Should I load up my schedule to finish earlier?

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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Hello everyone I have a question. Should I load up my schedule so I can finish my prereqs and GEs 1 semester early? I would add Afro American studies to this semester as an online late start class (Fall 2015). Then I would take Stats OR Humanities and Political Science in the winter, then I would take Micro and Physio in the Spring, then finish in Summer 2016 with whatever classes I didn't take in the winter (Stats or Humanities and Political Science). If I do this I can meet the application deadline for my CC's Spring 2017's nursing program, but my GPA will probably go down (it's 3.8 at the moment). If I stick with my current plan I will be applying for the fall 2017 semester. Should I risk getting an average/below average GPA or stay on my current path which will take like 8 more months and keep a high GPA? Keep in mind the 2 or 3 CCs I will be applying to are lottery and I'm confident that no matter what I can meet the cut score for the lottery.

My current schedule (fall 2015):

Chemistry, psychology, art, kinesiology. If I add the Afro American studies online course that would be here.

Winter 2016 would be:

Statistics OR political science and humanities

Spring 2016 would be:

Microbiology and physiology

Summer 2016 would be:

Statistics OR political science and humanities.

The deadline for the Spring semester at my CC is in September and the deadline for the Fall semester is April. Sorry for the long post and thank you for reading.

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You could increase your work load if you think you will be successful. If your GPA takes a significant dip it could impede your ability to be accepted into nursing school which would defeat the purpose of you attempting to get everything done early. A 3.8 is great, you should really consider how low your GPA will dip if you increase your work load.

its really up to what you think you are capable of.

Best wishes.

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the science courses are not easy... a lot of memorization is needed to pass science prereqs .... if you can memorize easily you will be fine... but I have taken general classes together.. separately from the sciences. Don't underestimate a human bio class -its very close to an A&P class and needs hours of study a day!

you are the only one who understands how you manage and cope with classes... Good luck...

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Specializes in Hospitalist Medicine.

If you are strong in science & math, you can certainly do it. Only you can honestly gauge your ability to handle a full load.

The semester before I applied to nursing school, I took 17 credits. It was hard, but I pulled off a 4.0 in every class by staying organized and budgeting my time well. I took Physioloy (aka A&P 2), Microbiology, Micro Lab, Pharmacology, Human Growth & Development, and Intro to Health Professions. It can be done and you can survive with your GPA intact. Get a detailed planner and schedule everything.

I filled in all my exam days and highlighted in one color. Then quizzes in another. Papers due in yet another color. Homework due in a 4th color. Then in the spaces in between, I scheduled my study time.

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Specializes in Nurse's Aide.

I am all for trying to get everything done as fast as possible, however will you be making school your first priority? If so, I don't think maintaining that 3.8 GPA would be hard. If it's that important to you, you will work hard and earn a solid GPA. However, spreading it out can be beneficial too. The biology classes are the most difficult out of all the pre-req's. So, be prepared and invest your time to school tremendously. Good luck in your studies! You'll get there whether you take the short or long route.

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If you already know that doing that will make your GPA go down, don't do it! Faster =/= better!

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Specializes in Critical care.

I would look into how competitive the program is. Can you afford to load up on credits and potentially not earn an A in one of the core science classes? I know my local community college's ADN program is super competitive. When I was taking microbiology as a pre-req for my 2nd degree BSN program I had some classmates retaking the class. They had received B's and needed A's in order to have a chance at getting into the CC's nursing program. See how a lower grade will impact your chances of getting in- talk to current and former students, instructors, etc. You know how strong you are in the sciences and maths, so you are the only one who can determine how you think you can handle the classes and if it might be worth the risk. Good luck!

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