Really quick: Don't worry about the "horrors" of the nursing program. Yes it is VERY hard, but if you love it, it's worth it and it's manageable. Also, the classes will vary in type. A lot of pre-reqs, like anatomy and physio are all about memory. Then when you're taking actual nursing classes like med-surg then all the tests are going to be NCLEX style, which means it's much more about comprehension versus just repeating information back. I think that average nursing student takes about 17 credits a semester. Also I don't know about after graduation, but getting experience in the hospital will definitely help with your clinicals. Don't worry! Nursing is amazing and you'll make it. :)