Any moms or dads go to a nursing school out of town?

meljonumd · Feb 12, 2014

But iim so desperate and a little pathetic I just want to see the words accepted and fantasize about it all working out

If you have that kind of inner desire, that's a great start. Now you have to mix that with reality.

I bit the bullet and moved in with my parents...in western PA...and moved myself and my 3yo son from Baltimore to do it.

AND THEN I still have to drive an hour to my school every day.

I actually just rented a tiny little place right next to my school where I can crash if I just can't drive home, for what ever reason. (snow is a BIG problem around here).

My problem had been I couldn't work AND pay for rent AND daycare AND go to school if I didn't make some radical changes in my situation. (for some reason, paying 3000/month for just those 2 bills wouldn't work if I couldn't work?? lol).

Moving in with family CAN work I believe.

But you have to have clear expectations on both sides of what you will be responsible for (food, chores, childcare, etc), and what general behaviors you and they will tolerate (will you be able to study if they are late night partiers, for example).

RunBabyRN · Feb 13, 2014

A friend of mine in the program commutes an hour to get to school and clinicals. Her kids are older, but she can afford a nanny for them, and she's able to afford her bills (she planned ahead financially for all of this). I think the possibility of moving in with family is a tough call, and really depends on your family dynamics, but like you said, it CAN work. It could be worth it to pinch pennies and suck it up for a couple of years to make your dream happen. Sometimes we have to make harsh short term sacrifices (as many of us can likely attest, single parent or not) to make these long term goals happen. I'm a big supporter of following your dreams, so long as you have a realistic plan that you can set in motion. Figure it all out. Write out every possible option, and look at the financial, emotional, and logistical aspects of everything. Is moving a possibility, if you can be closer? What will your childcare situation be? Are there cheaper neighborhoods? Will you be working? Can you get financial aid? Will you have to take out student loans?

I hope you're able to make it happen! Good luck!

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Feb 13, 2014

I lived in the Dallas/Fort Worth area of Texas and commuted across state lines to a nursing school in Oklahoma City, which was 225 miles away from my home. My former roommate was a single mom who left her young son in Texas with family while commuting to school.

Hibbzem17 · Feb 13, 2014

I applied to a school an hour away. A fellow student that I know got into this particular school which is actually a 1 1/2 hour drive for her. However, she received the most scholarship money from this school. I'm talking 22k. The schools that were local To her only wanted to give 10-15k for sholarships. So she justified paying for gas in the short run to payin loans an interest in the long run .

sarahpsych · Feb 15, 2014

I applied to a nursing school an hour away from where I live and I have a 2 year old. I commuted a little over an hour for my bachelors when she was an infant and it worked out ok. She does go to daycare part time, which will probably have to increase once I start nursing school, but honestly she LOVES it! It has been so great because she's an only child and she gets to play with other kids all day, she's learned sign language, and I think that being with kids slightly older has helped her learn. I think that daycare can be really great if you can do it! It definitely can work!