HELP!! I want to take Nursing BUT!!...

emmy27 · Apr 18, 2008

I'm awful at math and struggled with chem in high school, although I liked other sciences.

I made it through my prereqs with about the average amount of sweat and tears, with As and Bs in everything, and I was accepted to an RN program (I'm finishing up my first semester next week). I'm not going to lie, being math phobic has made it more difficult than it would be if I was confident in my skills, BUT the math you need to succeed in nursing school, though vitally important, isn't actually that complex. If you passed eighth grade math, and think you could polish those skills to a nice sheen, you'll do fine with drug math. I'm not saying it's easy, but it's not impossible. They don't expect calculus or trig out of you.

As for chemistry, pick up a study guide- one of the dummies books or "chemistry demystified" is good. Remember, a lot of what makes high school difficult is that it's HIGH SCHOOL- you're young, distracted, and too often being taught by people who unfortunately embody the old saw about "those who can't do, teach". You're an adult now, and you have the opportunity to seek out better instructors, more help, a class that fits your learning style, extra materials, and devote solid time to learning it. It's not easy, but it's definitely not impossible.

And once you get to nursing school, math and chem are important elements of your foundation, but they're not the bulk of what you're learning or being tested on. It's primarily application-level stuff using the factual knowledge you possess.

Nobody will ever ask you to rattle off the periodic table of the elements in nursing, promise.

And don't swear bio. If you got through A&P and micro without a hitch, bio will be no trouble.

Good luck! You can do it.

mNm85 · Apr 18, 2008

this post has been deleted

jjjoy, LPN · Apr 18, 2008

Remember, a lot of what makes high school difficult is that it's HIGH SCHOOL
You're an adult now, and you have the opportunity to seek out better instructors, more help, a class that fits your learning style, extra materials, and devote solid time to learning it.

Great points!

gbarrera2 · Apr 18, 2008

Good Luck with school! Don't let any class get in your way of achieving your goal of becoming an RN.

Maybe you should take the Biology, Chemisty, and Math all seperately so that you don't become overwhelmed.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Apr 19, 2008

You're an adult now and an adult learner. Don't judge yourself by your high school experience.

You say you pass the A&P and Micro portion of the course previously with flying colors and this tells you have you have what it takes.

Don't buy into a self-concept that you're not good in math and science because you'll make that come true for yourself. Change your thinkiing and change your life.

Good luck. I know you can do this.

sunny261 · Apr 20, 2008

I took my non nursing classes before I entered the nursing program. Found that easier for me to concentrate with a family. That and those classes I took were night classes and it was easier to go just to one 3 hour class than to have it spread out to 3 days one hour each. They have many different programs out there now for college-much more flexible than it used to be. And don't worry I stunk at math also but learning the math that went with the meds wasn't the same as it was in high school. More interesting for me at least cuz it meant something-not just numbers and symbols on the blackboard. Good luck to you!!