Gap year before nursing school?

[Sweetie]

For reference, I am 20 years old and live with my parents.

So I was accepted into a great BSN program that starts in January. It's a private university which means EXPENSIVE. This was the only nursing school to accept me because the other ones required me to have the pre-reqs (required courses for RN school) done before a certain time, which I did not. So if I wanted to apply for the other and cheaper programs, I would have to take a gap year. (most accept students once a year) I'm not sure how complicated this sounds.. but if there's questions just ask me lol.

I also just started a new job as a pre-school tutor. This is a full time position that pays well, builds up my resume, and offers tuition reimbursement as well as a generous monetary award to help with college. I would receive this award ONLY if I work for a full YEAR. If I were to start school in January, I would have to quit this job and lose all the potential benefits. (the program is too rigorous for me to juggle a full time job). In all honestly, I'm pretty tempted to take a year off of school, save money, apply for a variety of cheaper nursing programs that I couldn't this year, and use that award to fund my education!

**I forgot to mention that I have 4.0 GPA, lots of experience in the healthcare field, and am pretty smart (academically at least). I know I would be a great asset to any other nursing school I apply in the future.

I'm not going to lie though, I really don't like the idea of taking a year off of school. I've been in college since I graduated H.S, and my goal in life is to get a Master's degree in nursing. This field is my PASSION and I don't see myself doing anything else. I want to be a nurse and eventually a nurse practitioner! However, it would be nice to work for a year and save $$$ so that I avoid the burden of student loans (private university = very expensive), save my parents money, get experience, and become more social since I am really shy.

However, I'm so scared that the gap year would turn into gap years, and I will never achieve my goal of becoming a nurse practitioner in the future. I don' t know what I should do and need advice.. desperately

Gap year? Or do I quit the job before I begin school??? I want to specialize in peds!

[AbbyLane]

I say you should wait. I'm In the same boat as you, I've been in college EVERY semester since high shcool ended. I want to be a NP, and I am anxious to knock it all out!

I've come to the realization the past few months that if you want something bad enough like you and I do, it'll happen. Take it easy here and there, you deserve it. A year isn't that long. Knock your prerequisites out, save money apply to multiple school and watch what happens.

Good luck !

[12sonrisa, BSN]

Personally, I would take the year, work full time, get the experience with kids that will look GREAT on a peds application, and get tuition reimbursement that will help keep you less in debt.

I would assume thought that their tuition reimbursement would only apply for courses in the teaching field since it's a preschool. I would double check that before making a decision.

I took a gap year to upgrade a couple grade 12 courses and worked part time. I was significantly more mature than my peers (even though I was only 19) and working helped me manage my time and work-school-life balance once I started nursing school.

It sounds like you are very passionate about becoming a nurse. I am/was also and was SO ready to start nursing school there was no way I'd put it off.

Ultimately it's up to you though! Make a pros and cons list and acknowledge your gut/feelings about the different options too. Come to a decision you're happy with and own it no matter the haters who will offer their opinions even when you don't want them!

Best of luck!!

[herewego23]

I think you will regret it if you don't take the gap year. It sounds like the gap year will set you up for success in having help pay for school, which is something a lot of students worry about. I don't think you will have to worry about gap years as long as you take your pre reqs during that year or any class at all that will relate to your future. I worked full time when I started school again, so it had taken me three years to complete all of my pre reqs plus a couple of additional classes that I thought would help me. Out of those three years, I never had a gap. I just kept going.

[brandy1017, ASN, RN]

I wouldn't even consider the private college unless they were giving you a very generous scholarship! Save your money! You will be paid the same regardless of what school you went to and in most instances whether you have an ADN or BSN, although the trend is to require a BSN. Some places now will hire an ADN on the stipulation you get your BSN within 3-5 years while working full-time.

I see no real benefit in going the private college route, in fact, it will most likely be a burden when you factor in the outsize student loans you will be saddled with. Choose community college for an ADN and transfer to a state college or WGU RN to BSN even if it takes a little longer, then you can get some work experience and decide where to do your NP down the line. Believe me, you'll be so grateful not to be burdened by high student loans.

I went to a private college for nursing and it took me almost 25 years to pay off the loans! So many years I regretted it, every time I had to make out the student loan payment almost as high as my rent! It was a great school and good experience, but it didn't help me in the long run and set me back financially to the point where I was almost 40 before I was able to buy a house and wasn't able to save for retirement when I was young. I see my friends and family on surer financial footing who will be able to retire way before me with hundreds of thousands more in the bank and feel envy and regret that I didn't make better financial choices when I was younger! Don't be like me!

While talking about money might sound selfish to you when you're young and idealistic as I was too, the reality is pensions are gone and social security and medicare are not adequate in retirement. Also, student loans have no bankruptcy options so take out as few as possible. Read about personal finance and take a class while you are at it. Start your life on a sound financial footing. Some books to look at are Personal Finance for Dummies by Eric Tyson, Smart Women Finish Rich by David Bach, and Your Credit Score by Liz Weston.

[lhet1970]

I am a parent of a 21 year old nursing student who studied in a private school. It's accelerated BSN 36 months but she failed her nursing core and devastated. She was removed for failing 2 classes and kick out of the program. My advice to you is if you are for sure you can graduate in 36 months go for it and have 80 plus thousand student loans you can repay it anyway. But if you are willing to go to community college and wait 2 years, while you wait you can work and you will graduate before you turn 25. But for my daughter she is on waiting list and most likely she will start in Spring of 2019. Her GPA is not as high as yours she only have 3.5. Good luck to you.