what do you think? i'm half way thru the sem and i have a 69% average... i would have to get at least a A/B on the next test...
should i wait and try to raise my grade? or drop with a W?
i dont have any money right now... and my parents are only paying my way if i do nursing..
i wanted to major in english lit or philosophy... i only have to take about three or four courses or only ONE course for the major in philo and i can transfer fall 09 to a university in california.. ucla, santa cruz, san diego.. i dont know which schools are the best cohices for philo and eng lit.. and these majors arent impacted and i got As in all my eng and philo preqreqs.. get a BSN degree, travel/teach in japan.. this is what i kind of want to do for the time being.
Many years ago, I was a pre-nursing major. I found the classes to be hard, and I really enjoyed my English lit. class. I changed my major to English lit. I had a great time taking all those lit classes, and got good grades. I graduated from college and couldn't do anything with my degree. I got a job as a secretary, which wasn't really paying the bills. So, I did the sensible thing, and got a second degree in English Ed. I really enjoyed my internship and thought I made the right decision. I enjoyed the teaching part, but hated the long, unpaid hours, and dealing with discipline.
So, now I've decided to become a nurse. I've got the drive and self-discipline to make great grades on courses like chemistry, A&P, and microbiology.
I don't have any advice for you. I have no regrets, because I don't believe in having regrets. It's kind of hard to have all these loans from the first two degrees, and now going back into college--but that's the way it is. I can't tell you which path is best for you. I can tell you that a degree in English Lit. or Philosophy won't get you very far. You'll either have to go back to school and get a masters, or most likely a Ph.D. if you want to teach college. You'll have to go back to school and get a education degree if you want to teach secondary school.
That's my practical advice, based on my life experience.
Nursing school is WAAAYYYYYY to hard to do it for reasons other than you love it!! You probably would not make it all the way if your heart is not in it and you are determined. I hate that your parents would force something as important on you as this. My advice, go with what you love. You sound like you have your mind made up on what you need to do to be happy. There are plenty of govt programs, financial aid, and scholarships to help you with expenses. Esp if you go to a university, you can live on campus. Good luck with whatever you decide!
I hear you saying that you are not happy in nursing school and the grade you are currently getting puts you behind the eight ball. Which is hard to get out from behind but is not impossible, if you are committed to making the grade to pass? I also hear you saying that unless you continue with pursing a nursing degree your parents will not continue to pay for your education and that you are depending on their generosity to pay the bill.
Now that you have been in nursing classes you have found a passion for English and have done very well. But do not find the same passion or commitment for nursing school.
Have you talked to your parents about your dilemma and helped them to understand your passion for the other disciplines? Perhaps explaining to them how you feel will help change their mind about further financing your education. Explain to them your current situation regarding the grades is currently receiving and what it would mean to continue with the course and the lack of commitment to continue.
Giving up parental financing for school does not have to be the end of your academic career. There are other avenues to pursue to get the help for your education, such as student loans to cover the cost of your education and housing. There are many, many scholarships out there if you take the time to search for them.
Giving advice is the easy part, but making the decision will be the difficult part. I once heard "Making the decision to change is the easy part, change itself is the hard par." Good luck with whatever your decision.
If you are in a nursing program soley to please your parents, you don't enjoy it, and aren't doing well in the classes, you should change majors. Nursing is not for everyone, it is hard program to get through in school, and a much harder career.
That being said, it is hard to find work with an English Lit or philosophy degree. I thought about it myself. Do you have an interest in teaching school age children, or at the college level? College you will need a PhD most likely, and gooed tenure positions are few and far between. We do need good teachers for elementary and high school, but some areas are saturated with english teachers...much easier to get a postion if you major in science or math. You should do what you enjoy and are good at, but you need to be practical as well. I would suggest having a heart to heart with your parents, and talking with a counselor at school as well about majors and career options. Good luck with whatever you choose.
I am married to a grad student, so this post caught my attention. With lit and philosophy, consider the PhD a baseline for professional practice in a university setting. I realize people can and do teach with MA degrees but such positions are usually temporary. If this is your passion start preparing now. For perspective, my DH started his BA in the fall of 1999 and will (hopefully) finish his PhD in 2010. You have to be in for the long haul to make it work.
I agree with most of what's been said ... you shouldn't be a nurse if your heart isn't in it. If you don't have a heart that really longs to care for people and touch people's lives, you'll probably experience burnout or at least not be a really great nurse.
However, like everyone has said, majoring in English or Philosophy is wonderful while in college (my undergrad was in communication and French and I LOVED all the liberal arts courses), but you will probably have a VERY hard time getting a good job after graduation. Most of the people I know who majored in philosophy or English have had to go on to get Master's degrees in Speech Pathology, Divinity (Seminary), PhD in Economics, Law school, etc. in order to develop the specialized skills necessary to get a job. Other English majors I know who didn't go on for more school are working as waiters or in retail, and just a few have jobs related to writing. If you plan on going to grad school, English and Philosophy can be great preparation. However, if you want to stop after undergrad, you would probably do well to find something that allows you to study something you enjoy, but will also allow you find a job. For example, English Secondary Ed. lets you teach English to high school students (this is just one example).
penelopelp
130 Posts
This sounds very familiar...
Many years ago, I was a pre-nursing major. I found the classes to be hard, and I really enjoyed my English lit. class. I changed my major to English lit. I had a great time taking all those lit classes, and got good grades. I graduated from college and couldn't do anything with my degree. I got a job as a secretary, which wasn't really paying the bills. So, I did the sensible thing, and got a second degree in English Ed. I really enjoyed my internship and thought I made the right decision. I enjoyed the teaching part, but hated the long, unpaid hours, and dealing with discipline.
So, now I've decided to become a nurse. I've got the drive and self-discipline to make great grades on courses like chemistry, A&P, and microbiology.
I don't have any advice for you. I have no regrets, because I don't believe in having regrets. It's kind of hard to have all these loans from the first two degrees, and now going back into college--but that's the way it is. I can't tell you which path is best for you. I can tell you that a degree in English Lit. or Philosophy won't get you very far. You'll either have to go back to school and get a masters, or most likely a Ph.D. if you want to teach college. You'll have to go back to school and get a education degree if you want to teach secondary school.
That's my practical advice, based on my life experience.