Take one science at a time or two?

ChristiHamm8, CNA · Oct 26, 2016

I will be taking two sciences next semester and a mom friend in my biology class is taking two together right now as well and we are both one of the handful of A students in our class of 70+. I have three kids, she has 4. It is doable if you stay organized! I love classes that feed off each other. It is like double teaching the material! My psychology class was learning the same thing as my biology class the first few weeks about axon terminals and neurology related material. It really helped me to hear two different perspectives on the same material. She says that A&P I is the easier of the sciences between that and Biology because it is more self applicable. She can look at her body to memorize everything and the body systems are chunked together in her class so the material is not all over the place.

ItsThatJenGirl, CNA · Oct 27, 2016

Depends on the type of student you are, the quality of the teacher and how interested in science you are. I'm taking A&P I and am finding it quite easy to maintain an A, because I have a great teacher. I'll be two A&P II and Microbiology together next semester because I'll have the same A&P teacher, and the Micro teacher has excellent recommendations from other students/teachers.

Last semester I couldn't cut it with Chem and A&P because both of my teachers were terrible. I had to drop A&P I and find a new teacher.

So sure, it can be done, but it depends on several variables.

OliveOyl91, BSN, RN · Oct 27, 2016

I am taking microbiology and a&p part one this term, and let me be honest with you... My brain is completely fried. I am doing very well in both classes (an A- and B+ respectively), but it has taken a lot of work and I'm at the point where I'm almost always mentally exhausted. Between studying the two chapters a week for material that will be on the written exam, studying bones and tissues for the lab practical, and group case studies due every other week for a&p and then twice a week labs for micro that require extensive background research prior to coming in and studying the structure of the prokaryotic cell... It's tough, but doable. I don't have any children, but I do work full-time. I can't imagine having a toddler to wrangle while having this kind of work load.

PrereqTaker89 · Oct 27, 2016

Thank you so much for your honesty!!

WCSU1987 · Oct 27, 2016

I am taking 2 sciences now. It's 50/50 for me. There's not much in terms of homework. My Chem lab has a lot of take home lab work gave to hand in a week later and a lab prep. Usually it always happens I have an odd work schedule be off four days in a row and then 4 on a row. When I get slammed with homework it's days working 4 in a row. It's a bit of a juggling act. Like this past weekend had a bone exam, a lab report due, lab prep homework due, and a quiz on moles. I had to get up at 4am to study for class and couldn't study for the mole quiz.

It's all a juggling act. I feel my grades could of been much better if I didn't take 2 classes together.

BrendanO, MSN, RN · Oct 28, 2016

Sounds like you're in a relatively good place to take on more.

While working full-time, I took Bio and Chem in the same semester, and then Microbio, A&P1, and Psych the next semester. I think I averaged 3 hours a day of studying (more on weekends, less on weekdays). If you can get a flexible class schedule, that might be helpful. My A&P1 was a 6.5-hour class on Saturday, which I found way easier to deal with than 4-hour classes on MWF nights (and less travel time to deal with). But I didn't have a child to care for, so...

Good luck to you, whatever decision you make!