So I got in...

lisabeth · Oct 23, 2006

That is awsome that you were accepted. Dont let the past :trout: beat you up. I think it is only normal to be nervous. I know I will be too, because I hate math, and it hates me. Just give it all you got. Best of luck to you.

So I got accepted to the University of Louisville's nursing program. Honestly I am really nervous about starting the program. For one thing, I really do suck at math and I fear all classes that bear that name. As such, I've not taken a day of chemistry in my life.
High School I was a pretty bad student. Did the bare minimum to pass. The only reason I got into nursing school was probably on account of the fact that I am a 3.8 GPA 70 hour transfer student from a major college where I was mainly studying Theology and I took some Criminal Justice.
So basically those High School science classes I never really paid attention to. :trout: Yea, stupid I know but I was a stubborn kid. What can I say? I am a fairly smart lad and like to think that I adapt well and I definitely have an interest in the sciences and have been reading up on biology and what not in advance of the Spring. I read things I remember hearing about in high school but that means nothing, yet!
As such, I am going to take only 9 hours my first semester to get a feel for where I am at. Intro to Biology and Nursing 101 plus a gen ed that I dont have yet.
Any advice on what I can study 3 months in advance? And please tell me what the average grade is on an anatomy test that way when I see mine I know whether to throw up or not?

gauge14iv, MSN, APRN, NP · Oct 23, 2006

If math makes no sense to you then have I got the thing for you! This will help you out in chemistry and all those classess as well -

Med Math Book

or

Another Book (Newer - more money)

Tweety, BSN, RN · Oct 23, 2006

You're an adult learner and different than you were back then, as proven by your 3.8 in the other program.

One thing you must do immediately is work on your self-concept that you "suck at math" and that you fear it. Sometimes that is what trips people up more than the math itself. You really only need to know simple Algerbra and how to solve for a missing entity in nursing school. They'll be teaching you this. But a review of of "dosages and calculations" and simple algerbra might help ease your mind. http://home.sc.rr.com/nurdosagecal/

Someone might suggest a self-study book. Google "dosages and calculations for nurses" and see what you find. BUT DO NOT BE INTIMIDATED BY WHAT YOU SEE.

It's good to be self-aware, but you don't suck at math, and you can't be afraid. You can do this.

gauge14iv, MSN, APRN, NP · Oct 23, 2006

I sucked at math till I learned to do things like the book!

Congrats by the way! Louisville is my hubsters hometown - his sis works at UofL, and he wears his U of L bike jersey every chance he gets.

catzy5 · Oct 23, 2006

So I got accepted to the University of Louisville's nursing program. Honestly I am really nervous about starting the program. For one thing, I really do suck at math and I fear all classes that bear that name. As such, I've not taken a day of chemistry in my life.
High School I was a pretty bad student. Did the bare minimum to pass. The only reason I got into nursing school was probably on account of the fact that I am a 3.8 GPA 70 hour transfer student from a major college where I was mainly studying Theology and I took some Criminal Justice.
So basically those High School science classes I never really paid attention to. :trout: Yea, stupid I know but I was a stubborn kid. What can I say? I am a fairly smart lad and like to think that I adapt well and I definitely have an interest in the sciences and have been reading up on biology and what not in advance of the Spring. I read things I remember hearing about in high school but that means nothing, yet!
As such, I am going to take only 9 hours my first semester to get a feel for where I am at. Intro to Biology and Nursing 101 plus a gen ed that I dont have yet.
Any advice on what I can study 3 months in advance? And please tell me what the average grade is on an anatomy test that way when I see mine I know whether to throw up or not?

Congrats on getting in that is awesome!

Your very young so you have lots of time to take your time and work, you don't have to worry about long waits to get into the program because you are in, so my advise is take some basics! I too was a bare minimum passing student never took science in high school and pretty much didn't take math either. Then I decided 20 years later not 4 years later to go back to school so I had some catching up to do! I started back in 2004 taking one class at a time starting with math. I am finishing up my sciences now and have learned some great study habits, got a good solid foundation in math to help me with Chem and believe it or not AP lol.

AP isn't a hard course its just a huge amount of work, depending too on the school you go too. I go to a very small CC however its known for its great nursing program and they really prepare you here so we are piled sky high with work and most of its to be done out side of class time so time management is key.

Best wishes and congrats again on getting into Nursing School!

