Published Oct 16, 2013
ChristyMcCarter
1 Post
Hello,
I am a pre rn student working on my pre reqs. I am in college after being out of school for a while.
I am wondering how many of you have a hard time with your algebra classes. I used to be really good in algebra in high school. That was many years ago.
I am struggling and wondering if any other student and/or current RN struggled with math & got through it ok.
Also, when applying for nursing school, I know grades & GPA matters, however, has anyone just barely passed math & still got in.
Thanks in advance for your support & information.
__patiently_waiting
604 Posts
I took college algebra my first semester in college & passed with a C (& I was fresh out of high school). I have never been good at math. I would advise you to go talk to your professor during office hours or go to tutoring if it's available. Being that it was my first semester I was unaware of all of the resources available to me that could have helped me enhance my grade.
The C i got dropped my GPA from a 4.0 to a 3.5 just like that. I spoke with one of the advisors at my school about retaking the class & it was not allowed (or so they say), so I just had to leave that C. In January I'm going to apply to a BSN program and I have managed to bring it up to a 3.74. If I manage to get all A's this semester (which is looking very promising), I will be applying with a solid 3.8.
I know how it is to struggle in math & it's not fun at all. Just do the best you can do. If you don't do as good as you would like, look into retaking the class later. You should also speak with someone from the nursing school you're interested in to see how heavily they look at the math grade because I know most NS's look at science/math more than anything else.
Good luck!
LoriRNCM, ADN, ASN, RN
1 Article; 1,265 Posts
I'm pretty lousy at math, or I should say, it doesn't come easy for me like English does. (Positive self talk there!) I struggled with my college algebra but did manage an A in my Math for Allied Health class which is essentially a dosage calculations class. The math calculations you make as a nurse are not terribly complicated, it just takes some understanding of conversions to the metric system, decimals, fractions and being able to solve a formula. I got into my program with a "meh" history in math, but made up for it in my Sciences and other pre reqs. If I were able to have a do over I would probably get some math tutoring because it is still the subject that makes me cringe. And we start dosage calculations in a couple weeks in my Pharm class. (shudder)
pmabraham, BSN, RN
1 Article; 2,567 Posts
Good day:
I just turned 50 this past May, and after 30 years in I.T. decided to go back to college to work on my prerequisites to get into a nursing program. The last time I had college level math was in 1981; the last time I had a business math class was in 1984.
While I used to be able to get an easy "A" in any math class (it used to come to me naturally) with little studying, I've found over the years things have changed a lot. What that means for me is that I have to truly press into the subject, read the book, use khanacademy.org and do every last homework assignment. When tests come, and the professor gives out extra practice, I do my best to do every last one even if I'm spending five or more hours doing so. The end result, so far, is that I have an "A" in the course, but getting there and keeping it continues to be a hard struggle compared to my other courses.
Press in, see a tutor, work out on khanacademy.org, and practice, practice, practice.
Thank you.
TLizS
368 Posts
I am 28....I graduated high school over 10 years ago and honestly do not remember high school algebra...I am struggling thru college algebra (I have a b at the moment but that's a 99.75 homework average and a 68.75 homework average) I am hoping the next exam goes a little better for me...I need a B in this class for it to count for my nursing school app in january.... it is completely frustrating
john1923t
7 Posts
I started at 51 ((male)) I graduate December 2013 good luck
Coffee bean
18 Posts
I start taking my pre reqs in January,I graduated 22 years ago with basic math,don't think I even took algebra at the time.My community college offers free math tutoring for their students,maybe you could ask an advisor if your school offers tutoring also.
tp003102449
24 Posts
I am struggling with applied statistics=( It is my last prerequisite, so I am quite stressed about it. I am disappointed that I gt the material and do well on my homework, yet my professor's exams just shred me. I don't think I did well at all this last exam=( Math is not my strong suit either, but I actually liked algebra. It helps to have a good caring professor.