Maricopa Nursing Prereqs; BIO156 before 201? CHM130?

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Hi everyone,

I'm 26 years old and recently decided to switch majors from Psychology to Nursing. I'm working on moving from GCU over to the community college and have all of my prereqs except for the science classes.

So I know I need to take BIO201, but I also saw that BIO156 is required if you've been out of HS for over five years. The counselor I spoke to said they could probably waive that for me if I wanted so I could jump right into BIO201. As much as I would appreciate getting my application in sooner, though, I worry that I would be too overwhelmed since I remember pretty much nothing from high school. Thoughts? Has anyone else done this and passed the class?

I'm also going to attempt applying for the CEP, so I am really wary of anything that might negatively impact my GPA at this point... In other words, if anyone thinks I could pass BIO201 without the BIO156 experience but probably with a reduced grade, I'd likely opt for the longer route.

Also, would anyone recommend taking CHM130 for any reason? Since high school was a while ago now and I didn't do so well in chemistry back then, would it be worth it to take it?

Thanks in advance for the help!

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So I'm in a similar situation, I took anatomy and physiology over 10 years ago, MCC said I technically don't have to retake it, but I didn't do the greatest the first time around, so I'm retaking those. To prepare myself I'm retaking Bio 156 at Rio Salado (my class is starting today so we'll see how that goes) and then I'm going to take Chem 130 in the fall, but partially because I'm not decided if I'm going to try and apply potential for a master's entry into nursing program or if I'm going to just get my RN and then go on to get a BSN/MSN later. I figure either way it's probably not a bad idea to take these classes. Especially since like you, I'd like to improve my GPA and for me, I have at least a two-year wait if I go the RN route through the Maricopa schools.

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Specializes in Neuro.

I just graduated from one of the CEP programs and things may have changed since I did my prereqs, but previously, I believe most universities required the CHM130 with lab, maybe things are different now. My university required it when I applied for CEP. Ultimately, reach out to an advisor for that if you have questions.

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Specializes in Emergency.

I took bio201 without bio156 and bio181. I got As in both classes. I recommend researching your teachers because it’s definitely not easy but it’s doable with the right teacher who helps you understand. As far as chm130 you need it for your BSN so I would take it. ?

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I was in a similar boat as you. I came from ASU with a different major and switched to nursing at the community college level. I pretty much needed every science as well. I decided to go for the BIO 156 route and I definitely recommend it. It definitely helped prepare for certain areas of BIO201. As much as I would have liked to jump right in to 201, I know I would have regretted that. I ended up getting an A in 201 even with having a terrible professor. Also, I took Chem 130 because most of the universities with CEP require it.

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Thanks, everyone! I'll double-check about CHM130; the advisor I spoke with said my high school chem should apply, but I'll definitely double-check with someone from GCU about whether they require it.

Did anyone take CHM130 or BIO156 online?

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23 minutes ago, MetalWife said:

Thanks, everyone! I'll double-check about CHM130; the advisor I spoke with said my high school chem should apply, but I'll definitely double-check with someone from GCU about whether they require it.

Did anyone take CHM130 or BIO156 online?

I took Chem 130 online last summer through PVCC. It was a 5 week course and I finished in 4 weeks with a 98%. The professor I had was Olander and I loved the format of her online “lectures”. As long as you have good time management it’s a great class. I had taken Chem back in 2007 and failed it so i was super nervous going into that class but I totally recommend it.

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3 minutes ago, Sarah Smith said:

I took Chem 130 online last summer through PVCC. It was a 5 week course and I finished in 4 weeks with a 98%. The professor I had was Olander and I loved the format of her online “lectures”. As long as you have good time management it’s a great class. I had taken Chem back in 2007 and failed it so i was super nervous going into that class but I totally recommend it.

Awesome, thank you! That's probably what I'll end up doing if I do need it.

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5 hours ago, MetalWife said:

Thanks, everyone! I'll double-check about CHM130; the advisor I spoke with said my high school chem should apply, but I'll definitely double-check with someone from GCU about whether they require it.

Did anyone take CHM130 or BIO156 online?

I'm currently taking BIO156 online at Rio Salado. I'm only a week into it, so I can't really say how it's going, but so far it doesn't seem to bad.

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I took all my sciences classes online because I was working f/t and simply couldn't attend in person. Anyway - they are all doable online for sure, although obviously you need to be self motivated. I would definitely suggest taking BIO156 before BIO201. I know that means more time until you can apply, but honestly it will provide a foundation for nursing school, and without it you'll probably struggle.

CHEM130 is a pre-req for most of the CEP university courses, so you'll have to take that if you're doing CEP. Yes, it is doable online too.

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I didn’t really see anything from 156 cross over to 201. Even the method of studying was completely different. Wouldn’t recommend 156 before 201 if you can avoid it.

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I took BIO 156 Online at Rio salado and I chose the accelerated 8 week class and I got a B , but it was a lot of hard work!!!! the teacher was a really tough grader and didn’t provide a lot of direction or explanation on to what she was looking for in the lab reports and application questions.. I wouldn’t have taken the accelerated online class if I would have known that lol

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