Csulb nursing program

mmm62892 · Apr 30, 2010

BUMP!

Assailants · May 1, 2010

Assist.org--find CSULB and find the nursing major which will list the prereqs. Good Luck. In general, the pre-reqs include: anatomy, physio, micro, gen psych, sociology, intro to organic chem/biochem, intro to inorganic chem, etc.

mmm62892 · May 1, 2010

I'm already aware of the needed prerequisite classes. I was hoping someone could provide more specific details on each one.

Jenny102938 · May 2, 2010

Hi, mmm. I found this info thr school website. hope this helps

btw, the teas test can be taken on 5/21/2010 or 7/16/2010. u will need to take the test prior to applying the program.

Prerequisite Courses

Natural Sciences6

Human Anatomy (BIOL 208) Lecture & Lab – 4 semester units minimum

Human Physiology (BIOL 207) Lecture & Lab – 4 semester units minimum

Microbiology (MICR 200) Lecture & Lab – 4 semester units minimum

Chemistry 140—5 semester units minimum (Or an equivalent 5 unit integrated chemistry course with lab—

this course must cover general chem, organic chem and biochem)

Time Limits: All natural sciences must have been taken within the last 5 years—The committee cannot consider science courses taken prior to Spring 2006.

CSULB’s Prerequisite General Education Courses-applicants only need one from each category

Quantitative Reasoning: MATH 103, 108, 109, 112, 114, 115, 117, 119A, 122, 123, MTED 110

Oral Communication: COMM 110, 130, 132, 171, 331, 335, 441I

College Composition: ASAM 100, B/ST 100, CHLS104, ENGL 100

Critical Thinking: ASAM 190, B/ST 150, COMM 131, 131W, CWL 161, CECS 100, ETEC 171, ENGL102, HIST101, PHIL 170, POSC105, PSY 130, UHP100

mmm62892 · May 3, 2010

I want to apply for the fall 2010 program and I'm aware of the prerequisite classes. :] By the looks of it, I will need two whole semesters just to take all of them. Does anyone know a way around this?

Omglizison · Jul 24, 2010

If you don't want to spend two full semesters taking the pre-requisites you can choose to take some in the summer either at CSULB or a community college. But remember, you cannot apply to the program without having taken the pre-requisite classes! However, you may have ONE class in progress. Also, as a freshman, it is unlikely that you will get into those science classes (due to budget cuts). They usually reserve those spots for juniors and seniors.

Hope this helps~

mmm62892 · Jul 24, 2010

Well I believe it's too late to sign up for summer classes. I'm going to be an incoming freshman with 46 units of AP credit (I passed 9/11 APs that I took in high school). So I've finished most of my GEs already. I have to take a critical thinking course in the winter session so I can finish my foundation requirements. Once I finish my foundation requirements, I'll then be able to take my exploration courses including Anatomy and Physiology. Since I'm a honors student I'll have priority registration. I'm planning to take Chem 140, Bio 207, Math 123, and UHP 100 in my spring semester. Then I'll take Micr 200, Bio 208, and Math 224 in the summer. I'll then be able to apply in Fall 2011 for a spot in the Spring 2011 program. Does this plan seem realistic? I know it sounds like I'm rushing and might jeopardize my GPA and chances in the process, but with all the budget cuts, I want to graduate as soon as possible. I had ---- as my SOAR adviser. Do you happen to know him? He was a very nice guy, but he was talking about how competitive the nursing program is and how mostly none of us in the room would get in, and how it takes much more than 4 years to graduate, that he scarred me a bit. What are your thoughts on this? Do you have any tips for me? I appreciate any insight you can provide.

StayingCalm, BSN, RN · Jul 25, 2010

Seems like you're rushing but I can understand your reasons. Perhaps you can accomplish them rapidly without jeopardizing your GPA, if you can stay organized and focused. I haven't been to SOAR yet but I will be starting the BSN program next month. It is indeed difficult to get into the program, but it's not impossible. It's probably a good idea for you to apply for spring program. I believe spring application periods are for enrolled CSULB students only, which means it should be less competitive. If you haven't already, check out the latest applicant pool statistics compiled by the nursing dept. Good luck!

Omglizison · Jul 25, 2010

Sounds like you're already way ahead of the other Freshman! And since you have priority registration, you won't have to worry about not getting into the pre-req science courses. I think your plan is solid, you should try and get into the program ASAP because you don't want to spend too much time not studying what you want to study. I made the mistake of spending 3 years studying Biology because I didn't know what I wanted to do.

Realistically, it is pretty tough to get into the Nursing program right after your Freshman year, not only because the classes are tough, but because getting into let's say BIOL 208 is a nightmare. But I took CHEM 140 and BIOL 208 at the same time and it wasn't bad at all, so I wouldn't worry too much about overloading. Make sure you try and take SOC 100 and/or PSY 100 also!

And also, like the post before me stated, applying in the Spring would be the better choice because the number of applicants gets cut in half!

