LVN/LPN to RN versus directly to RN

Hello all, I'm currently a nursing student, and have a friend who wants to do the same. She's considering going LVN first, then transitioning later to ADN RN, with her rationale being that LVN schooling is shorter (by a year at least) so she could start working sooner, and being an LVN first would give her a leg up in RN school (which ain't easy). Also, our local RN program is tougher to get into (though I don't think she would have a problem getting in).

Now, who has done the LVN to RN route? Or did you start off doing this, and never went to full RN? Did you think being an LVN first did help you in RN nursing school? (did you struggle less than the other RN students did) If you had it to do over again, would you do it the same, or would you have gone strait to RN?

Not sure how it is other places, but where we live RN's make nearly twice what LVN's make, even though they generally do the same work if they're both working as floor nurses (same work load).

Thanks so much for any input or advice you may have. I'll pass along info to her to help her make her decision.