how were you able to live (financially) while in nursing school?

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Sep 12, 2014

thread moved for best response

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Sep 12, 2014

I would strongly advise against taking out living expense loans, although some people disagree with my line of thinking.

When I attended an LVN program in 2004/2005, I lived off unemployment payments. When the unemployment payments ran out, I lived off my savings account. I was 23/24 years old, living on my own, and had a mortgage and utilities to pay.

When I attended an LPN-to-RN transition program in 2009/2010, I worked 32 hours per week as an LVN at a local nursing home while going to school full time.

oklamedic2011 · Sep 12, 2014

i work full time, and attend nursing school full time. Have to decide how important nursing school is for you. For me, it was worth me being exhausted every week.

classicdame, MSN, EdD · Sep 12, 2014

I worked full time, but kept my personal expenses to a bare minimum. Got scholarships towards the end of school.

RookieRoo · Sep 12, 2014

My wife works her orifice off for me to be able to go to school. Being in the accelerated BSN program means I do NOT have time to work any kind of job, even part time, so she works overtime and pulls double shifts while I take on more responsibility with the kids and house. It's tough and we are barely squeaking by, but I tell myself that a year from now I will be job-hunting or maybe even have a job and everything will get better. Best of luck to you, money sucks!

Pangea Reunited, ASN, RN · Sep 12, 2014

I moved out of my nice house in a nice neighborhood to live in a shack on the bad side of town. I also got rid of my car and rode the city bus when I needed to go somewhere that wasn't walking distance. My water got turned off regularly for non-payment as did my electricity. I learned to turn the water back on, myself ...but sometimes I took cold showers in the dark. I had a cell phone for emergencies, but it was a pay-as-you-go phone and I only spent $20 on it every 2-3 months.

Despite this low style of living, I still had to take out student loans to pay my rent and eat. I also worked about 6 hours a week to keep my foot in the door with my employer, but working more than that was not practical since my school schedule was erratic, school was demanding, and it took over 1-2 hours to get anywhere by bus.

I lived with one other person who was not able to contribute to the household, at all. I also had multiple pets I obtained during better times and am committed to for their natural lives.

caliotter3 · Sep 12, 2014

I worked a full time job and at any given time, one or two part time jobs. In addition to the energy expended in working, my commute time to school was an hour and a half each way. My job as a full time single parent also took up a lot of my time. None of this was easy. When my health suffered, so did everything else. When I lost the full time job, the mortgage went and so did school. You take your chances. Sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose.

nurse4ever08 · Sep 12, 2014

I worked full time at first , then 24 hours on weekends as an aide then 32 hour weekends as a LPN the last term. Term 2 and 3 , I did use loans and credit card.

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Sep 13, 2014

I was in college. I lived in the dorms, had a meal plan and drank cheap beer.

Kamilia2010 · Sep 13, 2014

I worked full time 40 hrs/week. I had no choice, as the bread winner of my family, food needed to be put on the table and the mortgage needed to be paid. It was the most difficult time of my life, but working during nursing school is doable.

loriangel14, RN · Sep 13, 2014

I worked 7 days a week and went to night school.