How many semesters/years of Pre Reqs?

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Good Morning and Happy Easter to All!

Very anxious about starting the Nursing program this summer at Seminole Community College. I will be meeting with an advisor hopefully this week permitting my work schedule allows some free time. My questions is if you are starting with no prior credits approximately how many semesters of pre req will you have to take before applying to Nursing program.

I will be going part time because I work Full Time. I am going to start out with 2 classes per semester and see how that goes however, I am very anxious to get started and get thru these pre-req. I am 42 and I want to be working in my career hopefully no later than 47 but sooner if possible. I know the advisor will go over all this with me but it's killing me to know.

I currently have 6 credits, basic english and math but don't know if they will transfer over. I guess I want to get a realistic picture of how long this will take me.:bugeyes:

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Specializes in CNA/Nursing Student.

I don't remember exactly how many pre-reqs that they had, but in seems like most of the people I know who went there got them done in about 3-5 semesters. Good luck and Happy Easter!

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Thanks a lot for your response, that's about the same amount of time I was guessing. I figure I can start the January 2010 program providing I am accepted with no waiting for SCC evening program.

Great!

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Specializes in Triage, Trauma, Ambulatory Care.

It really depends on what your program requires in the way of pre-req's. For most people I know, who started without any completed, it took between 1 1/2 to 2 years. I understand your desire to get started in the program as quickly as possible. I believe we all share that feeling!

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Specializes in Oncology, Med-Surg, Nursery.

It does depend on what you have to take before admission to the program at your school. At my school - we HAD to have A&P I and II completed. That could be done in 2 semesters. Everything else - Algebra, Psychology, English Comp I, Fine Arts, Oral Communications, Human Growth & Development, Microbiology, etc could be done after admission to the program and could be taken along with the actual program classes. I, personally, would not recommend that. I was a Full Time student (I understand from your post that you will be PT due to work) and it took me 4 semesters. With that said - I did drag it out and mixed classes that weren't required with my required classes to give me a total of around 12-13 hours all 4 semesters.

My advice is just see what you HAVE to take before starting the program and then decide if you want to be taking other classes on top of your nursing classes. Nursing school is hard enough, so if at all possible, I'd get everything I could out of the way before entering the actual program.

Good luck!! :)

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Thanks for the advice,

That is my thinking that I want to take everything I need before entering the program, however, I will not be taking any extra classes that are not required by the Nursing programs. I figure it I to to summer and fall session this year and spring, summer and fall in 09 I should get them done in time to enter nursing school january of 2010. It would be great if I go enter in January of 09 but I don't think that is realistic at this time.

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Specializes in ER/Ortho.

The program that I applied to has 4 main pre reqs. English 1, Chemistry 1, A&P 1, and Psych 1. When I started I thought WOW this won't take long. I took the college entrance exam and had to take 3 DMAT Algebra classes before I could take Algebra. I also had to take Biology before I could take A&P 1 so my new total was 8 pre reqs. This is what I needed to take before I could actually apply, but no one with that few pre reqs done gets in. They give you a list, and most of people who are accepted have all of them done, or maybe just one small one left. The pre reqs on the list were.....A&P 2, Microbiology, nursing pathophysiology, pharmacology, dosage calculations for nursing, end of life issues, developmental psych, medical spanish, and speech. Over all it ended up being 17 pre reqs for me, and 53 credit hours.

On the bright side when I get into the program I only have about 30 something credit hours left which is mainly clinicals, and a few nursing courses. Its taken me about 3 years. I have a family so I don't always take a full load, and I repeated a couple of classes to turn a B into an A.

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The program I applied to had 10 prereqs and it took me 3 years to get them all done. I worked full-time and only took classes at night. It was important that I got good grades so some of the classes I ended up taking by themselves. The prereqs were English, Statistics, Critical Thinking, Cultural Anthropology, Biology, Chemistry, O-Chem, Microbiology, Anatomy and Physiology. Not required, but recommended was Nutrition, which I also completed. Obviously every school is different. I wish you well. Good luck.

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It was interesting to see what all the different schools require as pre-reqs. When I spoke to the nursing academic advisor at the CC I am attending she indicated to complete the entire program without any pre-reqs done it would take three years. Luckily all my non-science pre-reqs from my B.A. transfered. I just needed to complete again General Bio and General Chem since they were more then 10 years old.

Your advisor should be able to give you a good idea of how long it's going to take. I understand the rush though as I turn 40 this year and hope to start my new career by the time I am 42-43. Time ticks much faster the older you get.

Jen

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