Taking A&P 1&2 at the same time

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I am in a dilemma and I need advice. I am returning back to school after a 7 year break. When I was attending school I was going to school for nursing and taking pre nursing classes. I pretty much played around and stopped going because I wasn't taking school serious. Fast forward to now, I am in my late 20's and wanting to finish where I left off.

My first semester back was this past Spring and I took Microbiology and two online classes. I made a B in Microbiology and a A in the other two classes. I recently went to talk to an advisor who informed me that I only have two classes left that I have to take in order to apply for nursing which is A&P 1 and 2. She said that if I take them both this coming Fall I could possibly be starting nursing school in Spring 2020 if accepted. Taking them both together is usually not an option but her and others submitted an override for me to be able to take them together since they are a repeat.

My question is should I go ahead and take them together this coming Fall to have the opportunity of going into nursing school in the Spring? They would be the only two classes I will be taking but they are both very difficult classes. I will be changing to part time at work if I do take them. I have taken them both before over 7 years ago but because its been over 7 years I have to repeat them. If I don't take them together this coming Fall, I will take A&P 1 in the Fall and A&P 2 in the Spring only one class per semester. This would mean I would have to possibly wait until Fall 2020 to attend nursing school. Please give your honest opinions.

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Hey!

I'm also a pre-nursing student. I'm taking A&P 1 in the fall and the second in the spring them micro bio in the summer. I will applying for my schools nursing program in Fall 2020 and hopefully starting in the following spring.

I wanted also to take both A& P 1 and 2 together because I wanted to get them done and apply to more schools in the fall 2020 but I was advised against cause they are such rigorous courses.

My question for you is are you competent in your ability to pass both of them this time around? Idk how it is at your school but at mine we loose points that affect our ability to apply to the program for repeating courses and need to have a 3.0 or higher in all science courses to apply as well.

Worst scenario, you fail one and pass the other or fail both then put yourself back even further from applying to the program if they even allow you to repeat them again.

If it was me in this position and I was working part time etc. I would take one at a time to give my self a higher chance of passing them with a high grade. You haven't taken them in 7 years right? Idk how much info you retained from all those years ago and also most A&P courses if not all have a lab component that is just like a whole separate class haha.

Ultimately tho its up to you, I've known people who took both at the same time and passed with A's but they weren't working and didn't have any significant financial responsibilities like i'm assuming you because you're working and was full time before.

Ask yourself:

Am I motivated?

Do I have great study habits?

Do I need a backup plan?

What if I fail (life happens) ?

Best of luck!

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Hello, thanks for answering my question. When I took them over 7 years ago I took them separately and passed with B's. A&P 1 was a repeat though because I honestly never studied. I was on my own in college and there was no one to tell me what to do. I do regret that and now I am facing the consequences.

If I do happen to take A&P 1 and 2 again at the same time, this is pretty much it at the university that I am at. They are only allowing me to repeat just because its been over the time period that they will accept for biology classes. So if I happen to get below B's then I cant apply for nursing school at all.

I don't think I have retained anything honestly from taking them over 7 years ago. I am sure some information will jog my memory when I do start the class but that's about it. Both classes are really interesting and I really did love them both when I did take them though.

To answer your questions, I am really motivated this time around. I am older and I know for sure nursing is what I want to do. My studying skills are really good and I start studying the material weeks before the test date.

On the other hand, I am worried that they may be too difficult to take together. I do believe that with my motivation I can indeed pass both with a minimum of a B but it will not be easy at all. Its going to be really hard work and long days of studying.

I am just really on the fence. On one end, I don't want to rush it and potentially risk failing. On the other end, I don't want to miss the opportunity of going into nursing school in the Spring if I can do it. I know nursing school will be difficult just based on what I hear. So I do feel like taking them both will prepare me. At the end of the day, I still want to make the smartest decision.

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Thanks for more insight on your situation.

Honestly ultimately its up to you but you spent 7 years out of school right? Whats one more semester with a better chance at passing each class rather than loading them together?

Since you can't take them over again if the worst scenario happened, I would play it safe and take one at a time. Plus like you said you haven't retained any information from the 1st time you took them.

Are you taking any other classes or are these your only two left?

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Yep you are right about that. It has been 7 years and it’s only one more semester.

These will only be the last two classes I will take before applying. So either I will take just those two together or take 1 class in the Fall and 1 class in the Spring.

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I dont know that I would want to take them together. Aphy 102 was a lot easier for me than 101 but it was only because of my time and experience with 101. I also took 101 twice and got a B, then I got a high B in 102. That being said if you've already taken them anyway then maybe it would not be TOO difficult for you but it's hard to say especially if the information is older in your head. It may be a refresher and come back easily or you may be re learning everything again and anatomy is an important foundation to have for nursing anyway so I would consider that too.

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Specializes in Mental Health.

If you have little retention from taking them before then take them separately. You need to know this information in most of your nursing theory courses so there’s no point just getting through it, you need to learn it. What’s one semester in the grand scheme of things.

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Don't do it if a B will ruin your chances. I was also tempted to take them together and Im so glad I didn't. In the end I took one science at a time, and got into 4 schools in so cal. In the grand scheme of things another semester is no big deal.

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Thanks guys for responding! What I am going to do is scheme over information, watch some YouTube videos, and take some quizzes on both A&P 1 & 2 to see how much information I have retained since last taking both courses. I do know that in certain situations when talking about organ functions, bones, etc. I have remembered some things. Then again that could only just be a small amount of information that I have remembered. I think doing this will really help me decide if its a smart decision to take them together or separately.

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10 minutes ago, Carpelibrum said:

Don't do it if a B will ruin your chances. I was also tempted to take them together and Im so glad I didn't. In the end I took one science at a time, and got into 4 schools in so cal. In the grand scheme of things another semester is no big deal.

Hey! I would have to receive an A or a B to stay in the nursing program for both courses. Being that I have taken Microbiology this past Spring they would still accept me into the nursing program for Spring 2020 if I am chosen. If after taking both courses at the end of Fall and I receive anything less than a B, they will remove me from being accepted. I will then not be able to repeat the courses or apply again to my understanding at this university.

Yea you are right about it only being just another semester. I guess I just feel like its a whole year from now that I will possibly be able to enter the program which will be Fall 2020. Then again I don't wont to make the wrong decision just based off of that.

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I agree with what others have said. Taking these classes together is asking for torture lol. I'm a first-year nursing student and although I got an A in both AP 1&2, those were the hardest A's I ever worked for. I took one science class at a time and got accepted into two programs. Many of my friends took 2-4 classes a semester, didn't do great, and now can't find nursing programs that will take them. Better to put yourself in the best position to succeed versus trying to go as fast as you can.

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I took both together in fast-tracked summer course and while I did well, I really wish I had taken them separately. That summer almost killed me. I'm legitimately amazed that the amount of caffeine I consumed combined with the insane amount of sleep deprivation didn't finish me off.

It's doable, especially if you're older and wiser and more dedicated, but it takes a lot out of you. The other thing you should consider is that unlike a lot of pre-req courses, like sociology, you're actually going to be using what you learn in these classes. Most nursing instructors don't feel like it's their job to go over the basic A&P fundamentals when they're lecturing, they expect you to come to class knowing this stuff. So, it's worth your time to make sure you understand the material being taught in A&P so you can apply it when it comes time for your nursing curriculum.

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