when should i apply, not all pre-reqs done

[lkjmp]

hi guys, all this nursing school stuff is stressing me out. it's 3 in the morning and i'm still thinking about it! haha. i'm a 3rd year human development major at a 4 year university and am taking my pre reqs for nursing school. a lot of people have been telling me different things and it's kind of frustrating to be behind schedule and hearing how you're wasting time. some guy that my mom knows said to stop with my human development degree and just transfer NOW. (like i can even if i wanted to since they're so impacted). a nurse at a hospital told me that maybe it was a bad idea to go to a 4 year college then into an accelerated program since the programs aren't as good as if you were at a 4 year nursing school. my parents are stressing me out even more telling me that they heard someone said apply now, so that i would be on the waiting list. i dont know the process of applying to nursing school and what not since i haven't completed my pre-reqs. so i need your advice, do i still apply even if i haven't finished my pre-reqs or should i finish them (which would be next year) then apply? this really sucks since there is so much pressure. my parents are old so i want to finish school as soon as possible but then the schools are impacted and have loooooooooong waiting lists. i'm not too sure about my human development degree also since i dont really know what to with it. at least with a biological sciences degree i can do research right? ahhhhhhhhh i'm so stressed. anyone feeling this way? the main pre-reqs i've completed are: ochem, microbio, and microbio lab. i'm going to take physio and nutrition next quarter. thanks in advance. feels good to vent. haha

[Ms. Juju]

Wow! Sounds like you have a lot of the pre-reqs in the bag already! That's a big help for sure. I know not all schools are the same, but in Oregon most schools will allow you to apply and will consider your application so long as you will complete your pre-reqs before nursing school begins. Other's require you also have a cna certification (which they will also allow you to get before you begin the nursing program). Now, depending on if you're looking at an associates or a bachelors, the pre-reqs are going to vary slightly. I found several of the bsn programs in Oregon want an entire year of either biology or chemistry; this is on top of your Anatomy & Physiology. Bachelors programs also want to see Statistics, so if you need to take your math classes leading up to Stats at least you can get started on them while you're doing A & P. Plus, if you are going to go for the bachelors, it sounds like you probably already have your philosophy/religion/ethics requirement met.

Applying to schools sounds more scary than it actually is. Pick out several that appeal to you and plug away at the applications. Don't overthink it. Do well on your pre-reqs and your transcripts will speak for themselves. If you need to write an essay, it is most likely going to be about why you want to go into nursing. Be yourself and share your story! For myself, I found that I needed to concentrate on accelerated programs. I have a previous degree and in Portland there are only two universities that have accelerated programs and they are both extremely competitive (less than 70 slots per program with hundreds of students applying to each every year!). I ended up deciding on an out-of-state school.

Just remind yourself that you are still very young and even if you don't get into a school until next year you'll still be in your very early 20's! Best of luck to you!!