Taking 4 summer prerequisite classes for pre-ABSN?

[luna_b]

Hi! I am planning to enroll in an Accelerated BSN program. I need to take:

• Chem 1
  
• Chem 2
  
• Anatomy
  
• Physiology
  
• Microbiology
  
• Human Development
  
• Nutrition
  

I was planning to space these out over a year and half, but my Nursing Program Advisor brought up taking a chunk of them this summer and fall and being ready to enroll in the Jan 2017 cohort (instead of Jan 2018). She said it would be difficult, but can be done.

Her recommendation was:

Summer Term 1: Chem 1, Anatomy (5 weeks)

Summer Term 2: Chem 2, Physiology (5 weeks)

Fall: Micro, Human Development, Nutrition

Has anyone else done a similar schedule? I realize this an accelerated rate to take the prerequisite courses but the nursing program itself is also 66 credits in 15 months, so very accelerated.

I am 31, hold a B.A. in a social science field (3.6 GPA), and have two kids. I will not be working while taking my prerequisites and nursing school.

[sailornurse]

Do these classes have a separate lab component? While it may be doable, these courses are heavy content and just keeping up with the reading for one class will be challenging. You are planning on attempting to take what would be spread out over 15 week semester and would be challenging even then (4 classes probably with labs). Keep in mind that if your GPA drops due to attempting this you risk not being accepted into a nursing program. Have you ever taken a difficult science course over a 5 week summer term? Or any class in a 5 week term? You may be assigned many chapters to read for the next class which may be the following day. I would urge you to reconsider and stick with your original plan of spreading them out.

[luna_b]

The classes are in 4 hr. blocks, which includes the lab. No, I have not done a science in this accelerated manner before. The advisor told me she has seen others successfully do it this way but it is a big time commitment. I do have the physical time for it, but am worried about the challenge of absorbing information that fast. The payoff would be finishing school a year earlier, which is a big incentive. Of course, if I don't do well in the classes it will cost me a lot of money and time to take them again or risk not getting into the ABSN.