Anyone been in the same situation?

renerian, BSN, RN · Mar 7, 2003

Wow your summer schedule is going to be very hard! Your right if your working alot and will need to be in school alot your hard presssed to decide. Good luck in your choice as it is a tough one.

renerian

Mkue · Mar 7, 2003

I agree with renerian, it will be a tough choice.

Good Luck!

Vsummer1 · Mar 7, 2003

I hope I don't sound too negative here, I am just trying to give you an idea of what to expect while you try to make a decision on what to do:

I took micro in summer and it was fine. But I also didn't miss a class. If you miss even one class in a science class like micro being taught in an accelerated manner such as the summer is, you will sink fast. Your science courses are IT as far as admission goes and you really need to keep the grades up. One bad grade can spell disaster.

I cannot help you make the decision on what to do, but just know that once you are in the nursing program the same thing applies. If you miss two classes in my nursing clinicals you are gone. If you miss a lecture you will not pass the exam and you are gone. You really need search yourself and figure out if you can work it out to attend the classes, and study unimaginable hours on top of class. Our first test was 8 days after school started and covered 20 chapters of reading. In addition to this, we had to schedule on our "free" time to pass the IV cert, plus do checkoffs on equipment, plus schedule time in the lab to view 5 required videos on the material that they didn't have time to do in lecture. These things were all checked off, and if you don't get them done in the timeframe assigned (and on YOUR time) you have failed to meet the course objectives.The instructor flat out said on day 1 that those of us with full time jobs MAY be able to pass, but in her experience it is rare that students can get everything done while working more than 20 hours a week on top of being in school 20 hours a week (not including lab time!) and then studying all the material. Nursing school (at least where I am) is MORE than a full time job and they tell us that right up front.

I am sorry if I haven't helped, I am just relating how it is where I am. I truly hope you can figure out a way to do it (maybe through loans?) because you sound motivated and that will help you succeed.

TheBrainMusher · Mar 7, 2003

Thanks everyone. I would not work DURING nursing school, but would need to up to that point in order to get enough money. The more I think about it, the more that I think I might just postpone school for another year. Save up enough money and then apply Fall 2004 when I won't be rushed ... I was planning to apply to an accelerated program in Spring 2004 orginally when I started, so I justneed to realize taht I don't have to rush. I guess I am so excited to get into nursing and out of my job that I don't slow down ...

~Meg

cna on her way · Mar 7, 2003

I am a cna full time in a burn unit now. I work 7pm to 7am 3 days one week and four the next and I am currently taking three general ed courses and waiting to see if I get into the program this fall. Being a cna is wonderful experience and the pay is good. I get great benefits at the hospital and have ample time to study in the morning hours at work. I make 9.89 per hour. If you need to work and really want to start school, why not get your cna and try doing a weekend position at a long term care facility or hospital if they offer those positions? Then you will be considered full time and be able to receive benefits, but you normally only work Sat and Sun for twelve hour shifts. Hope that this may help a little.

Christy

RN2B2005 · Mar 7, 2003

If you're going to take summer classes and pass, let alone do well, you need to be working part-time or less. Have you talked to an advisor about taking all three classes and working? It seems like three hardcore science classes plus work is a recipe for disaster. Remember, summer classes are usually smaller, more intense, and involve more class and lab hours than "regular" classes.

I took an eight-week, 15 credit accelerated organic chemistry course the summer after my sophomore year of college. I was transferring to a larger state college and wanted to get organic chem out of the way.

Boy, did I get slammed. The first half of the course covered what would normally be covered in two quarters of organic chemistry--24 weeks condensed into 4 weeks. We were in class four hours a day, then in lab for another two to six hours three days a week. It was crazy. The plus side was that our class was small to begin with, and grew smaller with every exam (and we had 2 of those per week).

I did well--a 3.8--but it darn near killed me. I was only working weekends and believe me, after spending all week in the classroom and the lab, going to work really wasn't what I wanted to do, so work suffered, too. I thought about organic chemistry constantly, even in the shower reading shampoo bottles and visualising the molecular structure of the ingredients.

There are lots of advantages to taking a summer class, but if you don't pass, it's not worth it.

TheBrainMusher · Mar 7, 2003

but orgo is completely different from Micro, I took orgo in college, and I ended up dropping Orgo II the last day of withdrawl (I had been a chem major!) You must be insane! how was that a 15 credit orgo class? Organic is only 8 credits total ... ?