Monster of Pre-Requisites

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Is it OK to be frustrated that it will take me 4 semesters just to work through pre-requisites?

I finally signed up to community college this fall. I'm a foreign student so I've never taken ACT's or SAT's, I've just taken the Compass test. My scores on Reading and Writing were 99, Math was a mortifying 29. I have to take an Algebra Foundations course before I can take College Algebra. I have to take General Biology 1 and 2 before I can take A&P. So I'm up to 30 credits before I can even apply to nursing school. My class schedule did not include a biology for fall semester either so I can't start working away on that until next year. I'm pretty sure I can't take more than one biology class a semester, so by my third semester all other courses will be done except biology.

The whole concept of pre-requisites is alien to me, so I guess that isn't helping. It's just seeming like a huge mountain to climb.

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That is completely fine. Some people spend several years to complete their prereqs due to time constraints or financial difficulties. It is just an obstacle you have to overcome, but it brings you one step closer to your goal. I would recommend enrolling in a CNA course and working as a CNA for the experience. It will make the transition into nursing school, especially for clinicals, a bit easier. Good luck!

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I would say that it is typical to have 3-4 semesters of prerequisites. For example, my program is designed for 9 semesters total: 4 for prerequisites and 5 for the actual nursing program. Some programs even have minimum credit or unit requirements before applying, so your situation isn't uncommon.

Good luck with classes!

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OK, thank you. It's good to know this is pretty much normal. My ignorance is showing in that I heard 2 years of nursing school, and thought 2 years. Then I found out about pre-requisites, which the school said would take a semester to complete.

I am planning on attending a CNA course as soon as another one comes up. There is a local facility that has a 3 week course, but by the time I looked into it they were two weeks past their deadline for applying. I'm not sure how often they have the class.

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That's not unusual at all! I had to complete: math 96-99 (my math skills were very poor), English 101, statistics, intro to biology, microbiology, intro to psychology, lifespan psychology, intro to chemistry, and nutrition. I still have a&p 1 and 2 to complete and then can apply to programs. Plus, I've been working an associate's degree so I can apply to BSN programs, which covers all general education requirements.

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I have Algebraic Foundation, Gen Biology 1, Gen Biology 2, A&P 1, College Algebra, English 101, Intro to Psych and a Humanities before I can apply to the nursing program. I think I'm grumpy that they put me into United States History as my Humanities too, but it was slim pickings left for Fall semester. I don't know anything about US History, but I guess it's good practice for a citizenship test one day!

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I have Algebraic Foundation, Gen Biology 1, Gen Biology 2, A&P 1, College Algebra, English 101, Intro to Psych and a Humanities before I can apply to the nursing program. I think I'm grumpy that they put me into United States History as my Humanities too, but it was slim pickings left for Fall semester. I don't know anything about US History, but I guess it's good practice for a citizenship test one day!

I love the positive thoughts there!

Pre-reqs often take a long time. A woman I know who I went to high school with (13 years ago) spent 10 YEARS doing her pre-reqs. Life got in the way, it happens.

I'm 30, have 3 kids, and will be applying to my program in August, hopefully starting in January. I've been in school doing my pre-reqs since Summer 2013, so it's been 2 years for me, 2 classes per semester (except summers I only take one class.) I'm also doing all the classes for Bachelor's so when I pass my NCLEX for my Associate's I can apply to a bridge program right away.

Best of luck to you!

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I love the positive thoughts there!

Pre-reqs often take a long time. A woman I know who I went to high school with (13 years ago) spent 10 YEARS doing her pre-reqs. Life got in the way, it happens.

I'm 30, have 3 kids, and will be applying to my program in August, hopefully starting in January. I've been in school doing my pre-reqs since Summer 2013, so it's been 2 years for me, 2 classes per semester (except summers I only take one class.) I'm also doing all the classes for Bachelor's so when I pass my NCLEX for my Associate's I can apply to a bridge program right away.

Best of luck to you!

I'm 27 and have 3 kids. This has been a dream of mine for a long time, and I finally got my Green Card at the beginning of the year. I was looking at a bridge program to BSN also, to get class ideas. Because of all the biology classes I need, I will need to pad in extra classes and I might as well make them count somewhere.

I will use the summer to attempt to improve my miserable algebra skills.

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4 semesters isn't out of the ordinary at all. It took me 5 semesters of pre-reqs to get into my respective program (one semester was retaking classes to get better grades). Remember, life is a marathon not a sprint. You're right on track.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Med-Surg, Psych, Geri, LTC, Tele,.

I thought about becoming a nurse in 2009. Started classes in jan 2010. It is now 2015 and I was accepted into an LVN-RN bridge program...

I took approx 1 prerequisite science plus 1 science per semester.

I took off a semester to become a nursing assistant because I needed the money.

I took a year off to complete Lvn school and worked nearly a year as an Lvn prior to applying to the bridge.

I'll attend the Lvn to RN bridge program from 2015 to 2016.

Then I'll work as an RN for a year then prayerfully I'll get into the RN to bsn program.

It's been 5 years. But it's worth it!!!!!

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It took me 4 years just to get into prerequisite classes at my school due to how impacted it is. Graduating with my bachelors degree soon and then applying to ASBSN programs!

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I wish you well.

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