Pre-Requisite Help!

Hi there,

You will want to start by visiting a guidance counselor at your school. They will have a good idea of the classes you need and help you create a solid plan. After that, cross check that the classes they suggest meet all the requirements for the Nursing Schools you plan to attend (which can usually be found on their website).

Most classes that have a lab component requirement (i.e., A&P, Microbio, Chem) cannot usually be taken online and are the most challenging. Since most Nursing Schools have moved away from wait lists and work off a point system, GPA will likely be considered in your application. If you can take any of these harder lab classes before baby #2 comes that would be preferable. If that is not feasible, make sure as you take them you have a solid support system in place and don't overload your schedule, risking poor grades. It may take longer to finish your pre reqs but only taking 1 or 2 classes a semester and getting A's versus 3-4 classes and getting Bs and Cs will make a difference when it comes to actually getting accepted or not (in competitive programs).

Work hard and it can be done! I was 28 when I started pre-reqs. My son was 1 when I started pre-reqs and 2 when I started nursing school. I just graduated and he is 4 now. Good luck to you!!!

If you want to finish prereqs in a year I would only take once science class a semester (unless you have to take chem, my school did not require it). The science courses is what is going to eat up most of your time, and they also count the most for getting in. You still need to study for things like stats, but compared to A&P1/2 and micro getting an A in stats is like swatting a fly. Easy to do, unless at the same time you are wrestling a gorilla (taking a science class). The non science classes are more of a nuisance IMO. I would go 3 semester (including summer) taking one class each. Sprinkle in the nuisance classes where you have to, but I wouldn't double up on say A&P and micro during the same semester.

To quote Chris Rock "Sure you can do it, but that don't mean it is to be done. You can drive your car with your feet if you want to, but that doesn't make it a good idea!"

If you are due in the fall, and taking prereqs in the fall, I'd suggest starting with growth and development, and nutrition online. You don't want to miss weeks of a&up when you are out having the baby. If you can take stats online, and are confident in your math abilities, take that online too. Then in the winter/spring, baby will be a couple of months old and you will be able to leave for a few hours to take a lab science!

As a fellow mom, I have to do most of my studying after my children are in bed, so factor that into how many classes you are comfortable taking as well. I don't start studying until 9pm most nights, and am usually up until 2-3am, depending on how much work I need to do.

Online is definitely convenient. You must make sure that the programs you're applying to states that they accept courses taken online and which courses to be taken online. you'd want to found that out before enrolling in the said course. Are you in a hurry to get prereqs out of the way? average time to finish would be about 2 years but not necessarily. don't try to jam pack it just so that you get them over with in shorter time. Anatomy and physio and micro are the science trios that require lots of tlc.