Help needed with Fall classes!

Curious1alwys, BSN, RN · Jul 16, 2005

Nursing classes are harder, remember that. Big time commitment. It is not like 7 credits of pre reqs.......I would say atleast equal to 12 credit hours time commitment. Anyone else??? :coollook:

Not2old2care · Jul 16, 2005

Hi everyone, I would really apreciate feedback on this issue.
I'm starting an ADN Nursing program in the fall of this year. I started registering for my classes which are:
NRSG 110: Intro to Nursing (2 credits)
NRSG 111: Techniques of Clinical Nursing (2 credits)
NRSG 111C: Clinical (0 credits)
Nrsg 112: Foundations of Nursing (3 credits)
This adds up to 7 credits, which seems very little. Although many post state that its best just to take the core Nursing classes while in the program (I'm done with my pre-reqs), I was wondering if I should start taking classes for my BS while in the program. Is it really not adviced to do this? My grades are very important to me, I have high hopes of getting into a Graduate program in the future.
One of the reasons I ask is because I receive federal grants if I take 12 or more credits.
Please help!!
Frankie

Can you take any elective type classes to make up your 12 credits? I took a couple of computer classes and a phlebotomy class that weren't required but which will surely help me in some way during my core courses. They weren't difficult, although one of the computer classes was a little time consuming. Maybe something like that would work for you.

Just a thought.

Not2old2care

mariedoreen · Jul 16, 2005

Many people will tell you that even though nursing credits don't technically add up to a full time they definitely equal full time work. If I had to have 12 credits for financial aid then I would take a class for my BSN. If I didn't have to have 12 credits then I would not take any extra classes the first semester and I would see how I did. If I felt like I could handle another class then I would look at taking one the next semester. If you can, give yourself a chance to see what it's going to be like before you make that decision.

HeartsOpenWide, RN · Jul 16, 2005

No credit for clinical? Well, that is going to take a lot of your time any way. Nursing classes are harder than others.

goodknight · Jul 16, 2005

Last semester I took the last of my required non-nursing classes for my AASN, AP2 along with 9 hours of nursing classes and made a 3.56 for the semester. OK considering it was my first semester of nursing school and the learning curve was steep.

I have to stay a full time student (12hrs) to keep on my parents insurance and keep all those other 'student' discounts on stuff. So now I'm taking the BSN pre-reqs. This fall I'll be taking 10hrs nursing and 4 hrs Chemistry w/ Lab.

I think its possible. Lots of studying and I have no social life. Of course I've been accused of being a crazy over-acheiver (I took 15 hrs this summer). Really it just depends on how much you usually have to study, how many other responsibilities you have, and what kind of social life you want to have.

MIA-RN1, RN · Jul 16, 2005

Hi everyone, I would really apreciate feedback on this issue.
I'm starting an ADN Nursing program in the fall of this year. I started registering for my classes which are:
NRSG 110: Intro to Nursing (2 credits)
NRSG 111: Techniques of Clinical Nursing (2 credits)
NRSG 111C: Clinical (0 credits)
Nrsg 112: Foundations of Nursing (3 credits)
This adds up to 7 credits, which seems very little. Although many post state that its best just to take the core Nursing classes while in the program (I'm done with my pre-reqs), I was wondering if I should start taking classes for my BS while in the program. Is it really not adviced to do this? My grades are very important to me, I have high hopes of getting into a Graduate program in the future.
One of the reasons I ask is because I receive federal grants if I take 12 or more credits.
Please help!!
Frankie

Instead of counting up the credits, count up the number of hours that you spend in class, including clinical. Then multiply it by two and thats the number of hours you can expect to spend studying per week. That's what they told us and they were pretty right. Can you see yourself adding another 4 or 8 hours of study with another class? If I were you, I'd stick w/ the core classes. I wouldn't load yourself up on other classes. You want to focus on this stuff first.

goodknight · Jul 16, 2005

Instead of counting up the credits, count up the number of hours that you spend in class, including clinical. Then multiply it by two and thats the number of hours you can expect to spend studying per week. That's what they told us and they were pretty right. Can you see yourself adding another 4 or 8 hours of study with another class? If I were you, I'd stick w/ the core classes. I wouldn't load yourself up on other classes. You want to focus on this stuff first.

I agree with this advice also. And don't forget your driving time. I drive an hour each way so that really cuts into study time and sleep time.

ear · Jul 16, 2005

I am not sure how your school calculates hours, but with my 1st semester, it was just one class, an 8 credit class. We had 5 hours a week in class, 10 hours a week in clinical, then had to go to the lab to learn our skills. The skills lab and the clinical were something like 3 hours to 1 credit. it was a lot of work, but i also work full time. Like others have said, it depends on what other responsibilities you have. Take into account the travel time as well. I spent many of my days not in class or clinical in the lab, and it was a fairly big chunk of time for me to travel. And dont forget study, eating, and sleeping. With this schedule, i had NO time to socialize what so ever. which is fine by me for now.

Many of the BSN classes are further nursing classes, so it may be difficult for you to take them without finishing your nursing program. you could always just stick with what you need this semester, then if you feel that you can do more later, go for it.

Perhaps you can ask about your grants taking into account hours rather than credits??

ftr_bb_catchr · Jul 16, 2005

Hi everyone, I would really apreciate feedback on this issue.
I'm starting an ADN Nursing program in the fall of this year. I started registering for my classes which are:
NRSG 110: Intro to Nursing (2 credits)
NRSG 111: Techniques of Clinical Nursing (2 credits)
NRSG 111C: Clinical (0 credits)
Nrsg 112: Foundations of Nursing (3 credits)
This adds up to 7 credits, which seems very little. Although many post state that its best just to take the core Nursing classes while in the program (I'm done with my pre-reqs), I was wondering if I should start taking classes for my BS while in the program. Is it really not adviced to do this? My grades are very important to me, I have high hopes of getting into a Graduate program in the future.
One of the reasons I ask is because I receive federal grants if I take 12 or more credits.
Please help!!
Frankie

I'm in the same boat... Our program is 10 units and they tell you that with clinical that is "full time", even though the financial aid office doesn't recognize it as so. I acutally found that my college must have considered this fact because they offer some classes that are nursing related in cloes proximity time wise to the nursing program. For example.. nursing math, which really is going to be a repeat of what you are learning in the program anyway, and a nursing sociology class called cultural diversity in healthcare. Check the college you might want to do your graduate work at and you could probably start some of the pre-req's for that. Good luck.