Getting nursing school ready??!

StarvingRtist · May 26, 2015

RayvenMitch,

Your question is not an easy one to answer, this might take a whileâ€¦

First of all, you said that you are going to start the pre-reqs eitherâ€ this Fall or next Springâ€¦ sounds like you haven't registered for classes yet (I could be wrong). Most pre-reqs for nursing are extremely popular in schools, since they are the same pre-reqs for many different programs(nursing, pre-med, nutrition, health sciencesâ€¦ etc). Chances are, most of those classes are already full if you haven't already registered.

So, if you haven't registered for those classes, I suggest you spend the next couple of days with some intense research on which classes you need, and try to register ASAP. If you have already registered for classes, then you can just ignore what I said above.

Regarding your research, BE VERY THOROUGH. I don't know whether nursing school information is very confusing or people just don't pay enough attention: most of my friends have no idea what they're doing and lost at least one semester due to bad information. Let me give you some examples:

Case #1: A friend of mine told me that she finishedâ€ all of her pre-reqs, and she's ready to apply for nursing schools. She took her time to visit various schools and found one that she wanted to attendâ€¦ but she CAN'T. Why? Because she did not finishâ€ all pre-reqs for that particular school. For some reason she ASSUMED that all nursing schools have the same pre-reqs; that cannot be further from the truth.

Based on just a few schools that I looked at, many nursing schools require different pre-req classes (some may require 8, and some may require 10). So when you do your research, make sure you know the required pre-reqs for EACH school separately. Take the classes that you need for those nursing schools you are interested to apply to.

Case #2: A friend of mine took Anatomy & Physiology and got an A in the class. However, it doesn't count! Because the nursing school he wants to apply to does not recognize the course that he took; its difficulty level was not up to the nursing school's standard. So basically he wasted a whole semester.

So, after you find out which classes you need (from case #1), make sure you take them from the right school. If you're not sure, you can straight up ask the nursing department in the school that you want to apply to. They usually know exactly where you can take those classes.

Case #3: A bunch of classmates in my A&P class were a bunch of hopeful and always discussed about the nursing program. I never had the heart to tell them that they will not get in; that they were just wasting their time (they all barely pass science classes with C's and maybe a few B's). My school has a very low STATED minimum GPA and pre-req requirements; something like 2.75 and C in all science courses (that's why they're hopeful). However, that doesn't mean anything, it's an extremely competitive program and the school only accepts the top students so any GPA below 3.5 is hopeless (the particular program I'm applying to had a cut off of 3.9 once).

Most quality and affordable nursing schools are extremely competitive. You have to aim for straight A's in your pre-reqs in order to have a chance to get in. Dedicate yourself for just one year to ace those pre-reqs can change your entire life. Convince yourself that it's worth it. However, even if you don't have the grades, you can still look at private schools (much easier to get in). They are just as good as those extremely competitive schools but with a much higher cost. To become a nurse it's not about which school you go to and what your grades are at any point. It is ALL about passing the NCLEX and get your RN license, that's it!

Case #4: A friend of mine was about to get a C in chemistry, and he knew that's an automatic rejection from nursing programs. So he asked the professor to give him an F instead of C. Apparently some schools give you a second chance if you fail a class; you get to take it again and the second grade becomes the official final grade of that class (and the second grade is the only one that counts towards GPA). RISKY MOVE!

Even though the second grade is the one that counts, your transcript will still show the original attempt. Some nursing schools, including mine, will ONLY look at the first attempt. So do your research on how the nursing school you like considers these things. (You wouldn't have to worry about this if you aim for A's though)

If all that seem discouraging, let me tell you about my friend who just graduated a couple of months ago. She just got her license, 22 years old, never had a job before, was hired as an RN a few days ago. Her starting salary is around $90,000 a year and she will only work 3 days a week. Not bad for a first year right? Hopefully that's a strong motivation for you to ace those pre-reqs.

