Apply into the Nursing program or apply next year after completing pre reqs?

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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Hi! I am attending Bay State College currently and their policy states that you need to have 12 credits and you must take the TEAS in order to apply to the Nursing program. I just took the TEAS today and my adjusted individual score was a 70.7% which I am very proud of! I only have 10 credits but might have the opportunity to take another course this semester so I can have 12 credits and be able to apply into the nursing program in the fall. My other option is to wait a year and get all of my pre reqs out of the way in the mean time. What do you think the better choice would be? Taking care of my pre reqs for a year and then take strictly nursing classes the following year? Or should I try to apply into the nursing program ASAP and do my pre reqs while in nursing? Thank you for your help and insight!

BTW my schools nursing program is ADN but after completing that and passing the NCLEX, they offer a BSN finishing program which can be finished in around 16 months or so!

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Specializes in CNA.

Hi. Congrats on the TEAS score. The prerequisite courses are required and from what I understand you can't get into a program until they are completed. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong. I would apply when the prerequisites are closer to being completed.

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I feel like it never hurts to apply. If you don't get in, then apply again next year.

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Some schools differ in their processes. However, most schools require pre reqs completion and if not are advised to complete other courses outside of the program so that students wont jeopardize failing academically while in their program. I would strongly advise finishing prereqs so you have a better foundation for the relevant info to your program. What I mean by that is this: you will use a lot of the knowledge you get from AP 1 and 2 as well as your math in nursing school so use that to your advantage. My school uses the Kaplan vs the TEAS and honestly if you dont have your math and APs down, you will fail and the questions are often in nursing format or in a scenario to test your understanding on physiological concepts that will be stressed when in the program. Hope this helps! I know it would be exciting to get into your program, but you will need all that time outside of clinicals and theory to be studying for those, not regular courses. Best wishes!!!! Good luck and God Blesssss!

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Specializes in L&D, infusion, urology.

I think that even if the school doesn't require it, having your prereqs done before you start your nursing courses will save you a lot of headaches. Trying to learn the basics and the more in-depth stuff at the same time would be extra challenging, and I can't imagine trying to learn about loop diuretics without first having a good grasp on the structures and functions of the kidney.

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Specializes in Varied.

Most of what people consider "pre-reqs" are actually "related courses". I would recommend waiting a year. I have completed all but one (which I will be doing in the summer) "related" courses for my program. Which means the only courses I'll be in for the next two years are nursing courses. My advisor said that it was the most ideal scenario for completing the program with my 4.0 in tact. :)

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It never hurts to apply, however, as a first year nursing student I applied after completing all of my pre-reqs and I would highly recommend this for 2 reasons. First, I could NOT imagine having to take any other classes along with nursing classes. I have literally had no life or sleep since I started just from the amount of work/time/studying required to truly understand the material and do well. Secondly, so much of the Nursing classes are based on fundamentals/principles of Anatomy and Physiology, Micro and even some chemistry. I know plenty of classmates taking them concurrently and they are at a disadvantage because most times they have not even covered the material and we fly through with expectations of knowing it ALL! Perhaps it may depend on your learning style. Best of luck though, and DONT GIVE UP!

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Specializes in Emergency Department.

Getting all the prerequisites/related coursework out of the way before you apply is usually the best way to go. In fact, I'll go one step further and say that you should complete all the Graduation requirements except for the program coursework before you apply because you just want to be able to graduate from the program and the school. Very rarely, in the program I'm in, does a person go nearly all the way through and find out that they're one class short of graduating... so they "graduate" from the program but do not officially graduate and earn their degree until they've finished all coursework. That usually meant the ADN is actually earned at the end of the next semester.

Your program may not have prerequisites and you may feel that you're qualified now. If the program has a waiting list, apply now and get your prerequisites knocked out of the way and be ready to graduate from the college and the program at the same time. Otherwise, if you don't take those courses, you'll have a much harder time getting through the program and having to take other coursework at the same time. Now if the program is designed to accommodate students going through those prerequisite courses while going through the program, that would be OK to start applying right away.

Only you really know your own situation (unless some others here have experience with that program) and only you can really make that decision. My advice is simple: wait and get all your stuff done. It'll make going through the program that much easier.

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Specializes in ICU.

There is a difference between a prereq and a coreq. A prereq has to be completed before entering the program. Thus the term pre requirement. A co requisite is a required course that just has to be completed before you graduate. Please check with your school as to whether your classes are prereq or a coreq. I am getting all of my prereqs and coreqs out of the way before entering the program. Nursing school is hard enough and I don't need additional classes weighing me down.

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I believe these classes I have to take are co requisites (they actually refer to them as "gen ed courses but I believe that is the same thing as a co requisite, no?). The only thing that is required is to have 12 credits in order to apply. I think I will go with the second option and apply next year that way, like a lot of you said, I can have all the time next year focusing on all the main nursing courses and not have to worry about other courses weighing me down and also have the knowledge of taking all those gen ed courses a year in advance. Thank you all for your help, insight, and opinions!

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There is a difference between a prereq and a coreq. A prereq has to be completed before entering the program. Thus the term pre requirement. A co requisite is a required course that just has to be completed before you graduate. Please check with your school as to whether your classes are prereq or a coreq. I am getting all of my prereqs and coreqs out of the way before entering the program. Nursing school is hard enough and I don't need additional classes weighing me down.

That is the case for most schools. However some, my school included, have Co reqs that need to be done before either your first or second year of the program. Odd to me but hey, we don't make the rules....

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