Push myself to get started quicker?

Published

Hi everyone! This is my first post on here so bear with me.

Long story short, I only have this summer and fall semester to complete 6 pre-reqs for my top choice nursing school, whose application is due in February. 3 of those pre-reqs are lab sciences (Chem, Micro, and A&P).

I can't take any lab sciences this summer, because I will be out of town some of the time and miss labs, so I'm just taking the 3 other pre-reqs I can do online...while also working full time.

So if I want to apply in February, I have to take 3 lab sciences in 1 semester. I'm a good student, but 3 labs is a lot to handle for anyone. I would probably have to quit my full time job to make it work, which also makes me nervous.

Basically I'd love to hear how other people in this situation handled it. Did you take a leap of faith and force yourself to take 3 difficult classes at the same time so you could get started on your nursing journey as fast as possible? Or did you take a year or two to do pre-reqs so you could also work full time also?

There are other nursing schools I could apply to, but they are 2.5 years vs my top choice being 1 year and 3 months; so basically I would graduate the other programs at the same time as I would graduate my top choice program if I don't finish the pre-reqs this year and take longer. If that makes sense...

I think my anxiety over the unknown is making me doubt myself, but also my practical side is telling me to take things slow. But I can't image waiting over 3 years to finally become a nurse...

Thanks everyone! ?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

As someone who pushed to get it done faster (not AS fast as you're trying to go but still)

DO NOT.

I Am not sure about your specific program, but for ours, anatomy 101, psych, and English count as points towards our nursing application and TEAS. So you need good grades to be competitive. I am not sure of your past experience but my first time through anatomy/physiology 101 was ROUGH. barely scraped by with a C (although again this depends on circumstances because I have been doing everything online and traditional might not have been as bad) but I ended up having to retake it because I took it with another important and busy class (psych)

Right now I am in chemistry and anatomy 102 and I just made a post about how burnt out and overwhelmed I am because I have been going nonstop since I started, summer classes included. Now I'm not everyone. Some people might do much better than I am at two sciences together, but it is a TON of information and for me, it's hard because I feel like the important one (anat/phys 102) is not getting ALL of the attention it needs.

Ultimately you're probably going to do what you feel ready to do RIGHT NOW. But my advice is take the time, slow down and focus. The school isnt going anywhere and at least in my area the jobs arent going anywhere either and me rushing to try to get in sooner is how I ended up taking two sciences together and NOW halfway through I'm just realizing there IS TIME. I have time.

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Addictions, Psych.

Can you take transfer credits elsewhere? My local CC offers different classes through the summer where the courses are shorter -- it's a semester of material crammed into six weeks, but maybe you'd be able to plan it around your travel schedule?

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×

I wouldnt recommend rushing, most nursing programs can be super competitive and demand high gpa in the pre req. You dont want to rush and end up with Bs and Cs or possibly failing and having to retake the class and prolonging the process even more.

2
Up Vote Up Vote ×

Sadly every single class interferes with me being out of town...and it's only for 3 days! It's smack dab in the middle of the summer. And I already contacted some professors at the CC and they said I can't miss any labs or they'll count as a zero test grade.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion