For most Baker students, spending four years at the Baldwin City campus is a given; however, for pre-nursing students, it is a different story. Most of them will spend two years on the Baldwin City campus and then move to the Baker School of Nursing, which is in Topeka.

“You need to make the most of your time on campus,” freshman Maggie Pruitt said, “because living on campus goes by really fast.”

Along with switching schools, pre-nursing students also have different requirements.

“For students that are going to be here for four years, they have six Quest classes. They also have some discovery classes,” Professor of Biology Darcy Russell said. “The pre-nursing students are only here for two years, so they do not have time to do the full program. Instead, they do the first four Quest classes.”

Along with different Quest requirements, nursing students must also take five humanities classes. These classes typically involve music, religion, theater, English literature, foreign language and history.

“We only specify one humanities class, which is Ethics,” Russell said, “because we do not think you should be a nurse without taking ethics. We think that it is pretty important.”

Being a nursing major can also bring up some difficulties when playing a sport, since nursing students will most likely only play for two years instead of four.

“I’m glad I get to participate in a sport in general,” Pruitt, who is a member of the cheer squad, said. “We have late practices, though, so you really have to time manage and get your homework done during the day.”

Russell also said that it is usually too difficult for a student at the School of Nursing to balance classes and a sport, although “occasionally they have had someone on the bowling team make it work.”

Baker pre-nursing students sometimes have an advantage when it comes to meeting prerequisites and being admitted to the School of Nursing.

“I recommend taking the early admittance opportunity so that you do not have to stress about getting in,” sophomore Breanna Nutt said.

Even though most nursing students’ time in Baldwin City is cut short, they still get to spend two years experiencing the main campus and all it has to offer.