Is Six College Courses Manageable?

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Is six college courses really manageable? I have done 5 college classes and easily even making a few mistakes. I have done 7 college classes before, but only 6 required work and 2 were labs, so they consumed a lot of time. Also I have an option of taking 6 classes this semester at about 14 credits or 5 classes at 11 credits. Any opinions from experienced individuals would be fine.

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Specializes in NICU.

It depends.

Are you talking about general education courses? If so, then possibly, depending on your ability to time manage. I took 18-21 credits per semester for my first degree (a Bachelor in Biology).

If you're talking about nursing classes, then I would say no. Not because they are harder, per say, but because they take up so much time. A two-credit class in most degrees would usually be an "easier" or less time consuming class. No such thing in nursing school.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

First of all, six college courses normally represents 18 credits.

Students successfully complete six courses per semester with regularity. Therefore, managing six college courses is apparently not a problem for some people.

Meanwhile, other students cannot pull it off due to disorganization, distractions, or (this is controversial) a lack of intellectual horsepower.

Hence, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to your question. Six courses is manageable for some people and terribly unmanageable for others.

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Are you in a rush to complete them all?

Are you a pre-nursing student taking your pre-reqs to be eligible to apply to the nursing program/s of your dreams? Are you only given an X years to complete your degree? If it is the former, I would say DO NOT RUSH. It is universal truth that many, if not all, nursing programs are highly competitive and getting excellent marks is very, very important. If you truly want to get only As, I would suggest that you take no more than 4 courses. However, if you do not work at all (someone supports you, either a parent, or a spouse), then, I guess 6 courses may be doable. But like everybody else has said so far, you know better.

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Specializes in Psych.

Depends on a few factors, chiefly, whether you intend on working during the semester, and what type of student you are. If you will work many hours and are the type to procrastinate it sounds like a recipe for disaster. However, if you've worked during the semester before and are diligent with your schoolwork it is definitely doable...

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To give a better understanding. I have already completed nursing pre reqs which was only anatomy and phys 1, but I completed anatomy and phys 2 along with developmental psych, general psych, both english courses, prep chem, and college success. I intend to wipe out sociology in the summer since i am taking micro biology right now. Technically the desired nursing program I want to be in is about 70 percent complete. All I have are 3 general education courses left and the others are nursing courses. I should not exceed more than 4 classes in 3 of my semesters. The first semester I have 5 classes, but 3 of them are 1 credit courses and the other nursing course is 5 credits. I pretty much set myself up for definite success. I did fairly well last semester with 4 classes. I do fairly well with 5 classes also. I also plan to take intro to philosophy in the summer, but the following summer. I also intend to wipe out 3 bsn courses, so I have the ability to complete my degree in 3 years while working full time, or 2 years working full time. With only four classes and putting 2 hours a day on each subject I was able to devote one whole day to studying for particular tests and I was also able to sit for 3 hours just before my tests and study.

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Specializes in Hospitalist Medicine.

It completely depends upon you, as a student, and what you're personally capable of handling. I did 17 credits (6 courses) in one semester and pulled off a 4.0 GPA to boot. However, my kids were grown and I had the luxury of not needing to work that semester, so I basically viewed school as my "job". I took Physiology, Microbiology, Microbiology Lab, Pharmacology, Human Growth & Development and Intro to Health Professions all at the same time. My planner was my lifeline during that time and kept me on track and organized.

It all really boils down to what *you* know you are or are not capable of doing. If you have plenty of time to devote to your studies and you know you're a strong student. Go for it. If you're only taking that many classes to get in to nursing school "quicker", I'd caution you. Choose a path that will give you maximum GPA!

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I would routinely stay up all night for one or two nights to do only one care plan for nursing school, yet I recall doing 24 units of prereqs in one term because it was do or die for my transfer. Motivated, a person can do things they wouldn't ordinarily expect of themselves. Yet, I certainly wouldn't try such a crunch on a regular basis. One gets deathly ill, the car breaks down, the teenager runs off one time too many, one's mother or father passes away, life happens. Best to keep the stress as manageable as possible, because one can't always rely upon encountering empathetic, accommodating people to let us off the hook or to make things easier for us.

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