MB37 · Oct 23, 2006

I have a degree in psychology. Do you know haw many studies they have done on the effect of expectations on outcomes? I just read about one the other day - they took randomly selected groups of women and administered an identical math test to each grop - but some groups first read an essay about men having a genetic advantage when it comes to math and science. The women who first read the negative essay scored on average 10 points worse out of 25 than the women who read a positive or neutral essay. If you think you can't succeed, you won't. Don't get intimidated, and give it your best shot.

Cherish · Oct 23, 2006

Congratulations!!! :balloons::smiley_aa

AmericanChai · Oct 23, 2006

Congrats on getting in!

I have a degree in English and here I am age 32 going back to school to be a nurse. I too had very little confidence in math. With my first degree I started at the bottom with the remedial college classes. I spent a lot of evenings in the math lab doing my homework so if I had a question, I could ask a tutor right away. I worked my way all the way up to statistics.

Now here I am 10 years later and I forgot all my math, but had to refresh in order to do well in the chem class I'm taking this semester. I bought a high school Algebra book and spent all last summer working through it. Then with about one month to go, I bought a used, outdated college algebra book on the internet. It was a teacher edition so it had all the answers in it. I worked through about 1/2 of that book. A lot of it was repeated info from the high school book, just taken one step further.

I am halfway through my first semester of chemistry. It has a LOT of math in it. I'm so glad I worked on it over the summer. Believe it or not, even though I have never taken chem before (well, in high school, but I didn't do well) I am one of the best students in the college chem class. I got an A on my first exam. I wanted to frame it! When the teacher passes out worksheets to do in class I am slow at first, but then I go home and practice it 2-3 times until I can do the sheet in my sleep. I do all the homework problems in the back of the chapters even though they are not required. I read the labs ahead of time and do as much of the lab sheets as I can.

You don't have to be good at something. You just need to practice a lot and you will do well at it.

catzy5 · Oct 23, 2006

Congrats on getting in!
I have a degree in English and here I am age 32 going back to school to be a nurse. I too had very little confidence in math. With my first degree I started at the bottom with the remedial college classes. I spent a lot of evenings in the math lab doing my homework so if I had a question, I could ask a tutor right away. I worked my way all the way up to statistics.
Now here I am 10 years later and I forgot all my math, but had to refresh in order to do well in the chem class I'm taking this semester. I bought a high school Algebra book and spent all last summer working through it. Then with about one month to go, I bought a used, outdated college algebra book on the internet. It was a teacher edition so it had all the answers in it. I worked through about 1/2 of that book. A lot of it was repeated info from the high school book, just taken one step further.
I am halfway through my first semester of chemistry. It has a LOT of math in it. I'm so glad I worked on it over the summer. Believe it or not, even though I have never taken chem before (well, in high school, but I didn't do well) I am one of the best students in the college chem class. I got an A on my first exam. I wanted to frame it! When the teacher passes out worksheets to do in class I am slow at first, but then I go home and practice it 2-3 times until I can do the sheet in my sleep. I do all the homework problems in the back of the chapters even though they are not required. I read the labs ahead of time and do as much of the lab sheets as I can.
You don't have to be good at something. You just need to practice a lot and you will do well at it.

you sound just like me. I do all the things you mentioned and am also getting an A and probably one if not the top grades in the class, he grades on a curve because everyone does so poorly on his tests half of that is his tests are awful LOL but I study ahead all do all the homework even though he doesn't collect it and I work out problems in my sleep until I know them in side out! Thats what makes the A student. I was kind of peeved with him last week he didn't go over key information and then we were doing it in lab everyone was frustrated. I was telling my lab partners how to do it and was like well if had gone over this we wouldn't be having trouble but then it dawned on me obviously I am the only one reading the chapters and doing the homework because I knew how to do it and I shouldn't have been peeved at him we are big enough to do the work on our own and i did and I am getting an A duh thats why.

johnsonprn2 · Oct 24, 2006

So happy for you, I just got accepted at HACC college in York, PA into the RN program, nervous myself, I scored so low in math and english on the placement test, but they excepted me. Probably because I have 1 &1/2 semesters in Medical Assistanting, but what ever the case, I'm going in fighting. I know my difficulties and I am going to focus on them the most. I may have to start at the bottem in math, english, and science but Oh well! I am 45 years old and I am trying to be thru with this in at least 3 years. Who knows may try to go on for my BSN. Good luck to you and May God bless us both