pre-req frustration....anyone else

RedSox33RN · Jun 1, 2004

What was frustrating for me was when I was signing up for Human Bio and lab last semester. I couldn't get into the lab. Why? Because students are not required to take them together. A student that took Human Bio 2 years ago, and is one credit shy of graduating, can go back and take the Lab. Meanwhile, it throws off every other students' schedule that cannot get into the lab, and then THAT student has to take it another semester, perpetuating the viscious cycle.

I agree that there are courses that are open to all students, but they should try to limit those "popular" courses like A&P to matriculated students first. My old school did not do that, and even with offering it 3x a day, 4x a week, they filled up basically before registration started. More than half were non-matriculated students. I think in cases like that, a few spots can be held for non-matriculated, but the majority should be held for students who have actually gone through the registration process. JMO though.

bbear · Jun 1, 2004

A student that took Human Bio 2 years ago, and is one credit shy of graduating, can go back and take the Lab. Meanwhile, it throws off every other students' schedule that cannot get into the lab, and then THAT student has to take it another semester, perpetuating the viscious cycle.

Okay, this is nonsense. It would make more sense for the school to say they can come back later to take the lab on a space available basis.

Regarding your suggestion that spots be held for certain students. Here's another thought: How about suggesting to the school that they allow students who need the class as a pre-req (health professions, for example) to do early registration along with the students that have earned "x" amount of credit hours.

smk1, LPN · Jun 1, 2004

There's a big difference between a job training class and a general education course. Paramedic, nursing, and similar courses are structured to teach students specific material related to a job function. Therefore, they have little value to a person who has no intention of working in the profession and the school may rightfully exclude students who don't need those courses. Anatomy, Physiology, Micribiology, and Chemistry are general science courses designed to give ALL students a better understanding of their own bodies and the world in which they live.
Who's to say your need for the course is greater than a non-nursing student? Sure, you will use the information in your everyday nursing practice--so the information you learn will benefit your patients. But if an engineering student takes A&P and realizes 5 years down the road that their child may have a ruptured appendix due to the fact that they are having lower right quadrant pain with rebound tenderness, then doesn't that engineering student and their child similarly benefit from the course? Or, in case that is too extreme an example, if that engineering student ends up living a longer and healthier life because he/she learned that exercise causes Acetyl Coenzyme A to convert more organic molecules to ATP rather than to cholesterol and fatty acids, then hasn't that engineering student equally benefitted from the course?
I guess what I'm saying is that these general science courses benefit all students--not just those students entering the health professions. I therefore believe it would be a grave disservice to limit any student's access to these courses. If your're having problems getting into these courses, you might express your frustration to the Dean of Academic Services. Also, you might get a petition started requesting more science sections be offered, have as many students sign it as you can, and then give the petition to your student council. I would think that having more science sections added would be far preferable to limiting student access to these courses.

obviously adding more classes would be the first option but no matter how many complaints are filed, it still hasn't happened. I am not saying that only nursing students should get into a&p, i said those on a degree path where the class is required should have priority in these situations. You may not agree but, i don't see the benefit in having the dental hygiene, nursing, paramedic students waiting around for years to get into their classes (and at my school you can't start any of these programs without COMPLETING all 3 semesters of the series) when others who don't need it and may drop after semester 1 anyway get in and take up a spot. Here is an analogy, what if many students decided to enter the nursing program for "personal enrichment" with no plans to actually test and license as a nurse, how is that of benefit to the community? Under normal circumstances i think first come first served works great, but not when students who have to take the class can't even get in due to others taking up the spot when they don't need it. People can't just keep waiting years and years for an associates degree, and this is the only community collegein our city , yes we can drive 40 minutes to another, but their system is the same so that is of no benefit, to enter the university BSN program, you have to already be an RN (just a completion program), to get accepted to OHSU (BSN program) you have to have your prereqs done, etc.. do you see where i am going with this? This system stinks and the nursing shortage is supposedly pretty bad here, so why not revamp the system to allow people to get into the nursing program sooner and therefore graduate sooner? Same for paramedic and dental students. People on financial aid also have time issues as far as school goes, there are a whole host of reasons why certain classes should give prority to those students required to take it. Not all classes need to do this, but when there is only about 90 seats available each semester (none in summer) and hundreds of people needing to get into the class to progress toward their degree, each seat counts.