Working, school, and kids...starting prerequisites! Anyone else?!

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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Hi! My first post here.. I am working full time as a house manager for adults with special needs. I've been direct support for about 6 years on and off... I have a Bachelor's degree in music (full ride to study my hobby, sure...had intended to go to grad school for music therapy but kids happened instead)

SO here I am, 28 and starting my prerequisites for nursing school. I'm taking statistics and A&P II first since I took A&P I in college for fun... then next semester I will take A&P I and Microbiology and apply for the program and hopefully be sitting here a year from now getting my acceptance into the program! Then I'll have 5 semesters... 1 of classes and 4 semesters of clinicals and whatnot....

My biggest concerns:

#1 Working when I start the actual full time nursing program. I have no choice, I cant just not work. But happily my job is flexible. I only have to work 32 hours in the home and I get 8 flexible hours. For example right now I work Monday/Tuesday 3p-11pm, Wednesday 3pm-9pm and Saturday 7am-2pm....meetings and other paperwork worth 8 hours fit in wherever I can.

#2 I am MUCH stupider since I had my son and was on birth control. I have a hard time remembering things...I used to be great in school, got a 32 on my ACT and graduated with a 3.7...worried I won't be as sharp memorizing things as I used to be...

#3 Worried that I will go through all this and somehow not be good at it or hate it or something although obviously I'm fairly certain I'll really enjoy the challenge...or the only job available being LTC... i was a CNA for a year in long term care and I HATED it. Love bedside care...just that old people locked away for years make me real sad.

Anyone else juggling the trifecta of work, school, and family?

Biggest struggles? Anything easier than you thought? What's your schedule like? Favorite part about school? Least favorite? How quickly did you land a job?

OH and how many times did you have to apply if you're at a competitive school? I'm terrified of not getting in and having to wait around with my thumbs in my ass.

Thanks in advance!

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I'm looking forward to hearing others comments. Starting in January I'll be in the same situation. I'll have to work as a phlebotomist at night to pay bills and complete prerequisites in the daytime. I have a 4 month old son. Thankfully my family is supportive and wants to babysit:)

~If your worried about forgetting things then set alarms/calenders on your phone or get an old fashioned calender/planner

~I was a CNA until I made more money in retail. Nursing home wasn't my cup of tea either because of the reason you mentioned but overrall I really liked the patient interreaction. I did clinicals in a hospital and really liked it. From what I've read on here new grad nurses have to work 6 months to 1 year in LTC before getting a hospital job. The good thing about nursing is if 1 area doesn't float your boat theres always something else to try so I wouldn't let the fear of not liking it discourage you.

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I just graduated an ADN program last spring. Single mom and worked nights as a waitress during school. I had a bachelors in business before. For me I found that juggling everything made me try harder in school and found that more than half my class was in their late 20's-40'swith lots going on. There were younger students with no other responsibilities and they either were the ones get A's or failing out of school.

The 2 years were stressful and intense but somehow I managed I am sure you can do it too! Lots of red bull and coffee! Some days I only had a couple hours sleep but i knew i couldnt give up. My daughter would watch a ton more tv than suggested at times but oh well. Also I took out small loans to help. I remember starting my pre reqs looking on here for the same type posts and I just kept going little by little.

Some semesters we had class/clinical 4 days and some only 3. I applied to 5 schools and got in to 1 school.

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Specializes in Emergency Medicine, Cardiology.

"I am MUCH stupider since I had my son and was on birth control. I have a hard time remembering things." birth control and children has no effect on memory

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I disagree, "mommy brain" is very real. How do your explain PPD? Hormones are very concentrated in the brain & even minor hormonal changes & imbalances affect our brain chemistry.

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I work full time, 60 hours a week, also have a wife and 7 year old son. I am almost finished with my pre reqs. I had a degree in Culinary and went back to school after 14 years last year. I go part time, 2-3 classes and add classes in the summer to keep up with the full timers. Not easy, but thankfully have a job I can study at.

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Same here ...full-time working mom & wife. I take 2 classes in-person and one online. I started with two classes then added on the 3rd as an online 8-week course. LOTS of reading. I go in early to work to read and study just so I can still have time with the kids in the evening. Night classes are on Tuesday & Thursday then a Saturday class. I'm looking forward to being a full time student when I get in a nursing program. We'll be broke because I'll have to quit but if we have food, lights & water then we'll make do. It's only temporary. I've worked for the last 13 years so it will be a major adjustment.

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Well it must be coincidence. ;-)

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Same here ...full-time working mom & wife. I take 2 classes in-person and one online. I started with two classes then added on the 3rd as an online 8-week course. LOTS of reading. I go in early to work to read and study just so I can still have time with the kids in the evening. Night classes are on Tuesday & Thursday then a Saturday class. I'm looking forward to being a full time student when I get in a nursing program. We'll be broke because I'll have to quit but if we have food, lights & water then we'll make do. It's only temporary. I've worked for the last 13 years so it will be a major adjustment.

I've been looking to take an online class for my last Psych class, how did you find online classes to be?

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I've been looking to take an online class for my last Psych class, how did you find online classes to be?

I know this wasn't directed to me but I can answer it. My boyfriend took online classes. You write papers, have discussion boards, projects, and weekly meetings with the whole class and instructor for lecture.

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Reading and chapter review every other day. Answer questions on chapter discussions then you have to respond to classmates answers. Book reviews and quizzes. Ok do to for anything that doesn't require or lab ; I wouldn't suggest online math classes unless you're a math whiz ,lol.

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I know this wasn't directed to me but I can answer it. My boyfriend took online classes. You write papers, have discussion boards, projects, and weekly meetings with the whole class and instructor for lecture.

How was his experience with it? Would do again or no?

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