40 year old starting NS and taking the ACT

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I am starting my pre-req in Jan. I will be taking mus., psy and alg. going part -time . I have to take the ACT test to get into NS !! That is going to be very hard for a 40yr old ,I have to make a 19 to be accepted . Can anyone help me ,How hard is the test ,what so I need to study the most???:banghead:

Specializes in ICU.
I am 43 years old and just going to start with a computer class chemistry and medical terminology. I am new to this site and am looking for anyone who can tell me how school will be for me being as old as I am and was it hard to get through any answers would be greatly appreciated

At 43, you are still chronologically young. By that, I mean there's nothing wrong with your memory, there's nothing wrong with your reasoning abilities, and there's nothing wrong with your cultural awareness (I.e., you don't abhor computers and those new-fangled phones that people carry in their dad-gum pockets.). Chances are you have better self-discipline than a younger student and are more focused in your desires. Therefore, your chances of academic success are better. You may not have recent practice at academics and are therefore intimidated by the scholastic environment, but you do have the self-confidence that comes at early-middle age, even though you are not yet 50 years old, and you will find school eaiser than you remember it to have been.

A big plus is that you more than likely have a mature insight into the human condition and this can make you a superior nurse. That is, you may not be as opinionated as you were when you were young, you may not be as naive as you were when you were young, and you may be able therefore to interact with and tollerate the broad spectrum of humanity that all nurses encounter much better than a younger person.

As a former education counselor, a former four-year college grad, a former nursing student, and now a seasoned ICU nurse, I can tell you with as much an educated guess as any other expert that you have a better chance at academic success than an 18-year-old. You are actually the advantaged student, not the teenager you will be sitting next to.

Now, why am I so full of hope for you and not Powers2004? I don't know. Everything I've said to you applies to her as well. I think, when I think through this haze of day-off Jameson whiskey, that there is an independence in your tone and a need for support in her tone.

I can tell you this much, and I think any nurse in here would agree: the team doesn't get you through nursing school and your first year of nursing. You and God go it alone.

O.K. I'm done. I'll go quietly and put myself back in soft-wrist restraints and stop typing.:typing

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Specializes in Med Surg, Ortho.
Until everyone who rushes into it because it's recession proof.

I don't think that everyone will be able to rush into it bc there are not enough nursing intructors to go around. My former school turned down over 300 applicants due to the instructor shortage. But, I think even with more people pursuing nursing that will be accepted, there is still going to be a shortage of nurses. The baby boomer population are now becoming senior citizens and we need a lot more nurses. To get into nursing school though, one must be very competitive and have a high gpa.

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Flightline, I don't need your permission to be a nurse! I just did not know where to start and because of this board I have the infor I need (no thanks to you) So with that said, why do you want to be a nurse? I can tell you are smart or maybe a smart-? ,but I am willing to bet that to be a good nurse it takes 25% smarts and 75% people skills that you lack . I have owned my on business for 15 years and make more than I ever will as a nurse,that said ,I am not going into it for the money! Thanks to all the others on this site for helping me and if I can do the same for you I will!!!! WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE!!!

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I will hold off A&P this summer as well, maybe take a psy class

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My best friends mother retook the ACT when she was 40 and didn't study just to "see how she would do." She scored a 32, and credits it to a combination of her various life experiences and good guestimation. She isn't a math wizard either.

a 19/20 is the "national average" for ACT scores last I heard, it's not really that high, and I think you'll do just fine. If you can hold a 3.3 in your college classes (i think i read that right) then I have confidence that you will score AT LEAST a 19. The school I'm going to, you have to score at least a 20 on the ACT as a whole and then take their school-specific assessment unless you score 24 in the math only section(they also have assessments for English and Reading). I would think the english, reading and science reasoning scores would round your score out better if you're really concerned about just math. Get a study guide since they usually have practice tests just so you can get a feel for it. (and use the timer! you can know all the answers but you have to get them on the sheet in X amount of time or it doesn't count! lol) Math is not my strong point either, but I know I'll do well enough in English and Reading that my score should be high enough. And I'll probably score worse in the Science reasoning :icon_roll

I have to retake my ACT in December b/c my scores are just barely out of date, so I'm there with you. I haven't done anything except basic 3rd grade math since 2003

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Specializes in ICU.
Flightline, I don't need your permission to be a nurse!

