Transferring with few pre-reqs

[asfah]

Hi! I am currently a freshman at a community college majoring in Liberal Arts. I'm currently taking 15 credits. However, I plan on transferring next year-hopefully- into a four year university in North Carolina. When I transfer, should I continue to complete my general education in Liberal Arts or should I change my major into something that would better qualify me for the school's nursing program? Also, I'm really confused because there are so many routes to take. I eventually want to get a BSN, but I also want to be able to work at a hospital while doing so. Are there any additional degrees or certifications I should get?

[Kuriin, BSN, RN]

It sounds like you're actually interested in doing an accelerated masters-entry-to-nursing program where you have a degree already that is not nursing. If that's not the case, I would recommend sticking with community college and getting prerequisites out of the way, then applying. Some schools do not require the completion of prerequisites before acceptance (University of San Francisco).

[ScientistSalarian]

If you want to major in nursing, go ahead and change your major to nursing or pre-nursing. As far as transferring it might be a better idea to get all of your general ed and nursing-specific prerequisites done at your community college and then apply to transfer to a university for your BSN. It'll save you a lot of tuition money and give you the opportunity to apply to several different BSN programs. I have no idea how competitive the program you're aiming for is but it's always a good idea to give yourself some options, and you'd be in a bit of a bind if you transferred as a lower-division student and then weren't accepted into the nursing program.

If you want to work in a hospital while you're going to school you could also consider taking a CNA course at a community college (usually one semester or less). This would be a great way to get some healthcare experience under your belt, but you may want to check with your local hospitals first since in some areas (like mine - CA) hospital CNA positions are few and far between. Good luck with whatever you decide! :)