AA now vs RN now

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Hello,

I am attending a community college for my AA degree. I am enrolled currently in 2 classes and have 1 more left. I am undecided if I should finish the AA now or go ahead and apply for the RN programs here in Tampa FL.

The decision is hard for me to make because I know that becoming an RN is what's more important but then when I look at the benefit of going into an RN program with an AA and high GPA it also looks good and standout. Please feel to comment on what you think is best.... thank you all

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Specializes in school nurse.

Another thing you could do is make sure that your classes in your AA program align with the non-nursing courses of the BSN programs in your area. Finish your current degree, then apply to those programs and pretty much just take nursing courses.

BSN programs require a fair amount of science as well as some humanities, so it's a good idea to get those "out of the way."

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Almost every nursing program (ADN or BSN) has lots of prerequisites. Look at the school you're interested in and see what their requirements are. I wouldn't waste time taking unnecessary classes unless you just have a strong interest in the subject matter and time to burn.

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Thank you for replying.

I have been doing that as well. I'm just ready to start the RN program of course.

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I agree. I guess with me only having one more class left for the AA it has me ready to apply to RN programs. Thanks for your opinions

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Don't forget to consider your financial aid situation while making your decision.... generally you don't receive financial aid, with the exception of loans, for a 2nd degree at the same level.... It may be harder to find financial aid if your pursue your ADN after obtaining an AA degree.... But you shouldn't have any issues if going directly into a BSN program.... so unless you are 100% certain that you are going directly into a BSN program after completing your AA degree, it may not be worth it.

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Really?? I did not know that. I thought FASFA will continue rolling as long as I don't hold a BSN. I will definitely check that and use it in my decision making. Thank you. I live in Tampa FL and there aren't many BSN programs unless I do the private school options. I do wor for a company who does tuition assistance so that helps a lot.

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Don't forget to consider your financial aid situation while making your decision.... generally you don't receive financial aid, with the exception of loans, for a 2nd degree at the same level.... It may be harder to find financial aid if your pursue your ADN after obtaining an AA degree.... But you shouldn't have any issues if going directly into a BSN program.... so unless you are 100% certain that you are going directly into a BSN program after completing your AA degree, it may not be worth it.

I completed my AA degree and still receive financial aid grants for my ADN. I will graduate debt free. I have recently decided to go for the concurrent BSN program through my community college and will still receive my pell grant which will cover just about everything from what I have calculated. Many of these BSN programs are based on points. GPA and test scores are the bulk of the points and having an AA degree gives me an extra two points. This may not sound like a lot but when you get down to the nitty gritty that two points means you are accepted or denied. I would say finish the AA degree then go for nursing. This is what I am doing and it seems to be working well.

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It's a coincidence that you mentioned that because I called one of the universities that I'm applying to and the dean said that it's "an extra 2points" for AA. Thanks for your feed back. I greatly appreciate it. I just feel like I'm getting old and ready to start my career.? :(

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How old are you? I am 27! lol don't think that way.. think of the entire process as a process, don't think too hard about the destination. I am so wanting to be done with nursing school but I have found the more I rush it the more stressed I am the lower grades I get etc. "Time" in nursing school is different than time in other programs. The "2-year" ADN program can easily take 4-5 years with pre-reqs, waitlists, etc. Don't be discouraged, just keep chugging along and you will get there.

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I'm turning 27 on Wednesday. Lol. You are so right about rushing. I did that before and ended up nowhere good.

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Well there you go! If you're getting old that means I'm getting old and I can assure you I am not getting old! Life experience is invaluable and you will do great. Happy Birthday!

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