I feel like a failure.

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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Hello allnurses,

A little background about me: I'm a 22 year old student attending a local CC to get my prerequisites done to apply for a 2 year nursing program that I can do to transfer to a RN to BSN program easily when I am finished.

I'm pretty much almost done with my prerequisites. My plan originally was to take A&P I and II over the summer and microbiology this fall. Well, I started with A&P I and I was stressed. Keep it mind it's a four week course compared to 16 weeks. I dropped the class. I feel like a failure in a way. Someone told me that summer A&P course was something like nursing school and it'll determine how well you do in nursing school. People I've read on allnurses make it seem so easy that they completed this 4 week course that I decided to try it. I really feel like I would do better on a traditional 16 week course and not something so condensed like this. I felt like I wasn't enjoying anything I was learning and it was not sticking. I also didn't like the professor and how she did things. Overall, it wasn't what I expected and I feel like a failure.

It's gonna put me behind a bit and I may not have enough points to meet the cut off for acceptance this semester. I'm pretty close but the reason for taking A&P over the summer and Micro in the fall would get me all the points for the classes needed before the deadline to apply for fall 2016. I mean, I could apply but it wouldn't be as great of points. I could try other nursing schools since this one only accepts every fall semester. But I just really like the way this one operates.

So I'm thinking about just spanning out my sciences because I feel like I would do a lot better. So A&P I In fall, A&P II in Spring and microbiology in fall. Because micro and A&P at the same time sounds terrifying. I guess what I am asking for is if someone else has had this problem and I guess some encouragement. I keep thinking to myself that everyone has their own pace but I know nursing school won't be easy. And the comment that said that if you take summer A&P would determine how well you'll do in nursing school scares me.

Any comments welcome. Sorry for the length!

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Specializes in NICU, Trauma, Oncology.

Pre-requisites are nothing like nursing school. Period. You realized you couldn't handle it and got out. THAT is a responsible decision which can be equated to clinical decision making skills that you will have to make as a nurse. Knowing when you are in over your head is a VERY good thing! Don't sweat it.

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You are still young. Take your time with the science courses if that is what you need to do. I took AP II as a summer course, and it was pretty hard. Good luck!

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You know yourself best and what you are capable of, if you felt that taking A&P 1 in 4 weeks was going to result in poor academic results, then you were wise to drop it. Any 4 credit science class with no formal background in 4 weeks is difficult and you should not compare yourself to others on what they claim to have accomplished. Personally, you were better off to drop the course and take a "W" than to attempt to complete it and get a low grade or worse.

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A 4-week class is tough, and I'll admit even good students will struggle with this course length if they have a tedious studying routine. (I do, I'm a slow reader and I take constant notes.) Don't beat yourself up. You dropped because you knew that class structure was not for you. I wish more people would be honest with themselves.

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Try lpn route first maybe? Where you'll be introduced to a&p & gen nursing courses then Lpn to rn?

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As the anatomy professor at my school says: "it's easier to explain a W (withdraw) than an F."

I would take the time to do well versus rushing it and getting poor results. Pair up or group up with other pre-nursing students and do prereqs together. A group effort is helpful when it comes to encouragement and studying.

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Don't be so hard on yourself. I am taking all my science classes a semester at a time. I have Chemistry and Microbiology left. It has been a slow process but I'm paying for it on my own and not every student can say that they have no debt in college. Do what is right for yourself and you will be fine:yes:

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Here my advice for the OP, as someone who has been in your position and I'm now in my last year of nursing school. Do not rush to complete the science course especially if you are not really good in sciences. Anatomy and Physiology is really important for the medical surgical nursing course and they will not go over it again when you start nursing school. Take it during the regular semester and make sure you learn the material really well. A faulty background in the anatomy and physiology will cause you problems in nursing school. I would not compare the prerequisite to the actually nursing course, I know many people who did well in the prerequisite and cannot pass a nursing course to save their lives.

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What is the rush? I had to ask myself the same tough questions, and I am way older than you. :) I agonized over the decision to take 1 additional year to finish up my pre-reqs. I looked around and noticed classmates doing two Science(s) at a time, and was really caught up in their time schedule. The goal was to get into nursing school as soon as possible. I had to honestly ask myself, "what is the rush"? I ultimately decided to slow down, and I am pulling all A's in my core Science class (chem, anatomy, and physio). Some of my friends that rushed and took on two sciences at a time, ended up with c's and b's, and some of them have still not gotten into a program. Some regret rushing, because their grades are not as high as they would have wanted.

Yes, there are students that can take on two Science(s) at a time and excel, and that is awesome! The point is, we have to know ourselves. Sometimes we have to push ourselves harder than we ever have, and sometimes we have to know when to pull back, just a tad. You will live a very long life, and in the big picture, taking one extra year during this point in your life will feel like it flew by!

Good luck!

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Thanks so much everyone for your comments. I guess ultimately I am just in a hurry to get into nursing school! But I realize it's okay to slow down and make good grades. My goal is to get into the 2 year program and then transfer to the RN to BSN program. Hopefully it all turns out well and you all have cheered my spirits!

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Of course you aren't a failure! You haven't given up, you're just adapting to your new situation.

I know there can be a lot of pressure and desire to apply to schools ASAP and I admire your hustle. But you did the right thing because you don't just need to pass A&P, you need to learn it so you can apply it to the second half and recall the information for the TEAS. If it means an extra semester, that's all it means. I'd hate to see you, or anyone, think that one semester later is any indication of how well you'll do in your nursing program.

I took the second A&P over summer, but had the benefit of 8 weeks instead of the 4 you took on. My friend who is a semester ahead of me said what we did over that summer can't be compared to the nursing program - it's like apples and oranges.

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