Also, don't forget to sign up for the TEAS test whenever you're ready for it! It's a very basic aptitude test designed specifically for California nursing students and your score on it counts a lot during the admission process, so make sure you get a high one (especially on the math section). And if you take it early enough, you can take it again depending on how your score turns out!

Hope this helps. Good luck!

mmm62892 · Jul 25, 2010

@NursingStudent0611- I didn't know the spring term was reserved for CSULB students. Thanks for letting me know that. I think that would be my best bet in terms of applying and getting accepted. Good luck as you start your BSN! Please tell me how it goes.

@Omglizison- I honestly don't know what other major I would want to pursue except nursing. Unfortunately, I'm not exactly stellar in any academic area. But I've always been interested in the health/medical field, so I don't want to ruin my chances by doing too much that can jeopardize my chances in the long run. I'll be taking SOC 100 this semester and I already have AP credit for PSY 100.

How many years have you been apart of their nursing program?

Do you suggest any stand out teachers for the science prerequisite classes? Any that I should steer clear of?

How did you study for the TEAS? Is it anything similar to the difficulty found on the SAT?

I've heard the Pharmacology and Pathphysiology classes are really difficult due to a certain professor? Did you find that true? I know many people suggest taking the class elsewhere.

I know once your part of the nursing program, you have to follow a strict outline of classes they prepared. As much as I love the idea of taking lots of nursing classes, I also want to take courses from outside areas. It's college after all, a time to find areas you enjoy. Did you find it easy to incorporate other classes into your nursing schedule? I'm planning to take a few upper division biology courses. Are there any you enjoyed or hated that stood out?

How exactly is the social life there? To what extent does CSULB stick to it's commuter school reputation? Do you have any advice for an incoming freshman to make the transition to college life any easier?

I'm sorry for all the questions. I hope you don't find me to be an obnoxious, pretentious prick. On the contrary I'm really nervous as to whether I even have a chance of getting into this competitive field. I appreciate everything you tell me!

Omglizison · Jul 26, 2010

lol don't worry about asking too many questions; I truly wish I had someone older to tell me what to expect when I was an incoming Freshman.

I studied Biology for 3 years and spent the 4th year completing pre-requisites for the Nursing program. I wish I could say that I regret taking so long to figure out what I wanted to do, but I'm really glad I took all those Bio classes. Not only did I learn so much but they also made the nursing science pre-req classes a lot easier. I applied for this Fall and got in, so I'm really excited to finally get started on my actual career path! =-)

Anyways, I'll try to answer your questions to the best of my abilities! Here's a list of the professors that I suggest you take for the science classes:

Biol 207 - To my knowledge, there is only one professor that teaches this lecture course, unfortunately. He's a bit difficult to understand (due to the heavy accent) but he is very generous about his grades. The class in itself wasn't too difficult, though much harder than Biol 208 (anatomy), which is why I suggest that you take anatomy first like I did. That way, you already understand where each physiological mechanism takes place, and all you need to know is what and why.

Biol 208 - For anatomy, you MUST take ----! Do NOT get her mixed up with Young Owl, who is the other professor that teaches this class. She was one of the best professors I have ever had; she simplifies everything and pounds the information into your brain so much that you can recite the order of which light hits the layers in the eye in your sleep!

Chem 140 - When I took it, I had -----, who I really did not like just because he over-explained such simple lectures. However, most people find this class really hard (it's a 5 unit class), but I had a very strong chemistry background so it was actually the easiest out of the 4 pre-reqs. My advice to you would be to just follow his lectures and do the homework. This class is super-rushed because it's a collaborative chemistry course, so don't fall behind!

Micro 200 - Like Biol 207, only one professor teaches this lecture. I really liked him and I loved his class, but his exams are pretty tough. My advice would be to go to his office hours if you need help and to study A LOT and learn the material to the most specific degree.

The TEAS test is easy, that's really all I can say. Even easier than the SATs. There's a practice book that's available in the bookstore that costs $30, but I just downloaded a Kaplan from online and did pretty well on it.

As for Pharm and Patho, yes I too have heard that they are both a pain in the rear to take at CSULB, so I took Patho last spring at Golden West College. It was a really good decision too because the professor who teaches it there was wonderful! AND she teaches both Pharm and Patho so you can get both out of the way! You should definitely try and take one or both of these classes during the summer. I'll be taking Pharm in the Fall at CSULB however, so I'll let you know how that goes.

Finally, yes there is a strict outline of classes that you have to take when you're in the program but you're allowed to take other courses too! In fact, if you didn't take any non-nursing courses, you would have a pretty empty semester! However, I think most of the upper level Biology courses are reserved for Biology majors, so for people who have fulfilled the biology course pre-reqs. The most basic of which is a 3-semester series of general Biology courses (Biol 211, 212, 213). So unless you've taken those 3 Biology courses, you won't be able to progress upwards towards the upper-division classes. Also, even those general Bio courses have their own pre-reqs which is a full 2-semesters of general Chem (although you might have already have that fulfilled from your APs).

Hope this helps~