Science in the Summer

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Because this is a career change, the sciences are my only pre-reqs.

This summer, I plan to take

  1. A&P,
  2. A&P lab,
  3. Chem, and
  4. Chem lab.

The lectures are 12 weeks long and the labs are 5 weeks long.

I am on a time crunch. My goal is to start applying December this year, for programs starting next year.

What's your honest input?

Thanks.

You did make a GREAT point of being able to apply while I'm finishing up prereqs. Some of the community colleges around here have that option. My goal is to ace my classes so that I get accepted in the nearby ABSN.

Its a tough decision. I am going to trust my gut. Something is telling me to slow down. :(

I don't want to...but it might be the wisest move. Thanks so much for your kind words!

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12 weeks is a long summer session. I think it's doable if you're not working.

Ah...if I am not working...the truth hurts. I do work. I am lucky because I work from home most of the time, but it is still a demanding work load....

I am happy you made that point!

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Oooh Lord I couldn't imagine doing them together at the same time nahhhhh..I'd be setting myself up for failure..maybe if u don't have kids or work

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Oooh Lord I couldn't imagine doing them together at the same time nahhhhh..I'd be setting myself up for failure..maybe if u don't have kids or work

Ok never mind I read that you will be doing one after another go for it

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Specializes in Maternal Child, Home Health, Med/Surg.

If something is telling you that you should slow down, that might be a good idea. I know I had something telling me the same thing last year, and I ended up taking AP 1 and Micro together during the Fall. I died, due to the plethora of information given in both of those courses. I had A's, up until the Finals, which I bombed both of them.

As per taking a science course in the summer, I would advise taking Chemistry. I enjoyed my chem class in the summer, and if your instructor doesn't do comprehensive finals, you should be fine. Sadly, mine did, and I had difficulty remembering exactly how to do what we had learned in the beginning. My final ruined me then, as well. Granted, a B+ is better than anything lower!

The biggest thing is, your summer semester sounds abnormally large(at least for where I'm at). We have 8 week summers, which treats every 2 days as a week. Which is terrifying, if you think about it. However, even though yours are 12 weeks, I really don't advise taking more than one science at a time. I think that it would be best to take some extra time, and get the grades to get in, rather than speed through it! :) That's what I'm doing now, and I'm a LOT less stressed. Trust me, I understand wanting to power through everything, but it's just not the best idea!

Good luck!! :)

Edit: I also wanted to mention, that there are parts of AP 1 that utilize chemistry. Such as muscle contractions, nerve impulses, the krebs cycle, glycolysis, and the electron transport chain. Also, the amino acids you'll need to know/understand the structure of will also be based off Chemistry.

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I did the same exact thing last summer. This is a career change for me, so I only needed the science pre-reqs too. I did an 8 week Anatomy class with lab, and a 6 week Chemistry class with lab at the same time over the summer. I am SOOOOOOO glad I did!!! I got it over with, and the classes are so short you don't have time to procrastinate or lag (like I do sometimes, lol). I then did Physio and Micro (with labs), plus 3 other classes in the fall. I'm also married with four children, and although I was overwhelmed at some points, it was well worth it. I say GO FOR IT!! Good luck :)!!

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I did the same exact thing last summer. This is a career change for me, so I only needed the science pre-reqs too. I did an 8 week Anatomy class with lab, and a 6 week Chemistry class with lab at the same time over the summer. I am SOOOOOOO glad I did!!! I got it over with, and the classes are so short you don't have time to procrastinate or lag (like I do sometimes, lol). I then did Physio and Micro (with labs), plus 3 other classes in the fall. I'm also married with four children, and although I was overwhelmed at some points, it was well worth it. I say GO FOR IT!! Good luck :)!!

Wow. You and I have a few things in common:

career change, married, kids, and we're even the same age...

This is encouraging. These are 12 weeks both at the same time. So that is what is giving me pause.

Thank you so much for responding.

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Specializes in ICU.

I say go for it. Just make sure you have the time to devote to your studies. It can be done. It's just time consuming.

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As per taking a science course in the summer, I would advise taking Chemistry. I enjoyed my chem class in the summer, and if your instructor doesn't do comprehensive finals, you should be fine. Sadly, mine did, and I had difficulty remembering exactly how to do what we had learned in the beginning. My final ruined me then, as well. Granted, a B+ is better than anything lower!

The biggest thing is, your summer semester sounds abnormally large(at least for where I'm at). We have 8 week summers, which treats every 2 days as a week. Which is terrifying, if you think about it. However, even though yours are 12 weeks, I really don't advise taking more than one science at a time. I think that it would be best to take some extra time, and get the grades to get in, rather than speed through it!

Good luck!! :)

Your post is very helpful. I will weigh all of my commitments and make a smart decision. Down here in S. Florida, the competition to get into a good program is tough, so I want to give myself a chance to get the best grades possible. So thanks for your honest input!

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Specializes in Maternal Child, Home Health, Med/Surg.
Your post is very helpful. I will weigh all of my commitments and make a smart decision. Down here in S. Florida, the competition to get into a good program is tough, so I want to give myself a chance to get the best grades possible. So thanks for your honest input!

You're very welcome! I've just seen many people who end up retaking courses because they didn't do the best they could have the first time - taking more than one science at a time. There are those that can handle it, but you never know. I'm, sadly, one of those people who had the misfortune of realizing two sciences at a time was too much for me, and didn't do as well as I had hoped. Now, I'm going slow, and taking my time. :)

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Specializes in OMFS, Dentistry.

It's doable! I love summer classes because they are short and to the point. Easy for remembering too

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I believe science courses are extremely advantageous especially if you know your study methods and work hard. I took A&P 1 & 2 over two 5-week summer courses and got A's in both. This enabled me to complete the rest of my nursing pre reqs and almost all gen eds within one year.

When all is said and done I will have received my Bachelors degree in 3 years time IF everything goes according to plan ;)

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