Bad at math, no chemistry experience

tothepointeLVN, LVN · Sep 12, 2009

Can you take a chemistry class that is one level below what you need like a introduction to chemistry that is below the college level? I think everything is learnable so go for it.

Snwbdr · Sep 12, 2009

try enrolling in a chemistry course at your local community college and see how you do

QuarterLife88, MSN, RN, NP · Sep 12, 2009

Hi there.

I too am horrible at math, but I passed the class that you need to go on to nursing school. It was tough for me, but I put in the work and did it in 15 weeks. It was the only class I had at the time, so that helped as well.

I also had no chem in high school (my fault, I chose not to take it). I'm taking it now along with A&P 1 and Nutrition. A&P and Nutrition so far are a breeze for me because like you, I LOVE biology, therefore it's easy for me to understand. I work hard at the chem (I have to spend more time with that than the other two)!, but it's coming along. You can also go to your school's tutoring center or join a study group. Take the classes in which you struggle with over the longer semesters, maybe even one at a time. You want excellent grades to get into N.S. but you also want to know 100% what you are doing, and not make it all about the grade.

Good luck. Science classes can be intimidating, but if you put in the time, effort, and positive attitude, there's so reason you should not do well. :up:

ETA: Also, at my Comm College, there's a class that goes over basic chem concepts that preceeds, the regular Beginning Chemistry class, so you can really learn the basics without it counting against you. Maybe you can look into a Comm College in your area to see if they offer anything of the sort. To pass chem, you need at least a basic understanding of alegbra. That's the hardest part because it's basically equations, equations, equations.

my4helpers · Sep 12, 2009

I would consider looking into an Introduction to Chemistry class before jumping into the actual Chemistry class. This is what I am doing.

HelanaDietrich · Sep 12, 2009

Having up on a farm where women were supposed to marry and depend on a man for their bread and butter, my farm chores interfered with my studies. I graduated from HS 15 from the bottom of a class of 300. I had a mental block about math because of a middle school teacher who'd hit me up one day, as she liked to pick out a student each day to make a joke of in front of the class. I never thought I could ever be one of those "smart kids" who could make it into college. Neither did I take any college prep courses.

After becoming a single mom at 30 I entered and completed an LPN program. I wrote brief outlines as I thoroughly read every single word of my text. To my surprise I scored a 98 in the chemistry section of our theory. I later returned to school and Ace'd all the preresiquites while working toward entrance into an RN program. I found that in this new technical era, chemistry is interfaced into all the science courses, including Biology, A&P, and Microbiology, which I took in that order. What you need is the basic chemistry which you must be able to comprehend which is within the Anatomy & Physiology and microbiology. It might help you to take a basic biology course with lab.

In a nursing program, what is important is being able to work conversions of numbers in a good proportion method and, of course, your metric system. You need to know your basic math, including converting ratios of fractions, decimals, percentages. The key to getting through nursing pharmacology is knowing well these basic principles of math. Getting into a nursing program may require testing which requires you to have a good basic understanding of math, including some basic beginning algebra.

I recommend you consider at a local community or technical college under an undeclared status, or "special" student (basically means undeclared major). This is for the purpose of developing your basic studies while gaining some basic knowledge in science and math. After a few courses, you will have developed the confidence you need to take the entrance exam for acceptance into a nursing program.

Good luck.

Wannuhbeenurse · Sep 13, 2009

Thank you very much for all of your responses. Right now I am currently working on my pre-reqs (Eng, Bio I, Human Gr. and Dev, elective etc). So I should be able to be in an actual program by Fall 2010 *finger's crossed*

In the meantime, have any of you actually self-taught yourselves a subject ever before?? I'm thinking of doing that for Chemistry.

LightMyFire · Sep 14, 2009

It depends on the program as to whether chem is required or not. At my school they just replaced college algebra with chem (much more useful in my opinion). Most of the chemistry I took was not even relevant to nursing. If you can get away with not taking a class, learn the basics of organic chemistry, ions, abbreviations of biologically important elements. Some knowledge of chemistry will be very important for classes such as nutrition, A&P, microbiology, and pharmacology. I took nutrition before chemistry but am glad I took chem before the others.

As for math, it depends on what part of math you ARE good at. I am not very good at algebra in real life situations but I can rock the formulas! As long as I have numbers to plug in and don't have to figure out all the numbers and how they fit into which formula, I do just fine. Of course, the math and chemistry requirements vary depending on your school.

mzois1 · Oct 14, 2009

Wannuhbenurse,

Don't worry yourself over this. Chemistry and math are only difficult until you are taught them in the proper manner. Talk to your admissions counselor. They can tailor your schedule according to your experience. There is nothing wrong with taking prerequisites before jumping into the core curriculum. If you have never taken basic Algebra and suddenly they throw you into an advanced calculus class, of course you will flunk it. You'll get discouraged and convince yourself that you are lousy at mathematics. Not even the "smart kids" in class you talked about went directly to trigonometry. They took basic geometry first until they understood it. Trust me, I stunk up my high school math and chem classes and thought I was just not cut out for those subjects. When I got serious about it in college, I saw that it was my own misconceptions and lack of confidence (and screwing around in class instead of paying attention) that made me do poorly. Math and science is not for just a gifted few. It's just like learning any other subject.

Mike