What to do pre-pre-Nursing School?

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I will be starting my prerequisites this August (starting with Anatomy & Physiology I). I'm 37, working full time (and will until I actually being nursing school), and it's been a long time since I was a student.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I can spend these next few months doing to 1) help me prepare for going back to school and/or 2) upping my chances of getting accepted into the only school within driving distance?

It took me 10 years to decide to take this plunge and I'm a little anxious to get started! Something to focus on while I wait for fall classes to start would help pass the time!

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Purchase your A&P text early and begin reading now, especially if you know what topics you'll be covering in your course. I could have used a head start especially when it came to histology (A&P I), and memorizing bones (A&P I) and muscles (A&P II). There is just so much information thrown at you throughout the course...

I'm also 37 and just finishing up my pre-reqs for nursing school, and it's helpful to know how to study and use your time wisely. So here's what I learned:

1. Read the material BEFORE CLASS.

2. If the professor teaches from PowerPoint slides, print them out BEFORE CLASS if they are available.

3. Take notes.

4. Reread your notes and review the PowerPoint slides after class--focus on anything you don't feel you understand well.

Repeat ad nauseum until it's time to study for the exam.

When studying for the exam, I found it helpful to rewrite my notes and/or use my notes to create a study guide/outline. If that helps you or not really depends on what type of a learner you are. I'm a visual learner, so looking at slides/notes and going through the process of writing everything out again really helps me make it stick.

I'd say the best way to up your chances of getting into your desired school are to do well in your pre-requisite classes, do well on the TEAS exam (or other entrance exam, if they use one), and if you don't have a job working in healthcare--either find one or volunteer somewhere. The last part may not help directly, but it will give you something to write about in your entrance essay, and also give you a chance to make sure you want to get into nursing.

That's all the advice I have to give. HTH, FWIW, YMMV, etc.

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Thank you! That is beyond helpful. :)

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I would purchase for Anatomy for Dummies Book. It was really helpful or any other optional textbooks that the professors don't make you buy but I find that more "extra" stuff to study is very helpful. I rewote my notes as well and studied just about everyday. You think A&P1 is not hard because it the first one, but I think it is pretty hard. My class had a lot of dropouts (as in they dropped out of the class) because they couldn't do it. We used to have a full class. Not trying to scare you just trying to prepare you! :) STUDYING is the key. Do not slack off because you will have to retake it again if you do. Take it from me, who had to take the course TWICE. Good luck! :)

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Buy your textbook and start reading it.

Memorize bones of skull, appendicular, and axial skeleton. Memorize insertion, origin, and primary function of muscles of head, axial, and appendicular body. Once your start memorizing them you'll appreciate you are not limited to 2 weeks to memorize everything. Know the 4 types of tissues and how to identify. Know parts of the cell. Physiology of muscle & bones.

Email instructor and ask about fall textbook and possible changes. Choose looseleaf if available. Why? Hardcover is the only format the school buys back. They buy it back for about the price difference between the looseleaf version. For about the same price you get to keep the book if looseleaf. Good if both A&P classes use same book. Also carrying only 3 chapters at a time is a nice feature.

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Look into what factors the school take into consideration for nursing school. Some simply add up a score of your GPA and test scores and nothing else matters. Others take volunteer and work experience into account, and letters of recommendation. If the latter is the case, I would definitely look for work in healthcare. If getting certified as a nursing or medical assistant isn't an option, maybe working at a group home or something like that is. And see if you can volunteer/intern/shadow at the hospital. Network so you have some great people to ask for a letter of recommendation.

I thought reading my A&P text ahead of time would help me. It didn't really. I would've been better off skimming the subjects and then looking them up on youtube for the general idea, but I'm very visual. I did buy some anatomy flaschards that would've been helpful to study ahead of time, especially for bones.

Might not hurt to start studying for the TEAS either. It's pretty darn early, but you might as well.

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Specializes in OR.

If you don't know exactly what your A&P I course will cover, I would caution against buying the text and starting your reading ahead of time, simply because you will have no direction. Even after going through my A&P I & II courses, which used the same book, there were chapters in the book we didn't touch, and sometimes only portions of other chapters.

The same goes for memorizing the bones and muscles. In my A&P, there were certain bones we were to memorize, certain muscles, and certain insertion & origins. If you can get hold of those lists, then by all means, get started memorizing. If you are unable to get the lists, I would suggest self-studying medical terminology. You can find bunches of flashcards on Quizlet. My friends who took medical terminology found it very helpful in A&P and beyond.

Once you're in your course, make sure to utilize every resource available to you! My school made so many resources available to us it negated any need to purchase extra books, flash cards, etc.

Good luck!

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Thanks, everyone, for all your helpful comments.

One other question - my AP class doesn't require bio as a pre-req, but suggests it. I took my last bio class (albeit a very good one) a long time ago. I'm doing an online refresher right now. Is it worth the time I'm putting into it? Is refreshing on atoms and cellular function helpful in AP? Or am I wasting my last free time before school?

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Specializes in ICU.

I wouldn't waste my time if you have a handle on it. I'm 38 and last took biology in the 9th grade and I did fine in A&P I and II and just finished up Advanced Physiology today. All with A's. I wouldn't waste my money on it.

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You dont really go into to much depth with atoms at all honestly. They will refresh you in class with cells im sure. I wouldn't take it.

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My college recommended a lower level A&P class, basic A&P or something like that, but it wasn't required in order to take A&P I or II, so I skipped it. But I also put in a lot of time pre-studying, there's a lot that you can take in before the class starts, look for A&P videos on youtube etc.

Blue is right that you might not have to memorize every bone and muscle, but you can start studying up on body region names, quadrants, bone markings (this was a fairly tough area for me for some reason), cranial nerves, the carpal and tarsal bones, major muscles names and types and even the major bones of the axial, cranial, facial and appendicular bones (or even all of them if you choose, in my class we had to know the names of every bone, but not every muscle), you want to at least go over the name breakdown terms of the muscles just to get a head start.

At the least, read, study or watch videos, every little bit helps.

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every little bit helps.

My thought exactly. Thanks!

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