Micro or AP1.... WWYD?

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Hello fellow pre-NS students! Here's my situation. I have applied to a nursing program for Fall 2010. This program allows you to take AP1, AP2 and Micro during your nursing program. I want to get as much done beforehand as possible (assuming I get in for this Fall) so I am planning to take one of these classes this summer. I can only take one since I will be working FT and have a 2 year old. If you could only take one (especially as a summer session), which would you take - AP1 or Micro? I'm kind of leaning towards micro since from what I am reading AP is a lot of memorization and I'd probably like a full semester for that, but I could be wrong. Maybe it's better to get AP done before starting any nursing classes. I need to get A's b/c I plan to attend graduate school. Thanks for you help!

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I have note taken A & PI yet, I am taking it in the summer. But I have taken microbiology. If you've taken biology, micro goes one step further. Alot of the biology themes overlap in micro. But Micro is more detailed and you learn about specific microorganisms. I actually enjoyed Micro and am looking forward to A & P. If you've taken biology, I would take micro.

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I am in micro now. I have already taken, A&P1, A&P2 & chem. I would highly reccommend you take the A&P1 first, as it will lay the foundation for at least some stuff in micro like cells. Having chemistry before micro would he helpful as well. Micro is the hardest class to date for me. It's alot of material, and with summer semester being so compact, there's no room for error.

Good luck to you. I have applied for Fall as well.

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I decided to take A&P 1 first. When I was trying to make up my mind, the consensus seemed to be that A&P is a good foundation. And in my situation, it had been ages since I took biology so Micro seemed like a leap.

Good luck!

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i find it interesting that some people say take a&p first. at my university, a&p is like the motherload, so you take everything before that class. i'm in micro now and it's not that hard. i guess it depends on the university. i can't believe they are letting you into ns without those classes! that's madness. anyways, good luck!

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Unless you absolutely have to, you do not want to take A&P as a summer course. There is just too much information to learn. The students that take the summer courses of A&P and do well in them are not in your situation. They don't have jobs nor a family. The class consumes your life for the few weeks that you are in it. My suggestion is microbiology if you really want to take a summer course. IMHO relax and take advantage of the vacation while you have it and enroll in the fall/spring classes only. They give you more time to learn the material which gives you breathing room to enjoy your family and take time for yourself. ;)

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Thank you all for your input. I'm still not sure what to do, but I've got some time left to figure it out. I have taken animal physiology before (about 100,000 years ago though) and did okay (WITH senior-itis). I doubt anything will "come back", but if I "got" it before I think I can "get" it again. I'm leaning towards micro b/c it might not be a good thing to take half of a two part class at one school and the other half at another. Guess I should have thrown that little tidbit in.

Relax??? (You sound like my husband!:)) I don't think I know what that is. I am SO type A that relaxing stresses me out. LOL

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Micro is easier in the summer.

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Wow! It just boggles my mind that you can go into nursing school without your sciences. We have 34 hrs of prereqs that include a&p I & II and micro. Even pharm and the first nursing class is a prereq.

I would definitely take a&p I this summer. You could easily get by without micro, but I couldn't imagine entering nursing school without a&pI. I agree it will be harder and more time consuming, but it will be well worth it when you look at the big picture. Even if you don't make an A, it doesn't seem to matter since you're already in the program. I would rather do well in nursing school than one prereq.

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I'd try to take A&P I this summer. I think that it's going to be really hard to take that course along with your nursing school courses. Microbiology is a much easier class.

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I agree with the above poster who mentioned that nursing school would probably be really difficult without the foundation of A&P!

It will be a hard summer :p

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Specializes in ICU.

I strongly agree with Heathers21. If you weren't starting nursing school in the fall, I'd say take micro. But since you ARE starting nursing school in the fall, you need to go in with a strong foundation, and A&P will give you that moreso than micro.

Just because I'm curious: you really start taking nursing courses and doing clinicals without a background in anatomy, physiology, and micro? That seems like making the program a whole heck of a lot harder than it has to be! Nursing coursework will be challenging enough without having to put all the time and effort into the basic science courses! And I have to wonder how clinicals would go...

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