Has anyone done A&Ps as a corequisite, rather than beforehand?

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

I'm planning on entering the nursing program next fall. I'll have Micro done the summer before, so that will be out of the way. But I'm planning on doing the A&Ps during first and second semesters in the nursing program, and I wonder if I'm totally insane. They will be online, rather than on-campus, so I think that will help me balance my time a bit better. How bad are they, really? So far, I've got a 4.0 and I'm really good at memorizing things. But I just talked to an RN at a party who said that A&Ps are absolutely the HARDEST classes I'll be taking in the nursing program, and if I don't do them by themselves, I'll be doomed.

Specializes in ER then CVICU now.

Hey, I did it.....I took A&P 2 with my first nursing class and passed. *shrug* it can be done but it wasn't easy.

I'm sure it can be done, but it won't be easy. I finished my A&P's but still have to take Micro. I'm going to take it in the summer though instead of with my nursing classes. Online classes are very difficult though. I've taken a couple and I really struggled.

Good luck to you, whatever you choose!

Specializes in L&D.

Nope! At my school it can only be taken as a pre-req.

I just took A&P 1 this past semester and it was hard but doable.I'm taking A&P2 this comming semester and micro this summer, then my last psychology in the fall.It'll be hard but worth it. All while taking my nursing classes.

Specializes in Acute Medicine/ Palliative.

I did and it was hell. I was so envious of the ppl who had the opportunity to finish it before hand. It can be done! One tip tho....do not get behind-there is far too much info! Good luck!!

I did it for most of my classes. the only required classes for my associates that I did ahead of time were. psyc, algebra, and my elective. It was tough and if I had it to do all over again I would do it the same way. It was tough sure, but if I can do this I can do anything!:)

Specializes in Med-Tele, ICU.

At the nursing school I attend, A&P I is a pre-requisite which must be completed (along with Eng Comp I and Gen Psych) before you are allowed to enter the nursing program. A&P II is a co-requisite which must be taken by the end of your 1st semester of nursing school (if you haven't taken prior to starting nursing school).

I took A&PII it at night and it was very hard on me. Our nursing classes were 9a-11a on Mon, Wed, and Friday and 8a-3pm on Tues/Thurs. The distance to my school is about 35 miles one way. So, essentially I'd drive to school on Monday a.m., back home at 11am, and then back to school again at 6pm. If my class times had been a little closer together on Monday, I would have just stayed on campus. However, 7 hours on campus is a long time!

My A&P II class was 6p-10:30p on Monday. We rarely stayed that late - usually just stayed until about 9:30 or so and earlier some other nights. The material itself wasn't so hard, just that drive twice on Monday. It is difficult to take co-requisites (in my opinion) while you're in nursing school. I had a real hard time focusing on A&P II cuz all I WANTED to focus on was the nursing classses. I did make it out of A&P II with a "B" (barely!) and I made an 88 in my nursing classes. I was EXTREMELY proud of that!!

Keep in mind, I also worked Wednesday evenings from 3-11p and Sat/Sun 11a-11p while in my first semester of nursing school. I never had a day off and wondered many days if I'd make it out of Level I. But..........I did and it can be done!! You just have to set your mind to it. You won't be doomed, I promise!

When I start Level II in January, we have Mondays off (thank goodness!) We'll now go Tues/Thurs 8a-3p (just like this past semester) but they've added an hour of lecture on Wednesdays and Fridays - we'll now go 9a-12pm. My work schedule will remain the same so I can DEAL with going an extra hour two days a week to have a day off!!!!

Good luck!!! :D

Specializes in LTC & Private Duty Pediatrics.

Klone:

- I just wrapped up the A&P101 (summer) and A&P102 (fall).

- No way would I want to take those classes while going to nursing school.

- I took my classes at a community college (I also hold an MS-Comp Sci, so know how to study - or so I think), and the classes were extremely difficult.

- Mostly, it's a time management thing. I put in 3 hrs a day - everyday - for 6 months. Got a 90% in 101 and 100% in 102.

- I also work full-time, so taking both nursing classes and A&P at same time would have been a big no-no.

- What kills you is all the memorization. Lab exams are total recall from memory (no multiple choice). Then two days later you may have a lecture exam (multiple choice -- but different material than lab). Then you still have lab and lecture on exam days. And then you may/may not have a quiz thrown in somewhere.

- Just lots and lots of memorization. No figuring things out, or group projects. Just memorize your little heart out. Also, be sure to memorize your little heart. Will come in handy on exams :).

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- I am taking Microbiology and some Psychology (Adult Dev) course this spring. Then will start actual nursing classes in June.

Can't wait. I am actually looking forward to getting my physical out of the way - and then getting stethescope so I can practice on my two kitties (I have 2 persian show cats --- my babies).

- Just my two cents.

John Coxey

I'm sure you can do it if you make up your mind to work your booty off, but I noted in my class that the folks who had already completed A&P 1 and 2 had an easier time grasping the nursing lectures, not to mention that they didn't have that extra class to worry about.

Kim

Maybe the RN you talked to wasn't really into sciences and didn't care for those classes.

I just took my first semester of nursing and had anatomy along with fundamentals and a health class. I had a 4.0 at the end of the term. Was it hard? YES, anatomy is 90% memorizing the body. If you are good with memorizing you should be okay.

Here is a hint for you that my clinical groupies did to get through anatomy. We photocopied the lab book and made flash cards out of the bones, muscles, veins, heart, organs, etc..... We also took a digital camera to lab and took pictures of all the models and made flash cards out of the pictures. It worked out great!!! We learned that part no sweat which left more time to study for the lecture part of the class!!

Good Luck!!!!!:D

Specializes in Telemetry/Med Surg.

I just finished my 1st semester in a diploma program and there are no prereqs except for chemistry. This past semester I took Anatomy, Anatomy Lab, Nursing 100, Nursing Arts Lab, Nutrition, Psychology, and Drug Dosage/Calculations. I don't know how I did it but I did--I found anatomy especially difficult. The lab wasn't too bad as we had a wonderful instructor but our anatomy lecture professor quizzed us each week on the material he presented the week before and it was a lot.... a lot to memorize in one week's time in addiition to all the other courses. Oh...of course there was clinical 1x/week after 6 weeks. It is do-able but for me it was very difficult. I got good grades in all my classes but struggled through anatomy but I passed!! Just don't fall behind in your reading and study every day. This semester starting 1/5 I'll be taking Nursing 101, Physiology & Pharmacology...plus 2 days of clinical every other week.

Good luck to you.

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