Balance between school and work?

TruvyNurse · May 20, 2018

You can do school and work full time. You just have be flexible and manage your time well. Pick up weekends if you can for work. Study on your breaks. I'd also suggest a calendar or planner to organize your schedule

Davey Do · May 20, 2018

Were any of you able to go to school (FULL-TIME) and work (PART-TIME) at the same time? How did it affect your academic grades?

I worked full time as an LPN and went through the RN program at a community college full time. I also went through a divorce, sold a house, and moved twice in the interim. I was somewhat stressed out but graduated with honors.

With that said, I contribute my success in the RN program by previously becoming and working as both an EMT and an LPN. Both were great programs and laid a foundation which was easily built upon with experience and knowledge gained in the field and in the RN program.

I'm sure contributing factors to my success were the facts that I was much younger and had no children.

Good luck to you, FigueroaHernandez94!

meanmaryjean, DNP, RN · May 20, 2018

You 'pause' things in your personal life that do not contribute to success in school. Notice I didn't say 'give up forever' but intentionally used the word 'pause'.

You may need to 'pause' going out with friends, movies, hobbies, and the like.

elkpark · May 20, 2018

I worked part-time in my original pre-licensure program and in graduate school, attending school full-time in both cases. As a nursing faculty member, I've had lots of students who worked part-time while going to school full-time. It's v. "do-able." However, you need to have a flexible work schedule and understanding, supportive employer, as your scheduling commitments in nursing school will likely change from one semester to another, and even within a semester.

Best wishes for your journey!

saskrn · May 20, 2018

My husband did it without a problem. He was organized and budgeted his time well. He also worked weekends whenever possible.

Ruby Vee, BSN · May 20, 2018

Were any of you able to go to school (FULL-TIME) and work (PART-TIME) at the same time? How did it affect your academic grades? I'm trying to get a $10K scholarship at a private university. If I work and my GPA changes, I lose my scholarship. I'm just curious how those of you handled it. Was it doable? When did you find time to study?

I worked full time and went to school part time and still graduated with a 3.98 GPA (back when 4.0 was a perfect GPA.) I had to budget my time well, study in every bit of down time and didn't have much of a personal life, but it was doable.

DextersDisciple, BSN, RN · May 21, 2018

I went to a 4 year BSN program full time and worked part time without a problem. I was a store manager, babysat and had work study. Do you work part time as an LPN or RN and currently going to school for a higher degree i.e. BSN or MSN? If so then your situation might be a little different.

UnapologeticallyCurly · May 21, 2018

Hey all, thanks for your insights. They are all so appreciated. Schools have a very fixed perspective and want your undivided attention, so they discourage working. They make school easy, like you have no responsibilities until you're $50K indebted... I know I will have some anyhow though.

I'm 23, have no children, BUT I should mention that I have brittle Type 1 Diabetes. I'm going into nursing because of my backstory and I know I won't be rich by any means, but it will provide great benefits and stability. I was worried about juggling work and school with my condition. Most likely I will not work the 1st semester to get a good feel for it.

Fall 2019 I plan on attending a 4-year for my BSN... There's a few schools I'm looking at. One in particular has a merit-based $10K scholarship. If I worked, I'd need to maintain above a 3.8. Which I hear can be difficult in nursing school as is.