I know that.

I just did not know where to start and because of this board I have the infor I need (no thanks to you) So with that said, why do you want to be a nurse? I can tell you are smart or maybe a smart-? ,but I am willing to bet that to be a good nurse it takes 25% smarts and 75% people skills that you lack .

I just asked why nursing and not law or something else. You don't want to say, and I've lost interest anyway, so good luck in your progress towards nursing.

I have owned my on business for 15 years and make more than I ever will as a nurse,that said ,I am not going into it for the money! Thanks to all the others on this site for helping me and if I can do the same for you I will!!!! WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE!!!

What's wrong with being in it for the money?

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My best friends mother retook the ACT when she was 40 and didn't study just to "see how she would do." She scored a 32, and credits it to a combination of her various life experiences and good guestimation. She isn't a math wizard either.

a 19/20 is the "national average" for ACT scores last I heard, it's not really that high, and I think you'll do just fine. If you can hold a 3.3 in your college classes (i think i read that right) then I have confidence that you will score AT LEAST a 19. The school I'm going to, you have to score at least a 20 on the ACT as a whole and then take their school-specific assessment unless you score 24 in the math only section(they also have assessments for English and Reading). I would think the english, reading and science reasoning scores would round your score out better if you're really concerned about just math. Get a study guide since they usually have practice tests just so you can get a feel for it. (and use the timer! you can know all the answers but you have to get them on the sheet in X amount of time or it doesn't count! lol) Math is not my strong point either, but I know I'll do well enough in English and Reading that my score should be high enough. And I'll probably score worse in the Science reasoning :icon_roll

I have to retake my ACT in December b/c my scores are just barely out of date, so I'm there with you. I haven't done anything except basic 3rd grade math since 2003

I got the Kaplan book at the library and it seems to be helping:uhoh3:

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Specializes in Med Surg, Ortho.
Flightline, I don't need your permission to be a nurse! I just did not know where to start and because of this board I have the infor I need (no thanks to you) So with that said, why do you want to be a nurse? I can tell you are smart or maybe a smart-? ,but I am willing to bet that to be a good nurse it takes 25% smarts and 75% people skills that you lack . I have owned my on business for 15 years and make more than I ever will as a nurse,that said ,I am not going into it for the money! Thanks to all the others on this site for helping me and if I can do the same for you I will!!!! WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE!!!

You are so very right about the people skills. You need that for sure! Just please try and make sure your gpa stays above 3. Nursing school is very competitive. You really need to get an A in those science courses, seriously. If you don't, there will be many ahead of you that will.....so study study study.....get an A in the rest of your courses.

Once you hit nursing school, the pressure is still there, but it's not as bad. I had so much pressure on me needing to make As just to get into the program, so nursing school was a relief after that. To me, the pre-reqs were hardest because of that reason.

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Specializes in Med Surg, Ortho.
I know that.

I just asked why nursing and not law or something else. You don't want to say, and I've lost interest anyway, so good luck in your progress towards nursing.

What's wrong with being in it for the money?

Who ever wants to go into nursing for the money needs to see my paycheck. I started in mid-June of this year and I've made $27,000 yr to date which means for a full year I should make around 55K, sounds good. Well, I bring home $1500 q2 weeks which definitely isn't much money. Definitely not what I feel that I'm worth. Taxes hit me hard!:crying2:

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The hardest pre-reqs for me was A&P, but I decided to take them both over the summer. I took A&P1 in the first 5 weeks and A&P2 in the second 5 weeks. It was alot of work but I did get through it. If it makes you feel better my mother-in-law decided to go back to school for nursing when she was 43. She has been a nurse for 15 years and loves it. She tells me all the time that it was the best thing she ever did. Depending on your situation, I believe nursing has the best stability over any other job. You will always be able to find a job. If you have any questions or want recommendations on teachers at JSCC just let me know.
who is the best teacher in psy.?
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Britney
RN
are you talking about A&P 1,2

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Congrats on your decision to be a nurse!! I am posting a link to the student forum because when I was in school I found it to be an invaluable source of info. It has info on different entrance tests, online classes, etc. Check it out when you get a minute. I think it will help you tons. Many people go into nursing as second careers or when their children are a bit older so don't be afraid. I had to study before the entrance tests and did great. I'm sure you will too. :)

https://allnurses.com/forums/f196/

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