I've just completed the impossible. A&P1 in a 5 week summer semester. I didn't think I'd make it but I did. Problem is... I managed to get a "C", which is good enough to get into the schools that I'm interested in but surely not competative enough.
The second issue is... I'm already enrolled in A&P2 for this fall. Can I still take A&P2 this fall and retake A&P1 next year? Does it make sense to retake the class? Or should I keep the "C" and concentrate on getting an "A" in A&P2 this fall?
I've been out of school for a loooong time and everything is like new to me. I still can't believe I pulled off the "C" in such an intense class. I just went fot it, but I'm not satisfied with my grade.
I would talk to someone at the school and see what your chances are with the C. At my school they tell us that it could actually look worse if we repeat classes.
My only concern would be, not so much about the specific grade, but how do you feel about the subject matter. So much of your continuing eduction will depend on a strong understanding and comprehension of anatomy and physiology.
Maybe instead of taking it over again, you can invest some time yourself and further learn the subject matter. even if you sold back the textbook, maybe one system at a time check out books out of the library, check for lectures online (when I was in Physiology, I would Youtube various organ systems and watch lectures from MIT, Univ of Texas etc.). Just make sure you feel 100% comfortable knowing the main parts of each system, what they do, and what are the physiologic processes that occur. There are plenty of online quizzes and worksheets that can help you as well. I would especially focus on (if your class already covrered) circulatory and urinary systems since so much of our homeostasis and blood pressure is effected by these two systems.
Or even does your school allow you to audit a course?
Just some ideas, just make sure you go into Nursing School with a solid foundation!
If you do retake A&P I, do it not only to raise your GPA, but also to obtain a deeper understanding of A&P I. Maybe taking a longer course would be best? I took both A&P I and II over full semesters and I read the entire book...lots of knowledge gained. You'll definitely need all the information you have learned and retained from A&P I and II for nursing school. :) The more you know, the easier it'll be.
Adding to what caliotter3 said, in many, if not most, cases, A&P I and II are not sequential courses. Instead, they are two courses that divide up the vast amount of material to be covered. So, often you can actually take A&P II before A&P I. Or, if you're masochistic , you could actually take them simultaneously. Such an arrangement was possible where I took my prereqs. (Some schools even offer A&P I & II combined as one mega-credit course, as does one community college in my area.)
As others have mentioned, whether you should retake the course depends on whether the school where you took the class will allow the repeat for a C grade and also on how your desired nursing programs treat course repeats in the admissions process. Many competitive-entry programs lower your eligibility/ranking/admission "points" for prereq repeats.
I would def retake 1...keep on schedule and take the 2nd part...then redo the first one for a better grade. I had a 3.8 going in and trying to get accepted, and I still had to sit out a semester. U want your grades for the pre-req classes to b really good, so u have a good shot at getting in. I will b done in December!!!! Good luck!
When I went thru school my boss at the time was a veterinarian told me C=RN. You have to get to the NLEX and pass that. No employer ever asked me for my grades just my license.
I think your time would be better spend taking the other classes you need then apply and while your waiting to get in then maybe take it again if you feel your not competitive. Some colleges won't let you repeat a class if you have a satisfactory grade already due to limited class space. This maybe indicated in the catalog. Sometimes its like Anatomy 1A meaning it can be taken for credit 1x AB means 2x for 2 separate grades etc.
A C is not a failure it means you scored high enough to be considered to have a passing level of knowledge on that subject. The problem I feel is often times courses aren't hard enough so anything less than an A feels like a failure. In my home country sometimes 67% is an A and the exams are extremely difficult. Its impossible really to truly know 90% of a courses material even the textbook writers don't.
Your school may not allow you to replace your AP I grade of C with a different grade when you take it again, but they will average your repeat AP I grade into your GPA if they do allow you to take it again. I know you are probably trying to take your classes in order to make a certain timetable for NS acceptance, but you might consider taking AP I over the course of a regular length semester. Are you taking AP II in an accelerated format, too?
Sometimes it is not always best to complete school as quickly as possible, but rather to have a very solid foundation of knowledge, as the other posters have stated. If it helps, you will probably do better in AP I if and when you do repeat it, because you have more familiarity with the subject than you did the first time you took it. Since you already have a C in AP I, there should not be a problem in taking it again after AP II; even though the classes are sequential, it's not like you're trying to take AP II before AP I for the first time ever.
You should check with your desired school to determine their policy on grade repeats. The school I was accepted to used the highest grade you received for each prerequisite (regardless of repeats but within the 8-year time frame) to calculate prerequisite GPAs.
A advisor once told me they have the non repeat policy because they want to discourage repeating of classes since the prerequisite classes are often very impacted and students who repeat usually have priority and its hard for other students to get into.
In the physio class that I'm I would say about 1/2 the class are repeating or have enrolled once before but dropped out and are retaking.
, you could actually take them simultaneously. Such an arrangement was possible where I took my prereqs. (Some schools even offer A&P I & II combined as one mega-credit course, as does one community college in my area.)
kristin6727
43 Posts
I would talk to someone at the school and see what your chances are with the C. At my school they tell us that it could actually look worse if we repeat classes.