Prereq help! (From previous degree)

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So, Philadelphia's nursing schools are not friendly to the full-time working adult. There are about 3 programs in a 50 mile radius that offer a part-time, night and weekend BSN program. I have a prior degree in Psychology, so my degree has plenty of credits in Liberal Arts. I just need to take AP I&II, Micro, Chem, Nutrition, and maybe Stats. That's where my questions lie:

1.) I took Foundations in Statistical Methods in undergrad. It was for Psych majors, and covered ANOVAs and all that horrific stuff. :wacky: Would this fulfill the Statistics requirement? If not, that's cool. I got a C+ in it (most of the class did, too) and I guess I could retake.

2) For any of you doing your prereqs - I may have to take two Sciences in a semester. If you did so, tell me how difficult that was for you? I really dislike Science classes, and I'm worried.

3) Is anyone in the Philly area and can help me with finding more programs to apply to?

4) I really am trying to do LaSalle's Achieve Program. It's the only one that really, truly does what I want to do. I feel silly asking questions of the Assistant Director, since I am not currently accepted. Could I ask advising? I don't even know where to go with that.

5) Does anyone else work full-time? How have classes been with work?

Thanks in advance!! I didn't want to make four+ different topics about four+ different things, so I didn't. :)

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Hi and welcome to AN! I am not in Philadelphia so I will answer these questions to the best of my ability :)

1) My stats class I just took was for psych majors. It's the one that all pre-nursing students take at my school. Every school is different so it will depend on their requirements. Once you pick a school, you can ask and get a better answer :)

2) I am going part time and have chosen not to take more than once science at a time. I do think I could do it, I just haven't had too. I have taken "difficult" classes with sciences though and did just fine. I think you will be ok as long as you manage your time well.

3) Can't help, sorry.

4) Don't feel silly asking questions to anyone at the school you want to attend. Think of it as an interview, they want you to go to their school and need to impress you to get you to apply. Colleges are businesses and are about making money, the more students they have the more money they make. Ask anything and don't be shy, this is your future.

5) Yes, I work full time and am a single mom of 2, one of which is medical special needs. It hasn't been easy by any means but it is doable. It's a few years of very hard work for an amazing future! You can do it!

Good luck with your journey! I hope you are able to find the perfect school for you! :)

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Thank you so much! If you can do it, I can! I have no children (just a fiancé lol).

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You need to contact the schools you're interested in and get their advice if your class will meet their requirements or not. My guess is that you should retake Stats if you got a C+, but ask the nursing advisor's advice.

Since you don't have a family you should be able to work full time and take 2 classes. Maybe start with Chemistry and see how you do. Then take A&P I and Nutrition, then consider if you can handle A&P II and Micro in the same semester or if you should take them separately. Check out community colleges whose credits transfer to the schools you're interested in. It's less expensive and community colleges offer a variety of evening and fast track classes.

Know too that part-time programs are extremely time consuming. Ask specific questions about how much time you need to devote each week to clinicals. The reality is, it take a lot of time to become a well trained nurse.

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You need to contact the schools you're interested in and get their advice if your class will meet their requirements or not. My guess is that you should retake Stats if you got a C+, but ask the nursing advisor's advice.

Since you don't have a family you should be able to work full time and take 2 classes. Maybe start with Chemistry and see how you do. Then take A&P I and Nutrition, then consider if you can handle A&P II and Micro in the same semester or if you should take them separately. Check out community colleges whose credits transfer to the schools you're interested in. It's less expensive and community colleges offer a variety of evening and fast track classes.

Know too that part-time programs are extremely time consuming. Ask specific questions about how much time you need to devote each week to clinicals. The reality is, it take a lot of time to become a well trained nurse.

I realize the C+ isn't exactly desirable. I worked my ass off for that class and the teacher was just not at all sympathetic to us. Very few of us did better than a B. I also took in in my freshman year and I was totally not ready for the academic bomb it was about to drop on me.

I absolutely intend to take the prereqs at my local CC. I just want to knock them all out in 3 semesters. I even bought college level Micro and AP textbooks to look at before I start in the summer of 14.

I understand that. My boss actually went through a part time nursing program. She told me, "It was doable. I did it working full-time. It isn't easy, but wanting it that badly makes everything okay." I really do want it badly, and when I hunker down and get to it, I do very well. I know that becoming a nurse isn't easy and I've been asking all the nurses I know how it was for them. I currently work in Psych and I know this is where I want to be. I'm prepared to put in work. :nurse: I worked 40 hours a week with a full courseload my senior year of undergrad and maintained a very good GPA. Let's hope my brain is still there LOL.

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

I'm very, very concerned that you 'really dislike science classes'. You are aware that nursing IS science, and that even if you do somehow end up working as a psych nurse that your patients likely have medical conditions as well which you must treat?

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I'm very, very concerned that you 'really dislike science classes'. You are aware that nursing IS science, and that even if you do somehow end up working as a psych nurse that your patients likely have medical conditions as well which you must treat?

Maybe I worded it incorrectly. I don't dislike Science...I did very well in Biology and enjoyed it...but I don't prefer the subject over Psychopathology, Developmental Psychology, and English. I never gravitated to it. I get that the BSN is science-based. I'm nervous about taking these classes because I haven't had a science lecture/lab in 5 years. I want to do well in the subject but I haven't had enough experience in it to say for sure. Does that make more sense?

Er, I realize you didn't necessarily want to come off as rude, but I get that Science is nursing. I really want to help people. I do now, but not in the way that I want. I know I have to put work in with the Sciences. I'm just REALLY nervous about putting money down into Science classes I may struggle in.

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I think you can manage 2 sciences and work since you don't have a family vying for your time. Also, I think you might find the A&P and Microbiology interesting, it's not like the introductory level courses you might have had in college. Plus, you can really get a new appreciation for the brain via these courses (esp the A&P). Micro is just cool learning out viruses and germs. Good luck!!

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I think you can manage 2 sciences and work since you don't have a family vying for your time. Also, I think you might find the A&P and Microbiology interesting, it's not like the introductory level courses you might have had in college. Plus, you can really get a new appreciation for the brain via these courses (esp the A&P). Micro is just cool learning out viruses and germs. Good luck!!

Thank you! I hope so. I bought a college-level AP and Micro book and I'm really looking forward to learning some basic concepts. I already memorized bones and most of the muscles. Hands and feet are tough! I also self-learned ABGs, which I absolutely love. Maybe Science isn't so bad after all LOL.

Thanks again. :)

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I think you'll do fine when you go back to school. As an undergrad I avoided all science classes and got a D in Algebra, but as an older student I've gotten straight A's in all the prereqs, including Statistics. I've loved my classes and it's confirmed that nursing is the right career for me.

My job is crazy and I have a family, so I've limited the number of classes I've done each semester so it doesn't interfere with my family so much.

Also, I wasn't bashing your C+ grade. Just know that nursing schools are EXTREMELY competetive. You're competing against other students for a limited number of open spots, so you need have as good of grades as possible. Threre are a lot of 4.0 students out there.

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I think you'll do fine when you go back to school. As an undergrad I avoided all science classes and got a D in Algebra, but as an older student I've gotten straight A's in all the prereqs, including Statistics. I've loved my classes and it's confirmed that nursing is the right career for me.

My job is crazy and I have a family, so I've limited the number of classes I've done each semester so it doesn't interfere with my family so much.

Also, I wasn't bashing your C+ grade. Just know that nursing schools are EXTREMELY competetive. You're competing against other students for a limited number of open spots, so you need have as good of grades as possible. Threre are a lot of 4.0 students out there.

That's good to hear! Congrats on all the hard work paying off. :) I'll probably retake. I'm not a C+ student (got 5 C+s my whole college career and they were all weeder classes - the rest are high Bs and low As).

I know you weren't. C+ is not a grade I consider good for all the time I spend studying. I know the schools here are cutthroat, so thanks for looking out. I'm going to knock the prereqs out of the park and also impress with the NLN PAX!

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Man, I wish I had the answers for you that you needed.

About the dislike of science, I disliked them until I found a professor that made me love them!

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