How many sciences should I take at once?

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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I'm planning on starting my prerequisites in the spring and I decided to go full time in order to apply to BSN programs as soon as possible.

The classes I need to take are A&P 1 and 2, Micro, Chem., Human Development, and maybe stats.

How many of these classes would I be able to take at a time and still have ample study time for each? I'm also married and have a toddler.

And in what particular order is best to take these classes?

I think it also depends on the grades you will be satisfied with. Even if you can handle it under the best of circumstances, with such a heavy courseload one minor domestic emergency could bring the whole thing down around you.

In my own experience, I am even considering delaying my nursing application for a year in order to have more time to focus on the non-nursing courses I need for the bachelor's and master's programs I intend to get into. It's also vital to me that I get nothing lower than an "A," and that requires a lot of work (or at least attention!). So far I am doing sciences one at a time; this might put me in Micro and Chem I at the same time, but that will be next fall at the earliest, and A&P I & II will be over with.

I would recommend you definitely start on the lighter side to be sure you know what you can handle. It's better to take on more in a later semester than have to drop classes, or get grades you're not happy with. Your toddler might well become more demanding as you need more time to yourself, also; how present do you want to/can you afford not to be?

As has been said, if you need to "catch up" calendar-wise, you can always try to do a summer session in one of the courses (my school offers both A&Ps and Micro in the summer) or online through a different school (in NY there's the SUNY learning network).

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Specializes in OR, Telemetry, PCCU, Med/Surg.

Starting November 1st I will be working 2 12 hour shifts a week. My A&P I class starts Oct 22 so that should work out fine. My math class will end as the A&P starts so I'll be doing A&P with English. I think this should be fairly reasonable.

I really want to have all my pre-requisites done by the end of the Spring semester. I am taking all my classes online so I can start classes every two weeks. Starting in January, after I finish English, I would like to take Micro and unfortunately I will have to take Chemistry. I had 3 years of chemistry with lab in high school though. I just can't seem to get credit for them because I went to high school in Belgium. I did have my diploma evaluated and I asked them to evaluate my last grade card class per class so I could get credit for it. But apparently they don't really know how to do this. Depending on how hard the A&PI is for me, I might start Chemistry early. That way I'll have more time for A&PII and Micro. I just really hope it'll work out!!

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Specializes in DOU.

Just keep in mind that some programs accept applications based on your prerequisite grades...

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I would not recommend more than one lecture and lab science course at a time. There is alot of information to cover and having two science classes are overwhelming. From experience I know having little ones allows less studying time.You could always take your Human Development and Statistics instead.

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Specializes in Cardiac.

Fall 2007 is my first time back in college in 10 years. I'm a lunatic though, I took 16 hours off the bat:

AP I, Sociology, Nutrition, Human Growth/Dev, and Stats

Next semester I'm dropping down to 12 hours, but I'm taking 3 sciences with labs:

AP 2, Micro, and Chem.

Then I'm relaxing this summer and starting the nursing program Fall 2008. Not yet accepted, but they told me I was guaranteed with all my prereqs done and 98th percentile on the NLN.

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Specializes in GYN/GON/Med-Surg/Oncology/Tele.

This semester I'm taking chemistry and I had to take a general biology class before I could take the A&P or Microbiology classes. I guess it all depends on how much you feel you can handle. When you start the actual nursing courses, you'll have a heavy workload. In my personal opinion, taking more than one science course a semester in a way could prepare you for what's to come later.

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Thanks for all of the advice.

I think I might start out with just 1 lab science and human development for the first semester and see how things work for me.

My family is about an hour and a half from us so I won't get a lot of outside help. I plan on taking day classes and putting my 15 month old in day care part time. Most of my studying will have to take place at night after she's asleep.

I'm trying to get the best possible grades and do this in 3 semesters. Spring, Summer, Fall.

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