, A WEEK. These anecdotes are truly representative of my overall experiences.
I guess I thought I’d get the same kind of thing at Marian. Really, that’s all I knew. What I have gotten is unreal. When I’ve talked to a staffer, no matter what department, I get consistent information. They even know each other, which has been surprisingly helpful. I have found people to be ridiculously friendly. Like the Student Health Center secretary who so adamantly assured me I will be a great nurse, and went on and on about how good it was to talk to me on the phone when I called to make an appointment....just the sweetest lady.
Or the nurse at the same place, who I swear would have spent the entire day with me preparing me for a nursing career when all that was required of her was shooting a dose of TDAP vaccine into my arm.
Or Julie Smith, the director of this program, who stepped in when my advisor left the staff to make sure my academic progress didn’t skip a beat. Many lesser people would have gone about their own business and let the students fend for themselves. Seriously, my wife didn’t get into nursing school at the aforementioned big school because an advisor told her a prerequisite could be taken as a coreq. She graduated summa cum laude, but not with the nursing degree she wanted.
I could go on and on about my experiences up to this point in detail, but I thought a picture of my sweatshirt would communicate my feelings more poignantly. I could send you a picture of my Marian license plate, too, but I don’t feel like going out to my car at the moment. If you are just starting to look into accelerated nursing programs in the Indianapolis area, give Marian some serious thought. I’m willing to bet you’ll be wearing your own 100% cotton Marian University sweatshirt in no time as well.