Non-traditional students taking pre-reqs Help!!

[tltfdds]

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Okay, so finally, I taking my pre-reqs to apply to dental school. currently for the summer I am taking Anatomy and Physiology and it is HARD! But! I've passed my exams with A's so far. My issue? well, I am a non traditional student and I am already situated in a career with a demanding day job. I am taking my classes in the evening but I am finding it hard to find time to study. Right now I am not sleeping much because I work 8hours during the day, I attend class 4 hours per night, 4 nights out of the week. WhenI get Out of class and get home (around 10:45ish) I study until the wee hours in the AM. I fall asleep somewhere around 2-3am and then i'm back up at 6 to be to work at 8am. Its starting to wear on me. I also study a lot on the weekend. I can't keep this kind of schedule up! How on earth do people work full time and got to school, and these are science classes! not some kinky dink, history or sociology class! in the fall I will take bio and chem, and I am freaking out because with the one class I barely have time to study, so with two classes, plus my job, i'm not sure how this schedule is going to work or where I will find time to study and sleep. Any advice? yes, i need my job because i am single and I support myself. I know chem and bio is going to take a lot of concentration and I want to make's A's! Advice please?

 

[1passbbsSHAVE]

all I can say is that you will get used to the routine more you do it, but I am not gonna lie and say it will be easy. Working full time and taking more than 2 classes is not easy.
Good luck. Try to balance the hours well and schedule your work so that you would have some time to relax as well.

 

[fogorvostan]

It sucks, a lot. I think I lived off of energy drinks (I'm actually drinking red bull right now - guess old habits die hard??) I also made sure to make use of every bit of free time I had during the day so that I could go to bed earlier. For instance, I'd run through some flashcards during my 30 min lunch break instead of hanging out in teacher's lounge gossiping. Boring meeting? Flashcards on my phone! Coworker standing in my classroom talking to me about nonsense? Flashcards!

 

[HatInTheCat]

I totally get it. I teach HS English, serve as department chair, and advise our school's yearbook. I took two sciences with labs every semester--that wore on me badly. It's easy enough to float those courses with earning Bs, but to earn As was very hard. You can do it! Get a routine going, and you'll be fine.


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[cacajuate]

I always found that I could study better if I went to sleep early and woke up real early and studied then. My mind was fresh and retained more information in a shorter time span.

 

[DocWinter]

You will get a little better at it as time goes on. However, this is what pre req life is like for the working person.

A&P is a ton of memorization. Chem will test your math and critical thinking more. Study hard on weekends, take a couple hours off and treat yourself to a nice meal or massage or something.
Welcome to the grind. I did exactly what you did for 2 years and you do get better at it

 

[ry_guy_chi]

You got this! I returned to school at 24 taking A&P and biomedical terminology while still working my career. I was able to switch to part-time hours and that helped tremendously. If it is possible for you to do the same, I suggest you do so. And don't give up. It was so hard adjusting to being back in school, but I kept telling myself that it will be worth it. 4 years later, here I am, applying to dental school.

EDIT: Oh so I do want to add…and this is something that transpired over the course of ~1 year back at school. My social life was nonexistent…I lost friends. It sucked. But it helped me discover who my true friends were and I also met people in similar situations as mine at school. Just stay positive and you will pull through.

 

[CareerNumTwo]

Okay, so finally, I taking my pre-reqs to apply to dental school. currently for the summer I am taking Anatomy and Physiology and it is HARD! But! I've passed my exams with A's so far.... in the fall I will take bio and chem, and I am freaking out because with the one class I barely have time to study, so with two classes, plus my job, i'm not sure how this schedule is going to work or where I will find time to study and sleep. Any advice? yes, i need my job because i am single and I support myself. I know chem and bio is going to take a lot of concentration and I want to make's A's! Advice please?

Like everyone else has said, you'll find a way to manage - what works for me might not work for you. Regardless, time management is key. Also remember, summer courses are notoriously faster than fall/spring semesters.

Something that struck me is, why are you taking A&P before you've taken Bio? I don't know about your school but General Bio 1 is required before taking A&P. I think you'll be surprised how much easier parts of Bio are after having already taken A&P.

 

[workofshart]

If you are still eligible for financial aid it might be worth looking into that and maybe only working part-time so you have time to get A's in all your courses. One day a week to relax/take a break is also a good idea so you don't totally burn out.

 

[tltfdds]

Like everyone else has said, you'll find a way to manage - what works for me might not work for you. Regardless, time management is key. Also remember, summer courses are notoriously faster than fall/spring semesters.

Something that struck me is, why are you taking A&P before you've taken Bio? I don't know about your school but General Bio 1 is required before taking A&P. I think you'll be surprised how much easier parts of Bio are after having already taken A&P.

Good Point! LOL I am taking classes as a non degree seeking student, so as long as you pay them, they let you take what you want when you want.