Long time after High School

tabacue · Dec 9, 2009

I am trying to get into nursing school myself and am so close I can't stand it. You should check into your local community colleges first. You'll have to take some college aptitude testing to see if you need to take any pre-requisites to the main courses (elementary algebra, reading, etc). The college catalog will outline what is required for a degree in nursing. Different schools have different methods of admission also and some require entrance exams. You can generally take most of the general education classes online, but I don't think there are actual nursing programs online because of the clinical experience you have to have. I took almost all of my general classes online - even Anatomy I&2, Chemistry, etc. Oh and I quit school in the 11th grade (GED) so I never took any ACT's or anything either. Good luck...I hope it works out for you!

lmsparks · Dec 9, 2009

Thanks so much for the encouraging words and the information.

classicdame, MSN, EdD · Dec 9, 2009

don't forget to talk to the school's financial aid dept as they might be able to help with $

lmsparks · Dec 9, 2009

oh thanks for that too!

Up2nogood RN, RN · Dec 9, 2009

I got my GED when I was 16 so I didn't even have basic algebra. I didn't take any science courses the first 3 terms at a community college. I took math, writing, and psych first and slowly, only starting with MTH 20. Once I built my confidence and felt comfortable I started in on my sciences and increasing my class load to usually 4 classes a term plus I worked FT. With that being said I finished my ADN in 3.5 years. I do suggest NOT taking an online course until you get the hang of it, academics has changed a lot in the past 20 years and it's nice to have that face to face instruction and guidance. I would def meet with an advisor to come up with a game plan and know what the program requirements are. Good luck!

anurseatlast · Dec 9, 2009

I graduated with my nursing degree almost 3 years ago at age 51. You can do it too. A community college can be a great place to start. It is much cheaper than a 4 yr college and in my area the community college classes are smaller. I got an associates in pre-nursing at a community college and then did an accelerated (14 mo) BSN program. Personally, I did almost all my associates classes online. It worked well for me because I did not have time to attend classes and I did not care about the social part of going to school - I was there learn. I had other ways to socialize in my life. You do have to be disciplined about getting your class work done on time but that is true for on-site classes as well. The good thing is you can work on it any time of the day or night. I did a lot of my coursework in the wee hours of the morning. Check out nursing programs in your area and be sure that credits from the community college are accepted at the local nursing schools. Also, when looking at nursing programs, be sure their credits would transfer to other colleges (if not, I would wonder about the quality of the program) and ask what percentage of their graduates pass nursing boards on their first attempt. Again, that will tell you if the students were well prepared. I love being a nurse and I would definitely do it again. If that is your dream, go for it even if you just start taking 1 class at a time.

msbabyblues · Dec 9, 2009

I am a stay at home mom, recently returned to school to pursue an RN degree. I am working on my pre-reqs right now. I did graduated from high school, and I had a few college credits from the '80's, so I was grandfathered from taking any entrance exams (I had also, of course, taken my SAT back in the 80's). I am taking a combination of online and on-campus classes at my school. We are required to meet with an advisor every semester before registering for classes. You can fill out a FAFSA (financial aid application) online--just google FAFSA application, it will lead you to the site. My college does offer online nursing courses, but you still have to do the clinicals, and it takes longer to do it this way. You can't start any of the nursing courses until you have the pre-reqs done. Good luck.

Going2BaRN · Dec 9, 2009

You sound just like me a year ago. I was a stay at home mom for almost 8 years before deciding to go back to school for nursing. I got my GED at 16 and like you I never took algebra, bio or chm. I had to start at the bottom with a basic math class and work my way up. Its beena little over a year since I started and I am waiting on my last transcript to come in so I can mail my NS application. I took a lot of hard work. Don't under estimate what sound like simple class like the BIO or Algebra, they require a lot of study time. I don't recommend online classes, some can be hard to navigate even for those who have not been out of school for a while. I swear I could have made that same post a year ago, so you are not alone. Keep us posted!

CuriousMe · Dec 9, 2009

I got my GED when I was 16 so I didn't even have basic algebra. I didn't take any science courses the first 3 terms at a community college. I took math, writing, and psych first and slowly, only starting with MTH 20. Once I built my confidence and felt comfortable I started in on my sciences and increasing my class load to usually 4 classes a term plus I worked FT. With that being said I finished my ADN in 3.5 years. I do suggest NOT taking an online course until you get the hang of it, academics has changed a lot in the past 20 years and it's nice to have that face to face instruction and guidance. I would def meet with an advisor to come up with a game plan and know what the program requirements are. Good luck!

I'm in a nursing program now, but also went back after....well we'll just say a good long while :)

The only thing I'd disagree with is not taking online classes right away. I needed a math class before the math class required for my program and I did both of them online before quitting my full time job to go back to school. It was a great way to get back into the school mode. The classes had a flexible schedule, so while there was a recommendation for when you should be a specific chapters....you could go faster or slower as long as you finished by the end of the term. This really worked for me, as I could move on through the stuff I understood and spend lots of time on the stuff I didn't.

paacollins · Dec 9, 2009

I quit school in 10th grade so I was 16. Went back at 25 and took my GED and my ACT (SAT basically). Started college the next day. I earned my AS at 27. I went back at 34 and earned my BS and only need 4 more credits to have another BS. I went back to school AGAIN at 42 and earned my ADN. I just passed my NCLEX last week. I hope to start my masters next year. I am almost 46, am separated, have a 7 1/2 year old and an 11 1/2 year old, a ton of pets, and my almost 91 year old mom lives with me. If you want it badly enough it CAN be done. It's hard work; you will have to learn organizational and time management skills (if you don't already possess them) and make some sacrifices but if you truly want to be a nurse you can do it.

I agree that online classes are a great way to wade in slowly. Take something that will be fairly easy for you like a basic math, english, or maybe psych. I don't recommend jumping into calculus or biology online.

Hope2017 · Dec 9, 2009

Going back to school is a great idea. You are not alone doing this move. I am too. How about checking with your community college first, I understand their tuition is reasonable compared with the online and some provide assistance specially when you been out of school for years.