Starting my pre reqs may 18th!

Published

Hey everyone been reading on these forums the past few months to get some information and very helpful! So I decided to join and this is my first post! I just got out of the Army October 26th 2014. I was airborne infantry and was medically discharged due to major ankle surgery from an injury sustained while on active duty. So after being discharged I knew I wanted to get into the medical field because I enjoy helping others. So next I looked at what interested me, what the VA would pay for, and what would pay me a salary that I could live how I wanted to and give my family the luxuries my father could give me. So I decided on a CRNA! I start my pre reqs may 18th and I guess was hoping for some advice as to how to prepare for this, what to focus on, and tips to maintain a 4.0 to ensure my acceptance into a crna program. Thankfully I receive disability and school pay as does my wife so between the 2 of us we don't have to work while in school so I can focus on just school. I'm hoping once I finish my ASN I can work as an RN in a critical care setting to get my 1 year experience while finishing my bsn. My father has a hook at our regional medical center who said he could help me achieve that. I'm also getting a macbook for school through the VA since my last laptop was destroyed on my most recent deployment. Any tips or advice would be great! Thanks for your time and I'm so happy to be apart of this community!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I start may 18th, with 3 online general courses. Good luck!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I start my first prereq on June 1st! :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I tutor chemistry and math. I would be glad to help.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Wow, this is a trip! What you just wrote is exactly what is going on with me. I am still in the Army as a SGT, in the Medboard process right now. I want to be a CRNA in a future, but I decided to get my Associates as a Nurse first, then do my BSN afterwards. I got kinda freaked out, I thought someone had stolen my story. xD Hahaha...

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Have you thought about pursuing a BSN first? Just curious.

A few pointers:

  • Don't take more classes than you can handle if you want to earn a 4.0 gpa. If taking an extra semester gives you a better chance at a 4.0, do it.
  • Manage your time well. Having a military background, and being more experienced than many other students, you've probably developed this skill to a degree. Channel that skill into school. Make a schedule and stick to it ("to do" lists are evil). It will force you to look at the reality of how much time you have in your day, and how long your tasks will take. I've found that keeping to a planned schedule has extracted many crafty, resourceful, and celeritous decisions. On that note...
  • Treat yourself to a reward when you do accomplish what you set out to do, even if only for that day's tasks.
  • You'll get out of school what you put into school. Don't depend on your teachers to give you an A grade (or blame them if they don't).
  • Visit your teachers during their office hours early in the semester if for no other reason than that they know who you are, and that they know you're trying.
  • Make a list of questions you have during either class time, or while studying on your own. You'll likely forget what question you had when the time comes to ask otherwise. You can ask these questions during teacher office hours, or through email.
  • Just a personal preference, but I don't enjoy study groups. Being one of the better students in my classes through pre-reqs, I've often found study groups to be one of two things: one, a time to socialize, or, two, me tutoring the entire group, and getting nothing out of it in return. The positive experiences I do have studying with others has included being with one or two other highly motivated students where we generally do our own thing, but will bounce questions back and forth to test each other. Those fellow students and I typically have a competitive relationship, and it drives us to be better students.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Wow thanks for all the responses especially keen observer! But yes I am getting my pre reqs done, then my ASN, direct connect for 3 semesters to get my BSN. During that 3 semesters to get my BSN I will be working as a RN in critical care setting since that's a pre req for getting in the nurse anesthesist school. What I'm getting is pretty much as I expected. Time management, you get out of it what you put into it. Make myself known with the professors. I want this so bad I can taste it. I want to succeed as bad as I want to breathe and I will stop at nothing until I'm a CRNA. Also what's a better laptop for nursing school? MacBook or a PC? The VA is purchasing me one before school starts since my ancient macbook broke. Just want to have the best system possible to make life easier! Thanks for the supoort!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I think you should consult your school first before choosing Mac or PC.... Sometimes, although not often some programs will not run on both systems. I didn't run into this problem during prerequisites because all my books were either through kindle or were an online digital version. So in the end it's going to come down to personal preferences.

Just a note, organization is not really the same as how much you put into it. Organization helps you to study smart and not hard. I took 17 credits last semester with 2 kids under 4 and a part time job, I maintained a 3.9 GPA because my planner was my bible. I didn't feel overwhelmed because I kept up with in and made sure to put in major assignments in a day or two ahead to give me some breathing room. This semester, I wasn't nearly as organized, and I have spent at least half of my semester feeling overwhelmed, even after dropping all but 2 classes (8 credits).

Thankfully I got accepted into my Nursing program and start this summer, and I am going to invest in a really good planner...

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Also another question for the university I will be going to for my DNAP requires 1 year of critical care experience. Can this experience be after I get my ASN while working towards my BSN or does it have to be after I already have my BSN. Obviously I'd like to get the experience required while finishing my BSN so once I graduate I can jump straight into the crna program instead of taking a year break to get the experience then go back to school. Just more efficient

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion