A&P and Micro at the same time?

nurse4forever · Aug 27, 2010

At my school, we have to take A&P1 and A&P2 first before we can take microbiology. But I have seen people on here take microbiology before A&P classes. I think it would be doable if A&P2 and Microbiology are the only 2 classes you are taking that semester. I wouldn't want to add any more classes unless you are have nothing else going on in your life. Anything is possible if you set your mind to it.

PacoUSA, BSN, RN · Aug 27, 2010

Personally I would not do it. I mean, I took A&P and micro in separate semesters, so that concern is gone for me. One of my micro classmates did in fact take A&P 2 and micro together and most days she was on the brink of psychotic breakdowns. Others have done it successfully but I would have to say they are in the minority. Both classes are demanding on their own, and don't forget that each one has a LAB, which in themselves can be like taking a whole separate class.

Then there's the issue of you having yet to take A&P 1 ... perhaps you should wait to see how you're progressing in A&P 1 before making the leap to take these 2 classes in the spring? IMHO, A&P 2 was more straightforward than the 1st part.

Also, can't you will apply to your nursing program with micro pending in the summer? Most programs allow you to apply with missing prereqs as long as you complete them before you actually start the RN coursework.

Only you can decide if you can handle this kind of load and if you want to take the gamble on aceing them both. If you choose to, make sure your life revolves around those two classes, nothing else matters. You've been warned

exploringnursing · Aug 27, 2010

I'm taking A&P II and Micro together for the fall semester. I have a friend who is a RN and she told me that I will totally be stressed out from this. The only reason why I'm doing this is because I have to get my pre-reqs done before I can apply to nursing school. I'll let you know whether I have a nervous breakdown or not LOL.

ErinRN2B · Aug 27, 2010

I took A&P and Micro at the same time last Spring. It was tough, but I did it. I dedicated specific days of the week to studying for each class, and just tried not to get overwhelmed. I was also taking a math class and a psychology class at the time, made As in all of them. Just barely kept myself from going crazy. :)

FLDoula · Aug 27, 2010

I'm taking Micro/Lab now. I took A&P II last spring semester. There were some who took both when I was in A&P II and they were constantly stressed but they passed both classes with good grades! It can be done. They were both extremely time managed in studying for these classes.

CrunchyMama, ASN, RN · Aug 27, 2010

I wouldn't take both at the same time. Both are very hard classes and need your undivided attention. So IMO, I wouldn't do it. Good luck!

QuarterLife88, MSN, RN, NP · Aug 27, 2010

IDK...

Are you good at science?

When I took A&P 2, I had a friend that was taking that and Micro (without the lab), and was stressed something fierce. I think she got an A- and a B.

I'm taking Micro w/an easy humanities class this fall before I finally apply in Dec. for next program, and I'm glad I took A&P and Micro separately, because A&P 1 + 2 sucked up all my time.

But if you're working part-time or less, no kids or anything then maybe you should give it a shot. It might be stressful as hell, but I wouldn't want to wait another year either. Just make sure you're ready to sacrifice a lot of free time, and remember that it will come to an end.

thatsthekeyRNC · Aug 27, 2010

If you're confident that you can handle it, I'd go for it!

I took a&p II, Micro (+labs), medical terminology, and public speaking together AND worked. It was probably my most difficult semester, but I did great! Honestly, public speaking was the worst!(my only B!) haha

It's all about taking the time to study every day. TIME is always the most important part with a&p! Keep your end goal in mind, and you'll do great!

SerenePeach · Aug 27, 2010

Are you strong in sciences? Why don't you wait to see how well you do in A & P I before deciding to take both Micro and A & P in one semester?

It is possible though...I took A & P, Micro, Psych and worked full time and got A's in all of them. However, I am strong in science and I dedicated a lot of time to studying. I gave up almost all of my social life, but it was worth it in the end.

Anne36, LPN · Aug 27, 2010

A lot of it depends on the teacher. Some teachers are straight forward with their exams and others require many hours of study per week.

JROregon, ASN, BSN, RN · Aug 27, 2010

Lots of students at my school were taking one of the A&Ps at the same time as the micro. It was hard to get in all the classes we needed for points (between 11 and 16 classes) within 5 quarters in order to apply to nursing school at the end of winter term (quarter system) if we took each difficult class separately. It is intense in terms of the reading and report writing but it's only one semester or quarter of your life. My only advice is to stay caught up and stick to the tasks, study for tests at least 2 weeks in advance. I watched a lot of youtube videos to help visualize different processes.