Anyone have good luck with Portage Learning?

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing Nursing Q/A

I am hoping to be accepted to an accelerated nursing program in either Fall 2016 or January 2017 (the nursing program has three start times per year). I have about six classes of pre-reqs that weren't able to transfer from my prior undergrad work. All but two of them can be taken through Portage learning, according to the adviser at the school who I spoke with.

However, I am apprehensive because as good as it sounds (all online! no books! cheaper than the local community college!) I have never taken an online, or even hybrid, course before. They weren't A Thing when I was in school 10 years ago. I am fairly good at keeping myself on track and can keep deadlines and things, but I'm still nervous.

If you used Portage, were you pleased with the results? How often did you get to speak with an actual instructor and would they be people you could possibly get an academic reference from?

49 Answers

Specializes in Critical Care.

I'm using Portage Learning right now for Anatomy & Physiology. The only minor complaint I have is that occasionally things are mis-spelled and I need to double check with Google to make sure I've got the spelling correct. Tests are dead easy as long as you pay attention to the material. I supplement with Quizlet as a way to "interact" with and supplement the material I'm learning. I'm a very self-directed learner and haven't had to contact the professor except for one question so far.... she emailed me back in less than a day with a clear and helpful answer.

I highly doubt you can use the professors as academic recommendation sources, but I have liked it so far and am having no trouble with the program.

Specializes in Critical Care.
batmanlight said:
Can anyone comment on how long it has taken them to go through a portage course like micro or A & P? I have to get micro done in 5-6 weeks, is this possible?

Probably not unless you devote your entire life to micro and stay very focused and on top of things. I took 10-12 weeks on both A&P's, but that was partly because I was also working a full-time job and parenting.

I'm starting Human Lifespan Development for anyone wondering how Portage's non-science courses are. The format looks similar to A&P, etc. in that you have modules and a lot of content-dense reading, but there's a lot of video lectures sprinkled in. Also, you have to write a paper for it! That was a change from the science courses as well, where I never had to write any papers. Still, it's just the one, so it could be worse - and you still don't have to buy any textbooks, so wooo!!!

I also learned that you can get your financial aid to cover Portage courses during nursing school if your school agrees to do a consortium agreement with them.

Specializes in Oncology.

I have taken A&P and Chemistry through Portage. I did not find the A&P to be difficult (as an aside, I have take A&P before, but my school requires me to take it again because of the length of time that has passed). I got an A and enjoyed it. I did find the Chemistry to be more challenging for a few reasons. It takes a long time to enter the information into the tool. It is also difficult to read about this subject and learn through videos if you aren't naturally interested in the subject. I personally would have found it much easier to just go to a class so I could have asked questions in person and written my homework and test answers out instead of dealing with typing all sorts of long problems. It can be an issue on timed tests. That said, the professor was more than helpful if you had any problems or questions, and their is a tutor line you can call for help. My school is a private four-year university and not only accepts the courses, they recommended Portage for prerequisites.

I am going back to school for nursing at the age of 52. I just started an Anatomy at physiology course with Portage learning, the 1st module is pretty long. I'm a little nervous, anyone has any advice on how I should be studying for this course.

Should I do the module then test or module lab then test? My pre-test sucked. I plan on using a lot of Quizlet and YouTube.

So far the instructor is very boring, I need some form of examples to better understand and relate this couse work so that I can retain it while working full time and trying to live a normal life.

Please advise

I have taken AP 1 and AP 2, Chemistry and Micro through Portage. They are definitely accredited and the courses transfer as I have just gotten into my number 1 choice for nursing school. If you dedicate yourself totally you can get through them quickly, and the professor are very quick (within a day if not 2 at most) to grade and answer thoroughly any questions you may have. I have found this program to be an excellent way to get my prerequisites knocked out on my own time! I cannot praise this program enough! It is the best! I also found "Crash Course" on YouTube to fill in some of those "gaps" that I needed filled in from time to time, if that is helpful to you all. The instructor is pretty boring so this "Crash Course" helped me a bit. Flashcards were also a big part of my study habits.

If you have any other questions, I would be more than happy to answer them!!

I completed AP1 and AP2 each in about 5 weeks.

You can definitely finish the class by August if you put your mind to it. I finished each of the AP1 and AP2 classes in about 5 weeks. If you have any other questions, please let me know. I highly recommend the program for all your prerequisites. I was very impressed!

My accelerated second Bachelor degree nursing program recommended portage learning for the outstanding prerequisites I needed to start my program. I took Developmental Psychology, and Statistics. Both of these courses have 10 modules to complete.

Both courses were very different from each other. I have a strong background in psychology, and I have taken many different psy classes, but never this one. I worked on one module a day, and I was able to complete the course in 14 days. I took a ton of notes and reviewed the information daily. I am a (former) journalist and investigative reporter, so, my final paper was breeze since I am a strong writer. I would say this class can be completed in a month no problems.

As for statistics... it is a lot of work. I was able to complete my class in four weeks, but I worked on it for 8-10 hours a day every. single. day. It was rough. Statistics, for me, is rather easy and I felt it made the most sense. I have a strong math background too which included calculus classes. I was able to grasp the concepts and formulas very quickly, but my progress slowed down from module 4 through 7. These modules took me about 3-4 (long) days to complete each one. I would say if you are working or taking other classes you should allow two months to complete this course, and if you struggle with math then allow a little more time. The class is extremely helpful and relates to real life. If you ever plan on doing more with your degree try to take it all in because you will need it later on for your nursing research papers in a BSN program.

I have heard a lot of universities will take the science courses as long as you take them in a sequence at the same school ( I.e. anatomy 1, and anatomy 2) I would make sure you check with your registers office and ask is they accept transfer credit from Geneva College (Middle colleges and schools (regional) accreditation- Home - Middle States Commission on Higher Education )

I'm not sure if it is possible to complete a science course in less time than you would a stats course, but you could also look in to University of Phoenix A&P since that is 7 weeks. It's rigorous, but you will learn so much.

Good luck to all!

@PreNurseJae you'll want to check with the nursing school that you're applying to to see if they accept it. I applied to Simmons and they took everything I took on Portage Chem fulfilled BOTH Organic and Inorganic, and also microbio, AP I, AP II, Psych (Development).

It looks like portage extended their course offerings - but for Chem - this is the one i took to fulfill the 2 required for nursing school:
CHEM 121: Foundations of General Chemistry w/Lab*

Did your A&P class transfer through Portage? I was reading the Portage Learning facebook page and one person said that the courses wouldn't transfer, but I find that strange considering it's accredited through Geneva College.

Hey,

Sorry for responding to an all post but I've really been digging around for information on Portage Learning on here and you've been giving a lot of good feedback. I'm assuming you've finished A&PI and II since your post is from June. Can you tell me how you ended up doing? How often you studied? How long the courses took you? And any other supplemental resources that helped you aside from Quizlet? I didn't start A&P yet but I've been reviewing textbooks on it as well as going through flashcards I bought. Just wanted your input, Thank you so much!

I have been lookin at it and it is sketchy how Geneva College does not recognize it.

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