I finally got the courage to make my own account and ask a question that has been on my mind for quite a while: does it matter where you get your degree from?
Last year, I was a pre-nursing student aiming to get her BSN at UT Austin. The course load was challenging, especially for a girl who had to work full time to support herself. Then there was also the fact that tuition was expensive just for my basics. So, I came up with the idea of going to community college in San Antonio (my home town) for my last year of prerequisites to save some money and to work with my 40 hour work week schedule a little better, and then applying to the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio for nursing school.
I've been met with some opposition by family members. They're telling me that I'm more likely to earn more starting out if I graduate from a distinguished university like UT Austin. I think it is mostly because they're proud of their daughter for getting into UT Austin and they want me to be able to say I'm a Longhorn.
Believe me, I'd love to be able to say I graduated from UT Austin too. But they aren't supporting me through college, and a girl has to earn a living somehow, right?
This option of doing community and then school in San Antonio has me saving more money and earning more time to split between work and studying.
So, my ultimate question is this: as long as I'm going to get my BSN, does it really matter where I get it from?
Not only is it a good idea to go the cc route due to financial reasons, it's also a good backup plan as well. Sometimes people don't get into a BSN program on their first application attempt because it's so competitive at the universities. I think going to cc first then doing the bridge program isn't such a bad idea. I might end up doing this plan too.
that's exactly what i am doing! c: i was aiming to apply to a university, but there are so many requirements. Then I went to the orientation at UT Health Nursing, and I realized it's way easier to get in the program as a RN. So here I am! hehehe :)
There's so many benefits to just going to community college besides the inexpensive sticker price compared to going to a university for 4 years! I wish you the best :)
UT is a great school, but UTHSCSA also ranks pretty high in the top nursing schools in TX. Either way you'll have a BSN from a reputable school. Jus show your parents the stats-- combine that with the $$ saving of going to CC for your prerequisites and it's should make it clear to them.
Before I started my nursing journey, I spent time in a managerial position involving hiring/firing. Not once did it ever matter where a person got their degree. Experience came before education; and knowing the material came before where they learned the material.
I have been a nurse since 2006. No one has ever asked me what school I went to.
I'm always confused when people say this (which someone does every time a thread on this topic gets started). Employers don't have to ask you where you went to school -- or are you saying that you've applied for nursing jobs with application forms that didn't ask you to list all your formal education? You don't list the schools you graduated from on your resume'? You've really gotten hired for jobs without the employer knowing where you went toschool and confirming that with the school(s)??
If I may add something to the conversation, it doesn't really matter on the school, but, hospitals do know the programs in the area and what is offered in that program and if that program works or not. My dad, who is a retired police chief, told me, from his hiring experience, he knew the areas programs, and would not hire from certain. College programs. He advised me to really research the school program and graduate rate.
Not at all! I went to a CC and I got hired with two grads from the most expensive schools in the area. Guess who has no school debt. And we all get paid the same. What does matter is networking and being involved nclex pass rates.
Thanks for the input, everyone! Both schools I am considering are accredited. University of Texas at Austin is, as well as the Health Science Center at San Antonio. So I will be accredited either way. My dilemma lies solely in the fact that UT Austin has national as well as international prestige, and that it might look more impressive to potential job offers.
Depending on the OP's area, BSN may be preferred....
I don't see anything wrong with finishing your pre req's at a CC, then going to a 4-year university afterwards; I suggest speaking to an advisor about what is transferrable and completing only your nursing classes at the university level; if you are in good standing, you will be able to return for nursing classes if you choose to.
Best Wishes.
To LadyFree28, I am in good standing with UT Austin still and have thought about going back there after I complete my prerequisites, but they make it pretty impossible to do that because some of their prerequisites you can only take at their school, and upon asking several advisers if it would be okay for me to take some of my math and science classes at a community college, they answered with "the staff who looks at nursing school applications and accepts people would think you were taking the easy way out", when in reality I'm trying to take the financially smart way out. Health Science Center at San Antonio, however, couldn't care any less about where my prerequisites come from.
Thanks for all of the responses everyone! After careful deliberation, I've decided to go with the community college and local nursing school route. It will save me a lot of money and I won't have to take out any loans with this route.
berryberries
129 Posts
that's exactly what i am doing! c: i was aiming to apply to a university, but there are so many requirements. Then I went to the orientation at UT Health Nursing, and I realized it's way easier to get in the program as a RN. So here I am! hehehe :)
There's so many benefits to just going to community college besides the inexpensive sticker price compared to going to a university for 4 years! I wish you the best :)