Help!! - I need advice

[ccjus123]

I would like for everyone to suggest to me what they would do in my situation...

I am currently taking my pre-reqs at a city college in nyc. It offers a nursing program but with all of the competition and ridiculous "mandatory 4.0" you must get in order to maybe get into the program, I just figured I'd take my pre-reqs there and once it's time to take actual nursing courses to apply to a private college.

However, I'm now having 2nd thoughts and thinking about how the city college would be way cheaper and much more manageable financially. I'm wondering "what if I can actually get in to the city college (which is WAY cheaper) nursing program. - Unfortunately they require a math course which I'm absolutely horrible at:angryfire.

I don't think I've ever got over a 65 or C in any Math course in my life.

Keep in mind if I take math and fail or just barely pass this ruins my gpa and possibly chances for me to apply to private schools - which I know for a fact in my area don't even require math. Also, we all know about ridiculous waitlists and sometimes the students with 4.0's don't get in because of so many applicants.

Should I take their requirement in Math and see if my grade in it is good enough to apply to their program? Should I wait to see with my gpa for the pre-reqs look like before I even take "their required math"?

What would you do?

-Your suggestions and comments are appreciated.

[no1shome]

What about studying (or getting a tutor) and learning the math on your own time.... then take a CLEP test (credit by exam) - you get the credit for it, but no grade so it doesn't wreck your GPA. You could get a 70 on the exam and pass, but all that will appear on the transcript is "Cr" for credit.

It gives you more options and a fall-back plan in the end.

Just a thought.

[ccjus123]

I already asked them about clepping for another course and they had no idea what "clep" was. I thought that was just ridiculous....so I'm sure you can't clep any pre-reqs for their nursing program. Most private colleges (nursing) accept clep but I don't think many city colleges/community colleges accept it simply because they base your acceptance into their program on actual grades....

[NamasteNurse, BSN, RN]

You will need math for nursing, so you may as well learn it now rather than be disappointed later. Our class started out with 48 students in january and we're down to 22, many of them got dropped because of math.

[gillytook]

Pre-reqs are not the only consideration you should be looking at in deciding which school to go to. Our local private college charges 6x as much and they are not even accredited. That means that if you want to go on and get your BSN you have to retake all the nursing courses. Yes there is little to no waiting list. You take one class at a time for 5 weeks which makes the schedule more flexible. But is it worth it?

And yes you will need math in nursing. Many programs require that you pass the math test with a 100%, before you can pass medications and complete your first semester.

[surgicalbum]

Is there another CC in your area? You might take a math course there and see if it will transfer. You will learn math and if you don't make an A, you could re-take with the college you want to attend with the knowledge you can pass..