Am I biting off more than I can chew?

[Debbie5]

I have been reading some of the posts and threads about classes you people are taking in the fall. I have been at CC already three years and don't want this to keep dragging out. My four year BSN is now taking me six years and my hubby is wondering if I am making college my permanent career?!

Anyway, I have enrolled in A&P, college algebra, World liturature, and govt. I have made up a generic schedule to make sure I will have enough time to study for each of these classes. I used the guideline of two hours for every hour spent in class. If I stick to this schedule, I should be able to do it. I know that I will obviously spend more time on A&P and algebra than on govt and lit. The only time I can study is between classes until 3:00 Monday - Friday, and some on the weekend. Once I get home after school, I'm in the car with the kids driving all over Dallas to various soccer practices. We get home around 9:30 and we still have to eat dinner. I do take my books with me everywhere we go so I can study while I'm waiting.

It sounds like it will take much more than the recommended two hours for each hour spent in class for A&P. I have had gen. biology so I am familiar with the basic concepts - Did most of you find that it took all of your time?

Another reason I scheduled things this way is so that I can get adjusted to a heavier workload - because I have been told that in nursing school, you don't have a choice; you just have to do it. I can't afford to get dropped after all the time I've already put into it! I know I must sound like a worry-wart; I'm not, I just want to be realistic.

Thanks in advance for your input.

[fulwood]

Debbie, just do the best you can. You have lot on your plate with hubby and kids in the picture but one day you'll have a degree. I am now 40 and have been going to school off and on since 1989! I have 90 credits and recently just decided for heck of it to go tolocal university and say okay I have all these credits surely there's a degree there somewhere. Anyway good news for me is that I had so many credits that I am now in junior year of business program at ASU PLUS have only more more class (CNA) that I am currently doing so I am able to apply for ADN program at comm college. So in the end no matter how long it takes your credits will add up and you will get that degree. Just plod along and you'll get there.

[Debbie5]

Thank everyone for your thoughts! Like I always tell my kids; You may have a lot going on but you can always put 100% into what you are doing at the moment. It's all a matter of pacing yourself, stopping once in a while to get a breath and keep going. It is very motivating to see that others are making school, families and jobs work - I now feel empowered to do it too.!

Deb

[emily_mom]

I've also taken the 3 1/2 year route to get a 2 yr ADN. As far as the A & P, I had friends that took general bio first, and they did really well. The same instructor taught both, so I'm sure that's why.

Make a ton of notecards for A & P. You can study them wherever, and it's easier to learn little tidbits here and there than to stare at 60 pages of notes.

Good luck to you!!!!

[jschut, BSN, RN]

I am also a firm believer in "drop a class if you need to".

I am trying ADV.A&P, Microbiology, Sociology and Public Speaking this fall.....If I cannot handle it, I will drop a class. I just wanted to get enough points together to be accepted into the ASN program at school, and all the points are going to be tallied at the end of fall....

Best of luck to both of us!

Julie:)