"prereqs" or "coreqs"?

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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I was hoping some different people could reply and clarify something for me. I often see posts describing nursing school on here and peole refer to taking their prereqs before nursing school. My school actually has co-reqs, although we often refer to them as prereqs because in reality they wind up being that mostly. You are technically able to do a nursing degree in two years. If your TEAs V score and high school grades are high enough you can start school and take all your academic classes (coreqs) at the same time as your nursing classes. You might also take some of them before you start the nursing program (you are awarded points for entry for some of them but not others) and take some while in the nursing program. The nursing dept instructors routinely recommend that you take as many as you can before beginning the nursing program especially if you work at all or have children. I am not trying to nit-pic just to clarify whether the difficulty of nursing school usually described is including other classes than nursing classes or not and to see if the way my state does it is unusual or typical for an ADN program. I hope to start the nursing program in the fall and I will have all of my prereqs (actually coreqs) out of the way already so I will only be taking nursing courses. My best friend went to nursing school a few yeas ago (she's now an RN) and she took almost all of hers at the same time. It almost killed her (she worked too) but she finished and got her license.

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I think most people will take their coreqs ahead of time if it's at all possible. Nursing classes are demanding enough without the extra responsibility of keeping up with non-nursing coursework.

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It is best to take all other classes before the nursing classes. The nursing classes are labor intensive and you want to have maximum time to devote to them. Imagine having two midterms on the same day that you have to turn in a 12 page care plan project that takes a minimum of 12 intense hours of work to do and you only had the info available for one day. And then, another paper is due two days later in another class. Don't pile it on if you can help it.

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Specializes in CNA.

All ADN schools have "coreqs." Since they are a two year college, it has to be theoretically possible to finish the entire 64 credits in two years start to finish.

These days, almost no one does. I think in my program guide it has Physiology scheduled during the third semester.

Yeah. Right.

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Specializes in LTC, Med-surg.

I have heard that actual nursing classes is hard to the core. Some people have told me NOT to work because of how intense the classes are. The Administrative Assistant for the Dept. Chair of Nursing in my school has told me that nobody gets A's in nursing courses. It is REALLY hard and it would help if you get the non-nursing classes out of the way so you won't scramble from clinicals to care plans to study for the non-nursing courses.

I know a nursing student at my university who has a 10-hour clinical at the hospital near my university.

I plan on taking all the non-nursing courses I can take before I get into my third year. I want NO distractions from my nursing classes.

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I also notice at my school that the classes are actually called "co-requisites", yet it seems like everyone finishes most of these classes before starting the nursing program. I think that students at least like to get the sciences out of the way before nursing classes start. They may have a couple of social sciences left to take (such as sociology, communications, or electives), but they usually just take one of these classes per semester while they are in nursing.

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Co-reqs consist of general ed graduation requirements. The sciences and English are required prior to applying. Some of the schools require all classes be complete before applying. The problem with not completing ALL classes required for graduation before entering nursing school is that we would not be allowed to graduate or attend the pinning ceremony. I finished everything first. Although, I think I need one more credit in PE.:clown:

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Specializes in LDRP; antepartum.

I attend a very small community college that can only accommodate 30 nursing students per year. As of this year, our curriculum now has 10 prerequisite classes that MUST be completed prior to starting the nursing program. Our program has done away with co-requisite courses in recent years so that nursing students can focus on their nursing classes during the two or three years (depending if they attend full-time or part-time) it takes them to complete the program.

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My community college has officially done away with the waiting list for their ADN program. Entry is based on points for completed pre-reqs, and it's a very in-demand program so you pretty much have to have all of them completed to be considered for entry. If you don't make it - better luck next fall :( I understand this makes it more fair... but I'm frustrated because I feel like this 2 year degree is now a 4 year degree. Too add to my disillusionment a lot of the pre-reqs have pre-reqs! errrghhh!! I started school this fall, and the earliest I can start the nursing program is fall of 2012. I'm trying to keep my head up, but I just really want to get started, ya know? :( I'm impatient!

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Specializes in LDRP; antepartum.
My community college has officially done away with the waiting list for their ADN program. Entry is based on points for completed pre-reqs, and it's a very in-demand program so you pretty much have to have all of them completed to be considered for entry. If you don't make it - better luck next fall :( I understand this makes it more fair... but I'm frustrated because I feel like this 2 year degree is now a 4 year degree. Too add to my disillusionment a lot of the pre-reqs have pre-reqs! errrghhh!! I started school this fall, and the earliest I can start the nursing program is fall of 2012. I'm trying to keep my head up, but I just really want to get started, ya know? :( I'm impatient!

Have patience, Stefany. When you're busy with classes, the time seems to go a little faster.

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Thanks for all the replies so far. It seems that at some schools there really are pre-reqs but that the way my school does it is also common. The nursing instructors warned us that working or taking any of our academic classes while in the program would be difficult. I already have most of mine (I got them before I decided to do nursing) except for the sciences. It was surprising and a little frustrating when I started looking into the programs and realized how competitive entry into the programs are and how a "two year degree" was a lot closer to four. This semester has flown by though because I've been so busy. I'm a little antsy (Ok I admit it, extremely stressed!) about getting in for the fall. It seems my school is filled with nursing hopefuls and they only have 50 spots. I keep meeting people who have been waiting for 2 or 3 years already. If I don't get an RN spot this fall, I am apply for an LPN one as a backup. That isn't what I want to do but I understand getting accepted into the LPN to RN program is easy once you have worked 500 hours with good references so ... I'm just amazed that when I started pursuing nursing I was already fairly close to having a BA now I'm spending 3 more years (hopefully) to graduate with a 2 year degree. At least the patients in my area can be assured that their nurses have commitment, perseverance, and patience :D

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My community college has officially done away with the waiting list for their ADN program. Entry is based on points for completed pre-reqs, and it's a very in-demand program so you pretty much have to have all of them completed to be considered for entry. If you don't make it - better luck next fall :( I understand this makes it more fair... but I'm frustrated because I feel like this 2 year degree is now a 4 year degree. Too add to my disillusionment a lot of the pre-reqs have pre-reqs! errrghhh!! I started school this fall, and the earliest I can start the nursing program is fall of 2012. I'm trying to keep my head up, but I just really want to get started, ya know? :( I'm impatient!

Sounds similar to my program. We have 50 spots no waiting list. It's a point system but I still see people waiting...and waiting...and waiting...some even while they take classes they don't need just to pass the time. I'm not sure how they think there chances will improve that much the next year but...

I often wonder at how it seems many of the hopefuls don't seem to even know the requirements or availability of spots in the program. Good news for me I guess. I'm guessing most of these people aren't really my competition but they get 600 applicants each year so I'm sure their is still plenty of applications that are very competitive.

Anyway, I know how you feel.

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