allandave

Excellent post! I haven't yet felt the inevitable nervousness of nursing school just yet; I still have this final year of prerequisites to finish out. I definitely feel that my shyness is going to be a weakness that I will need to work on, as well. I'm naturally introverted, and I often prefer to keep to myself because that's normally how I work; but I realize that nursing is a team-oriented job, so that's something I'll have to work on if I want to excel as a nurse. Good luck with nursing school! Focus, study, and keep your head on straight; you can only go up from here!

I don't really have a plan B, I guess. I suppose by next year, I'm hoping to be accepted into a nursing program for my BSN. I have this entire year (plus summer term) to boost my grade-point average so I can make myself as competitive as possible. Should that not work out, I'll probably see if I can get into a LPN program of some sort and work my way up from there. If anything, I might end up on an alternative list. If that's the case, I'll spend the wait on working on my CNA certification and such.

The members above me have posted some spot-on advice. Here's some of my two-cents: My schedule this semester involves taking Microbiology and Human Growth & Development. Next semester, I'm going to take both General Chemistry I and Nutrition. Then to finish up my prerequisites, I'll be taking both Human Anatomy & Physiology I - II next summer. I am finding Microbiology very simple to grasp, and my professor actually encouraged students to take General Biology I before taking this course. I made an A in General Biology I this summer, so I'm feeling pretty good about this class. If you feel better taking Human Anatomy & Physiology before Microbiology, then go with that. I wish you all the best for your studies, and keep us informed of your progress! Hopefully you won't hear back from me within a few months, having deep regret over taking Microbiology before General Chemistry or Human Anatomy & Physiology.

Last year, I took on a part-time job while completing my prerequisites for nursing. While it's certainly possible for others to manage both their pre-nursing courses and a part-time job, I was unable to without some consequences. As a result, I had to drop out of Human Anatomy & Physiology, Human Growth & Development, a history course, and English Composition II (combining both semesters from last year). I ended up taking General Biology I and Computer Applications I this summer without taking on a part-time job, which I made an A in both. Now I'm taking Microbiology, Statistics, and a few sociology courses, and I still refuse to take on a part-time job. I'll be able to finish up my prerequisites by July of next year since I have to re-take Human Anatomy & Physiology. I really have to go big this year in hopes that I can pull up my 3.1 grade-point average. So for me, a part-time job will get in the way of my education. It may or may not work out for you; only you would know your own limits. Unfortunately, there are some pre-nursing students who have no choice but to work part-time (maybe even full-time) while completing their prerequisites, so if you're both motivated and great at time management, it's very possible to do well with balancing work and college. Best of luck with your studies! Kudos for going for the CNA certification, too.