Anyway, that's all I can come up with at this moment, it's 4:50am and I really need to sleep. I'm sure there are more pointers I can give to you later on. Good luck!

studentnurse47 · May 26, 2015

Do your best. Nursing schools are very competitive. My programs minimum gpa requirement in course work is 2.0, no one even near a 2.0 will get in. Good luck.

statepatrick001 · May 28, 2015

Like the first person said, if you haven't registered for classes yet you should really get a start on that. I was in the same position as you when I first started ( I didn't work in auto I worked in hospitality but knew what I really wanted to do with my life). Get your classes together and if you know which teachers are teaching the classes you need, go to Rate My Professors - Review Teachers and Professors, School Reviews, College Campus Ratings , usually students post really good information about professors and whether they are easy/helpful. Once I registered my classes I made sure I had all my regular school materials ready and checked as often as possible to see if teachers had posted their Syllabus. It's extremely important to get a head start on your syllabus and make sure you know what the teacher wants and what your course load is going to be like. I always buy a calendar with each new school year to keep track of when I have tests/exams/homework due. Staying two-weeks ahead helped me immensely and it paid off with a 4.0 my first semester.

As soon as you find out who your Adviser is, send them an e-mail. My first semester was made a lot easier when I was told I could satisfy a high school AP Chem rather than having to take a Chemistry course at the Community College I'm attending. Make sure you know what classes you will need to take and what your course-load will be like. My adviser was able to tell me whether I should schedule another class, stop, or cut back on one to try and keep my GPA boosted. When it comes to getting into Nursing school, your GPA is everything ( as well as the courses you took ). My current school goes by a point system to be accepted into the program. You get a certain amount of points for each pre-req class you take at the school and then the points are weighted/affected by your overall GPA.

If necessary, go to study sessions especially for courses like Human Anatomy and Physiology even if you think you know everything, you may surprise yourself. My tutoring sessions were with someone who had my teacher previously so they were able to skip all the B.S. and tell me what I really needed to focus on; I received an A that semester.

Study hard, do your best, and believe in yourself always even when things get stressful. Good luck with everything!

***The reason I put so much importance on scheduling classes is some classes are only open in the Fall and some only open in the Spring, so you may not be able to start in the Spring depending on your course load.

Ecl09 · May 28, 2015

StarvingRtist makes some really great points! I definitely second the advice of enrolling in your pre-reqs asap. If there is a nursing program you have in mind already, I recommend contacting their admissions department to discuss their specific pre-req courses. I know a lot of nurses who took their pre-reqs at community college to save money and then transferred the credits to their nursing program. This is a great idea, HOWEVER, it's extremely important that you check with the admissions dept. at your desired nursing school to make sure any courses you take at community college will transfer directly into their nursing program. Otherwise, you could end up re-taking some courses. Here are a few more tips from a nursing school admissions director if you'd like to get their point of view.

While you are taking your pre-reqs, use it as an opportunity to develop strong study habits. Don't procrastinate! This will put you way behind once the madness of nursing school begins. Try to make a schedule and stick to it -- set aside time every day to study flashcards, review notes, complete assigned readings, etc. I hope this helps! Best of luck. You can do it:)

neurodude, MSN, NP · May 28, 2015

I'm finishing up my last prereq and I applied this past spring. Hopefully the admission notification comes quick!

For staying organized, definitely invest in a planner. Whether it is Google Calendar or one that you carry around, use it to organize study times, class times, exams, and assignments, as well as work if you will be doing so.

Depending on your college/university, they may offer an "open lab" where you can practice anatomy on the cadavers or models. Free group tutoring may also be offered so do take advantage of those as much as you can.

A lot of the previous posters have mentioned transferability of your prereqs. Be sure you communicate with counselors both at your school and schools you are looking at so that courses transfer over easily. Most public universities have articulation agreements with community colleges that are generally standard, but it is always a good idea to double check and make a road map.

Best of luck!

kristimarieSC · May 30, 2015

These tips are so great! While I worked hard to get into my program, something I wish I could tell myself back then is that my greatest asset was determination and perseverance. I can't tell you how many people told me I wouldn't get in, the path I was taking was too difficult, the schools I was applying to were too competative. I KEPT GOING. I continued, often restructuring my plan of attack and trudged on, even though I wanted to give up a thousand times. I've now completed half of my program, and couldn't be more greatful. So many obstical a will block your path, the administrative red tape will be daunting, and the competitiveness will make you feel inferior...TRUDGE ON!!