CRNA school with children

[crnastudent1]

Just looking for some advice on attending CRNA school with kids. I know it's probably not recommended thing to do but I'd love to go back to school. My kids are 9 and 11 years old and I have good family support. Has anyone gone through this? Please give any feedback, comments, suggestions. Thank you.

[Peanut287]

Congratulations on your Graduation!! Did you do the program while having children at home? Just curious......

[GCRNA]

No, I do not have kids. And I am not an authority on the subject of finishing college with a family - just offering my opinion.

My lab partner had 2 kids plus suffered a divorce in the middle of first semester. These circumstances would have caused most to drop out; she, having played college sports and having serious discipline, prioritized her time and kept the right academic mind set.

Cut to 3 years later, she finally gave her 6 year old the trip to Disney she kept promising when she was locked away with her books.

The truth is, you need to prioritize your resources whether or not you have kids. These programs are tough, and chances are you're gonna challenged and heckled along the way - its part of the training. Can you experience a tough day in clinical, being yelled at and treated like a child, and then go home to focus on books for 2 hours, then get off to sleep for the next day?

Really think it out before signing that Stafford loan because these programs have little sympathy for students who have "a lot going on in my life." if you're falling behind academically THEY WILL run you out, and having seen this happen to 3 of my classmates, I can tell you its not a pretty sight. Especially when they let you keep the payment book for the loans.

All in all, it is a great opportunity that carries great risk. Don't make this decision emotionally. ADD UP all of the pros (supportive spouse, low rent/mortgage, family to rely on, money saved, etc..) If you're a single parent with NO family support system and NO spouse to help out, don't do it (unless you have the discipline of a Navy SEAL and can run on 5 hours of sleep for 3 years.

Big decisions, big consequences, big rewards. And not for the faint at heart.