Better to go part time or full time to Nursing school?

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I'm going into my 3rd semester of 4 in a RN program and I'm considering going part time until I finish. The work load is SO stressful and I feel like I would comprehend the information better if it wasn't so much at one time.

However, many of the instructors and other students say it is better to go full time if you can because people who go part time do much worse on the NCLEX because the information isn't as fresh in your mind.

Does anyone have any thoughts or opinions on this?

Thanks!

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Specializes in CNA.
I'm going into my 3rd semester of 4 in a RN program and I'm considering going part time until I finish. The work load is SO stressful and I feel like I would comprehend the information better if it wasn't so much at one time.

However, many of the instructors and other students say it is better to go full time if you can because people who go part time do much worse on the NCLEX because the information isn't as fresh in your mind.

Does anyone have any thoughts or opinions on this?

Thanks!

The LAST thing I would ever want to do is stretch out an RN program. My RN-BSN program, maybe I'll take it down a notch because I (better) be working full time.

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Specializes in NNICU.

So you have the choice to go full time or part time? In my program they set a schedule and you have to attend class, there is no option to take them spread out. Can you explain further?

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As long as we finish the 2 year Associate degree Nursing Program in 4 years, we can go part time or full time. I went full time the first 2 semesters and so that means if I want to go part time I just have to finish the program within 3 years. However, even at this point if I go part time I will finish it in 2 years.

I guess every school is different.

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Specializes in None.

I would go full time, it's going to be harder but you get done faster and you won't have to worry about it anymore!

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Specializes in Cath Lab & Interventional Radiology.

Some people go part time at my school too. They might do marginally better in classes, but it kind of sucks for them. It seems that part time students are still stressed out, but maybe to a slight degree less. I had some study buddies that are part time, but now I have passed them up. As I head into third semester, they are heading into round two of second semester classes with an entirely different group of students. I would just stick it out full time.

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Specializes in NNICU.

I see. Even if I had the choice to go part time I would still do the full time. I am in an accelerated RN program so I can totally relate to the stressful work load but IMO better to get it done the string it along. ;)

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If I had a choice, I would attend part-time, for sure! With kids, their schedules, a husband who is absent five days/week (due to work scheduling), and the cost of gas, daycare expenses, dirty house, tons of laundry, too much crap to name; I would love to go part-time. But then again, attending full-time really emphasis the truly important aspects of your life, teaches you to say 'NO', and quite possibly change your views politically and socially. I don't know the statistics, but I would guess that many who attend part-time, are more likely to never obtain their RN degree.

I changed my mind; I would only attend full-time. I have four more quarters to be beaten down and broken, why would I want to prolong the torture of nursing school, and most importantly, why put my family through more hell?

So there's a lot of pros and cons to attending both time-frames. Good luck on your decision.

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Specializes in Operating Room.

I would only go part time if it was an absolute necessity. There is no need to prolong nursing school! It is going to be tedious and stressful either way. When it comes down to it, retaining all the info for NCLEX will be even more difficult.

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Full-time, definitely! My school offers 2 separate RN programs - one is part-time and one is full-time. The PT one is geared more towards LPNs who are working and want their RN but have to work FT while going to school. For some reason, the PT students drop out more and have worse grades that the FT students. I don't know about your school, but the PT students at my school keep going to school through most of the school breaks that the rest of us get (except Christmas break) because they're only PT. It also seems like they get the WORST clinical schedules - their hours are all over the place, whereas the FT students have more regular hours.

Plus, I would think that by going PT you'd just be drawing out the torture instead of just getting it over and done with.

Good luck!

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Continue full-time I know it's stressful but it will be worth it in the end :) . From what I hear part-time courses are dragged out.

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do it full time and get it done with, def not something you want to drag out! goodluck!

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