Those who got A's while taking 2 sciences together...

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How hard is it? Did you work while taking classes?

I want to take Anatomy and Chem this fall, and then Physiology and Micro next spring, and I want to get A's in everything. I would only be taking those two classes and working part-time at night.

Does this seem like it would be a relatively easy thing to do for a good student? Or will I be a nutcase who can't get any sleep?

I took chem and anatomy one semester and micro, physiology, and statistics the following semester. It was challenging but definately not impossible. I didn't really have a social life all semester but I'm not one that minds putting school before everything else.I got all A's but I was so burnt out by the end of the semester but it was definately worth it. I say do it because the nursing program isn't going to be any easier. If you take two science classes at the same time and do well, you will be ready for the nursing program. If you take it easy, you might be overwhelmed when you enter the program. It's better to prepare yourself for a heavy cour load now because if you're going into a BSN program (like I am), the first semester is 14 units and they're not easy classes.

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I say do it because the nursing program isn't going to be any easier. If you take two science classes at the same time and do well, you will be ready for the nursing program. If you take it easy, you might be overwhelmed when you enter the program.

I don't know how well this will work, as my circumstances will be very different when I am taking pre-req's. I will be quitting work when I enter the nursing program, but up until then I will be working 4-5 nights a week.

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This is definately something you are going to have to think over. For Microbiology I probably studies 9 - 10 hours a week and I passed with a 95%. Physiology I probably studies half that much to get a 94%. It's important to know how much you can handle because your science grades are the main thing that every nursing program will look at when they are deciding who to accept. It's better to take your time and do well in a course then try to rush it and not do so well. However, if you can handle the heavy course load, I say do it.

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Specializes in being a Credible Source.
How hard is it? Did you work while taking classes?

I want to take Anatomy and Chem this fall, and then Physiology and Micro next spring, and I want to get A's in everything. I would only be taking those two classes and working part-time at night.

Does this seem like it would be a relatively easy thing to do for a good student? Or will I be a nutcase who can't get any sleep?

Easy? No.

Doable without becoming "a nutcase who can't get any sleep?" Certainly.

I did what your proposing and much worse and managed to ace the classes and remain sane. It can be done.

Be organized, be disciplined, and be motivated and, if you're already a strong student, you should be fine.

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Specializes in So far, just the basics....

I definitely think you should take chemistry 1st, if that is an option! And I understand needing to work during pre-reqs, cuz that's what I did. And like the other post, I too didn't have much of a social life, and that is really true for nursing school. I see my clients and my classmates more than my own family! The best advice i can give is, make yourself a schedule, and stick to it, and eventually you'll get used to more studying and less sleep. The nursing school terms are 14 credits and at my school, less than an 80% on an exam, isn't passing- because in nursing school the grading scale is ridiculous! 80%=C, and less than a C isn't passing, and the labs, assignments, clinical, etc are calculated separately, so that if you aren't passing the tests, they completely disregard the grades you got in any of the other stuff and you fail the whole term! I'm not trying to scare you, trust me, if I can do it, it can be done!! Just make sure you learn the core stuff, like A&P. Straight memorizing doesn't help when you have to use the info to answer critical thinking application questions. Oh yeah, and I think it works well to do like you said and take one science with a general ed course. I took psych, physiology and nutrition together. The cool part is many of the classes are similar in many ways so you'll find that you are covering the same content, just in different formats. In psych you learn about the brain and in nutrition you learn about what nutrients the brain needs and in phys you learn how the brain does what it does, with the proper nutrition. And then in nursing school, you get to learn how it all goes wrong, and why, and what we nurses, can do about it!!! You just gotta find the common thread, and then you're really only studying one thing for 3 classes! Good luck! You can do it!! ;)

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Take Chem & Lab first! It will help you in Physio and Micro...not so much in Anatomy...but where I go A&P are two different classes, it's not a combined A&P class...it's either Anatomy or Physio @ two different times, w/two diff proff doesn't even have to be the same semester. So, I took Physio and Chem and it paired up nicley :)

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Specializes in Ante-Intra-Postpartum, Post Gyne.

I took Micro; Chem: inorganic, organic, and bio; and Human Growth and Development (Psych) all at once and got A's in all three. I did not work. I studied my tushy off.

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