CastMemberR

To those of you who gave truly helpful and insightful answers, thank you! That's why I got on here and asked because it has been a hot topic among our study group at school and it's great to get different people's experiences. Yes, I think it probably is better in the long run and the hard work will be worth it. It's just good to know other schools teach with the same rigor because it seems most of ours around here do not. For those who misread or took offense to my post, I offer no apologies. Rather, I find it a turn-off that people like to scorn others for an honest question. Yet, I was a high-ranking manager in corporate America and single mom before I voluntarily left to pursue my dream of being a nurse. I know how cut-throat the workplace is (any workplace) and there are always negative people out there that enjoy making assumptions. I don't need to be reminded how difficult and challenging the workforce is because I have been there and I worked hard to get there and I work very hard to be successful at school. I won't let anyone bring me down from my dreams. It's those really encouraging nurses out there who inspire me everyday. So to those out there who encourage rather than tear down. Thanks :)

So I am finding this a little unfair and wanted to see if anyone else is having or had a similar experience to me with Anatomy. At my college, they do Anatomy in 2 classes. Anatomy Lab and Anatomy Lecture. You can take them separately or simultaneously. However, they do not piggyback with each other. The classes are so difficult that they require about 15 hours of outside study per week, per class in order to be successful. The professors take pride that our college is more difficult than other competing colleges and they say they teach a level of anatomy that is taught in medical school. Here's where I get frustrated: All of the other community colleges in our area teach Anatomy in 1 class. And after picking the brains of former students, their anatomy is MUCH easier than what I am currently enduring. I was told by the nursing program counselor to only take Anatomy classes this semester because it is so difficult. I am discovering how right he was. I have no life outside of studying 7 days per week just to keep up. So far I am doing well, but it's a lot of work. LOTS OF WORK. With how impacted our nursing program is, only the top students get the spots each year. And since our school only takes 32 per year (each fall) it's even more challenging to compete with the 150-200 applicants each year. That puts enormous pressure to have top GPAs ( I currently hold a 4.0) and they only take the top TEAS testers (having a passing score barely helps you). I am sure you all can imagine how difficult it makes it and then you add the extreme rigor of our science department that is seemingly unheard of at most other schools. I think my hair is gray already! lol Which leads me to my initial probe, is anyone else experiencing this at their school? I don't see how forcing us to take a higher than necessary level of anatomy is going to help me get paid more as an RN. You know what I mean? Any thoughts out there? :) Thanks and happy studying to all those students out there!

Hello! First of all, there is absolutely nothing wrong with going to community college. Many young adults make a big deal over this issue and you will find that once you start school, it really won't matter as much as it seems to right now. Second, going to community college will not only save you a ton of $$, but you will get your RN licence and be able to practice much faster than your peers beginning a 4-year university. I actually think it gives you an advantage over the other students. You may very well earn your BSN in the same amount of time and have a couple of years experience at the same time. That is a huge advantage! As for how long it takes, I am just starting the process myself (as a much older student). It really depends on how many units you want to take and how many pre-reqs your school requires. If you can handle taking 12 or more units per semester and can keep your grades high, then you may be able to finish all your pre-reqs in a year and then proceed to nursing school. Due to how competitive nursing programs can be, you really need to focus on doing the best you can in your classes, so sometimes taking it a little slower can be beneficial. It all depends on you and the pace you want to go. For me, I am a mom, so I can only handle a maximum of 10 units. My school is really picky about your GPA for the nursing program, so I can't afford to slip in my classes. I don't want to be skimmed over for the nursing program when the time comes. Keeping all these things in mind, you do what you think is best for you. If you can do it in 3 years, fantastic! If it takes 4 or more, it's still fantastic! Good luck :)