Hey guys....How do you all support yourselves?

To be honest, my wife supports us, as of now .... luckily she's a RVT (registered vascular ultrasound tech) and makes a decent buck (actually, she's always made more $$$ than me, so...it works ). The next 11 months may get tight, but we'll do alright (although my daughter thinks she deserves a car for her 16th b-day...LOL)

I would tell everyone to just do the 2 year ADN thing at a community college for starters.

1.) It's WAY cheaper.
2.) Its faster
3.) Its usually a little less competitive
4.) They usually have less weed out classes.

You can always finish the BSN later on whether it be at a school, or online, or blend of both if need be. And if you do the ADN you can start getting work experience while you work on your BSN. I consider this plan putting you ahead of the power curve actually. And as far as I can tell it all pays the same since apparently the US need twice as many nurses as it has.

I posted already, but I own a performance shop... Basically we build race cars. That and I am a veteran from illinois so I also get about $2,000/month from the MGIB+Marines College Fund.... And to top it off I also get to use the Illinois Veterans Grant, which means I get to go to school for almost free.

Everyone tells me I'm crazy for leaving my good job owning a shop that makes me about $50/hr. But I am thinking of my wrists, elbows, and shoulders when I am 60. Its well known that mechs have problems from repetitive motion injuries, which after 6 years have already started. So I have myself in a position of doing to the books, managing, answering phones, and dealing with customers so th other guys can turn wrenches. But I want to be a CRNA eventually...... So I can make $75/hr....and work on my cars in the garage as a hobby, which I love instead of working on them for a living.... which I hate.

I have a wonderful wife (RN) who, thank God, allows me to focus on school without having to work.

It's hard on my male ego, but I've been assured it'll be well worth it in the long run.

Nobody has even mentioned scholarships! Not too tough to get REALLY! Especially when you consider males in nursing are actually considered a "minority"... BLACK or WHITE according to minority nursing magazine. Your school will have a truck load of local silly scholarships of 2 or 3 hundred bucks that are easy... EVERY little bit helps... Of course, you need to readjust your standard of living significantly...

And good ole student loans worked for me. Trust me... I just failed Psych. You really should avoid work if you can get by and just study then prep for the NCLEX.... There's plenty of time to make money when you have your license in hand!

Michael

I go to school full time
College Composition
General Psychology
Anatomy 1
Microbiology

Then, I work full time at Cvs Pharmacy as a CPht, I work three 12 hour, shifts.

Been on a 2 year "vacation" burning the 401k, but I can focus on school and graduating, then I can reload the retirement fund

Working as a tech at a hospital and financial aid

After leaving a cushy tech job, I've been working EMS for the last 18 months. Since I already have an engineering degree, I was able to avoid like 7 classes. Going to community college, I pay like $140 per credit. Most hospitals in my area have great tuition programs, allowing me to complete my RN, get a nursing job and then have someone else provide $4-5000 per year for me to go back to school for a BSN. Working as an EMT provides me with experience you will not get in school, such as working a cardiac arrest on a patient trapped in a car, gun shot victims, child birth, etc....many times with just you and your partner. Paramedics are usually there when available, but sometimes your flying solo. Besides, I still have to pay the mortgage and provide a portion of the household revenue. Thankfully, my wife decided to go back to work and has a great job...EMS pay does suck. Is it worth working while going to school...yea, it is.

As of right now I'm working as an accountant. I just finished up all of my pre-req's (all were available at night, so no problems there). Once I get accepted into the nursing program I'm going to attempt to rearrange my current work schedule to possibly work longer days or work in the evenings and make up any time on Saturdays.

If that doesn't work out I guess I'll have to look for part-time work somewhere and start draining the emergency fund.