Pre-Req Motivation

Jules A, MSN · Apr 1, 2007

Hey there,

Its hard having to learn how to buckle down and study if you haven't had to before. I'm also someone that doesn't like to do what I'm not good at and sadly I'm twice your age. Pre-reqs are the pitts, imo, so many of them felt like a big fat waste of time. Keep in mind however that most nursing programs are so competetive that you have to have excellent grades in your pre-reqs so they are worth doing right. I try to make note cards to study from every night and that helps me stay on top of studying. Best of luck to you and kudos for doing it now rather than waiting like I did. Jules

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Apr 1, 2007

I had the same problem: rarely had to study in high school, but the first time around in college I had a rude awakening :trout: I did graduate, but not with a great GPA (2.7), nor I didn't make the most of my college years (academically anyway).

What is motivating me this time around (hopefully some of these will motivate you too):

1. It's my money on the line, not my parents. Seriously, when I'm the one writing the tuition check, it really sinks in that I need to do well.

2. I learned how competitive these programs can be, and that admission decisions can really come down to tenths and hundredths of a point. So if I want to get as far as I can, I need to do the best that I can in these pre-reqs no two ways around it.

3. I'm making the effort to study every day. It's not hours every day, but it's at least 30 minutes a day. And it's not always 30 minutes in a row: some days it's 3 10 minute bouts, others it's 2 15s, and sometimes I skip a day and make up for it with an hour the next day (or two days later). And yes, many days, it's painful to have to go and study especially if I hate the class. But I think to myself, "I'm one more day closer to the end."

4. When it's very hard to find those 30 minutes, I just do my best. I don't limit studying to sitting at the desk with a book. I walk around with flashcards and review them as I cook dinner. I talk to myself in the car. I try to explain what I learned to the cat. I lecture the baby (I call it the Anatomy for Toddlers Bedtime Lecture Series--puts him to sleep right away ). All those little bits do add up.

5. Last, the greatest motivator for me is my GPA this time around. It's a 4.0, and the longer it stays a 4.0, the harder I want to work to keep it like that. I know it will eventually fall and I'm aiming to delay that moment as long as possible, possibly forever if I can :)

Also, the better you're doing in a class that you hate, the less painful the class seems. You may even find yourself liking it at the end (that's what happened with me and Psychology).

Like Jules says, it's great you're trying to work on this now instead of waiting, or learning the hard way like I did (I still cringe over the fact that I could have done so much better when I was so much younger!). You can do it!

NurseJeanB · Apr 2, 2007

It is very important to get A's especially in the prereqs., if nursing is what you want to do. All the nursing schools are impacted and you are competing with the best and brightest for the spots. I am like Meriwhen, I am 39 and I started back to school in 2003. I was an okay student when I was first going to college but not really motivated. Now I take it much more seriously because I have worked for 20 years in a job that I don't particularly like and I want to be doing something I have wanted to do for years, but because I never finished college I took that choice away from myself. I was quite shocked to find out that classes I took almost 20 years ago now matter when applying to nursing schools. Ever since I came back I have a 4.0 but my application GPA is 3.9 and for one school it is 3.8 because of a English class I once got a B in. How frustrating is that? Of all the prereqs for nursing English would probably be one of the easiest classes. Oh if only I could have a do over. I don't have employment experience in a healthcare field and I don't speak a second language so my GPA is that much more important. I can kick myself for some of the choices I made and I would be so much further along if I had made the effort when I was younger. Now I work full-time have a young son and the amount of effort required is so much more. You have youth and recent classroom instruction in your corner. It is much harder to get an A in lets say Statistics when you haven't been in a math class for 15 + years. Keep reminding yourself that you are competing and that you want to make sure you have the most choices available to you. Even if you decide you don't want to go into nursing after all, you will set yourself up to have the best range of alternate choices. It may seem like it takes forever, but when I started back in 2003 going part-time at night, I made sure I didn't overload my schedule and take too much, and I knocked out the prereqs very methodically. I am now at the point where I am in my last prereq and my applications are already filed and I am just waiting for decisions. I wish someone would have kicked me in the rear when I was younger.

Best of luck to you.