Only 8 credits a semester?

[StacyC417]

For all of you who are in an ADN program, how many credit hours do you have to take for each semester once you are actually admitted into the nursing program? The school that I will be applying to is quite competitive (300-400 applicants for 48 spots) and it almost requires that you get all of your general ed classes completed before entry into the program (support courses give you a "point" apiece toward admittance). SO, the way I have it *planned* (for whatever that's worth...lol!) I will have all courses but pharmacology completed before entrance into the program. This leaves me with 8-10 credit hours for each of the four semesters (including pharmacology). My question then, is whether I will be swamped AT school (or at the hospital for clinicals) for long hours on multiple days a week? I have been spoiled so far, having taken my first two semesters of prereqs 100% online. I just have no idea as to how many actual hours per week each credit hour requires you to be present for.

TIA for all responses

Stacy

[LilRedRN1973]

Our nursing classes are anywhere from 9 to 11 credits per semester. I'm taking the 2 classes required next semester and it equals 11 hours. We have co-requisites each semester that a class each. But I took the majority of them before getting into the ADN program. The only ones I have left are Microbiology and Sociology, which I will be taking this summer so I don't have to take them at the same time as my nursing courses.

[FarmgrrlRN]

My program is generally 1 credit of pharm/semester and 8 credits of "nursing". For our first semester, we had 1 day of clinical and 2 days of lecture. But, our Monday lecture days actually were considered "lab time". So, we usually had lecture but could sometimes have lab. To sum it up: Mon & Weds we went to class fom 8:30-2:30 w/a half hour lunch. My clinical day was Thurs and we went from 6:30a-12:30p (only for 4 weeks), before clinicals started we had lab on Thursdays and it was the same hours as Mon/Wed.

My problem with taking other classes is that Tues/Thurs are our clinical days. You don't actually know until the semester starts what time your clinical is. So, no classes on those days (clinical is either in the AM as above or 2:30p-8:30p). Then on Mon/Wed, I am free in the afternoon but usually your instructor calls in the afternoon/evening with your clinical assignment for the next day & you have to prepare!

I start my second semester on 1/12/04 and the days are much better, here's my schedule:

Mon Lecture: 11a-1p; also Ethics 1:15-2:30

Tues: clinical--->but its lab time til we start clinicals, so I believe we will be there from 8:30a til about 2:30 until they start.

Weds: Lecture & Pharm: 10a-1p; also Ethics 1:15-2:30

Thurs: same as Tues

To conclude: generally you'll be swamped with everything! I took a Western Civ class online this past semester and was convinced I couldn't do it all, it was a lot of work. However, by some fluke, I managed to pull off my first 4.0 semester while in school full time (I only worked ~15hrs/week). I'm not counting on that happening again but it did feel good. It keeps you busy but it is manageable.